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| best
new restaurant: red agave |
best
new restaurant
Why
Red Agave's so damn good
By
Ben Fogelson
in 1988, South Eugene High
School students, best friends and roommates Sara Willis and Katie
Marcus-Brown had already spent years discussing a grandiose project
that would include others having a good time.
When the Café Navarro space became available
this March, Brown made a call to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, where
Willis was operating a restaurant called the Fandango.
Days later Willis flew up to Eugene. Between June
and July, after numerous hurdles, hundreds of hours of hometown sweat,
and help by third partner Jeff Desler, head chef Patrick Mckee (when
Willis is out of town), and Katie's father, Rick Marcus, the Red Agave,
purveyor of fine Nuevo Latino cuisine, was born. Don't forget Jeff
Morgenthaler, prodigy bartending mixmaster, who brings extraordinary
life to one of Eugene's newest and finest dining establishments.
Incident
#1. Sept. 27, 4 pm.
My wife and I peer in through the window, shading our eyebrows
from the glare. A reflection of the train station wavers behind us
as the Amtrak pulls in. A menu taped to the glass door reads expensively
and a little too well; duck, steak and such things as poblano potatoes,
hibiscus-jalapeño drizzle and clamata-chile port wine reduction.
A dark-haired woman trots up and begins to pull at the door, "The
food here is so good," she says sideways.
"Do you work here?" I ask.
"I'm the owner," she answers.
Incident
#2. Sept. 30, 7:30 pm.
We've been inside for 15 minutes and can't get over the interior.
It's so … damn … warm. Brazilian music keeps pace
with the crowd steadily filing through the door. Homemade lighting
fixtures cast a sunset on red and orange walls; romance under an obsidian
ceiling.
We sit at an intimate corner table in the adjoining
bar, relishing the quench of a minty rum mojito, whispering between
crunches of delightfully thin home-made corn chips and smoky chipotle-tequila
salsa. The drink menu rides hard the trend of interesting concoctions
containing fresh-pressed juices, sometimes-exotic spirits and always
colorful names, such as the Red Agave and the Blood Orange. Foreign
liquors sit against a mirror. I drain my glass and ask the prodigy
barman to bring me anything.
Incident
#3. Sept. 30, 7:45 pm
A wagon-load of hearts-of-romaine arrives on a white chilled plate
as expansive as an Argentinean prairie. "Damn," I say, "That's a big
salad." A re-check of the menu shows that the cost was actually
$8, a pretty good price for more-than-enough greens for two temporary
herbivores. The dressing is light, and the fresh sourdough croutons
are enough to drive a crouton connoisseur into spontaneous orgasm.
I shift in my seat.
Suddenly there are crustaceans on the table. Coconut
prawns ($7), very well displayed, hanging out in a circle as if they're
about to take a swim in the guava-apricot chutney dipping-sauce. They're
tasty, though only mildly flirtatious with a ranking of "special."
At my elbow I discover a soon-to-be-famous Tomato
Daiquiri.
Incident
#4. Sept. 30, 7:55 pm
If you like late cow like I do, you can relate to Agave's tender,
red, melt-in-the-mouth thick hunk of bovine ($20) covered in a merlot-ancho
demi glace. The mashers are glassy and so smooth that your swallow
will beat your chew to the plate by a mile. The sweet potatoes, also
mashed, are mixed savory-sweet to an artful level, served with the
pork-loin ($16) and roasted veggies.
We eat and look at one another and cannot speak.
Incident
#5. Sept. 30, 8:15 pm
"Tempt you with dessert?" Asks the prodigy barman, knowing we're very
full.
"We're so very full," we say.
"The Key Lime Pie will freak … you
... out," he says.
"We'll take it."
The pie's so light, so smooth; my wife, who sometimes
seems to be in charge of all the key lime desserts on this planet,
says, "I can easily say this is the best key lime pie I've ever had."
Morgenthaler happily shrugs as if to say I told you
so.
Incident
#6. Oct. 1, 3:52 pm
"Hey Pops," I say to my father with whom I dine when he cares
to, sometimes Chinese, sometimes something more special. He knows
that my wife and I usually choose not to afford ourselves such cuisine
as is available at Agave, and Dad loves to treat. "We should go try
that place Red Agave," I say. "It is so good."
"Who are you, the owner?" he replies.
