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
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