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VITAL SUMMER ACCESSORY:
Tapioca "Pearls"
Bubble tea's sphere of influence expands in Eugene.
BY VANESSA SALVIA

(Left to right) Colin, Sarah, Maiah, & Keegan

Boba tea. No, it's not Boba Fett's long lost cousin from the Star Wars saga, it's a drink craze that's gripping Eugene in its sweet, fruity grasp. Also known as bubble tea or pearl tea, the drink originated at a tea stand in Taiwan 20 years ago. Vendors sold children chilled, refreshing tea drinks after school. One vendor added powdered fruit flavors to the tea drinks, which the children shook vigorously to blend, making the drink bubbly. Another enterprising vendor expanded the concept, adding tapioca "pearls" which sunk to the bottom of a clear plastic cup, making "bubbles" that lasted.

Bubble tea is huge in Asia and has been slowly making inroads here in the States. Now, a bubble tea drink shop is taking hold at 841 E. 13th Street in Eugene. Boba Bubble Tea Shop is the enterprise of two sets of twins (from the same parents!), 18-year-olds Maiah and Sarah Albi and 15-year-olds Keegan and Colin Albi. The siblings sold bubble tea from a food cart last summer and at the February 2005 Asian Festival. The campus store is already a hit and keeps the focus on drinks, with 65 flavors of boba available along with specialty coffees and Asian popsicles.

Maiah Albi said the siblings discovered the drink because their father travels frequently to Asia, where boba teashops sprout faster than mushrooms in a wet field. "He knows [the drinks] are really popular in bigger cities like Seattle and San Francisco so basically he just decided to see if we could get it started here," said Maiah. "Last summer we had a little cart, really small, just testing it out, and we got a lot of positive feedback." Blended "fruit" bobas contain green tea, are slushy and have lighter flavors than the "milk" bobas, which are thicker and smoothie-like. Boba Bubble sells 16 oz. of both varieties for $2.75.

For the uninitiated, the drink can seem a little intimidating, but deciding on a flavor is really the hardest part. Bimb Kampanat at Aiyara Thai Café says they sell up to 30 bobas a day, and their most popular flavors are mango, purple yam, coconut and sour raspberry. For my dollar, traditional strawberry is hard to beat. Once you've got your boba in hand, pierce the drink's plastic covering with an oversized straw and start sucking! When the marble-sized tapioca pearls come through the straw, chew them up — the texture is like a soft gummy bear in a fruity fluid. Most tapioca balls are black and look like blueberries in the cup, but they can also be white or transparent. Rest assured, the fruit bobas are completely vegan. The drinks are low on sugar, but still sweetly satisfying and definitely healthier than a soda.

Maiah said the bobas are addictive. "When I first had them I didn't like them at all but they grow on you. Now I have like four a day!" she said.       

 

Bubble Tea Iced Coffee

  • 2 T. instant coffee
  • 1 scoop non-dairy powder creamer
  • 1 scoop bubble tea sugar syrup
  • 3/4 C. water
  • 1 C. ice
  • 2 oz. cooked bubble tea tapioca pearls

Put coffee, creamer and sugar syrup in a shaker and mix well. Add ice, cover and shake until frothy. Put tapioca pearls into a cup and pour blended mixture over the pearls. Add your fat bubble tea straw and enjoy!

 

Bubble Tea Sugar Syrup

  • 1 C. white sugar
  • 1 C. brown sugar
  • 2 C. water

Mix sugar and water in large pot. Cook on medium to high, removing from heat as soon as mixture boils. Cool and refrigerate any excess. Makes approximately 32-35 16 oz. bobas.

Bubble Tea Supply has a website (www.bubbleteasupply.com)with lots of information and history of bubble tea. They also post numerous recipes and sell boba "kits" including the tapioca pearls and flavor powders for those who want to make authentic boba teas at home. The tapioca pearls must be boiled and steeped for an hour to make them chewy, so it's much easier to visit the boba tea shop!