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| best
overall restaurant: marche |
the
taste of the town
Eugene
Weekly
readers pick the best eats.
by
Marina Taylor
best
overall restaurant
We look at which eatery won the most awards
and then slap this title on them. This year, Marché takes
the honors. Not only did it win best Northwest, it also placed second
for Atmosphere and third for Wine List, Eco-Friendly, and Soups. Koho
Bistro and Adam's Place tied for second, and McMenamin's
North Bank came in third.
best
new restaurant
This coveted category went
to Red Agave. Opening this summer, Red Agave stepped into the
comfortable digs of Cafe Navarro, which closed around this time last
year. Red Agave continues the tradition of Mexican-influenced dishes,
a welcoming atmosphere, and a great respect for fresh, high quality
ingredients.
Second place goes to Café Lucky Noodle
and third place goes to Los Jarritos, which has actually been
open for several years now.
 |
| best
kitchen full of love: sakura |
best
kitchen full of love
This award is meant to recognize a restaurant
that puts its heart into the food, that feels like home, but is cleaner
and no one has to wash the dishes afterwards.
The winner is Sakura, the Japanese restaurant
by campus. The place is full of people, art, music, international
chefs and waiters. Japanese anime plays on a corner TV, Beach Boys
play on the radio. The chaos is carefully orchestrated by head man
Tak Kishino, originally an employee of Shiki before helping start
Sakura. The two restaurants are both owned by the same company.
Also voted Full of Love were Morning Glory
and Keystone, with a strong showing for "my mom's," "my wife's,"
and "mine."
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| best
eco-friendly: morning glory |
best
eco-friendly
Eugene is a mecca for good healthy food,
with plenty of restaurants buying produce from local farmers and organic
meat. Restaurants are responding to consumer demand by becoming more
earth conscious. Morning Glory won this category. It begins
with locally grown organic foods, a light-on-the-earth vegetarian
menu with plenty of vegan offerings, and then tops it off with politics
that give top priority to our planet. LocoMotive, an all vegetarian
gourmet restaurant, gets second place, and Marché came
in third.
best
service
You can sense it when you walk in
the door if a place has it. The waiters at these restaurants elevate
service to an art form. They're the ones who don't need to write your
order down or can tell when your kid needs to get her food NOW. Ibrahim
Hamide's Mediterranean-inspired Café Soriah came in first.
Adam's Place downtown came in second, and by the way, welcome
back from the construction zone! Café Zenon's extra efficient
and friendly waiters get third place service.
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| best
atmosphere: cafe soriah |
best
atmosphere
Soriah again topped the list here,
followed by Marché, with its quiet and sophistication,
and McMenamin's North Bank restaurant took third. That deck
overlooking the Willamette at sunset is not to be missed.
best
northwest
Marché, a French-style, market-inspired
eatery, takes this award this year. Glance down the menu and you can
tell why. Marché begins with local ingredients and seasonal menus,
and ends with rich and exotic flavors. Since its inception, Marché
has been dedicated to supporting local farmers, like Creative Growers,
Horton Road and Sweet Leaf, Northwest ranchers like Laughingstock
Farms and Painted Hills, and independent foragers. Koho Bistro and
Adam's Place tied for second place, and McMenamin's North Bank gets
third place.
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| best
kid friendly: keystone cafe |
best
kid friendly
Being in public with kids can be unfriendly
no matter where you are. All the things they do that seem so natural
at home are less than appreciated in public. However, at Keystone,
the winner in this category, your kids won't get yelled at. In fact,
you'll get a little dish of fruit for your tantruming toddler, or
a coloring page, or just people making silly faces at your baby. A
sense of understanding and acceptance is tangible here, and the breakfast
is, of course, fabulous!
Pearl Street Ice Cream Parlour took second
place and the ever-friendly and laid back Glenwood came in
third.
best
place to eat during a recession
Those in
the know let us in on the best places for cheap eats. The winner is
Burrito Boy. Burrito Boy's food is served in generous portions,
it's tasty and perhaps even cheaper than making it yourself. Glenwood
is also a standard for the most food on your plate for the least amount
of dough, as was the all vegetarian buffet at Govinda's. Sadly,
Govinda's closed Oct. 1.
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| best
wine list: ambrosia |
best
wine list
The wine selection at winning restaurant
Ambrosia didn't happen by accident: Owner Armen Kervrekian
and his staff spend hours (poor things!) tasting bottle after bottle,
writing books of notes. The best of the drink of the gods ends up
on the winning wine list, so long it reads like a luscious novel.
When he speaks of his wines, Kervrekian's love and
passion is apparent. "Wines are just like people, some age into round,
mellow, wise, ripe conversationalists, some get old, cranky, bitter.
Each wine has its own peak." Kervrekian's personal favorites are the
deep rich Italian wines, Piedmont wines grown from the Nbbiolo grapes.
Those can sit ripening for decades in a cellar, though he also approves
of the Pinot Grigios coming out of Oregon, and California Cabernets.
