Food

Food: Edible Campus and The Grove enjoy success after first year at UO

By on Sunday, Jun. 2 at 9:25 pm.

The community garden brings healthy alternatives to University students. (Alex McDougall/Emerald) What started as a vacant plot of land is now home to 24 garden beds, dozens of varieties of produce and around 60 of the UO’s most avid gardeners. Edible Campus, a year-old initiative formed to bring gardening opportunities to campus, did just that [...]


Food: Kopi-O brings southeastern Asian flavors, balances formal and casual

By on Tuesday, May. 14 at 12:48 pm.

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 [...]


Food: What’s wrong with our organic obsession?

By on Tuesday, Apr. 30 at 12:37 pm.

“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 [...]


Food: Spirit of UO’s courthouse garden program survives the garden’s removal

By on Wednesday, May. 1 at 8:49 pm.

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 [...]


Food: UO’s food pantry offers students free food to fight hunger

By on Monday, Apr. 22 at 5:03 pm.

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, [...]


Food: UO’s urban farm— of the students, by the students, for the students

By on Wednesday, Apr. 17 at 6:39 pm.

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 [...]


Excelsior Inn keeps it close to home with local food

By on Thursday, Apr. 11 at 3:51 pm.

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 [...]


Video: Excelsior Farm

By on Thursday, Apr. 11 at 12:31 pm.

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 [...]


Food: Cracking Cornucopia (BLOG)

By on Thursday, Apr. 4 at 6:10 pm.

“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 [...]


Break out the tiny umbrellas: Try these spring-themed cocktails

By on Wednesday, Apr. 3 at 12:04 pm.

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, [...]


Food: ‘That’s My Farmer!’ event connects farmers, faith communities and low income families

By on Monday, Apr. 15 at 10:28 am.

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 [...]


Food: Gluten-free hotspots in Eugene

By on Tuesday, Mar. 19 at 12:10 pm.

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 [...]