VOODOO!

If you've ever watched a FoodNetwork or Travel Channel show on Portland, Oregon, then you've probably heard about Voodoo Doughnuts. They are an...hmm...eclectic company that attracts a strange crowd. Could it be their unconventional doughnuts like the voodoo doll, bacon maple bar, or their ode to several breakfast cereals such as Captain Crunch, Fruit Loops and Coco Puffs? You need to check out their menu for a full appreciation of their offerings. So, you could imagine our delight when Voodoo announced they would be opening a store in Eugene. Of course, in true Voodoo style, they kept their actual location and opening date a secret. As if they needed to spark any more intrigue. Finally, they are here. But just to keep the drama going, we're not quite sure exactly the hours they are open. One sign says until they are sold out. Another says until 5p.m. And the latest I heard was from 2a.m. to 2p.m. Oh well, just go. We waited in a bit of a line that went out the door, but it wasn't too bad. I did try the maple bacon bar. I have to say, it was good. A maple bar with a piece of bacon on it. Brilliant.



Voodoo Doughnuts
20 East Broadway
Eugene, OR 97401
www.voodoodoughnut.com

Hendrick's Park in the Spring

Hendrick's Park is a lovely place to visit any time of year. There are tall trees, walking trails, and serene spots everywhere you look. But spring time is especially nice and you must go. There's one section where the rhododendrons bloom. I think there must be a thousand of these gorgeous blossoms. And if you manage to find a sunny afternoon, pack a picnic and head out there. You'll find endless nooks to hide away, enjoy the quiet, and be thankful to have found such a place.
Walking along a few trails the many different types of benches caught my eye, so you'll notice a theme!

This was my favorite spot. A swing bench. How romantic!

Hendrick's Park
2200 Summit Avenue
Eugene, OR 97405

The Rabbit Bistro & Bar

I cannot attest to the food here, except for a couple of yummy dessert dishes (I'll get to that in a moment). But I heard this is a good place to go for drinks, so I did. The Rabbit Bistro and Bar is a small restaurant that opened up maybe a year or two ago. I gathered up some girl friends to check it out. You have to walk through the restaurant to get to the bar area. It was later on a Sunday evening so it wasn't very busy, but my first impression was that it was quaint and cozy and I thought to myself I could keep this place in the back of my pocket for a future date night option. The bar area was quite small, but had modern, clean touches that made it cool and inviting. We quickly set eyes on the drink menu and I was impressed by all the fun options. And just to set a disclaimer here, I AM seven months pregnant so I did not partake in ordering a drink, but I was mighty jealous of my friends who did and told myself I'd be back as soon as I was able. One drink that stood out on the menu was the Bubblegum Drank. Our kind waitress explained it was vodka infused with 40 pieces of Double Bubble and added lemon.

Anne got the Pan's Elixir: Sour Cherry Vodka, Lemon, and Tarragon.
Bianca got the Blonde: Grey Goose Pear, Apple, Lemon, and Champagne.

I asked for something that wouldn't make me feel like a loser. So our waitress mocked up a mocktail that didn't disappoint. I'm not sure exactly what it was but I detected lemon and ginger.
And just for fun she also brought us one of those Bubblegum drinks because we had been curious about it. I have to admit I broke my "dry spell" and had a sip. Indeed was like a Double Bubble in a glass. Quite interesting, but I'm not sure worthy of ordering and $7. To accompany our sweet drinks we got a couple of sweets. The first was a rice pudding that was loaded with extras. I have to say I am not a connoisseur of rice pudding and it isn't something I'd ever seek out, but this was really good. I'm going to confess to being a bad blogger (again) because I can't quite remember exactly what was in the pudding. But it was good. Do you trust me? We also ordered the chocolate cake that had a side of chocolate mousse. Real good. So, I'm giving the Rabbit Bistro a thumbs up for drinks and a nice little place to hang out. Oh, and Ben & Jerry's is right next door in case you want to skip the rice pudding for a double scoop.

The Rabbit Bistro and Bar
2864 Willamette St. Suite 300
Eugene, Oregon
www.rabbitbistro.com

W.O.W.

There's a small place in town called the W.O.W. Hall. At first I thought it was a cute name for a music venue, but have recently come to learn it stands for Woodmen of the World and it used to be their lodge a hundred years ago. Now it's a performing arts hall that mainly showcases not very well known garage bands. But the WOW also attracts GREAT bands that if you are lucky enough to see provides quite an intimate atmosphere for a cozy and rocking show. I've been fortunate enough to see such acts as Neko Case, Iron & Wine, and Steven Malkmus there...and with a setting not much bigger than a quarter of a high school gym, you're up close and personal, no matter where you are in the room. And, if you don't want to be that close, you can go downstairs and hang out in the basement bar, where they provide lounge chairs and couches so you can watch the show with a beer in your hand. It's not the most glamorous of venues. Okay, it's not glamorous at all. I remember actual sweat dripping down my legs there one summer during a show. And I'm not a sweater. But, isn't that what rock shows are all about?! My most recent experience was last week when we saw Camera Obscura. They are a Scottish band with a lead singer who has a voice of butter and songs that are catchy from the get go. Anyway, if you happen to be coming to town and are a fan of music, check out the WOW's upcoming shows to see if a favorite of yours is happening to be playing. You might be surprised.