Ambrosia staff take a monthly class in the finer arts
of pairing wines with foods, and explaining the art of wine to customers.
For a novice learning the ropes, or an expert, this is indeed a worthwhile
place to find a good glass.
Second place goes across the street to Café
Zenon, and third goes to the Continental-style Marché.
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| best
happy hour: cornucopia |
best
happy hour
How happy is Cornucopia's
most festive time of day? If there were a scale of giddy to hysterical,
they'd be almost catatonically happy. The deal is, you can get microbrew
pints for two bucks, and one dollar off wine by the glass and all
appetizers. Happy hour goes from 4-7pm Monday thru friday, Saturday
and Sunday are just happy all day long.
Second place's Cheerful Tortoise is getting
happier all the time too, especially now that Rocco, formerly of Diablo's,
is manning the ship. McMenamin's North Bank happy hour is well
thought of too, coming in third.
 |
| best
late night eats: lava lounge |
best
late night eats
After happy hour, there are plenty
of places to find a bite to eat. Ring of Fire's Lava Lounge
comes in first. Pita Pit is another great option. Coming in
second, the Pita Pit delivers falafels and sandwiches all over town,
day and night. Bamboo and Turtles tie at third place.
Bamboo in the Fifth Street Market has a pan-Asian flair available
past midnight, and Turtles is also well known for its fab barbecue.
best
soups
There are some places that can't
seem to help winning year after year. One of the rare things Eugeneans
agree on is soup. The French Horn soup chefs are alchemists.
The Glenwood almost always gets a mention too, this year in
second place with the ever-famous tomato cheese soup, served with
warm fresh bread. I once had a near-life-altering experience with
a butternut squash soup with apples at Marché, third place
winner in the soup races.
best
cup of java
Great coffee and good microbrews
are our claim to fame here on the fringe of the Northwest. Full
City has been winning the best coffee award since 1995, with consistent
and quality roasted beans. Espresso Roma comes in second, with
another Eugene tradition, Allan Brother's Beanery, coming in
third.
 |
| best
barbecue: hole in the wall |
best
barbecue
Hole in the Wall wins first place
this year. The warmth and smell of smoking brisket, plus gobs of potato
salad and the scent of fresh cornbread welcome you into this diner.
Second place goes to West Brothers Barbecue,
and third place is a real Southern-style cart called BBQ King
that is inside the Jiffy Market on Hilyard on Saturdays and Sundays.
best
mediterranean
First place goes to Poppi's
Anatolia this year. Soriah comes in second this time, and
its little sister Casablanca, also owned by Ib Hamide, takes
third.
best
chinese
No one can beat Ocean Sky out of
the top position for Chinese food. Ocean Sky earns Eugene's love with
large portions and authentic flavors. Second place goes to Lotus
Garden, an all vegan place on Charnelton, and third goes to Fortune
Inn.
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| best
bakery: sweet life patisserie |
best
bakery
Sisters Cheryl and Catherine Rineheart own
and operate the winner, Sweet Life Patisserie. The parfaits,
petit fours and healthy vegan options are certainly award-worthy.
Metropol Bakery broke ground for the whole gourmet bread industry
decades ago, and continues to pull in the votes in second place, while
Palace Bakery slides into third.
best
japanese
If there's a popular trend in Eugene
now, it's sushi. Shiki comes out on top, followed by Misako
and third place goes to Shiki's little brother, Sakura (same
ownership).
best
mexican
Taco Loco, that wonderful
place on 7th and Blair, usually takes this category, and this year
it's followed by Burrito Boy in second and the authentic flavors
of Taqueria Las Brasas in third.
best
southeast asian
Ring of Fire has been pulling first
for a while now, but is followed closely by Mekala's. Newcomer
Bamboo takes third place with a more fusion-Asian menu, including
Chinese and Japanese selections.
 |
| best
italian: beppe and giannis trattoria |
best
italian
Of all the wonderful Italian restaurants
in town, Beppe and Gianni's Trattoria takes first place, Mazzi's
takes second, and Ambrosia takes third.
best
foodcart
Mobile food can be hard to catch, but Carte
de Frisco downtown wins again this year, despite all the construction
and street closures. Alexander's Great Falafels by campus gets
second, and the ever popular burritos at Ritta's Burritos of
the Saturday Market takes third place.
best
korean
John Lee is the man at the helm of the Plaza
Coffee Shop, the first place winner. His parents began the project
and his mom is
still in the kitchen making tasty concoctions and
frying up noodle dishes. The atmosphere is very dineresque, with classic
rock playing and vinyl booths, but the food is authentic and the Stone
Bowl Bibimbab is out of this world, with spinach, zucchini, seaweed,
grated radish, shitake mushrooms and meat or tofu cooked slowly over
a bowl of rice, an egg cracked in the middle and slow-burning soy
based sauce.
 |
| best
korean eats: plaza coffee shop |
The business will soon be expanding into the campus
area with a new restaurant, The Jail, serving pan-Asian fast food.