 

 

Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Eugene's "Joy"-ful greasy spoon
Story by Sara Wachter-Boettcher • Photos by Todd Cooper

"Come in, come in! You take any table you want," Joy Knudtson yells from behind the long lunch counter at Brails Restaurant, gesturing wildly toward the red-and-green vinyl booths in the back and smiling a toothy, lipsticky smile. She talks rapidly as she darts about, coffee pot in hand, eyes searching out empty cups. "How-a you this morning?" she asks with a distinctly Korean accent, her lips transforming into their trademark grin after every sentence. "More coffee? You want more coffee?" More likely than not, your cup will be full and she'll be on to the next table before you can even reply. But don't question it; that's just Joy's way.

Joy Knudtson

And Brails, an old-fashioned American diner at 1689 Willamette St., is Joy's restaurant. Since buying the business from her sister in the fall of 2001, the fit, well-dressed and always made-up 48-year-old has become the soul of Eugene's quintessential "greasy spoon," immediately befriending everyone who enters. Hung over college students, ladies meeting after church, middle-aged men stopping in for a weekday sandwich — all are greeted with Joy's energetic, welcoming presence. "I am kind of a people person," she says, flinging her hands up in the air and throwing her head back in a table-pounding, raucous fit of laughter, something she does often. "I get along with everyone, and I'm having fun with it!"

After spending years working in other people's restaurants — including a Chinese-Korean-Japanese establishment in Anchorage, Alaska, a bakery and café in Vancouver, Washington and a short stint as the co-owner of Brails back in the early '90s, when her sister first bought the place — Joy is ecstatic to run a restaurant on her own terms. For 60 hours each week, she flits around Brails in a frenzy of hard work and friendly words, building an enormous base of regular customers with her sincere, thorough service.

One such customer, Adam Kriz, a hammer thrower for Eugene's Team XO, became a Brails regular a few years ago, when he was a UO student. At first, he came in for the hash browns and bacon. "I was hung over and it was delicious," he says. But the kicker came a year and a half ago, when Joy offered to sponsor his track and field career with a stipend. "The terms and conditions under it, I believe, were that she would give me $100 every month and then in return, I would pick up the $100 every month," Kriz jokes. He now wears the Brails logo on the back of his jersey, proud of having Joy's support.

Joy's devotion to her customers sometimes borders on the obsessive; during one meal at Brails, don't be surprised if she comes by to thank you five or six times. "You know how many times I thank the people?" she asks. "Probably 500 times per day. Not because I want to make a lot of money. No, that's not it; I don't really have to work. But I like it. When I come here, Brails is my life."

This determination is the other side of Joy, the side people don't always see when she's chatting with the regulars and serving up waffles or club sandwiches. "I want to be the best in Eugene," she says without a hint of modesty. This goal is what keeps Joy motivated, and what brings her satisfaction with life. "I'm not really business, but I know how to work," she says. "I'll work until my body doesn't listen."

Joy demands this same work ethic from her eight employees. They can't be lazy, and they can't be messy. "When I work, they gotta work," she says. "I bend over and clean up. I do things." That's why she likes her newest hire, Sara Taylor, a Brails regular. Last month, Joy was working a weekend brunch shift that was busier than expected. Taylor, who was eating with her friends, saw her frantically working. A veteran waitress herself, Taylor offered to help out. Joy hired her on the spot. On her way out, Taylor stops to give Joy a hug.

Most bosses would never run a business the way Joy runs Brails, but Joy isn't most bosses. Instead, she treats her employees like a tender but firm mother: She doesn't bark out orders, but her boundaries are clear. Ian Gray, a UO student who's worked at Brails for two years, knows this firsthand. Once, he showed up for a breakfast shift after a late night out. It was early — earlier than he was scheduled to work, Gray claims — and business was slow, so he crept into the back office to sleep off a hangover. Pretty soon, Joy opened the door and found him. "You sleep now," she told him, pointing her finger. "But when I come wake you up, you work!" Two hours later, Brails was bustling and she needed Gray's help. He worked like mad for the rest of the day.

