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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2012)
BEST BAKERY — SWEET 1. Sweet Life Patisserie 755 Monroe St. 683-5676. www.sweetlifedesserts.com 2. Hideaway Bakery 3377 E. Amazon Dr. 868-1982. 3. Metropol 2538 Willamette St. 465-4730. SURPRISE! Ask any Eugenean where to find a delicious and diverse array of desserts, and Sweet Life is sure to be among the suggestions. “We always try to make things that we can tell that people want,” co-owner Cheryl Reinhart says, and that’s why they’ve added more gluten-free items to a selection that already included many vegan options and six desserts of the month. When heading to Sweet Life in November, look for the pumpkin cheesecake, gingerbread pear cake or the brand new quince hazelnut frangipane tart. Reinhart says that next on the list is experimenting with a natural fructose-based sweetener to create desserts lower in sugar. “We get lots of requests for low-glycemic-index, individual desserts like that,” she says. If anyone can perfect sugar-free sweets, it’s Sweet Life! BEST BARBECUE 1. Papa’s Soul Food 400 Blair Blvd. 342-7500. 2. Hole in the Wall 3200 W. 11th Ave., 683-7378; 1807 Olympic St., Spfd., 726-1200. 3. H&H BBQ 575 Oregon 99. 688-3333. bbqeugeneor.com BEST BURGER PHOTOS BY ATHENA DELENE BEST HANGOVER BREAKFAST 1. Brails 1689 Willamette St. 343-1542. 2. Studio One Café 1473 E. 19th Ave. 342-8596. 3. Glenwood 1340 Alder St., 687-0355; 2588 Willamette St., 687-8201. Not only does Brails have the best hangover breakfast, it literally has a hangover special on the menu, which includes two eggs, hash browns and a biscuit with gravy. And why is Brails such popular hangover cuisine? “The price is right and the food quality is great,” says Jeff Black, a kitchen manager at Brails. “Portions are good-sized and a lot of college students are really into that.” Traditional breakfast food is a must-have at Brails, with eggs and hash browns high on the list of student favorites. Add a nice breakfast burrito and that hangover will be gone in no time. 1. Cornucopia 207 E. 5th Ave. 485-2676. www.eugenecatering.com 2. Dickie Jo’s Burgers 1079 C Valley River Way. 912-9091. www.djburgers.com 3. Falling Sky Brewing 1334 Oak Alley. 505-7096. fallingskybrewing.com Vegans, vegetarians, herbivores and animal advocates, we salute you but please skip over the following and let us enjoy our patties away from your gaze. It’s no wonder Cornucopia won best burger — have you seen where its beef comes from? Go for a ride down Lorane Highway sometime and see the cows at pasture at Knee Deep Cattle Company in the rolling hills of wine country. If there is such a thing as happy cows, these 100 percent free-range and grass-fed cattle are it (they are also antibiotic and hormone-free). Cornucopia says it keeps nabbing “best burger” because it uses “all fresh local beef and make them fresh daily.” So if you haven’t already, pull up a chair at one of their two locations and order up a “Jeros Bacon Cheese Burger” or a “Big Baby Bleu Burger” stacked with bleu cheese, bacon avocado, lettuce and mayo — two of their most popular burgers. BEST COFFEE 1. Wandering Goat 268 Madison St. 344-5401. www.wanderinggoat.com 2. Full City 295 E. 13th Ave., 465-9270; 842 Pearl St., 344-0475. www.full-city.com 3. Brails 1689 Willamette St. 343-1542. This year’s reader votes for best coffee go to a Whiteaker staple, Wandering Goat. The folks at the Goat roast in micro lots, getting their beans farmer specific instead of co-op style, to keep the quality high and the variety vast. Patrons can stop by for a cup and watch the roasting process as it happens through the windows, which lead from the cozy coffee house directly into the roasting room. And if you feel coffeed out — if that is actually a thing — Wandering Goat offers a product somewhat new to the Eugene coffee