Second place goes to another classic, Hana's by campus, and
third goes to Korea House.
best
seafood
Newman's fish and chips window outside
the fish market always gets kudos from our readers. Bruno's Chef's
Kitchen took second place: Try out the Hawaiian influences that
bloom in the kitchen there, and Fisherman's Market with the
Full Boat restaurant inside takes third place.
best
pizza
Lori and Paul Reader bought a Eugene
institution almost four years ago when they took the helm of Pegasus
Pizza and Smokehouse, this year's winner. Pegasus has been feeding
a unique cross-section of Eugene for decades, with professors and
students, activists and judges sitting only tables apart, brought
together by fabulous pizza, sports, or family night out.
This November Pegasus is starting another big adventure:
delivery. Much of the quality of a pizza is lost by putting it in
a steamy box for 20 minutes, but the Readers say it's also hard to
watch their competitors' delivery cars parked outside their doors.
They got a good deal on a couple extra ovens and decided to make a
go for it, delivering to campus area residences.
Pizza Research Institute's pizza pies got second
place this year for their fantastic, mostly organic concoctions, and
Cozmic Pizza tied with the more traditional New York style
of Sy's Pizza for third.
 |
| best
bagels: humbel bagel |
best
bagels
Humble Bagel takes first place again
this year. The steaming vats produce big, bready, Detroit-style bagels,
mixing flavorings into the dough instead of adding them on top like
the more familiar New York – style ones. Be that as it may,
the most popular flavor is still plain, with raisin coming in next.
Humble also offered the first commercially available challa in Eugene
25 years ago, and continues with cinnamon raisin challa, great for
French toast.
Bagel Sphere took second place and Bagel
Bakery came in third.
| Click for
Best of Eugene |
|
ew
readers' poll
best restaurants
of eugene
Eats
best
new restaurant
1. Red Agave
2. Café Lucky Noodle
3. Los Jarritos
best
kitchen full of love
1. Sakura
2. Morning Glory
3. Keystone Café
best
eco-friendly restaurant
1. Morning Glory
2. LocoMotive
3. Marché
best
service
1. Café Soriah
2. Adam's Place
3. Café Zenon
best
atmosphere
1. Café Soriah
2. Marché
3. McMenamin's North Bank
best
place to eat during a recession
1. Burrito Boy
2. Glenwood
3. Govinda's
best
kid friendly restaurant
1. Keystone Café
2. Pearl Street Ice Cream Parlour
3. Glenwood
best
soups
1. French Horn
2. Glenwood
3. Marché
best
pizza
1. Pegasus
2. Pizza Research Institute
3. Sy's, Cosmic Pizza (tie)
Strong showing: Bene Gourmet Pizza
best
bagels
1. Humble Bagel
2. Bagel Sphere
3. Bagel Bakery
best
cuppa java
1. Full City
2. Espresso Roma
3. Allan Brother's Beanery
best
bakery
1. Sweet Life Patisserie
2. Metropol
3. Palace Bakery
best
barbeque
1. Hole in the Wall
2. West Brothers
3. BBQ King
best
chinese
1. Ocean Sky
2. Lotus Garden
3. Fortune Inn
best
italian
1. Beppe and Gianni's
2. Mazzi's
3. Ambrosia
best
japanese
1. Shiki
2. Misako
3. Sakura
best
korean
1. Plaza Coffee Shop
2. Hana's
3. Korea House
best
mediterranean
1. Anatolia
2. Café Soriah
3. Casablanca
best
mexican
1. Taco Loco
2. Burrito Boy
3. Las Brasas
northwest
1. Marché
2. Koho Bistro, Adam's Place (tie)
3. McMenamin's North Bank
best
southeast asian
1. Ring of Fire
2. Mekala's
3. Bamboo
best
seafood
1. Newman's
2. Bruno's Chef's Kitchen
3. Full Boat at Fisherman's Market
best
wine list
1. Ambrosia
2. Café Zenon
3. Marché
best
food cart
1. Carte de Frisco
2. Alexander's Great Falafel
3. Ritta's Burritos
best
happy hour
1. Cornucopia
2. Cheerful Tortoise
3. McMenamin's North Bank
best
late night eats
1. Lava Lounge at Ring of Fire
2. Pita Pit
3. Bamboo, Turtles (tie)
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