The staff of Brail's

Although Joy was lenient with Gray, he knows her limits. "Don't talk back to her — that gets you fired," he says, along with two other inexcusable offenses: stealing and showing up late. But Gray stays on Joy's good side. She calls him her "Eugene son" — her real son, who is 20, attends Washington State — and even sponsors him when he puts on punk rock benefit shows for WomenSpace by paying for the flyers and posters. "We both care about people," Gray says. "I think that's why we get along."

Her husband, Dean Knudtson, maintains that getting along with Joy is simple: "Joy likes to be the boss," he says. "It's important that people understand that." Brails is her restaurant, and she's determined to run things her way.

Joy says that's why her original stint with Brails, when she co-owned the restaurant with her sister, didn't work out. "I decided I don't want to have a partner," she says, so about 12 years ago, she gave up her share in Brails, leaving her sister with full ownership.

At least one good thing came from her first Brails experience: She met her husband. Knudtson, a Vancouver-based contractor who specializes in building Starbucks coffee shops, was working on the Starbucks store at 18th and Pearl when he became a Brails regular. But it wasn't the sandwiches that kept Knudtson coming back. It was Joy, who he says was "exactly the same" back then, all smiles and energetic banter. When Knudtson returned to Vancouver, Joy and her son followed.

But in 2001, her sister was having health problems and could no longer work. Brails was in decline, and Joy knew she needed to whip the place into shape. She bought a house next to her sister's and moved in with her son and young daughter, now 7. During the week, Knudtson stays in Vancouver. On weekends, vacations and whenever a Starbucks is being built nearby, he stays in Eugene. Although the separation is difficult, "Joy likes her freedom," he says.

This independent spirit dates back to Joy's childhood in Seoul, Korea, where she lived until she was 19. "When I was growing up, I was kinda troublemaker," she says. "I could have finished college there, but I didn't want to. I wanted to come to the United States." Her sister had already emigrated, so Joy left college and moved to Alaska, where she got her beauty license and worked as a hairdresser. Later she moved to Eugene.

These days, Joy's rebelliousness may have faded, but her outgoing, determined personality has not. Business at Brails is booming and in 2004, Eugene Weekly readers voted Brails "Best Hangover Breakfast." But Joy's not done yet. She's thinking of expanding the diner's hours to include dinner, but she doesn't know how many people would come in. Her real dream is to open a second Brails in Springfield. Joy says she's not sure whether that will ever happen, but Knudtson wouldn't be surprised to see it. "She just pushes ahead, keeps moving," he says. "I can't see her slowing down yet."

 

 

BARBEQUE FREAKS, TAKE NOTE
Grilling's not just for burgers and hot dogs anymore.
BY SARA BRICKNER

GOOD GRILLING TECHNIQUES

Like any culinary endeavor, the subtle nuances of grilling are what make a raw meat canvas into either a succulent masterpiece or just another dry piece of burnt flesh. And while most people think the word "grilled" applies only to hamburgers and hot dogs, you can cook almost any meal on the grill with a choice accessory or two. Whether you're using charcoal, gas, or new infrared technology, grilling isn't just for summer cookouts anymore.

You can grill two ways: directly and indirectly. Direct grilling is when meat is cooked quickly over a direct heat source. It works better for burgers and foods with low fat content that can be cooked quickly at high temperatures without burning or undercooking.

Indirect grilling is just that. The meat is cooked away from the heat source, more slowly at lower temperatures. It takes a little longer but if you're cooking up a honkin' slab of meat, it ensures thorough cooking without burning your succulent dinner.

To prepare your grill for indirect grilling, spread coals or whatever fuel you're using on one side of the grill bottom. If you're using a two-burner gas grill, only light one burner. This is the "hot" side. On the other, place a metal pan of water to make the "cool" side. Don't be fooled, though — for our purposes, cool still means pretty darn hot.

The steam from the water helps keep the meat from drying out so you don't end up with a crusty, charred exterior and a raw bloody interior. Whatever you do, don't use lighter fluid or other chemicals to start an old-fashioned grill fire or your dinner could end up tasting like a chemical flambé. Instead, use crumpled up newspaper or kindling and an electric lighter.

THE GREAT SMOKE OUT

Even if you don't have a smoker, it's pretty easy to smoke meat using a grill. But smoking isn't about exposing meat to burning wood smoke, which can contain carcinogens and infuses meat with noxious flavors.

