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