Eugene is all about the food…

I had originally thought to spend only one night in the Timbers Motel in Eugene, OR, but ended up booking a second night so I could spend an entire day catching up on work on my laptop.  I’d like to say the downtime was relaxing and the indulgence of a motel room was like a mini-vacation, but in actuality, this felt more like work than my 5am to 8pm days.  The upside was that when it was time for meals, I went for a walk and checked out some of the most recommended places in Eugene.

I could barely utter or type the name Eugene in Oregon without someone or a web site bringing up Voodoo Doughnut.  And this wasn’t just a vegan thing, Voodoo has both vegan and omnivore donuts and are adored by fans of both.  On my way to pick up lunch, I walked by Voodoo and picked out two donuts for desert later in the day.

(Image from Voodoo Doughnuts web site)

For my actual lunch I hit the renowned vegan food truck “Viva! Vegetarian Grill

Organic Soy Chai Tea, Vegan Philly Cheesesteak, Chili Cheese Fries and Cashew-based Ginger Soft Serve.  I don’t think I’ve eaten so much at one time in years.  I had an early lunch and donuts for dinner.  I couldn’t have eaten more that day if I wanted to.  Delicious and not at all good for you.  I had to go for another walk to lessen my guilt over the abuse I’d just done to my body. hah

The rest of my day was filled with work, which I kept at until 11 pm.  In the morning I worked for another hour and then checked out.

When I had arrived, I’d stashed my food in the mini fridge, making sure that it felt cool and that it was plugged in.  I hadn’t eaten in at all during my stay.  So, the fact that the fridge wasn’t actually on escaped my notice until I opened the fridge the evening before to get a water and was assaulted by the smell of bad food.  I’d never been in a motel/hotel where the fridge needed to actually be turned on via a switch/knob inside, so I assumed it was broken.  Nope, just not turned on.  Lesson learned, but I still feel the motel should have some sign, even a small one on the side of the fridge telling people to turn it on.  I  polled some friends and its about 50-50 those who are familiar with the trend of switching fridges off and those who just think to make sure its plugged in.  I also wish the front desk could’ve done a little more to mask the fact they thought I was an idiot.  Ah, well.

After checked out, I headed to Morning Glory Restaurant for some vegan lunch. Closed for the day for an employee party.  I then tried Cornbread Cafe.  Didn’t open until 11.  Third choice won because they were open.

Keystone Cafe is a little place with a lot of character.  They have the regular fair of eggs and pancakes, but also a separate menu selection with options like tofu scrambles, soft tacos and polenta.  I went with the vegan biscuits and mushroom gravy because it was the most recommended, by vegans and non-vegans alike.  They were the best thing I’d ever ingested, hands down.  They had only half a cup of coffee left in the pot and though I felt like I might have to tackle the waitress to the ground and pin her there to get her attention for more than a millisecond, but I didn’t much care, because OMG those biscuits!

After that I hit the road, heading for Crater Lake National Park and places where my focus could be on photography rather than my laptop and food. 😉

 

 

 

 


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