The words “vegan” and “vegetarian” have a subjective hold on us. They can create a strong reaction regarding how we choose the things we eat. Should we cut down on animal products altogether? Or can we merely observe the benefits of a plant-based option every once in a while?
Here in Eugene, I’ve found three vegan/vegetarian locations worth exploring to see if the omnivore inside us has what it takes to taste something different. Each place features a distinctive culinary style.
Morning Glory Cafe
I’ll start with the most important meal of the day –– breakfast –– and how one restaurant offers it with a bountiful combination of menu items. Morning Glory Cafe has been serving vegetarian and vegan food for over 26 years, and its breakfast items are something you don’t want to miss.
“One thing that we try to do is elevate the game with eating vegetarian/vegan food,” Josh Aldersong, the owner and operator of Morning Glory, said.
Their menu consists of vegan omelets, biscuits ’n’ gravy and the Three Sisters, a medley of veggies that consist of potatoes, zucchini, broccoli and mushrooms, topped with a nutritional yeast sauce of your choice. They also offer a full coffee menu to accompany any dish you order, smoothies and a bakery section for people with a sweet tooth in the morning.
The place is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. seven days a week, located in a cul-de-sac near Eugene Station at 450 Willamette St. The restaurant has a vivid style that’s welcoming for the community. It has colors and decorations that illuminate the dishes they cook with; and there is a breath of fresh air from its employees, with excellent service and support from everyone working there.
“We have the opportunity here to support local vendors and make food in a way that it means something and not just turning a profit,” Aldersong said.
While not everyone may understand the idea of eating your meal without meat, Aldersong said he hopes those who visit feel good about what they ate.
Acorn Community Cafe
If you pivot your appetite toward lunch, there’s a place in Eugene not only reinventing the food we consume, but the way it can help others. Located on 769 Monroe Street, this hidden gem is a newcomer in town to the restaurant world. Opening in April 2021, it had its eyes and arms wide open to good, nutritious food and feeding those in the community struggling to get a proper meal.
The restaurant started in the early pandemic years alongside its sister project 86 Hunger Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps those in the Eugene community fight hunger.
“Eighty-six is a term in restaurants for when something is gone. So like if we’re out of soup, we say, ‘we’re 86 soup,’” Miranda McKeever, a co-owner of Acorn Community Cafe and co-founder of the 86 Hunger Foundation, said. “Our mission is to try to end hunger in our community, so we call it 86 Hunger because we want to be out of hunger.”
With the help of her husband, Corui Prunier, a chef who got inspired by cooking vegan dishes, they’re able to provide this unique service and also put together a menu that’s substantial to their business and the foundation.
“I learned how to cook by becoming vegan, learning how to treat vegetables, plants, produce in ways that would make them more luxurious,” Prunier said.
He mentioned that through the restaurant and foundation, he and his wife want to be able to make these vegan plates available and enjoyable for everyone.
VIVA! Vegetarian Grill
Our last location is an unconventional one that can bring a good late night snack to your evening. What it lacks in space it makes up for its stylistic menu of vegetarian street food. This compact food truck located in a church lot, like many food trucks, has maintained an underground reputation in Eugene for a decade.
The menu features some household favorites like hotdogs, cheesesteaks, tempeh Reubens and soft serves that only an herbivore could imagine. As impossible as these dishes might sound, they actually are all plant based and cater to those looking for a meatless option.
“I really appreciate consistency; I think it’s important,” Dave Wagenheim, owner and semi-retired chef, said. “When people have their favorites, I try to listen to them… If I develop an item that strikes a chord with people, that’s something special.”
Whether you have what it takes to change a fully plant-based diet, be it for health reasons, human rights acts or just to change your palate every once in a while. These places are a good start to help you find that in you and begin a change in the way we eat our food.