The wood chips should be smoldering embers and higher-end grills often come with built-in trays for wood chips so they don't burn. If you don't have one, in the book Grilling America Rick Browne suggests taking one or two handfuls of wood and wrapping them in a layered, heavy duty foil packet and poking a few holes into just the top layer of tinfoil so that the wood smolders without catching fire.

At Fire for Life, a local Eugene store that specializes in grills and flame-related merchandise, owner Mike Alford and employee Jim O'Hare say it doesn't matter, as long as the chips aren't on fire. Just make sure to get the smoke going before cooking the meat, O'Hare advises. Otherwise the meat will be done before the wood chips get going.

But the most important rule seems almost counterintuitive: don't get too creative when selecting wood chips. Hardwoods work best. Unless you want meat that tastes like a charred tree branch, avoid soft woods including pine, cottonwood, willow, eucalyptus and poplar. Instead, try hickory, oak, pecan, mesquite, alder, apple, or maple.

Also, be sure to select wood that will complement your meat. Different woods yield different flavors, and what tastes good with steak might ruin chicken or seafood. Some chefs, including Mike and Jim, believe that it's best to soak wood chips before smoking; others, such as Rick Browne, believe that dry is the way to go. When smoking, low temperatures and a slow cooking time help keep the juices in the meat.

SOAK UP THE FLAVOR

Marinades and rubs are the foundation of all amazing grilling, adding flavor and zing like splashes of color to your meat masterpiece.

Rubs, an assortment of spices, either dry or with a liquid element, are "rubbed" into the meat for additional zest. On their website, Better Homes and Gardens suggests refrigerating your rubbed meat for anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours before cooking so it can fully absorb the flavors.

When it comes to marinating, barbecue sauce tends to be the standard choice. How boring. Get zippy with one of the thousands of pre-made marinades and rubs in stores or make your own at home. The only real rule is to use plenty of salt, which helps the meat absorb the other flavors.

The longer you let meat sit, the better, but marinating times vary depending on the recipe and type of meat you're using. For roasts and other whole meats, injectable marinades are available to spread flavor evenly throughout the meat.

GRILLS AND GADGETS

An obvious requirement for good grilled food is the grill itself. Gas grills have become more common as technological advances make grilling with charcoal seem like an unnecessary hassle.

The fancier and more expensive the grill, the more bells and whistles that come with it — for example, the built-in smoking tray mentioned earlier. Some more high-tech grills come with infrared heating panels that produce more intense heat than a regular burner. Others use a combination of normal gas burners and infrared panels. Some even have built-in rotisserie rods with infrared panels on the back side of the grill.

When it comes to coal grills, "The bulk of what we sell in briquette now is the Big Green Egg," Alford said. A ceramic green oval that sits in a "nest," or stand, the Big Green Egg functions as a smoker and grill. It costs $775 at Fire for Life, and the Egg comes in different sizes, including a portable mini-egg.

If you have a gas grill, but don't trust yourself to make a foil packet, most grill stores sell ventilated metal smoking tubes that hold wood chips and can be placed directly inside your grill for foolproof smoking.

If you've got limited space or a limited budget, the Port-a-Chef is a basic gas grill that takes up less than four square feet of space. If price is no object, Lynx makes high-quality stainless steel grills, including a combination grill with regular burners, a rotisserie with infrared panels on both the bottom and back of the grill for a mere $5,099. Alford says that you can easily spend $10,000 on grills that function like a backyard kitchen, complete with built-in refrigerators and storage cabinets.

And though he says he wouldn't spend ten grand on a grill, "I wouldn't have a grill without a rear burner rotisserie. You can almost not overcook when you rotisserie. Everything comes out so moist."

With a few grill accessories, you can make just about anything using only a rotisserie. Rotisserie baskets come in different shapes and sizes and are designed for use on a rotisserie, holding meat or veggies inside so that they don't fall out.

