INSIDE?
Special
Special
Special
Letter from the Editor
With winter weather taking Eugene by storm, what better way to beat the cold than by grabbing some friends and experiencing some of the local eats the city has to offer.
For a delicious fusion of flavors, check out Cafe Soriah. For a much needed sweet treat after dinner, Sweet Life has your covered with pastries and sweets galore. Feeling like a cozy night in? We’ve got you covered with a delicious feast to prepare with family and friends. As winter term continues, I hope you take some time to enjoy the little thingslike a delicious meal with good company.
Check out some of our recommendations and maybe try a few of your own this winter season!
Bailey Meyers
Special Sections Editor
Cover
Ellie
Lead
Student
Student
Account
the Oregon Daily Emerald; the new organization was founded in 1900.
DINE IN PARKING LOT
Written by Ellie Johnson • Designed by Bella Lyon • Photos by Rachel Kesich
In downtown Eugene, on the corner of West 8th St. and Olive St., you can smell delicious scents wafting throughout this city block. Right next to the Eugene Saturday Market you’ll find nine food trucks. Each one of them has someone passionate about their cuisine working inside. As you walk through the metal vehicles you’re met with colorful exteriors—each with its unique decor to match the diverse menus of these vans.
It’s easy to tell that the regulars love this spot. One customer of Dope Tacos that I talked to said, “This is my new favorite sauce,” when I asked her how her meal was. She also happily told the tender that she’d “be back soon.” A regular customer in line at All Thai’d Up said that she comes here all the time during her lunch breaks, and the staff always remembers her order.
Even during the cold winter days, these food trucks still create a happy, vibrant atmosphere. The picnic tables set up in the parking lot that the trucks sit in make this location the perfect lunch spot. It’s a nice place for people to sit and enjoy their meal. If you’re solo it’s fast and easy to grab food. If you’re with a group you can sit and chat for a while. There’s also plenty of options so it’s easy to find something for everyone.
I’ve had the opportunity to try food from a few of these trucks. All Thai’d Up has my favorite pad thai in Eugene. The Asada tacos from Dope Taco have the perfect mix of classic taco with a crispy cheese crust twist. Cafe Agora has plenty of options if you want greek food; I choose one of their chicken wraps.
I still find myself wanting to go back to try more from this lineup of food trucks. Bing King, The Tie Dyed Chef, La Freska, Ta Ni Yeay Ni Kitchen and La Palmerita Hondureña are the other lunch spots I’m looking forward to enjoying when I get the chance to go back. Whatever you’re in the mood for it’s probably sitting on this corner of Eugene.
Designed and
Written by Georgia Tucker
Illustrated
by Abigail Raike
As we approach Valentine’s Day, you may be wondering what your plans are. Sometimes it can be hectic going out on a holiday, especially with all the crowds of people and long waiting times. I’m here to help you skip the line and dine at home! I have the perfect dinner and dessert combo for you. One of my favorite stay-at-home dinner and dessert combos is homemade heart shaped pizza and chocolate chip cookies. These are both quick and easy recipes that are so much fun to make.
The Pizza
Pizza basics:
1 jar of pizza sauce
1 pack of mini mozzarella balls
1 pack of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pack of roll-out pizza dough from Trader Joes
Topping options:
Pepperoni
Salami
Bacon
Italian sausage
Olives
Bell peppers
Pineapple
Let’s Bake!
Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle flour on a clean, flat surface, this is where you will roll out your dough. Then, split your dough into two halves, this will be enough for two pizzas. Begin to roll out your first half, it should be about a half-inch thick. After you have rolled out your dough, start shaping your dough into a heart. Twist the edges inward to make your crust. Once you have gotten the shape that you like, transfer the dough to your baking sheet. Repeat these steps with the other half of the dough.
Next, start adding your pizza sauce to the center of the dough, evenly spreading it out in an even layer. I like lots of sauce, but you can add to your preference. After you are done spreading the sauce, now it’s time to add the cheese. I usually start by adding a layer of shredded mozzarella and then I add a few mini mozzarella balls on top. After you have spread your cheese, start adding your toppings. I’ve provided you with a list of my personal favorite toppings to give you a little inspiration. Feel free to add whatever topping you like.
By now your oven should be preheated and ready to go. Place your baking sheet on the center rack of your oven. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until it is golden brown around the bottom and edges. Once your pizzas are done, let them cool for 5-10 minutes and enjoy!
