Restaurants

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Cold and Rainy Eugene Morning

I awoke to dampness. I haven’t been able to run the dehumidifier in forever and look forward to entering a drier climate in the next week or so.

It was a nice day yesterday, being in such a great spot (I will be sharing pictures of it!). I spent a few hours at Starbucks in the morning, went home to work on some projects, and then treated myself to lunch at Chile’s. I discovered this restaurant chain back in Regina in ’08 and have never had a bad meal the few times I’ve been able to eat at one. I made a note in my private journal from back then at that the $25, including tax and tip, that I spent on the ‘Margarita chicken with a bottomless glass of strawberry lemonade was some of the best money I’d spent recently at a restaurant.’ So, I decided to see if that meal was still available. It was and the review still held, but not the price. It was only $15 for that meal here!

I was due for a Walmart run, so I went out in the afternoon to run errands, then I came home and crashed with embroidery and movies (and cats).

I really didn’t watch my battery usage last night, running an LED light for hours, charging the laptop, and plugging in the electric blanket for several hours. I went to sleep with the battery voltage around 11.8 and woke up to it being 12.3, not bad considering that I was up almost two hours earlier than yesterday in much greyer and wetter weather!

I’ll be rolling out of Eugene sometime around noon. I flagged down a security car on the way to the Starbucks this morning and caught the same guy as the night I pulled in. I let him know that I am leaving today and made sure that it’s okay to hang out for a part of the day.

Miranda’s due for an oil change, so I’d like to have that done today but none of my leads can fit me in, so I may have to wait a bit longer. I’m getting antsy to have this done, but we’re not at the critical stage yet.

So, I’m off to the Oregon coast for a few days! I have no idea what internet access will be like there, but there is a Starbucks in Florence. At $1.50 for a coffee, it’s a reasonable temporary solution for getting online.

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Sushi Station, Eugene

Tonight, my hosts, Joan, and I went for dinner at Sushi Station on 5th. This is a revolving sushi place where you can sit at a bar in front of a conveyor belt and sushi comes by you on small plates. The plates are different colours, which represent the price. Half the fun is not knowing what you’re grabbing! We also ordered two à la carte items, in my case the Hawaiian roll which had tuna, salmon, mango, and masago. I also had some really good eel rolls (first time I’ve enjoyed eel), spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, salmon sashimi, and a host of other tasty unidentified morsels. Yu-um.

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Salem, Oregon

Today, I drove to Salem, capital of Oregon, to visit with Joan. She had an afternoon all planned out for us and I was happy to let a native guide take the lead!

First stop was a yummy lunch at Adam’s Rib Smokehouse. I had a BBQ pulled chicken sandwich with a side of hush puppies. The meat was very flavourful, with a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, and the bun was particularly tasty. Very nice sandwich, if not too healthy! I haven’t had hush puppies since I first discovered them in 2008 during my adventures south of the Mason-Dixon line so they were a real treat!

Next, Joan took me to a museum she’d always wanted to go to, the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village and Children’s Museum. A.C. Gilbert is the fellow who invented the Erector Set. This is the kind of place a grown up can’t really go alone without feeling silly. But as a pair? I haven’t played like that in a very long time! I even got on a swing. Joan and I just laughed and laughed and laughed. Such fun!

After the museum, she took me to the Salem Carousel. This beautiful carousel features hand carved horses, each with its own name and unique personality. I can’t remember the last time I was on a carousel. At $1.50 each for a ride, it’s an affordable outing.

Finally, we headed to the Sweet Papaya for dessert/a snack. This is a self-serve frozen yoghurt joint where you pay by the weight of your confection. You can mix together as many flavours of yoghurt as you want, then add candies, fresh fruit, sauces, mini cakes, and more. Yu-um.

