OnTrak Spring 2018

IT WASN’T UNTIL I was about halfway
through a plate of roasted garlic, bell
peppers and bone marrow, with a ridiculously
good old fashioned on the side,
that I started to lose my marbles.
I was in Eugene, in the Whit, in what
used to be Tiny’s Tavern. And I was having
one of the best meals of my life. My
mind was blown.
Welcome to the new Eugene, which, over the
past few years, has started to feel a little more
grown up.
Yes, you can still close down Max’s with a 2
a.m. blast of Journey or shoot Jell-O shots with
co-eds at Taylor’s, but Track Town, USA has become
a lot more fun for adults with its booming
foodie scene and emerging craft brew industry.
First, book a room at the Hilton’s new Home2
Suites in downtown Eugene. Not only is it the
perfect location between downtown, campus
and the Whiteaker neighborhood, it also offers
commuter bikes to its guests. Even better,
if you’ve ridden Amtrak Cascades into town,
Home2 Suites is just a ten-minute walk almost
south from the Eugene train station.
With home base in the heart of the city, you’re
free to explore in every direction. If you’re visiting
on the weekend, head to the Falling Sky Delicatessen
for a brunch that seems to have fallen
from the heavens. While it is first and foremost
a brewery, Falling Sky brines, cures and smokes
all its own meats. So yes, you should order the
corned beef or pastrami hash.
Another spot to start the day is the Jazzy Ladies
Café & Coffeehouse. I dove head first into
the chicken-fried steak, which was western Kansas
fried-chicken good. Everything is made from
scratch in this intimate, 20-seat space on Eighth
and West Park, near Eugene’s famous Saturday
Market. If you’re looking a more
coffee-centric experience, make your way
ontrakmag.com SPRING 2018 | 35