Eugene Weekly

• Laurelwood Golf Course opened its new restaurant, Laurelwood Bar and Grill, earlier this summer, and now it’s serving up cocktails, thanks to its newly acquired liquor license. The open-to-the-public restaurant is decked out with six new big-screen televisions in preparation for the upcoming football season, and it’s also home to the iconic tables and chairs that once bedecked the old Oregon Electric Station, repurposed to fit Laurelwood’s antique-chic look. Continue reading →

For folks who relish both the stewy, fruity tang of the tropics and the spicy stuff that’s served with rice and beans south of the Rio Grande, the cuisine of Costa Rica presents a savory medium. A Central American country bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, Costa Rica touches the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Caribbean on the other, and is therefore uniquely positioned to receive two different but complimentary cultural and culinary influences. Continue reading →

The Oregon Electric Station, one of Eugene’s bastions of fine dining since 1977, reopened Aug. 9 under new ownership, and people have taken notice. “We expected to be busy,” General Manager Paolo Ruffi says, “but we have been beyond busy. We’ve been overwhelmed by the reaction of the people.”  Continue reading →

It’s hard calling to mind the mouth-watering taste of smoked salmon when staring at a scaly, pungent, eyeballs-and-everything fish. But don’t be intimidated — with the help of a smoker, some brine and a little insider information, you can transform your fishy friend into a Northwest delicacy. Continue reading →

Like it or not, football season is upon us like a fullback in tight pants. For many, football means parties and parties mean food. If you need a fresh catering option for your next tailgate (or couch-gate), consider the meanest-named new restaurant in Eugene: Toxic Wings and Fries on River Road.  Continue reading →

Tam Howitt and her husband Heath Howitt say that to understand Vietnamese cuisine, you have to understand fish sauce. The pair recently opened Tam’s Place Vietnamese Cuisine, a food truck located on 29th and Friendly in Eugene. Fish sauce is made with fermented fish extract and sea salt. Different people use different ingredients to taste — for example, peppers to add a little heat. The Howitts add lime, giving their sauce a tangy bite. Continue reading →

The top of the mountain — the summit — as well as a circle representing wealth and success are a couple of the cultural connotations restaurant owner Alex Han drew upon when naming his new Asian fusion restaurant. The word “Maru” means mountaintop in Japanese, but it’s also known colloquially to represent money because the Chinese character of the word is circular.  Maru opened its doors about six months ago with clean white platters of sushi and steaming bowls of Korean and Japanese cuisine.  Continue reading →

Sitting in a booth at Marché, my fiancé and I admire the etchings above our table. Each one features a different food-smith, a sort of lineup of French food superheros: There’s the Beurière, or buttermaid, outfitted with a dress made of pails, measuring slabs of butter on a scale; the Poissonnière (a fishmaid) wearing a crab headpiece and a gown covered in fish; and of course the Vinaigrié (a vinegar maker) carrying barrels of vinegar while sporting mustard-box pantaloons. Continue reading →