The Cookies
With every nice dinner comes a delicious sweet treat. Don’t fret, I’ve got you covered! Here is my favorite homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe that has the perfect amount of sweetness.
Cookie basics:
1 cup of butter softened (2 sticks)
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 ¼ cups flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips (1 bag)
Let’s Bake!
Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, whisk your flour, salt and baking soda together. Set the bowl aside. In a large bowl, mix together your butter, sugar and brown sugar. Once it is completely combined, add your vanilla and egg. Then start combining your dry ingredients into the bowl, a little at a time. Once everything is mixed together, you can now add in your chocolate chips.
Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This will keep the dough from sticking to the pan. Start rolling your dough into one-inch-sized balls and place them on your pan. You should end up with 6-8 on your pan, 2 inches apart. Place your baking sheet on the center rack and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Once your cookies are done, let them cool for 5 minutes and they should be ready to enjoy!
“Nosferatu” (2024) is, in all likelihood, a soon-to-be classic horror film, but have you ever considered its merit as a rom-com? I mean come on, it’s got your classic rom-com love triangle, with two polar opposite men competing for a “hysterical” woman.
I would be lying if I said I loved the film’s inclusion of a nice romantic picnic full of bloody food and drink because it doesn’t. So, my job is to bring out the rom, the com and the fun and guts hidden between the lines of this terrifying film.
In this demonic love triangle Count Orlok, of course, is the more practical first love, with his age, wealth, power, unconventional, and quite probably unethical means of seduction. Thomas, on the other hand, is the boy we all root for. He’s a baby-faced up-and-comer who’s just trying to make it big in the real estate game so he can give his goddess wife the life she deserves.
To him it’s all for true love, but will that be enough when Count Orlock tries to rekindle his and Ellen’s old flame?
It’s a demonic love story, told from the perspective of the bystanders and it has plenty of horrifying scenes that could be construed as steamy romance if you really wanted to, but that would be sick and twisted, and, besides, the horror is probably the point.
It’s the perfect movie for Valentine’s Day, but it is Valentine’s Day not Valentine’s Two Hours and Twelve Minutes, so, what else can you do to have the perfect Nosferatu-themed Valentine’s Day? How about a nice vampiric picnic lunch followed by watching “Nosferatu” (2024)?
Though the film has exemplary period costuming, it may be hard to match their swag with what you have in your closet, so put on your best “vampire-y” outfit with plenty of ruffles, lace, black, white and blood red. The film also added fur coats and mustaches to the menu for vampires, keeping in line with how reallife undead 16th-century Transylvanian nobility would have dressed. To
withstand the February chill, a fur coat would be recommended for this outing.
Now that you’re dressed there is the question of where to have the picnic. The film opens with a sneaky midnight romance, as Ellen calls for her loverboy, Count Orlock, in the middle of the night, and he shows up for her as things get steamy in the front yard. What does this remind you of? A picnic lunch in the Pioneer Graveyard of course!
As for food, this vampire picnic calls for blood. But, if you’re like me and have a hard time getting a hold of fresh blood these days, red wine and bloody marys will do the trick. Provisions Fifth St. market has an under $15 wine bin full of good wine. If you make bloody marys, be sure to get good decent vodka; there is a difference, and you cannot cover it up.
For those who prefer more than a liquid lunch, a charcuterie basket made up of tinned fish, your choice of jelly or jams, cheese, a whole rotisserie and some crackers or bread is a good and thematic option.
The jelly/jam represents the blood Nosferatu sucks and pair nicely with crackers and cheese; the fish and cheese are included because of the 19thcentury’s lack of bathing; the chicken is symbolic of that little scene with the pigeon; and the crackers or bread are yummy.
I would recommend going to a more upscale store for most of these items, like Market of Choice, Capella Market or Provisions. I would especially recommend higher quality for the fish and cheese, as those can have the most discrepancies in quality and selection. The jelly and crackers/bread are up to your own discretion, though nobody ever went wrong with a good baguette. And the chicken, of course, should come from Costco.
If you have this picnic exactly as I have laid out on Valentine’s Day, you and your partner will be with each other evereternally. And, you’ll probably have a pretty good meal too.
Coffee and Community and Books, Oh My!