But the tool both Alford and O'Hare say they couldn't live without is the steak turner, a deceptively simple device that turns steaks and just about anything else that needs flipping. Without scraping off any rubs or squeezing out any juices, the steak turner pokes a small hole in the steak for easy flipping action.

VEGETARIAN GRILLING

Though grilling is often associated with meat, vegetarian grilling has become increasingly common. While most vegetarians know about Gardenburgers and veggie dogs, vegetarian grilling options are virtually unlimited.

If you're in a hurry, some of the best pre-packaged soy dogs around are Tofurkey Beer Brats. Basically a giant spiced tofu dog made with Full Sail Ale, the brats are available at almost any grocery store. They're great for grilling and are more flavorful than any other faux meat I've tasted. If you have time to cook your own meal, you can whip up tofu or tempeh shish kebabs, polenta and even pizza on the grill.

Just remember that vegetables will stick to the grates if left on the grill too long. And don't use non-stick cooking spray unless you want to barbecue your face. Instead, dip a folded paper towel in vegetable oil, then grab it with tongs and thoroughly wipe down the grates.

You can also buy a grill wok, a contraption similar to a grilling basket designed to hold chopped vegetables. Eggplant, portobello mushrooms, tomatoes and peppers make good grilling vegetables. Wrap corn in tin foil and you can cook it on the grill as well, though make sure you leave at least 30 minutes for cook time.

Both eggplant and mushrooms of all kinds take marinades well and are sturdy enough to hold up to grilling. If you're cooking something like asparagus, the indirect grilling method might work better. Wrapping veggies in tin foil can also keep them from ending up charred.

Basic shish kebabs, using either tofu, tempeh, or seitan instead of meat, are also simple to make. And when you're cooking up non-meats, marinades are even more important for adding flavor.

Grilled pizza is also a good option for both vegetarians and meat-eaters. Cooking pizza on the grill will get you the wood oven taste revered by pizza chefs. Small personal pizzas work better than one large one. Let the dough cook a little bit before adding cheese and toppings. Otherwise, the pizza could get too heavy and fall into the grill. And even if it does, that's OK. You can always rely on Gardenburgers.    

 

MAGICAL MARINADES

AVOCADO-TOMATILLO SAUCE
From Bobby Flay's new book, Boy Gets Grill:125 Reasons to Light Your Fire! Scribner, Hardcover, $30.

Bobby Flay suggests using this sauce with swordfish, salmon, mackerel, bluefish or any other rich fish.

  • 8 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
  • 2 jalapeño chiles
  • 1/2 C. mild vegetable oil, such as canola, plus extra for brushing
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 C. fresh lime juice
  • 2 T. honey
  • 4 ripe Hass avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Heat your grill to high.

Brush the tomatillos and chiles with oil and season all over with salt and pepper. Grill the tomatillos and chiles, turning, until blackened on all sides. Remove from the grill and coarsely chop the tomatillos. Stem, seed and chop the chiles.

Combine the tomatillos, chiles, lime juice, and honey in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, gradually pour in the oil and blend until emulsified. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the avocados, onion, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 2 cups.

 

HONEY STEAK MARINADE

From http://fitdv.recipezaar.com/29306 This recipe also works well with chicken andsoy products.

  • 1/2 C. soy sauce (Soy sauce is very important for the salt content. If you don't have enough soy sauce, add extra salt)
  • 1/2 C. honey
  • 2 T. vinegar
  • 1 T. fresh ginger
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1/2 C. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds flank steak (or other meats)

If using steak, make several criss-crossing cuts in the meat before marinating.

Marinate for at least 45 minutes, but overnightif you can.

 

ADOBO MARINADE

From http://fitdv.recipezaar.com/29984 A great all-around marinade that can be used with almost any meat, veggie or soy product

  • 5 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 2 t. dried oregano
  • 1/2 t. ground cumin
  • 1/2 t. dried thyme
  • 1/3 C. orange juice
  • 1/3 C. lime juice
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1/4 C. chopped cilantro

Marinate for one hour or overnight if possible.

