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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (May 29, 2003)
SUMMER D E R O S N CE We’ll take a look at all MUSIC FESTIVALS from SF to Seattle and points East and West. WINE TASTING Events and Tours . . . MICROBREW FESTIVALS . . . FOOD FESTIVALS and anywhere people gather to CELEBRATE SUMMER AND LIFE! DEADLINES FOR RESERVATION ARE MAY 30, 2003. PRODUCTION ADS DUE FRIDAY, MAY 30. CAMERA READY ADS DUE TUESDAY, JUNE 3. call now 484-0519. MISS NAUGHTY SORORITY GIRLS CONTEST Wet T-shirt Competition Nudity not required BIG CASH PRIZES!!! No sorority affiliation necessary to enter or win cash prizes LAST BIG BASH BEFORE SCHOOL LETS OUT THURSDAY JUNE 5 TH Fisherman’s Market Fantastic Seafood Entrées Entrées change weekly. U-Bake Entrées $2.99 Dinner Specials $9.95 Good Inexpensive Wine Variety of Microbrews Orders to go: 484-CRAB 7th & Blair • Open 11-8 Mon.-Sun. Chao Pra Ya The Best Thai Cuisine • 26 Lunch Specials Only $5.95 • Huge Vegetarian Selections • Lunch & Dinner • Family Owned Dine In or & Operated. Take Out 580 Adams St., Eugene (across from Red Apple) • 344-1706 MON-FRI Lunch: 11am-3pm, Dinner: 4:30-9pm • SAT-SUN 12-9pm 28 MAY 29, 2003 JAMES BATEMAN EVENTS ISSUE 6.5.03 Learning the Lingo The good, the bad and the deep fried delights. Lingo 741 Lincoln St. 338-8244 S tepping into Lingo bookshop and coffeehouse is like stepping into someone’s welcoming and well-ap- pointed living room. The warm wood floors and big red-trimmed windows, the happy houseplants and tempting pastry tray from New Day Bakery beckon you into a cozy space. Some of the walls, though not as many as you’d expect for a bookstore, are lined with a careful selection of progressive books. Posters of past and future events deck the walls: belly dancing and spoken word, DJ hip hop events and acoustic folk singers. The seating outside on the front lawn is nice for watching people go by, there’s lots of foot and bicycle traffic on that section of Lincoln. The view otherwise is a little bleak: A Chevron gas station across the street and WOW Hall’s dusty back parking lot to the side. Bicycles also crowd the space, leaning against trees and hand-railings. Perhaps a real bike rack is in the works. Lingo serves up organic, shade grown coffees, wickedly good hand-whipped hot chocolate, teas, yerba maté and pastries if you get there early enough. 7:30 am-6 pm M-F, 9 am-6 pm Sa & Su. $. — Marina Taylor McGrath’s Fish House 1036 Valley River Way, 342-6404 W hat could have been a winning combination — receiving my fed- eral tax refund on the very day I suffered a major prawn craving — ended up a shrimp shambles. On a Saturday afternoon, I treated myself to lunch out, charting my course toward McGrath’s, remembering that it’s won the Eugene Weekly Reader’s Poll for Best Seafood more than once. I thought the patio might be open but the manager told me it was closed, “due to the weather.” It was warm outside and not rain- ing. He sat me in the bar section by the win- dow instead. A very friendly waitperson was on me im- mediately, pushing drinks. I let her twist my arm and ordered a beer: a 14-ounce Fat Tire for $3.95. Unfamiliar with the menu, I took my time reading it, withstanding the three interrup- tions by the excellent service-oriented wait- person: “You ready yet, hon?” No. Just an- other minute, I promised each time. Then she remembered. “Don’t order the special. It’s way too heavy on the basil; everyone has sent it back.” Finally, I settled on the Coconut Prawns ($9.99). I substituted one of the sides with a cup of clam chowder for an extra 49 cents, which seemed like a great deal, until I real- ized why: The cup was a thick paste of pota- toes and flour, not a clam in sight, nor flavor to be found. I moved over to my salad. The “light vinaigrette” was in fact something heavy and dark that saturated the wilted lettuce, appar- ently designed to hide the brown edges. One- half of a semi-green, semi-coral, cement-like tomato adorned the plate, along with some carrot shavings and two cucumber slices. The basketful of warm sourdough bread was good. The prawns in coconut batter arrived. They were large and coconutty but tasteless and the orange-sesame sauce for dipping so sweet the combo would have made a better dessert. The small mound of broccoli and cauliflower was overcooked mush. “Another beer?” the excellent waitperson was again at me. I nearly blurted out “For $3.95? Are you kidding?” but refrained and mumbled a polite “No, thank you.” I was tempted to tell the server the truth about my food when she asked how every- thing was — except she never asked. I paid the check and left. The Best of Eugene ballot comes out in August. If McGrath’s wins Best Seafood again, remember, it’s the readers who choose. Please don’t blame us. 11 am-10 pm M-Th, 11 am-11 pm F & Sa, 10 am-10 pm Su. $$-$$$. —Aria Seligmann At the Market: C heck out the deep fried asparagus at Canby Asparagus Farm’s booth in the downtown Tuesday Farmer’s Market. For $3.75 you get a pile of rich, deca- dent crispy spears, which is enough for a fill- ing lunch. The farm stand also offers tasty fresh asparagus, a whole line of piquant sal- sas, fresh tortillas, hand-made chips, and wonderful tamales. The tamales and deep- fried asparagus are served hot only on Tuesdays. The tamales can be purchased cold on Saturdays: Take them home and steam them up for a quick dinner during the week. The meat version runs $4 each, and the vege- tarian asparagus tamales run $3.50 each. — Marina Taylor