Written by Annie Bostwick • Designed by Gabriela Martinez • Photos by Alyssa Garcia
In October 2024, Bailey Prusz opened Daffodil Romantasy Books and Gifts in a suite neighboring O’My Mini Donuts, her family’s donut and beignet shop. Nearly three months after its debut, the romantasy bookstore has become a space for readers to share their passion for the genre. Daffodil Romantasy – named after Prusz’s great grandma – offers customers a selection of romance and fantasy novels, bookish-themed gifts from local artists and, of course, coffee.
With donuts and beignets next door, Prusz reasoned that it only made sense to have a coffee shop as well. “It all just goes together very well,” said Prusz.
Eugene has a variety of independent bookstores in town, but Daffodil Romantasy aimed to be more than just a store. By zeroing in on the genres of romance and fantasy, Prusz was motivated to create “a third space outside of work and home” for enjoyers of the genres to share their love for books.
Romantasy blends aspects of both the romance and fantasy genres. Spines of
books with the names of female authors like Leigh Bardugo, Victoria Aveyard and Holly Black cover the shelves in Daffodil Romantasy.
Readers can find champions of the genre or discover their next read. They can also come with a book they already own, buy a coffee and sit down in the store to read. “It’s such a beautiful community,” said Prusz. “It’s almost like a big family, and I think that it deserves to be taken seriously.”
Wooden tables and chairs throughout the store give visitors a chance to do more than just shop for their next read. “The goal was just to have a place that people could come and spend their time in,” Prusz said. “It’s more than I could have ever imagined.” Red-shaded lamps and handmade book-page decorations dangling from the ceiling give the shop even more of a romantasy feel.
Prusz’s curation of books in Daffodil Romantasy reflect the store’s goal of creating a place where the genre and its readers can be respected. “If you were
to pull pretty much any book off these shelves, there’s gonna be a strong female lead in almost every one of them,” Prusz said. “In a lot of genres, that’s hard to find.”
The romantasy genre is primarily made up by female authors, but, according to Prusz, has often been discredited as being just something women read. “Everyone loves a good book,” she said, “and there’s a lot of really important themes in these books that get overlooked.”
Many of the books in Prusz’s store feature intricate world-building, plots and complex characters. Authors in the genre frequently explore issues that reflect the world we live in today.
Daffodil Romantasy also hosts a variety of after-hours book events. Previous events included a pajama reading party, painting scenes from favorite books and making mini-versions of books. The store also hosts a weekly book club that attendees can sign up for through the shop’s website.
LOVE at first bite
Written by Sylvia Davidow
Designed and Illustrated by Dew Mirihana
Valentine’s Day is the signature holiday for love. What better way to celebrate your love for others or yourself than indulging in a sweet treat? For decades, humans have used sweets as a popular way to express their love. According to the Sugar Association, Richard Cadbury, the creator of Cadbury cream eggs, was a major contributor in coining chocolate as an iconic symbol for Valentine’s Day. Cadbury originated the timeless heartshaped box of chocolates in 1861, decorating each box by hand.
In this day and age, anyone can go to a grocery store to buy run-of-the-mill corporate love candy. But expressing love can be shown in more sentimental ways like supporting local bakeries.
Sweet Life Patisserie happens to be the perfect Eugene destination for delightful desserts.
Created by sisters Catherine and Cheryl Reinhart, Sweet Life Patisserie offers an array of sweet treats that are inspired by traditional French and American recipes. From decadent multi-layered cakes to flavorful
bars, cupcakes and cookies, it’s truly “the sweet life” at this beloved local bakery. All desserts are made with local and sustainably sourced ingredients, providing a variety of gluten-free, dairyfree and vegan options so anyone can enjoy a sweet treat.
“ The way to one’s heart is through their stomach.
In 1999, the Reinhart sisters opened their first Sweet Life Patisserie location on Monroe Street, a huge milestone after making desserts out of a garage. After a few years of making every cake to their heart’s desire, they needed to upgrade their space, so they moved to their main location on 755 Monroe St. This bakery offers a wide variety of pies, cakes, tarts and tons of other baked treats. In 2016, Sweet Life expanded to their other location, a “Petite” bakery nestled in a pocket of food spots near campus, on East 19th Ave. This location offers university-goers the chance to experience some of Eugene’s finest local desserts.
