THE SKY IS FALLING
I
But hey, there’s beer
BY SARAH DECKER & SHANNON FINNELL
f, by the pure definition of things, a brewpub’s
main focus is its beer, an extremely close second
at Falling Sky is the food. It doesn’t have a lengthy
menu, but what they have is fantastic.
If you are of the carnivorous persuasion, there is the ever-
classic burger, but if you have yet to sample the pork carnitas
tacos, you are missing out on one of the great dishes in
Eugene. In fact, what this place does with the pork it serves
up — both in the tacos and the pork-belly Cuban — is divine.
The selection of salads, daily soups and comfort foods
vary by the day — and by season. The just-concluded
winter menu featured a root vegetable potpie and a falafel
patty served up as a burger and cooked to perfection.
Early spring at Falling Sky means new seasonal
ingredients and a new menu. The pork stays on, and so does
the superfood-tastic kale Caesar salad. The menu also
includes Pacific cod ceviché, duck nuggets with ginger
plum sauce, a garbanzo and barley field burger and
chilaquiles.
The “mini-me” in your family can try out her own mini
menu that reads like it was designed to stuff the gullet of a
picky young eater. Classics like grilled cheese, hot dogs,
hamburgers and an organic PB&J? These folks know their
target market. Plus, if you want to start the next generation
drinking early, there’s cider porter ice cream for dessert.
For the non-drinkers, Falling Sky also makes its own
sodas. We tried two different flavors — the carrot ginger
and the cran-blu green peppercorn. We can honestly say,
without hesitation, that the latter was possibly the best soda
we’ve ever had. The flavors blended perfectly, not too sweet
and not too overpowering, then finished with just the tiniest
hint of pepper. It was insanely refreshing.
On top of all the delicious pub grub, Falling Sky has a
top-notch beer selection. If you’re there for beer, you might
as well order the flight and taste all six of Falling Sky’s
concoctions.
We were wild about the Bare Hands Bitter, which won us
over by being genuinely bitter — without having a bitterness
that completely overpowered the flavor. The blonde we
tasted was fantastic as well, a little more bitter than a lot of
blondes but still light and a great summer beer.
The pale ales we tasted impressed us because we’re not
hops-crazy enough to be fans of a lot of pales. The hops
were there all right, but these are balanced beers that even
hops-haters should give a shot.
That brings us to the Pouring Porter, which was like a
rich, smooth dessert in a glass — everything a porter should
be.
Whether you’re a food-lover or a beer-lover, Falling Sky
is packed with a rotation of treats right up your alley. The
next time a craving for either hits you, we heartily
recommend it for delights in both. ■
P H O T O S B Y T R A S K B E D O RT H A
PORK CARNITAS TACOS
KALE CAESAR
PORK BELLY STEW
VOTED BEST PIZZA
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8 CHOW! Spring 2012
chow.eugeneweekly.com