scene: cascara, which is a tea made from the dried cherries of the coffee bean. It packs the same caffeine offering into a decidedly fruitier, smoother beverage, and the Wandering Goat is one of the only places in Eugene you can try some. So even if you’re a Goat regular, you haven’t stopped by in a while or are brand new to Goat’s java, there is always something new worth trying, right in the heart of the Whit. BEST ITALIAN 1. Beppe & Gianni’s 1646 E. 19th Ave. 683-6661. www. beppeandgiannis.net 2. Mazzi’s 3377 E. Amazon Dr. 687-2252. www.mazzis.com 3. Noli 296 E. 5th Ave., 686-9199; 769 Monroe St. staff picks BEST ANTHEM FOR EUGENE “I’m gonna pop some tags, only got $20 in my pocket,” goes the incredibly catchy hook of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ hit “Thrift Shop.” Eugene, you look good, and often for less than $20. If you want a fresh look, you don’t cruise the mall or surf the internet, you go thrifting. From thrift shops to secondhand, vintage to consignment, we’ve got it. Thanks to the Seattle duo, we now have an ode to this way of life. The ridiculously fun ditty boasts about secondhand zebra jammies and grandpa coats — a refreshing departure from hip hop that touts a dripping-in-diamonds material worship. “It’s super exciting,” Ryan Lewis tells EW about being chosen Best of Eugene staff pick. “It’s a fitting song for the town.” He points out how many secondhand-clad fashionistas were at their recent sold-out McDonald Theatre show. While Macklemore (aka Ben Haggerty) has been a “life-long thrifter,” Lewis started more recently — that fur coat he wears in the music video? “It was a women’s coat,” Lewis says, laughing. “It cost 80 bucks.” Secondhand. So sorry Seattle, we’re co-opting Macklemore & Ryan Lewis for ourselves. In other words, “I’ma take your grandpa’s style ...” BEST GUILTY PLEASURE MEAL So this meal is probably two days’ worth of calories, but the next time you’re driving south on Willamette, stop at El Super Burrito. For the entre, it will be the eponymous El Super Burrito, a brick of steak, cheese, refried beans, pico de gallo and chile rellenos (cheese-stuffed and deep-fried roasted peppers). Add the guacamole and absolutely get a side of curly fries. Who knew that the Mexican restaurant in a strip mall a couple doors down from Off the Waffle would have the most satisfying culinary juxtaposition in town? These crispy treats go down best with a Mexican Coke. Need I say more? Put some of their “Weekend Sauce” on that sauce. BEST PUB TRIVIA Wednesday nights at 7 pm, Elliot Martinez (a Best Bartender finalist) hosts STUMP! Trivia at 16 Tons Cafe, a popular franchise trivia game that started in Boston. And for a franchise, it’s pretty entertaining especially with the sartorially superior Martinez at its helm. Says a “trivia guy” friend of EW (a former Knowledge Bowl competitor), the trivia quiz was “challenging but not pedantic and specific but not esoteric.” In laymen’s terms, it was pretty fun. Grab a crêpe and a craft beer to get your geek juices flow- ing. Oh and put your smartphones away, this quiz is gadget-free. BEST PLACE TO FIND A COP IF YOU NEED ONE Kesey Square — the combination of street kids, Voodoo Doughnuts and that cool Ken Kesey statue seems to have a peculiar attraction for the law. BEST REASON TO VOTE NOV. 6 Save the Swedish Chef, a card-carrying union socialist who’s not in great shape. Big Bird has a big, sharp pecker and can take care of himself. BEST UNEXPECTED PLACE TO FIND SEX TOYS Broadway Apothecary at 1515 Oak. This store is full of surprises. Pharmacist Kate James even has a cool YouTube video about her certified compounding pharmacy, but the video doesn’t talk about orgasms. The friendly staff will, however, give you advice in person about this small collection of high-end products across from the front counter. eugeneweekly.com • November 1, 2012 27