CHIMICHURRI

(Argentinean sauce for grilled meats)http://www.whats4eats.com/recipes/r_sau_chimichurri.html

Ingredients:

  • 8 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 T. dried oregano
  • 1 bunch minced parsley
  • 1/3 C. red wine vinegar
  • 1 or 2 t. of salt
  • 3/4 C. olive oil
  • 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
  • 2 T. paprika

Mix all ingredients together well except for the olive oil, using a blender or food processor. Add them to olive oil and use as a marinade for grilled beef, chicken, or tofu.

 

 

 

Where's the Beef?
THE BATTLE OF THE BURGER AND BREW
By Dave Constantin

The Original

6th Street Bar and Grill has been a Eugene institution for more than 30 years. Every Tuesday night, savvy locals spill into the narrow bar area, dominated by UO football memorabilia, to lay down a clean six dollars and walk away content.

The bar and restaurant areas are separate and distinct. The bar entrance commands the street, offering an immediate, unobstructed view of the entire inside. The restaurant by comparison is surprisingly elegant and understated. The décor is all blacks and crimsons, dimly lit with a gothic-modern feel that looks deceptively expensive. All very nice, except that in the summer the place is kept meat-locker cold. Despite the differences in atmosphere, the two areas share an identical menu which, at a glance, seems like pretty standard extended-item sports bar fare. If you're going for the burger and brew, stick to the bar side — it just feels right.

Only one burger is offered for the special on Tuesday, the aptly-named "6th Street Burger." A note for vegetarians (if you bothered reading past the headline of this article): 6th Street offers a Gardenburger for the same price, a refreshing change from the perplexing up-charge "penalty" many establishments impose for this switch.

The 6th Street Burger is actually multiple burgers in one, starting with an impressive toppings list that can be scaled back one item at a time. With the works, you'll get bacon, grilled onions and mushrooms, cheddar, swiss and guacamole, as well as lettuce, tomato and mayo. This comes with a side of fries and a choice of any beer on the menu. 6th Street has about 18 beers on tap, with another 16 in bottles. Aside from an exceptionally hard strip of bacon, the burger was good, with some truly tasty guacamole giving it a Tex-mex flare. All in all, you can't go wrong paying six bucks for a spread like this.

Nice Shell

At Turtle's on 28th and Willamette, ambiance rules. Though the vaguely Southwestern décor is light and open, with the tables relatively close together, the place seems to glow with warmth. A beautiful, Koa wood bar dominates the back of the restaurant and is curved to aid conversation, adding to the intimate atmosphere. In a place like this, everything tastes better, even a no-frills cheeseburger. For $7 on a Monday night, that's exactly what you get — along with some shoestring fries and a beer, of course. The burger is a behemoth on a sesame seed bun, lettuce, tomato, pickles on the side, all in a foil-lined basket. Very retro-American. The meat wasn't as seasoned as I would have liked, but some would argue it's better to leave salting to the customer anyway.

For the discriminating faux burger devotee, the Boca makes a welcome appearance alongside the familiar Gardenburger on Turtle's menu. But just when you thought it was safe to swap out, get ready to make a 50 cent offering to the offended beef gods. No matter, though: Even if you're in it just for the brew side of the equation, $2 pints all day long on Mondays should put it all in perspective. The Turtle's menu doesn't end at burgers, of course, and that wonderful ambiance is poised to get even better in the near future. I spoke with owner Kate Bonéy briefly about her plans to expand the restaurant.

"There used to be a frame shop next door," she said. "We'll be renovating that, along with our kitchen. We hope to have it done by the end of October." Bonéy says she envisions a piano bar in that space with live music every night of the week and a reprieve from the under-age crowd. But she is also careful to explain, "I'm not going for a hoity-toity kind of place, I'm going for what I think the neighborhood wants." Judging by Bonéy's continued success and the turnout when I visited, it's clear the neighborhood wants more of whatever Turtle's has to offer.

 

Chasing the "Cornucoma"

Burger, brew & fries from Cornucopia

For a serious burger experience, head over to the Cornucopia Bottle Market at 17th and Lincoln on Monday night, where for $8.50 you can put together the special from a selection of award-winning burgers and a hefty list of micro-brews. The ambiance here is very casual, almost café. The cozy, open-air patio out back is a great for a relaxed, summer-dining experience.

