We all have our favorites. When we go out to dinner, we usually play it safe and pick a restaurant we know and love. But in a city with a nationally renowned up-and-coming food scene, why shouldn’t we broaden our horizons? What if you chose a restaurant completely at random? Better yet, what if an expert selected [...]
You might have eyed the Mountain Tees, and maybe you thought about buying a piece of jewelry for Mother’s Day, but let’s be honest — you spent most of your time and a painful amount of money at the Street Faire’s food carts. Some of you might still be savoring the barbecue flavors, while others [...]
Fast, order-at-the-counter service often connotes poor quality — but Kopi-O is setting out to change that assumption in Eugene. Despite officially opening its doors just last Monday, the Southeast Asian cafe is already set to make an impact on the local food scene. “We want to become a neighborhood restaurant,” said Aaron Ismail, who handles [...]
Farmers and local food enthusiasts go up in arms when they feel that the federal and state governments are hindering their freedoms. That’s exactly what happened when the Senate committee passed SB 633 by a narrow 3-2 vote on April 11. But those protesting the bill, who will take their complaints to its first public [...]
“Organic” has certainly become a cultural buzzword in the last decade. Grocery stores have pulled industrialized produce off their shelves and restocked them with organic this-and-that in order to please their suddenly ethically conscious customers. Organic has become the be-all end-all stamp of sustainable agriculture and an instant guilt reliever for shoppers. But what exactly [...]
Lorri Nelson knew the future of the Courthouse Garden was uncertain when she signed the lease. “We knew if someone had interest in purchasing the land we would lose it,” Nelson said of the garden’s 2-acre plot — and that’s exactly what happened. Nelson, the Courthouse Garden’s former director, knew the end of her three-year [...]
When the former minister of the University of Oregon Episcopal Campus Ministry recognized a growing malnutrition problem on campus in the fall of 2011, he gave his garage a drastic makeover. Along with volunteers eager to relieve hunger, the minister turned the space into the university’s own food pantry. Every Thursday afternoon, Lane Community College, [...]
Just like many other universities across the country, the University of Oregon has its own urban farm. However, unlike other institutions, this farm exists entirely for the students and the campus community — with no financial motivations. According to farm manager Harper Keeler, the urban farm “is two things: a place and a program.” The [...]
From farm to fork, the average American meal travels 1,500 miles before it’s consumed. For customers at the Excelsior Inn Ristorante, that number is just under 15. Although only about 5 percent of the food consumed in Lane County is grown locally, businesses like Marché Restaurant and the Kiva Grocery Store go to great lengths [...]
Excelsior Farm has been the source of fresh produce for the Excelsior Inn and Restaurant and other venues since 2009. “I’m pursuing farming as more of a craft than just an economic endeavor,” says Jeremy Mueller, farm manager. “It’s a big variety of stuff that you get to do when you’re farming on a small [...]
Stuart Phillips chuckled to himself as he thought about his newest creation. “I’m proud to say it completely sold out in two days,” he said of Russian Meteorite. The vodka-roasted-beet flavored ice cream, made with fudge and malted milk balls, is the newest in a long line of outrageous flavors from Red Wagon Creamery. Stuart [...]
“Burgers” and “beer” are the first two words you’ll hear out of any Cornucopia regular. If you’ve ever tried one of their 10 handmade burgers, you’ll understand why. Grass-fed and raised right here in Eugene at Knee Deep Cattle Company, the angus beef is natural-certified and hormone and antibiotic-free, so you shouldn’t have any moral qualms about enjoying [...]
Nothing screams college quite like pizza — it’s generally cheap, bad for you and accompanies beer. Like any young city, Eugene has pizza right around most corners, but its parlors don’t all fit the same mold. Here are three restaurants — all notable for their outstanding pizza — which draw incredibly different crowds and make [...]
The sun is (intermittently) out and spring is in the air, which means it’s time to put the heavy winter drinks away and start sipping on something sunnier. Citrus, mint and berries highlight this list of spring drinks but one very spicy newcomer adds a punch to the traditional beer cocktail. Put the textbooks away, [...]
The sun is finally out and shining over Eugene — or at least we’d like to think so. Whatever the weather is like, we will still be living in a state of denial by rocking bro tanks and breaking out the sundresses. This sudden change of attitude and attire can only mean one thing: The [...]
McMenamins North Bank Situated on a serene stretch of the Willamette River, this McMenamins is a relaxing spot for lunch or dinner. With a huge outdoor patio, there shouldn’t be any trouble getting a table with a view of the water. By car, it’s more than three miles from campus, but only about two miles by bike or [...]
On Tuesday, April 16, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. local farmers, members of faith communities and Eugene residents will congregate at the First Methodist Church for the 14th annual That’s My Farmer! event. John Pitney, assistant pastor for First Methodist Church, started the event in 1999 as a way to involve faith communities with local farmers. “The [...]
Generally in America, not all restaurants are willing to offer gluten-free products — many believe gluten contamination is inevitable and don’t want to deal with the liability or the hassle of ensuring ingredients stay separate. Fortunately, many of the restaurants that have made the gluten-free commitment are right here in Eugene. Here are the city’s [...]
Loss of federal funding and money in the county’s general fund has forced the Lane County Correctional Facility to reduce spending in a number of ways — laying off employees, releasing inmates and removing bunks from the establishment among them. In an additional measure to cope with financial difficulties, Lane County completely overhauled its jail’s [...]
University of Oregon students Briana Jones and Jasmine Creighton-Manis have made a habit of pacing supermarket aisles and compulsively checking the backs of food labels. Both women, who developed gluten sensitivities during their time at the UO, are still adjusting to life with this dietary concern. Gluten sensitivity, which does not currently have its own [...]
