Dream …
Eugene
A
I
OF
T HE BEST T HI NGS
A BO U T
round
this
time, on and
off for the
past several
years,
Eu-
gene Weekly
has asked readers and community
members to say what they dream of
for Eugene. (Truthfully, we actual-
ly ask about Springfield and Lane
County, too, but let’s face it, “I
dream of Eugene” kind of rhymes.)
This year, we decided to focus
on the little things that we already
love about this town. Here are our
staff picks as well as some thoughts
from community members. Dream
on. — Camilla Mortensen
PHOTO: TODD COOPER
B E S T CH E F
B E S T C H I N E S E R E S TA U R A N T I N A G A S
STAT I O N ( A N D T H E C O F F E E B O X I S G O O D
TOO)
Writing about food is like dancing about
architecture, and words fall especially short
when discussing Chef Tiffany Norton, head
chef at Party Downtown (64 W. 8th Alley,
Eugene; 541-345-8228). A culinary master of
flavors that are at once exotic and familiar,
down-homey and out-of-this-world, Norton
has elevated her craft to a level of sophisti-
cation that is truly rare. “Texture balance and
flavor balance,” she says when asked about
her primary focus when creating new dishes.
“Just trying to find the balance between sug-
ar, acid, salt, the whole shebang. Depth. I like
creating new things or trying new things,” she
adds. Norton, who co-owns Party Downtown
with her husband Mark Kosmicki (also a chef),
describes her style of cuisine as Northwestern
through a Southern perspective, though in-
fluences from around the world gather in her
dishes, which routinely feature food sourced
from the bountiful farms of Willamette Valley.
And yet, no amount of fancy language does
justice to the exquisite joy of a meal at Party
Downtown — having eaten and written about
food from Seattle to Eugene, I can say without
bombast that not only is Norton the best chef
in Eugene, she’s one of the best in the broader
Northwest, and perhaps even the entire West
Coast. She’s a treasure. — Rick Levin
I suspect only Creswellians or hungry people pulling off the free-
way have had the chance to experience China Wok near I-5 in Cre-
swell. Full disclosure: I used to live just outside Creswell and last
time I was in to pick up dinner they remembered my own order better
than I did, gently pointing out that I didn’t want ma po tofu, which
also contains pork, but kung pao tofu, which is vegetarian.
The first time a friend took me there for dinner, I was a little sur-
prised that we were heading into a restaurant that had very clearly
been a gas station in its recent past. But the tofu dishes made me very
happy. A quick scan of online food reviews show I’m not the only
one who goes, “Umm, was this a gas station?” Followed by, “Hey,
wait, this is good!” Personal favorite Yelp and Google review com-
ments include, “Although located in an old gas station, China Wok
will not let you down” and “Surprisingly good food. Sketch place.
Great for take out!!! It’s an old gas station.”
Chinese food aficionados might label China Wok as “Chi-
nese-American food” and, indeed, if you read the Huff Po’s food
blog on “Who Was General Tso and Why Are We Eating His Chick-
en?” you will learn that General Tso’s chicken is a dish that was cre-
ated in the 1950s by the Hunanese chef Peng Chang-kuei and altered
to suit American taste buds. The vegetarian version of General Tso’s
from Creswell suits my tofu-oriented Danish-American taste buds
just right, especially on a night where I’m tired and the only thing
that sounds good is curling up on the sofa and eating hot food I didn’t
cook myself. And if I do need to wake up, Hot Shots Coffee, located
in the kiosk between what used to be the gas station pumps in the
China Wok parking lot, is good, inexpensive and always has treats
and compliments for my rambunctious canines.
China Wok is at 375 E. Oregon Avenue, Creswell; 541-895-9788.
— Camilla Mortensen
B E S T D A I RY- F R E E C U P C A K E
Cupcakes are the perfect dessert. They’re the ideal size and you
don’t have to share them with anyone because, let’s face it, cutting
one in half is a padded pain in the ass. So for everyone who loves
wonderful, individual sized mini-cakes, but who also lacks the ability
to digest milk, we recommend you try the variety of egg- and/or dairy-
free cupcakes at Sweet Life (755 Monroe Street, Eugene; 541-683-
5676). There’s a reason Sweet Life wins in our Best of Eugene voters’
poll year after year. Personally, I love the strawberry lemonade dairy-
free cupcake with buttercream frosting, and the icing is sparkly — yay
glitter! Seriously though, cupcakes make people happy, so these are
perfect for your lactose intolerant/vegan friends. — Corinne Boyer
PHOTO: TODD COOPER
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December 28, 2017 • eugeneweekly.com