"This all evolved out of a dusty little store," said Verna Ivy, who has been serving up the burgers, brews and everything in between for about three of the restaurant's four years in existence. Relics of the old business remain as market display cases, housing various sandwiches, bottled soft drinks, bakery items and an impressive collection of bottled beers. It's all about the menu though: expansive, unpretentious and offering three meals a day, seven days a week.

The burger list should satisfy every palate. Of course, for the vegetarians, or for those who just don't dig on cow, a chicken breast or Gardenburger (called "vurgers" here) can be substituted for no extra charge. Personally, I opted for the Jero's bacon cheese burger with pepper jack cheese, as per Verna's high recommendation. I wasn't disappointed.

The patty was literally draped over the full-size bun, and further weighted down by two perfectly-cooked bacon strips and nice, crisp lettuce and tomato. The fries were a little insipid, though a dousing of salt and pepper were enough to give them some life. The thing that will stick with me, though, is that my food was served hot, wonderfully, mercifully, hot! If that's a regular occurrence, it's reason enough to go back.

As for the brew, I chose the house beer from Hawk's Brewery, called Frog's Wort. It's hoppy like an I.P.A., but with a good balancing of sweetness from some thickening malts — a great burger brew. Otherwise, there's the always changing selection of 10 micro brews on tap and a plethora of bottled varieties. They also have a decent wine selection. Cheers to the Cornucopia for an excellent burger and brew experience.

 

 

 

Good Grapes
Wines for the days of summer.
BY LANCE SPARKS

Know why foods cooked and/or eaten outdoors taste better? Me neither. But facts is facts, right? Sometimes the simple truth just slaps us upside the head and we adapt or get out of the gene pool.

On the whole, Oregonians are no thicker than most folks, and when Momma Nature gives us sensuous summer days and nights, we rush out of our cribs and suck up sweet air, tuck into grub in the form of picnics and barbecues … and life is good.

Lately, more Oregonians are becoming so food conscious (I blame TV) they're looking to take their alfresco noshing up a notch or two, beyond bland potato salad and burnt hotdogs. That's a good thing. Some are also ready to abandon sugar-bomb soft drinks and flavorless beer for the complex pleasures of wines. That's a very good thing.

But which wines will match with foods for 'nics or 'Q? Glad you asked.

Start with the food. Think white wines for cold meats, cheeses, poultry, some salads. Rosés are right for meatier menus in sultry times. Save big reds for 'Q in the cool of the evening when grilling some lamb loin on the barbie. Want specifics? Got 'em:

Outdoor Whites

Rieslings offer many virtues — flavors, price and a variety of styles, from sweeter Germans to drier Alsatians. Both deliver lovely flavors like ripe pears and peaches, plus these stony-mineral notes, with good acidity for the creamy-cheesy foods and lower alcohol than most wines (stellar virtue if the picnic involves driving). And they're usually vastly under-priced for the quality. Work the shelves with your local wine pro (ask about Austrian bottlings). Among the Germans (daunting labels, nein?), I trust two names — Prüm and Dr. Loosen — and rarely lose.

These wines tend to be a little sweeter, but this is not Mad Dog/T-Bird schlock-sweet; it's crisp, fresh and refreshing. Alsatian-style Rieslings tend to be drier and more floral in the fruit; reliable (and widely available) names include Trimbach and Zind-Humbrecht. Oregon winemakers produce some lovely Rieslings; locally, find LaVelle or Secret House. Fine outtatown producers include Amity and a yummy dry-style from Chehalem.

Gewurztraminer (G-VERTZ-tra-meener) has all the qualities and charms of Riesling, but with some tropical fruit flavors and spicy notes that just tingle with, for instance, cold Asian salads. And as with Rieslings, many makers work the grape for sweetness while keeping alcohol fairly low; other makers take the dry Alsatian road, letting fruit sub for sugars. Oregon scores here with Amity, Evesham Wood and Henry Estate (Umpqua Valley).