Awesome day, Joan. Thank you!!!

state capitol

state capitol

state capitol

state capitol

Adam's Rib

Adam’s Rib

A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village

A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village

A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village

A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village

looking out over the gaming and music area; each table had a popular game like chess and snakes & ladders

looking out over the gaming and music area; each table had a popular game like chess and snakes & ladders

staircase and stained glass

staircase and stained glass

ahoy matey!

ahoy matey!

fun with shadows

fun with shadows

China exhibit

China exhibit

bridge over a 'river'

bridge over a ‘river’

wasp nest

wasp nest

wasp nest

wasp nest

Joan by the BIG chair

Joan by the BIG chair

Willamet River

Willamet River

Joan on a BIG chair!

Joan on a BIG chair!

the bubble master!

the bubble master!

creating a giant bubble

creating a giant bubble

giant bubble

giant bubble

entrance to a display looks like we're going behind a waterfall

entrance to a display looks like we’re going behind a waterfall

beautiful staircase

beautiful staircase

Joan got a kick out of the cow and insisted on a photo of me 'milking' it!

Joan got a kick out of the cow and insisted on a photo of me ‘milking’ it!

gorgeous stained glass

gorgeous stained glass

the chess set from The Chamber of Secrets?

the chess set from The Chamber of Secrets?

mammoth dig

mammoth dig

one of several giant xylophones

one of several giant xylophones

A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village

A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village

inside the Erector maze

inside the Erector maze

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Atomic energy lab set!

Atomic energy lab set!

magic trick set

magic trick set

Erector sets

Erector sets

the Erector maze

the Erector maze

Doing my best Dr. Horrible impression

Doing my best Dr. Horrible impression

A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village

A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village

Willamet River

Willamet River

the Salem carousel

the Salem carousel

the Salem carousel

the Salem carousel

I picked this horse because of the kitty!

I picked this horse because of the kitty!

each carousel horse had a name; this was mine

each carousel horse had a name; this was mine

Sweet Papaya self-serve frozen yoghurt

Sweet Papaya self-serve frozen yoghurt

3 kinds of yoghurt (pina colada, cheese cake, mango) with peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, brownie pieces, Oreo crumbs, pineapple, papaya, and some tasty little strawberry bubble things

3 kinds of yoghurt (pina colada, cheese cake, mango) with peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, brownie pieces, Oreo crumbs, pineapple, papaya, and some tasty little strawberry bubble things

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Fisherman’s Market, Eugene

Joan took me out for dinner tonight. She was in the mood for fish, so she took me to the Fisherman’s Market, a working fish store that also serves meals.

I had the cod and chips. The cod was exceptionally good; one of the best fried fish meals I’ve ever had. I rarely eat more than 5% of fish & chip batter and I ate all of it tonight! The batter was crisp, non-greasy, and did not have that icky taste of old oil. The chips were what I call ‘waffle-types’ and very good, with the skin on them. The meal came with a creamy honey-poppy seed coleslaw that was disappointingly bland. I also had the choice of two tartar dipping sauces, but I don’t like mayo so I asked for lemon and was given a several slices of the fruit instead.

This restaurant is yet another case of being grateful for a local guide. Thanks for dinner, Joan!

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Drum Rong Thai Street Food, Eugene

My hosts made a point to show me a Thai food vendor at the busy intersection of 6th and Blair. Housed in a brightly painted trailer, they serve up a varied menu for the fixed price of $6.50.

I haven’t had pad thai since Skagway and didn’t realise how much I was craving it until I had the noodles sitting in front of me at home! Pad thai was a comfort food for me for the better part of a decade. There were two Ottawa restaurants I’d hit, depending on the neighbourhood I was in, and also a summer street vendor at an outdoor market near where I worked in Gatineau. It’s not a food for which I have any sort of educated opinion; I just know what I like. It can’t be too eggy or fishy, and ketchupy (ew, thai restaurant off of Jarvis in Toronto!) is out of the question. I want nice gummy noodles that make me go “YUM!”

And that’s what Drum Rong Thai Street Food in Eugene serves up. I had a most satisfactory mild tofu pad thai with hints of basil and lemon, and a savoury homemade tamarind sauce. If I lived here, I’d be eating there two or three times a week.