ANGELS IN THE RYE
T
New restaurant brings bit of Old World elegance BY SARAH DECKER
imes are tough for opening up a new restaurant,
a fact known all too well by Wendy Watson,
Jeffrey Passerotti and Kiyallah Heatherstone, the
owners of Rye, one of Eugene’s newest bistros.
“There’s just no bank money available to restaurants,
period,” says Passerotti.
That little fact didn’t stop this trio of longtime friends
and restaurant lifers from realizing their dreams. They
opened shop without taking a dime from the bank or any
city funding. Instead, the group used their own money
supplemented by private donations from a group they like
to call their “angels.”
“It should be one word —
foodanddrink.”
R YE
CO - OWNER
aspect of the menu, however, is that no entrée item costs
more than $20. And the selection of drinks — from pre- to
post-prohibition cocktails, as well as beer and wine — is
likewise moderately priced, not to mention paired
beautifully with the menu’s offerings.
“You cook with wine, you cook with the alcohols and
the vermouth behind the bar,” Passerotti says. “It’s all
integrated.”
The three restaurateurs agree that “food and drink” is
somewhat a working motto.
“It should be like one word,” says Watson,
“foodanddrink.”
Patrons should feel free to bring their own bottles of
wine, seeing as the current selection at Rye is basic, but
limited.
“The food that Jeff puts out is fantastic,” Heatherstone
says. “So bring in some good wine that goes with it. There’s
nothing like a good glass of wine to go with a great meal.”
As the team gets comfortable in their new kitchen, fine
tuning what is already a steady flow, they have but one
goal: “We’re going to stay within the concept of being that
little place that you can go and get a good bite of food, a
decent drink, hang out and feel comfortable going there,”
Passerotti says. ■
CASSOULET
W ENDY W ATSON
And “not those big corporate angels,” Watson says.
“These are people who have been our customers for years.”
The three of them set about putting that money to work
by completely revamping the old Bridge location on
Franklin Boulevard, doing the renovations and decorating
largely on their own. The work they’ve put in becomes
apparent the moment you pass through Rye’s iconic doors
with their distinctly Eugene accent. Anyone familiar with
the building in its prior incarnations is in for a real surprise.
The interior has been transformed into a warm, cozy and
inviting place.
The furniture was picked up here and there, sometimes
from as far away as Portland, yet blends together as if by
design. The coppertop tables are at once rugged and
elegant. And the collection of prints hanging is an eclectic
blend found, literally, Passerotti says, “at Goodwill, St.
Vinnie’s and our garages.”
What was intended to be a mishmash, with a “Grandma’s
house” feel, ended up being a more refined yet no less
homey place.
“We kind of want to sit around and have a drink and
hang out, too,” Watson says.
The name Rye makes perfect sense when you walk
through those doors and see the bar stretched before you. A
fine collection of rye whiskey lines the shelf, and whiskey
barrels are stacked throughout the space.
The food menu — mostly European influence with some
Americana thrown in — is slim, for now. Currently, Rye
offers up your hearty, staple winter fare, but all that is set to
change soon and, as promised by co-owner and executive
chef Passerotti, frequently. One particularly noteworthy
RYE WHISKEY
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10 CHOW! Spring 2012
SOUL FOOD
D KITCHEN
KITT C H E N
Tues-Fr
Fri
LUNCH
12-2
&
5-1
10pm
DINNER
Sat
2-10p
0pm
CATERING
TO
2009-2012
WINNER - Best BB
BQ
400 BLAIR BLVD. 342-7500
chow.eugeneweekly.com