When it comes to the holiday of love, specific desserts are made for the occasion. Sweet Life Patisserie offers homemade bite-sized Petit Four sweets that are artistic on the outside and delicious on the inside. A classic option would be their Chocolate Salted Caramel ($3.10) which satisfies the boxed-chocolate fix. The Peanut Butter Butterscotch ($3.10) is a unique spin with a white chocolate shell and unforgettable flavor combination at the first bite.
A Sweet Life staple dessert, one that is fitting for the season of love is the Red Velvet Whoopie Pie ($5.00). This spongy red cake sandwich is layered with cream cheese frosting and has just the right amount of sweetness for all red velvet lovers. The bakery also offers a variety of French desserts such as airy Cream Puffs filled with a cloud-like custard ($5.50) and a traditional Créme Brûlée made with organic vanilla beans ($4.75).
Some say, “The way to one’s heart is through their stomach” and you can’t go wrong with expressing your love through hand-crafted desserts.
The Soul of Cafe Soriah
Written by Ellie Johnson • Designed by Gabriela Martinez • Photos by Arianna Rinaldi
Freshly arrived in Eugene with no job and a world of uncertainty, Ignacio Montiel Serrano found himself wandering the streets in search of opportunity. That’s when he stumbled across Cafe Soriah. He noticed an older gentleman who was hard at work managing every aspect of the restaurant. That tenacious spirit was owner and chef, Ib Hamide. “For me, it was a big surprise—like, the old guy is still working, you know!” Montiel recalled with a laugh. Montiel felt compelled by the owner’s unwavering dedication to creating a welcoming community space where people could gather over delicious food. At that moment, he knew Cafe Soriah was the right place for him. Soon after, he sent in his resume and impatiently waited to begin working as a chef.
Montiel brings over two decades of culinary experience and a deep connection to his Mexican heritage to Cafe Soriah. His first love is baking. This passion came to him early in life when he was young and living in Puebla, Mexico. “When I came to America, I wanted to work in a bakery,” he said. “I just haven’t found the opportunity yet.” For now, he enjoys this passion at home.
After 20 years of restaurant experience in New York City, he traded the busy metropolitan life for a fresh start in Eugene, OR. He’s not only found a new home but also a culinary playground, where his innovative specials bring fresh flavors to the Mediterranean-inspired menu.
Leaving the bustling streets of New York City wasn’t an easy decision for Montiel, especially after being dedicated to the same Brooklyn restaurant for 10 years. But his wife’s desire to leave the chaotic city and return to her quaint home of Eugene took priority, he said. The move to Eugene was an opportunity to embrace a new chapter of his career, where he could explore new flavors and creative possibilities.
At Cafe Soriah, Montiel enjoys full creative freedom, crafting weekly specials that have quickly become favorites among diners. Montiel has extensive culinary knowledge and experience across a variety of cooking styles. In his previous restaurant experiences, he worked primarily with French, Italian and Mexican cuisines. While the Mediterranean focus of Cafe Soriah is new to him, his strong culinary instincts allow him to play around and be adventurous. In fact, he rarely follows a
“All of my ideas for specials are in my head. That’s it. I come in and think, ‘I want to try this,’ then I just do it,” he said.
He boasted that sometimes his specials are ordered more than regular menu items. A recent popular special has been his salmon cakes doused in lemon aioli and topped with pickled radishes and crispy chickpeas. As the weather gets colder, he looks forward to making more comforting dishes, such as braised beef and soups.
Though the menu leans Mediterranean, Montiel enjoys integrating his Mexican heritage into his dishes. “I want to introduce more Mexican-style cuisine to the menu,” he said. “Maybe some carne asada tacos or a tostada.” The similarity between Mexican and Mediterranean ingredients, such as beans and flavorful sauces, offers him room to experiment.
Montiel and Cafe Soriah are in it for the long haul. Every day of work is thrilling for him as he gets to explore his culinary boundaries. He thanked the owner, Ib Hamide, for giving him the space to do this. “He’s like a grandpa to me,” he said, reflecting on his admiration for the
For those wishing to indulge in Montiel’s creations, Cafe Soriah is located at 384 W 13th Ave. They are open Tuesday through Saturday, with hours from 5 to 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and from 5 to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Visit soriah.com to explore their menus and reserve a table for a memorable dining experience.
