CHOW! SPRING 2005
GOOD FOOD FAST
As You Wish Espresso Bar and Eatery
BY SARA BRICKNER
TODD COOPER
I
tomer, Hodgins says, even comes and pur-
n Eugene, drive-through coffee
chases three entrees at a time to take
stands are as plentiful as casinos in
home. The couple is so encouraged that
Las Vegas, with the same general
after only two months of being in busi-
rule: If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ’em
ness, another espresso stand is already in
all. From a distance, As You Wish
the works, and the original As You Wish
Espresso Bar and Eatery, located at 2145
will soon be open for dinner.
West 7th Street, looks just like any other
“I think what people have really
coffee kiosk in town.
responded to is that it’s a drive-through
But with their recent joint venture,
place that has healthier fare,” Hodgins
owners Crystal Havener-Hodgins and
Michael Hodgins have proved
that a coffee stand doesn’t have
to be limited to three-day-old
pastries and espresso. While As
You Wish does serve coffee and
Metropol Bakery pastries, the
stand also serves full, fresh
meals made while you wait.
And it’s not your average fast
food; Hodgins and Havener-
Hodgins are dedicated to using
local, primarily organic ingredi-
ents and meat that is exclusively
antibiotic and hormone free.
“[It] just feels really good
because that’s nothing less than
what we would eat at home,”
Havener-Hodgins said. “We
wouldn’t serve something that we
wouldn’t want to eat ourselves.”
The idea, Hodgins says, is to
make healthy, home-cooked food
that’s as good as Grandma would
make but comes from a to-go
stand.
In selecting their menu, the
pair tried to keep it simple, but
diverse enough to satisfy vegans
and beef lovers alike. The dish-
es include delicacies and all-
American favorites. Breakfast
Michael Hodgins & Crystal Havener-Hodgins
items include Belgian waffles
with a choice of two toppings,
said. Hodgins, whose culinary experience
breakfast sandwiches and biscuits and
includes cooking in large hotels in
gravy. For lunch, customers can choose
Anchorage, Alaska, impressed Crystal
from burgers (made from beef, salmon or
Havener-Hodgins on their first date by
falafel), ciabatta sandwiches, salads, daily
making her salmon burgers and mochas
pasta dishes and homemade soup. And the
— to go. So when Hodgins realized that a
local, organic Café Mam coffee they serve
career change was in order, the couple
is as fresh and high-caliber as their
decided to open a restaurant and follow
entrees.
their collective passion.
So far, the public seems to be respond-
“Now here we are, serving salmon
ing to the couples’ innovation, and
burgers and mochas,” Havener-Hodgins
Hodgins and Havener-Hodgins say the
said.
customers keep coming back. One cus-
©2005 Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Bud Light® Beer, St. Louis, MO
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CHOW! JULY 21, 2005 11