Chow!
E U G E N E W E E K LY ’ S G U I D E T O F O O D A N D D I N I N G
Chefs, treat yourselves
CHEF BILLY REID’S FRIDGE Courtesy Billy Reid
‘YOU GET INTO
WORK MODE,
AND YOU’RE NOT
THINKING
ABOUT IT, BUT
IT’S SUPER
IMPORTANT FOR
LONGEVITY TO
TREAT YOURSELF
AND THE PEOPLE
ASSOCIATED
WITH FOOD TO
ENJOY FOOD IN
THE SAME WAY
AS THE
CUSTOMER. WE
NEED TO CARVE
OUT TIME TO
MAKE IT
HAPPEN.’
— Rocky Maselli, chef,
Osteria DOP
Rocky Maselli is driving while talking with EW, hauling
the Pizzeria DOP food cart trailer, when someone shouts
out to him, “pizza, pizza!” And no two words better sum
up Maselli’s eateries in Eugene. He owns the Pizzeria
DOP food cart, which roves around town, and the down-
town Osteria DOP.
But when he’s home, pizza and pasta don’t always take
the spotlight (though he says he may be tempted to order
from Hey, Neighbor! sometimes). With two adult daugh-
ters at home right now, Maselli usually comes home to
eat what they’ve made, which can be Japanese- or Kore-
an-inspired meals. “Those flavors appeal to the opposite
of pizza and pasta,” he says.
Maselli also spends time cooking at home, preferring
to grill proteins like chicken with light marinades rather
than heavy barbecue sauce. And being a fan of the farm-
ers market, his fridge is often filled with what’s available
seasonably, such as berries, summer squash and cucum-
bers during summer.
Eating well and keeping fresh food stocked at home is
about finding balance, rather than just eating and drink-
ing booze late when you’re off the clock around midnight,
Maselli says. In a way, it’s about making sure you extend
the reverence of the customer’s eating experience for
yourself, too.
“As a chef, your priority is to make the most amazing
food for the guests,” Maselli says. “You get into work mode,
and you’re not thinking about it, but it’s super important
for longevity to treat yourself and the people associated
with food to enjoy food in the same way as the customer.
We need to carve out time to make it happen.”
Leaving town with an empty fridge
Chef Andrew Hroza is about to head to Europe to do
a lot of eating (aka research for chefs) after running a
pop-up restaurant at Alesong Brewing. And his sparse
fridge reflects his summer adventure — or someone who
is always eating charcuterie-type meals.
“We’re down to the bare essentials,” Hroza says over
email. “There’s a nice bottle of Alesong sour, thanks to my
pop-up there. Also some excellent Antiquum pinot gris.
I’ll be cooking a lot there over the summer and getting
to know their catalog has been a real treat! There’s left-
over paczki dough from a recent dinner with friends and
lots of leeks and herbs, cooking staples of mine for sure.”
Since Ninkasi closed its Better Living Room in 2023,
Hroza has been collaborating with Alesong, trying out
new recipes for Domek, a new restaurant he’s planning
that will be an Eastern European style bistro. So far, his
favorite menu item has been làngos, smoked pork pierogi.
“It spoke to my childhood growing up in a large Polish
family and to my days in Copenhagen, working the smoker
at Warpigs,” he says.
When Hroza and his family aren’t keeping a minimal
fridge, he says between him and his wife, there’s always
leftovers to rely on. “I always keep stuff stocked for simple
tacos and late-night sandwiches. Pickled herring, too,”
he says. “My arsenal of spicy condiments — Valentina,
Momofuku chili crunch and Ají (a local company) — help
keep even the boring stuff interesting.”
Hroza plans to have a fall pop-up at Antiquum Farm in
Junction City when he returns from Europe, and he and his
wife are looking for a more permanent location for Domek
and hoping to open later in 2024. “Goulash pot pie, moules
paprikash, pelmeni noodle soup — there’s nothing like
Eastern European comfort food in the winter,” he adds.
Dueling Spoons is at 39074 Jasper Lowell Road, Fall Creek. Hours
are 5 pm to 9 pm Wednesday through Saturday, 541-398-8929,
DuelingSpoons.net.
Osteria DOP is at 1122 Oak Street. Hours are 5 pm to 10 pm Tuesday
through Saturday, 541-913-6460, OsteriaDop.com. Find Pizzeria DOP’s
next location via Instagram: @pizzeriadop.
CHEF ROCKY MASELLI’S FRIDGE Courtesy Rocky Maselli
support.eugeneweekly.com
Keep updated with chef Andrew Hroza on Instagram:
@ChefAndrewHroza.
August 1, 2024
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