Pinot blanc can be a lovely, versatile dry white on a picnic. Tends to be rounder and softer than Chardonnay and cuddles up to a wide variety of foods. Among the best of Oregon's, find Chehalem, Bethel Heights, Amity. For other origins, tug the shirttails of a wine steward; choices abound.

Viognier (Vee-o-NYAY) is such a pretty wine, originally from the Rhone Valley where folks take picnics very seriously. Style is dry and zesty, flavors ranging from pears to lychee. Can get spendy, but good value can be found under the Australian Yalumba "Y" series, tasty and topped with a screwcap. Oregon's best (so far) might be Griffin Creek Rogue Valley.

Getting Pink

Rosés have made a huge comeback recently and they're close to perfect wines for either picnics or 'Q. Good rosé can profile more flavor (raspberries, strawberries, cherries) than most whites, without getting too heavy. They are also served cool (NOT freezing cold; this goes for all white wines, too). The French are most experienced with this style, Spain's good, California's Bonny Doon is delish. Oregon's best would include Cameron and Territorial. If you must drink "blush," white zinfandel, then, OK, whatever.

Rich Reds for 'Q

Big reds — cabernets, merlots, zins — don't travel well and can overwhelm light foods. In hot weather, they can also tweak your noggin. But for grilling in the gloaming, Pinot noir can be fabulous even when cooled down and served with a wide spectrum of foods, including most vegetarian fare. And while good pinots from many places are available, stay with Oregon; we've had a string of strong vintages and the store shelves are sagging with super wines at great prices, so many good values we can't begin to list labels. Obey your budget. Experiment.

Lastly, burger wines: There are no burger wines. Okay, maybe some monster cabernet franc from Argentina, or the biggest, rowdiest California zinfandel you can find. This is madness and we don't condone it. Grill on.

 

 

 

GOOD FOOD FAST
As You Wish Espresso Bar and Eatery
BY SARA BRICKNER

In Eugene, drive-through coffee stands are as plentiful as casinos in Las Vegas, with the same general rule: If you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. From a distance, As You Wish Espresso Bar and Eatery, located at 2145 West 7th Street, looks just like any other coffee kiosk in town.

Michael Hodgins & Crystal Havener-Hodgins

But with their recent joint venture, owners Crystal Havener-Hodgins and Michael Hodgins have proved that a coffee stand doesn't have to be limited to three-day-old pastries and espresso. While As You Wish does serve coffee and Metropol Bakery pastries, the stand also serves full, fresh meals made while you wait. And it's not your average fast food; Hodgins and Havener-Hodgins are dedicated to using local, primarily organic ingredients and meat that is exclusively antibiotic and hormone free.

"[It] just feels really good because that's nothing less than what we would eat at home," Havener-Hodgins said. "We wouldn't serve something that we wouldn't want to eat ourselves." The idea, Hodgins says, is to make healthy, home-cooked food that's as good as Grandma would make but comes from a to-go stand.

In selecting their menu, the pair tried to keep it simple, but diverse enough to satisfy vegans and beef lovers alike. The dishes include delicacies and all-American favorites. Breakfast items include Belgian waffles with a choice of two toppings, breakfast sandwiches and biscuits and gravy. For lunch, customers can choose from burgers (made from beef, salmon or falafel), ciabatta sandwiches, salads, daily pasta dishes and homemade soup. And the local, organic Café Mam coffee they serve is as fresh and high-caliber as their entrees.

So far, the public seems to be responding to the couples' innovation, and Hodgins and Havener-Hodgins say the customers keep coming back. One customer, Hodgins says, even comes and purchases three entrees at a time to take home. The couple is so encouraged that after only two months of being in business, another espresso stand is already in the works, and the original As You Wish will soon be open for dinner.

"I think what people have really responded to is that it's a drive-through place that has healthier fare," Hodgins said. Hodgins, whose culinary experience includes cooking in large hotels in Anchorage, Alaska, impressed Crystal Havener-Hodgins on their first date by making her salmon burgers and mochas — to go. So when Hodgins realized that a career change was in order, the couple decided to open a restaurant and follow their collective passion.

"Now here we are, serving salmon burgers and mochas," Havener-Hodgins said.