I currently live in Montréal, Canada, but I use to live in Eugene, Oregon--I spent more than 20 years of my life there. On a recent trip back to Eugene, I rediscovered the wonder of its cuisine. Some people may find this insulting, but the food is much better in little old Eugene, Oregon than the sprawling metropolis that is Montréal. (For those Montrealers who may point out that they have poutine, I say that the best poutine is actually in Québec City.) Given Montreal's dense population, it has become its undoing. Restauranteurs' attitude seems to be this: "
If you don't like our food, get out! There are a lot more people we can get in here." So there's no need to provide quality since quantity (people) is all around them. In Eugene, not only do restaurants provide quality but they also provide creativity and uniqueness--this is Eugene, Oregon after all. Keep it weird! And keep it local!
The big thing here is food trucks or food carts. Think of them as startups. My first full day back in Eugene, my friend Jody asked me what I wanted to eat. Authentic Mexican food! You just can't get that in Montréal. They do exist, but being on the west coast one is more likely to find a lot of Mexican restaurants; but, which one is the best, authentic place to have Mexican food. Jody took me to a red food truck on Blair Avenue between 7th and 8th Street. He talked with the guy in Spanish--that's a really good sign in my book. He ordered, but I wanted him to order for me since I don't speak Spanish--I'm a bilingual American (English and French) living in Montréal and I am proud to speak French with native French speakers. I was going to have the burrito, but opted for what I saw further down the menu: tlayuda oaxaqena. I had it with fish. It looked like a pizza, but the "crust" was crisp.


Afterwards we went to
Prince Puckler's Ice Cream on 19th and Agate; however, later that evening a bunch of us went downtown to
Red Wagon Creamery where the ingredients are local. The tea in their tea ice cream on their menu comes from the
Townshend Tea House just down the street. The most amazing thing I tasted there is their mint chocolate chip. The mint is fresh, as if you've picked a sprig of mint and placed it in your mouth. It tastes that fresh! There are other wonderful flavor combinations that you have to try to believe: strawberry riesling, blackberry black pepper & cardamom.


There are many wonderful places to have breakfast in Eugene. The old reliable stand by is
The Glenwood. They serve breakfast all day, if you'd like. Their regular coffee is always good, not watered down like most breakfast places. If you want to have a uniquely Eugene breakfast, try the
Morning Glory Café by the train station on Willamette and 5th. Don't be put off by the vegetarian and vegan dishes. Trust me; your body and taste buds will thank you.
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3-fingered Jack Omelette |
One of the things that the Pacific Northwest is known for, besides the rain, is the coffee culture--and I'm not even talking about Starbuck's. The one place most Eugenians go to meet up is
Allann Bros.
The next place is located in downtown on Willamette between 7th & 8th, called
Perugino. If I'm not mistaken, during the summer months they do offer gelato.
A great place for coffee during the weekend mornings is
Full City Roasters, located on the corner of 13th and High Street.
I would imagine in any town or city, pizza would be a restaurant staple. Here in Eugene there are two great places for pizza:
Sizzle Pie and
Pizza Research Institute. At Sizzle Pie, you can buy it by the slice or share a great thin crust pizza with friends. At the Pizza Research Institue, definitely try the #3 (chevre, marinated eggplant, and carmalized onion).
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#3 |
And least I forget, every city should have a burger place,
Five Guys. The fries are fresh and there are peanuts in their shells!!!
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Grilled vegetables and fries |
I saved the best for last. This is the latest "rage" here in Eugene. There is always a line at their two locations, both on Willamette (one in Southtown and the other is downtown), during the weekends; so get there early or go during the week. I'm talking about...
Yes, I even bought the t-shirt.
Off the Waffle is a culinary experience
you do not want to miss. I went there twice in one day and went back the following day for breakfast--I think I may have a problem. The sweet Belgian waffle remains as the canvas to the ingredients placed on top, making for an interesting pairing between sweet and savory. My first waffle was the Hot Ova: "fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, avocado, tomato a dash of sea salt and fresh ground black peppercorn. drizzled with Arbequina olive oil."
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The Hot Ova |
Later that same day, I had more of a dessert waffle, the Giuseppe: Nutella, Nancy's yogurt, sliced banana, sprinkled with coconut flakes and diced walnuts.
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The Giuseppe |
For breakfast the following day, I had the Cyclops the Greek: "kalamata olives, tomato, caramelized onions, feta sunny side up egg, spinach, housemade tzatziki and Arbequina olive oil. powdered with smoked paprika."
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Cyclops the Greek |
If you find yourself visiting Eugene, Oregon, try these places out; and let me know what you think of them. There are two other places which are practically local institutions so I will give them final mention here. Try them out as well. Bon appétit!
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Sundance Kitchen |
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Track Town Pizza |
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