Sometimes it’s good to live richly, enjoy the finer things in life and skip the ramen for once.
The Latin-inspired Eugene restaurant El Vaquero is for just such an occasion, mostly because a dinner for two could easily cost as much as one quarter of a student’s monthly rent, but also because the food is excellent.
The ambiance falls squarely into the realm of other local upscale eateries, with a comforting touch of warmly lit hacienda: Think California mission crossed with downtown Portland. The large booths are comfortable and feel incredibly private.
Nevertheless, there are some major drawbacks. Despite a Web site that claims a lot of vegetarian dishes, El Vaquero doesn’t have a lot to offer the meat-free crowd.
There are a few options, but these seem to pale in comparison to the overwhelming number of rich cuts of meat and seafood options. Sometimes a salad, even a well appointed one, looks inadequate next to a table full of steaks. Let’s face it, this is a steakhouse – so even if you don’t eat steak bet on eating some meat.
During two separate visits, service was somewhat inconsistent. On one night, the table was graced with a knowledgeable waitress willing to recommend an appropriate bottle of wine, but on a return a few months later, there was confusion among the floor staff. Dishes were presented to the wrong seats with long lag times in between, and a waiter who assured me that one dish had no seafood later delivered it piled high with shellfish to another diner at the table.
That problem could easily be fixed by replacing the unusually sparse menus, which barely listed ingredients and conjured up food names in foreign tongues. Typically, a great restaurant can’t wait to tell you everything in a dish, how it was cooked, which farmer made the cheese and how this cow born on what day gave the milk – not El Vaquero. Plus, substitutions are strictly forbidden.
This actually stands in stark contrast to the excellent and detailed bar menu created by legendary Eugene mixologist Jeffrey Morgenthaler. It’s been said before, but if you have the cash, drop some for a few Richmond Gimlets – the perfect cocktail to beat summer swelter.
Once the food was on the table, such problems seemed to melt away.
The actual plating of the dishes is beautiful; a romaine salad presented as a heart of lettuce neatly quartered on a long plate caught my eye, and the rich tones of the restaurant seem to be infused into the other hearty dishes.
A seared duck breast and duck leg confit on the daily menu were perfectly cooked, and a special stuffed chicken breast was positively the best I’ve had in town. The tequila-cream mashed potatoes are a must-order side dish. Personally, I could eat these as my entire meal.
The seafood was declared excellent by a dining companion, and his paella, a Spanish stew, was gobbled up with much delight.
Make no mistake: The food at El Vaquero is pricey: Tapas range from $7 to $26, and entrees start at $32, but for a special night it’s definitely worth it.
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