You can be this close at any show you go to. Really.

W.O.W. Hall
291 W. 8th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97401
www.wowhall.org

Red Agave

I like this blog thing. But I'm not the best blogger. Mostly in that I don't always have my camera handy. And let's face it...no pictures=boring blog entry. But, so be it. Take it or leave it. But I hope you take it because I'm about to tell you about Red Agave, a great Latin restaurant here in town that serves tasteful food and drinks. It's one of those places that if I have visitors in town and they're looking for a good place to eat it'd be at the top of my list. We headed there for date night this week (which, embarrassingly, was our first date night since....hmm...still thinking...I'll have to get back to you). The restaurant is small, but just right for a Monday evening. We started with drinks: a large Red Agave margarita for Matt and a fresh mint lemonade for me. Seriously, you can go just for the drinks themselves. Pregnant or not, I had a few sips of the margarita and it hit the spot. But I was very pleased with my lemonade...slightly frizzy and such a refreshing taste. We ordered the pork pupusas for an appetizer. These were savory little triangles of flat bread with pork and cheese and a salsa and slaw that accompanied them just perfectly. For the main course, I got the halibut which was just near perfect. It had a buttery/garlicy/limey sauce and came with greens and mashed potatoes. I couldn't help but eat every bite. Matt got the enchiladas with free range chicken and a green/red sauce. Very good as well. Drawbacks? The food took quite a while to come out. A long while, really. Also, it's on the more expensive side. So, it's not your weekly go-to spot. But all in all, I highly recommend this place.

Red Agave
454 Willamette St.
Eugene, OR 97401
www.redagave.net

Sandwich Mystery - Part II SOLVED!

My coworker Milagra called me a mover and a shaker. After hearing the conclusion to my sandwich mystery, you will know why. And you will agree. Shortly after my first sandwich posting I did more research. After all, my official job title is Research Assistant, so you'd think I'd be good at it. The information started to pour in. And it was kind of weird. I found out this mobile sandwich company is called Devour. Which lead me quickly to find their website/blog DevourEugene. Then I came to learn that the guy who is in charge of this van business is named John-Patrick, who consequently is the partner of a gal I trained with for the Eugene Marathon back in '07. And they live a block away from me! Okay, so the Eugene/Springfield metro area is small, but it's still a coincidence. I decided to email JP and see what the chances were that he'd make a stop at my work one lunch hour. He promptly replied that he would love to, and how about Wednesday? (This is the part where you could call me a mover and shaker--go ahead, say it. I'll wait) Not only that, but for being a "Devour Informant" if I got at least 5 people to come out my lunch would be free. Woo-hoo. Free lunch. Brought to me. By a van. That's what I'm talking about! I rallied up my troops here at work and I was so excited as I could see the van pull up outside my window. The weather was yucky/rainy, but ORIer's came out in packs. We swarmed the van. I did manage to make it out there first to introduce myself formally to JP and thank him for his special visit. So, how was it? It was worth the wait and anticipation. In fact, I was so excited to dig in that I forgot to take a picture of my sandwich! (to the right is a picture from their website) I was planning on ordering the roasted chicken with peppers and bacon spread, but he ran out of it. So, I settled for the sausage and basil with curry, feta, and avocado mayo. I "devour"ed it. I love that they cut it into small triangles. And everything is melty and perfectly combined. I also got the potato, rosemary, and blue cheese soup. Also tasty and had a bit of a kick to it. And so, this concludes the sandwich mystery. Which I'm happy to report has a happy ending: lunch brought to me, for free, and it was a big success for him as we cleaned him out. He even tweeted that he was "slammed" by ORI. Yay! He's also going to make my work a regular stop for him. A mover, a shaker, and supporter of a local sandwich guy. Case closed.

Me and the van at ORI. Thanks Devour!

And the prize for yummiest waffles goes to...

