Eugene Cheap
Eats
Posted by extramsg on
Monday, November 21 @ 19:27:50
PST
Contributed by extramsg
Plaza Latina's Bulk
Chiles
I grew up just outside of
Eugene, OR, home of the University of Oregon
Ducks, although I always rooted for my dad's
alma mater, the UCLA Bruins. I still have family
and friends in the area and visit at least a
couple times a month. When I was a kid, Taco
Time was probably my favorite cheap eat. Mexi
fries, veggie burritos, and taco Tuesday -- hey,
it's a lot better than Taco Hell.
That
was before Thai food had caught on in the U.S. I
hadn't even tried Indian food and I doubt there
was an Indian restaurant in all of Lane County.
It was a decade, however, when Izzy's still made
all their pizza from scratch with quality
ingredients and Pietro's made a zesty and
crunchy pie with a crust that actually had a
chewy, airy texture like Italian bread, not
spongy Wonderbread.
Despite the local
government's efforts to stifle change in Eugene,
the town has grown up a lot since I left for
college. It's more cosmopolitan with all the
expected international restaurants -- Mexican,
Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese,
etc. As a result, the cheap eats options have
gone far beyond pizza and fast food. The
following is a quick overview of some of my
favorites, some places to avoid, and some places
that have unfortunately disappeared or changed
hands. I've also included a list of known blogs
in the area that at least regularly post on
food.
Photo
Album
Eugene Food Blogs
-
Accidental
Scientist (Food Only)
- All
Blahgged Up (No RSS Feed)
- AntSaint
-
Brownie
Points (Food Only)
- Hyperbole
-
Yum!
(Food Only)
Eugene
Weekly's 2005 "Best Of"
Mexican
Sopes from Plaza
Latina
For several years now, the
favorite Mexican cheap eat in Eugene has
undoubtedly been the Burrito Boy
Taquerias which specialize in Mission-style
burritos and have menus very similar to
Portland's El Burrito Loco chain. All the
typical taqueria meats are available, including
breakfast fillings such as chorizo, eggs, and
machaca. Most items are decent, but not
especially good. The exception is the chile
relleno burrito, which is the Mexican equivalent
of the Turducken, cheese stuffed in a chile
stuffed in a tortilla with beans and cheese.
It's a sloppy, gooey mess and yet muy
sabroso.
My favorite taqueria in Eugene
recently closed -- or rather, sold out. Lupita's
is a carniceria between 6th and 7th on Blair.
For a while, they owned the taqueria next door
and made excellent carnitas, carne asada, and
other tacos for super cheap. The new owners,
Aztec Sol, seem to emphasize margaritas, perhaps
hoping that their patrons will be convinced by
the effects of alcohol that the food is good.
Even though they make their tortillas, the meats
and salsas are some of the worst I've ever had.
I already miss Lupita's.
However, there
is hope. A large and wonderful Latin
supermarket, Plaza Latina, opened on W 7th in
the past year or so. Though it is perhaps a
little smaller than Su Casa Imports here in
Portland, I'd say the quality and selection is,
in many ways, better than anything we have.
Great quality bulk chiles, fresh produce, a
variety of meats, plenty of canned and frozen
goods. They also have a nice selection of Latin
goods beyond Mexican, such as Bacaloa. Heck,
they even have Halal goods in the freezer. They
also have a taqueria making carnitas fresh daily
and cooking up acceptable antojitos at
reasonable
prices.
Thai
Aiyara's Kao Soi
The
first Thai restaurant that I knew of in Eugene
was Ring
of Fire. Both in price and style, Ring of
Fire is closest to Typhoon here in Portland. Few
dishes are under $10, the restaurant is pleasant
and attractive, and the lounge is a popular
night spot. Flavors are more subtle and
Americanized than my palate now prefers, but
there are still a few winners here. The matsaman
has a complex and peanutty flavor that lovers of
the legume should enjoy. Personally, I think the
yellow curry with its addition of granny smith
apples is their best. However, in the past
couple years, I've eaten dinner at a cheaper and
more authentic Thai restaurant and gone to Ring
of Fire for dessert. Their house-made coconut
ice cream is as good as any I've had and their
tempura-fried bananas drizzled with honey are
crisp, light, and sweet -- and even now my
tongue aches for them.
My visits to Ring
of Fire for dinner ended, for the most part,
when Chao Pra Ya opened on 6th. It's cheaper,
sure, but that wasn't the only reason. Their
dishes have the intensity and balance that I've
come to expect from less-Americanized Thai food.
They make a tasty larb and their standard
curries are all pretty good.
Mekala's, on
Franklin across from the University, never
tempted me away from Ring of Fire. Although,
with the opening of Siam
Society, their midscale fusion effort here
in Portland that's off to a great start, I'm
interested to give them another
chance.
