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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 2014)
BRAISED VEAL SHANK OVER MILANESE SAFFRON RISOTTO ‘When you get older, you realize who you are and what you really want in life. Which is peace and beauty.’ — PAOLO RUFFI, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE OREGON ELECTRIC STATION plainly spoken while he opens his arms and gestures broadly. Guests have flocked to Oregon Electric Station. Despite having a full house of 320 people and a wait for tables on a Monday night, the reactions have been positive. Nearly all furnishings inside the historic building are new. However, the changes that were made embrace the history and warmth of the building, which was built in 1914 as a station for the Oregon Electric Railway. “We knew we wanted to keep the integrity of this building, the heart of this building,” Ruffi says. “It’s a warm building, besides being historic. It’s a milestone in Eugene history. That’s why we kept the name and the building intact.” New carpeting, new tables and chairs, and new stone floors and bar tops complement the building, not the other way around, Ruffi explains. The space, from the iconic fireplace in the courtyard out front, to the entrance bar, to the private rooms and train cars, have been lightened and brightened. “We want people to see our food, to see our place, how beautiful this place is,” Ruffi says. Private rooms along with the revamped train cars offer different “vibes,” he adds, from the modern, bustling bar to the Santiam Express train car, which Ruffi says is astonishing in its similarity to the Orient Express train car in which he traveled from Istanbul to Paris. “This looks just like it,” he says. Yes, the Ruggeris are Italian, and so is the executive chef, a man named Michele Godina, who was executive chef at Ivar’s Salmon House in Seattle for 10 years. But that doesn’t matter, Ruffi says. “It’s a mixed menu. It’s not an Italian restaurant; it’s a restaurant for everybody. Michele knows the food of the Northwest. He knows the market.” Guests can whet their appetite with burrata OES — fresh, creamy mozzarella cheese, grilled zucchini and mushrooms — or coconut prawns in sweet chili sauce. Lobster, beef, salmon or beet carpaccio is served with black topiko (fish roe), truffles, microgreens or goat cheese. Entrees range from wild salmon to ossobuco (braised veal shank) and filet mignon to a double bone pork chop. All breads, pastries and pastas, including gnocchi, pappardelle and tortelloni, are made in-house. The kitchen staff buys almost nothing other than meats and vegetables, Ruffi explains, because they make everything from scratch. So, why did the Ruggeris and Ruffi, with their globe-spanning interests, choose to live in Eugene and invest so much money and effort into the Oregon Electric Station? “Because when you get older,” Ruffi says, “you realize who you are and what you really want in life. Which is peace and beauty.” The Oregon Electric Station is open 11:30 am to 10:30 pm Monday through Saturday and 5 pm to 10 pm Sunday at 27 E. 5th Ave. See oestrestaurant.com for more info. Whirled Pies Pizzeria & Bottle Shop www.caff epacori.com Perk Espresso Bijou Off the Waffl e Bijou Metro Beppe & Gianni’s Firehouse Coff ee Centennial La Perla Pizzeria Rivercity Coff ee Cornbread Cafe Kabuki's Rye Moss Hair Salon Secret Garden Campbell House Cresswell Bakery Starlight Lounge The Kiva Local Beer, Food & Wine to Go Happy Hour 3PM–6PM daily $1 slices, wine & microbrew specials Jiff y Market Market of Choice Luckey’s Glaser Winery The Tire Factory Tap & Growler PER SU ST! FA Bicycle Delivery 11AM–9:30PM Details & delivery zones at cascadiancouriers.com 1 ST PLACE FIRST PLACE at the Oregon State Fair for "BEST COFFEE" 2010 & 2011 541.636.3737 1123 Monroe St, Eugene Open 11am to 10pm Daily Full Menu at WhirledPies.com chow! SUMMER 2014 7