Off the Waffle. Hands down. After having a waffle here this weekend I pondered if I could claim it's the best waffle I've ever had. But, I have been to Belgium and had a waffle there. So I don't think I can make such a statement here. However I think the fact that I considered it says a lot. They're really good. Really really good. According to their website the secret is "Belgian pearl sugar" that caramelizes throughout the waffle. Oh yes, this is true. There's a texture that I can't quite describe. But I'll try: it's crispy on the outside, but moist and soft, and there's NO NEED for syrup, or sugar, or anything. You can just grab one of these puppies and head out the door if you wanted. But please don't. Please sit down and enjoy each bite, because you'll want more when you get to the end. I ordered "The Bully," which was a misnomer because there was nothing tough or intimidating about it. Atop the perfectly textured waffle was fresh strawberries and chocolate chips which were soft from the warmth of the waffle. Mmmmm. Melt in your mouth yummy.There are lots of menu options for sweet waffles, or savory. Like the Danksgiving Special: a waffle with swiss cheese, turkey, rosemary-infused roasted garlic puree, and brand-candy coulis. Nice. The restaurant recently moved into a new, larger location but in my opinion it's still not large enough. We went on a Sunday late morning and there was a significant line, very little seating available (we got lucky), and the wait for the food was pretty long. So, don't go when you're in a hurry. The good news is they have Uno cards and coloring books handy if you need something to do to pass the time. They also sell waffles to keep in your freezer and make at home. I think I need to stock up next time.

Off the Waffle
2540 Willamette St.
Eugene, OR 97405
www.offthewaffle.com

They also a waffle cart near campus if you really do need to grab and go.
525 E. 13th

The BEST Cookie In Town

Yes, I understand that's a bold statement. But I have no hesitation when I say it so I'll say it again. I'm about to tell you about the best cookie in Eugene. It's called "pumpkin maple cookie." Simply stated. And honestly, it doesn't need a fancy name. The only question in my mind is if it is actually a cookie or more like a cake. I don't care. It's gooooood. They're a big, puffy, soft mound of pumpkin cookie/cake dipped in a maple frosting that melts in your mouth upon contact. I can't remember exactly how I found these delicatessens. It was a few years back and initially they were only made on Thursdays, which made them even more delicious for some reason. Even at that I would go in on a Thursday just to be told they were sold out. Drats! But luckily now they are most always available. They can be found at Palace Bakery in downtown. You will need a glass of milk or a cup of coffee to go with it. And a fork.

Pumpkin Maple Cookie
$1.75
Palace Bakery
844 Pearl Street
Eugene, OR 97401-2727

Sandwich Mystery, Part I

Yesterday I was having lunch with a coworker who mentioned that she was bummed she was taking today off because the "Sandwich Van" was going to be about a block away from our building. Instantly I perked up and thought about this blog. "What Sandwich Van?" I asked, trying to mask my excitement. She explained there was this guy who sold scrumptious sandwiches out of his converted VW bus and he travels from place to place selling them each afternoon. I thought to myself: a mysterious sandwich man (or sandwich van or sandwich truck), selling sandwiches out of a VW bus...that's SO Eugene. I had visions of the Scooby Doo mystery van which made it all the more intriguing.
I had to find him. I got up this morning and couldn't help but think about how good this sandwich would be. I even lugged my big camera to work to take a picture to post on this blog. A noon neared, I grabbed my purse and as I was headed out the door I ran into my friend Chris and told him I had a date with the "Sandwich Man." "Oh," he said, "you mean the guy in the VW bus?" "Yes, you know of him?" My eyes filled with joy. "Yeah, he's great. You have to try the soups too, they're amazing!" Oh gosh, this was just too much for me. I headed out the door in a fast walking pace (and if I weren't 6 months pregnant I'm sure I would have run) with sandwiches, and now SOUP, on my brain. But alas, there was no Sandwich Man to be found. Just a parking lot with ordinary cars. With ordinary people leaving for their ordinary lunch break to some ordinary place. My heart sank as I walked back to work...empty handed. But, don't worry you all. I SHALL get to the bottom of this. And gosh darn it, that sandwich and that bowl of soup better be good!

Kahlua Kicker to kick this blog off!

This is a blog I've been meaning to start for a couple of years now (at least). As I find new things around Eugene and Springfield (Oregon!) that I love, I will post them here to share with my family and friends who come to visit. I thought about what would be the perfect first posting. And as I was in my car the other day on the way back to work one lunch break, I just HAD to pull into the nearest Dutch Bros. for my most favorite coffee drink: Iced Kahlua Kicker. Let's see, how can I describe it? Heaven in a cup? Pure goodness? Well, if you want to get technical, it's their 3 bean espresso roast with Irish cream and their secret Kick Me mix. Matt and I have tried to replicate this beautiful beverage at home, but you really need the Kick Me mix, whatever is it. We think the secret ingredient must be an illegal drug because it's so darn addictive. Oh, and it needs to be an iced Kahlua Kicker. They serve it hot but it's just not the same. Okay, and the VERY best part...or, the kicker I should say? They're only $2!!! And that's for a large size! Yes, it's true! It's almost a secret menu item, like animal style at In-N-Out burger. But whatever...just order one next time you're here. But you might just move here afterward. Just a warning.