My new Thai favorite in Eugene
(well, Springfield, actually) is Aiyara
Thai Cafe, over in a strip mall next to
Gateway. Truthfully, it's supplanted Chao Pra
Ya. The madam of the house, Kannika Hime, often
cooks the dishes and, at the very least,
maintains quality control. My friend who works
down the road at Symantec and is a regular there
loves their green curry. It's just Mae Ploy and
Chaokoh, but they do a good job with those
common commerical ingredients. Their duck curry
with pineapples is a favorite for us sweet-tooth
Americans, a great blend of sweet, spicy, and
meaty. They also make a decent Kao Soi. I'd like
some freshly fried noodles on top, but they do
give you a side of pickled greens and the curry
itself has a nice depth. Look on the specials
board where I've found things like black sticky
rice and noodle curries. Prices are the same for
lunch and dinner, making them fair for lunch and
fantastic for
dinner.
Indian
When Curry
Leaf here in Portland went downhill earlier this
year, my favorite Indian restaurant in Oregon
became Eugene's Priya over near the Santa Clara
Fred Meyer's. Taste of India in South Eugene on
Hilyard is better for its decor, tables sitting
under a forest of fake trees, than its food. The
flavors at Priya, even on the buffet, were
vibrant. Their chili chicken was the best I'd
eaten outside of Chicago's Devone Ave and they
made a terrific chicken tikka masala, complex,
rich, and tangy. Even the chutneys were better
than most. In just a couple months after being
opened, they had become packed during lunch and
busy during dinner.
Everything had
changed on my last visit, though. The naan was
burnt. The curries had little meat and even less
flavor. Chutneys were flavorless. And surprise,
suprise, the room wasn't even half full at noon
on a Thursday. I asked the guy working the
register and my suspicions were confirmed: they
had changed owners. Well, the new owners
obviously don't know what tastes good. This loss
hurts me more than Lupita's. While I have plenty
of great options for Mexican food, I have very
few quality options for Indian, so Priya's
decline is a frustrating developement. Now
there's no really good Indian in Portland or
Eugene.
BBQ
Brisket from Papa's Soul Food
Kitchen
Anyone who's read my posts
here and elsewhere knows I love BBQ. I've tried
most, if not all, the options in Eugene. Hole in
the Wall is in West Eugene, out in the direction
that I grew up (Veneta/Elmira). It's adequate,
although I think their chili is better than
their meat. The meat makes a decent sandwich.
The ribs are better than their other options,
but a bit spendy at around $20 for a somewhat
skimpy rack.
After some (suspicious)
comments on Chowhound, I decided to try Papa's
Soul Food Kitchen near campus on 11th. Maybe the
soul food is good, but the BBQ is terrible. Some
of the worst I've ever had. Portions are giant
and cheap, but I could get better
all-you-can-eat ribs from Tony Roma's. Don't
believe me? Look through the pictures.
The brisket was dry without any smoke
flavor. The connective tissues hadn't melted at
all. Further, the slices had been each
individually grilled. You can see the grill
marks in the picture above. Ribs and sausage
were the same. Sliced, then grilled. Like the
brisket, the connective tissues on the ribs
hadn't been melted. Bending a rib, trying to
tear the meat off the bone, shows all the
rubbery sinews. The sausage was probably the
best deal, although even they tasted like
mediocre supermarket hot links.
Brisket from Big Stuff BBQ in
Cottage Grove
The best BBQ I've found
isn't in Eugene, but 15 minutes or so south in
Cottage Grove: Big Stuff BBQ. I have a friend
who recently moved from Springfield to the
metropolis of Drain, Oregon. He has toured BBQ
in Texas with me, so when he said he found a
good spot, I had to try it. It's in the heart of
the tiny downtown, a large and comfortable room
with faux walls separating tables. All the meats
are under $10 per pound, prices that would be
good in Texas or Kansas City.
Meats are
best right out of the pit, which they keep out
back along with their woodpile. Brisket and ribs
range in quality, sometimes being undercooked or
dry. The ham, however, is more consistent and
wonderful, especially the pieces along the
outside basted by all the fat. When brisket is
good, it has a nice bark and the fat instantly
melts in the mouth. The lean side is almost
always too lean, so I recommend getting slices
from the fat side.
Their sauce is pretty
standard, a slightly tangy mixture with a tomato
base. I like it better with some of the chipotle
hot sauce they keep on the tables. They also
make their own sausage, a mix of pork and beef.
It can be a little dry, but it has a nice meaty
flavor.
Besides consistency, their only
problem is how they smoke the meats. Instead of
allowing the smoke to vent, they close down the
flue, more smoke pouring from the edges of the
doors than the chimney. This gives the meat a
creosote aftertaste that can be too strong on
occasion. But the meat also has a pronounced
smoke flavor and it probably keeps their wood
costs (and prices) lower. It's a trade-off that
I'm willing to accept, though I imagine they
could make some great Q by allowing the smoke to
flow over the meat rather than encase it in a
stale fog.
I will be visiting this
restaurant every time I visit my friend or pass
through Cottage
Grove.
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