BY MARINA TAYLOR
Famished in Florence
Los Compadres has what you need.
Los Compadres Taqueria
Leftovers:
397 Highway 101, Florence. (541) 997-1647
The restaurant industry is always inclined
toward melodrama, but this summer has been
even more melodramatic here in Eugene.
Love, hate, musical chairs, betrayal and evic-
tion make up our story line, and small busi-
nesses come and go with disturbing quick-
ness.
Hilda’s was trucking along nicely
enough, save the occasional minor clashes
with landlords Jill and Gary Katz of Humble
Bagel, when Hilda’s friend and
employee/chef Mark Zolun offered to buy
her out. In a perfect world, she’d be like
Poppi Cottam of Poppi’s Anatolia, selling her
recipes and image to a community that loves
her, and getting a well deserved break — hav-
ing her cake and eating it too, so to speak.
However, Zolun’s offer apparently came in
much lower than hoped for, and now Hilda’s
out on the street and Zolun has her lease.
Replacing Hilda’s tapas bar and South
American cuisine is the new restaurant
Iraila — a Mediterranean restaurant with
Greek, Italian, Moroccan and Egyptian
dishes.
A Eugene favorite for drawn-out, laid-
back late breakfasts, French Horn café and
bakery in the L&L Market disappeared in a
flash. We hear unpleasant landlord relations
and negative reviews (both in the Guard and
W
Novella Café
Espresso
Coffee
Granitas
Bagels
Pastries
Teas
A percentage of all sales is shared with the Eugene Public Library
100 W. 10th Ave. Located inside the Eugene Public Library Entry Garden.
Open Daily • Weekdays Open at 7AM • 683-7070
Fisherman’s Market
Fantastic Seafood Entrées
Entrées change weekly.
Fresh U-Bake Sea food
Fresh Crab Dinner $11.95
Good Inexpensive Wine
Variety of Microbrews
Orders to go: 484-CRAB
7th & Blair • Open 11-8 Mon.-Sun.
RED BARN
N AT U R A L G R O C E RY E S T. 1 9 8 2
Whole foods, for whole people . . . Fresh from the farm to you!
organically grown produce • organic beer & wine
organic bulk foods • vitamins & supplements
organic herbs & spices • special orders / case discounts
natural body care products
LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED
4 TH & BLAIR • 342-7503 • M-Sa. 8 AM -10 PM • Su. 10 AM -9 PM
26 AUGUST 28, 2003
hen you’re playing on the coast
and you want some hot, cheesy,
delicious Mexican food, but don’t
know who to trust, trust me and head for Los
Compadres. Though located right on
Highway 101, just a block before you turn
into Old Town Florence, it’s tucked inside
such a cozy, small building that in the blink of
an eye you’ll miss it. Owner José, who greets
all incomers and serves them himself, is
friendly and attentive; you won’t wait long,
and you’ll get just what you want. Open seven
days a week, you’ll find breakfast dishes with
fresh eggs, chorizo, ham, potatoes and chilies.
Soups, tortas (Mexican sandwiches),
tostadas, burritos, nachos and tacos will en-
sure you never leave hungry, no matter the
time of day. House specials featuring crab,
shrimp, prawns, and fish are available, as well
as pork, skirt steak, chicken and lengua.
We were drawn to the bean and beef tosta-
dos and enchilada combo platters. Our cheese
quesadilla covered the whole plate. We asked
for guacamole, which was fresh, unprocessed
and flavorful. Our plates were heaping with
crispy tostadas smothered in lettuce, cheese
and tomatoes, mouthwatering beans and rice,
and plump, gooey enchiladas. Dessert had to
Our plates were heaping with crispy
tostadas smothered in lettuce, cheese
and tomatoes, mouthwatering beans
and rice, and plump, gooey enchiladas.
be the peach chimichangas, served with rich
caramel sauce, freshly whipped cream and
velvety vanilla ice cream. For three hungry
people with drinks (margarita, beer, soda) our
bill didn’t top $30. When in Florence — for-
get Moe’s — let it be Los Compadres.
11 am-9 pm daily. $-$$. — Vanessa Salvia
by word of mouth) contributed to the fiasco,
and now the question is: What will fill that
void? Serrano’s expanding? Mucho Gusto
probably won’t fit, but I hear interest was reg-
istered. I’d love to see Holy Cow find a new
off-campus home, or Hilda’s, but testing the
waters might be a gamble in that spot.