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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 2005)
■ Restaurant review Oregano's Grill & Wine Bar serves a spice of Italian life The restaurant, located at 830 Olive St., has more than 400 wines to complement its selection of fine food BY KRISTEN GERHARD PULSE REPORTER Oregano's Grill & Wine Bar, located at 830 Olive St., advertises that it is one of Eugene's newest Italian restaurants, but owner Spencer Whitted is no strangerto business in the downtown area. In the past, the entrepreneur has served as general manager of the Eugene Hilton and owner of the Rock'N Rodeo bar. With Oregano's, his latest venture in the restaurant industry, Whitted com bines fine and family-style Italian din ing in a versatile atmosphere where diners feel just as comfortable in chic attire as they would in jeans. The decor of Oregano's, while cozy throughout, is different depending on where patrons sit. In the front, where the lighting is brighter and red brick and crimson-painted walls are adorned with gold leaf mirrors and paintings of the Mona Lisa (a nod to the restaurant's old moniker, Mona Lizza), the mood is slightly more ele gant. Whereas the middle of the restaurant, where the bar is located, begins to feel more like a jazz club. The intimacy level increases with the close proximity of the tables and the dim lighting thrown by the tiny chandeliers that hang overthem. On Musique Gourmet Classical Music Opera Broadway Filmscores CD's SACD'S DVD'S Open Noon - 5:00 Sundays Noon - 4:00 Closed Tuesdays Behind Bradfords Across from Library 3 942 Olive St. § FREE PARKING 343-9000 VISA University Theatre the production with the guts to tell it like it is RUMORS _ A PLAY BY NEIL ^ SIMON pr Tickets: UO Ticket Office 346-4363 sp®Sa" Robinson Theatre j Nov. 18, 19, 25, 26- 8 PM _Sun., Nov. 20- 2 PM | ” Benefit Performance: Habitat for Humanity 741-1707 1 some nights a pianist mixed right in with the diners can help set the mood. In fact, the restaurant advertises a number of entertainment options and theme nights. "Date night," on Wednesdays, features bruschetta, Caesar salad, one pasta and two dishes for up to $12.95, amaretto creme brulee and a bottle of Oregano's own house wine. "Girl's Night," from 4-6 p.m. on Thursdays, features two-for-one appetizer spe cials and a complimentary bottle of wine if patrons come with one of their "best girlfriends." The restaurant also sets itself apart with one of the most extensive wine selections in the city. Oregano's bottle room has more than 400 wines, predominantly from Italy, Oregon and California, and the selection continues to grow. Patrons are encouraged to try the vino with "Wine Flights," which servers com pare to a beer tasting at a micro brewery. There are two "flights" on a given night, each consisting of three different types of wine served in ample sampling portions. In addi tion to the wine list, the restaurant also has a full bar and a creative martini menu. As far as choices go, the food menu competes commendably with the wine list. In all areas, from appe tizers to desserts, Italian home-style classics mingle with upscale, fine dining choices. A loaf of herbed bread, baked fresh at the restaurant every morning and served with quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar, comes with every meal. My dining partner and I decided to start by trying a bit of everything, so we wentforthe antipasti samplerfor $14.95. It included bruschetta, pesto torta — a layered spread of garlic and herb cheeses, sun-dried tomato, tapenade (an olive and olive oil spread) and basil pesto — calamari fritti and steamed clams. The steam ers, with their rich, garlic-flavored broth, were the highlight of the sam pler. The lightly-fried calamari was also very good. The bruschetta, how ever, came up a bit short in compari son. The Roma tomato, garlic and pesto topping was full-flavored, but the bread could have been crispier. Soup choices at Oregano's in clude baked minestrone, served from a crock and topped with melted provolone cheese, and zuppa toscana, a white bean soup. Salads include regular, chicken and salmon Caesars, a wilted spinach salad and a blue cheese garden salad. All pas tas, entrees and pizzas are served with a well-portioned side Caesar. The dressing on our side salads, ap plied on the heavier side, was dis tinct— creamy, smooth and light on the garlic. The pastas at Oregano's are var ied and include everything from tra ditional spaghetti with meatballs to vegetarian lasagna. The entrees, which are all cooked in the restau rant's oak wood oven, are a bit OREGANO’S, page 10 023699 10 aiALLBI EVEI PRIZES Dinner and Movie Certificates fit, do VoU9 11 a.m. -1 p.m. Friday, November 18, 2005 Are*»^^ takes'? back courts of the SRC If interested, also find out about our paid summer internship opportunities. Visit http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~army/ or call Capt. Darren McMahon at 346-3102 Open to all University Students and Faculty ★ + y°Urself andf‘^s Fruit, Snacks & Beverages Provided Sponsored by the University of Oregon Army ROTC and UO Military Science Dept. rerun]
