Alexander's, Heaven on Campus

The UO campus has a lot of food carts, in addition to the restaurants. Cart De Frisco consistantly wins best food cart when Eugene Weekly does their best of Eugene issue. But in second, and my vote everytime, is Alexander's Great Falafel.

Everything sold there is Vegan, not a single animal-related product in sight. And the prices are wonderful, 6.50 for the deluxe, which is my choice. The deluxe consists of a warmed pita, six falafel balls, six-vegetable salad, a generous scoop of hummus, tahini (sesame seed) sauce, and hot sauce if you want it (I always do. Always.) 

Every order comes with a dixie cup of lemonade, not the greatest lemonade in the world, but it goes very well with what comes after. In a paper holder, Alexander himself hands you your falafel. It's hard to figure out where to bite first. but once you dive in, sheer food-bliss awaits you. The falafels are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. If you've never had falafel, I don't know how to describe it to you, if you have before, especially the boxed kind you find at the store, then imagine that taste with much better quality. The hummus follows the same line. Tahini is under appreciated, but you've never had true falafel until you've had it with a real tahini sauce. The salad provides a cool contrast to all the other flavors vying attention and the hot sauce sneaks up on you, more than once I've thought "Hmm, Alexander skimped on the hot sauce," and them bam! it hits and it hits hard. 

The true charm of Alexander's is Alexander himself, if you've ever had a chance to go and talk to him he's in incredibly nice man and does very well at remembering his customers, impressive considering the number of faces he must see throughout his day. Alexander's would not be the special place it is without he himself running things.

I'm currently taking a running class, and the deluxe from Alexander's is great before a run. Enough to keep you through 2 and 1/4 miles but not too heavy to cause problems. 

All in all, I cannot recommend it highly enough. It's a gem of campus, and a place you could easily walk by without knowing it was there without someone telling you. I'm telling you. And what I'm telling you is to go eat there. You will be glad you did.

-JDT

El Tapatio

About 30 minutes south of Eugene is a small town where I grew up. Often my parents like to take us to a restaurant in Cottage Grove called El Tapatio. They have another location (I want to say in Sutherland, but I can't say for sure) as well, but the one in CG is the closest. If you find yourself heading south from the Eug, the RF's would suggest a stop in CG for some yummy Mexican food.
The menu is large with several options for Vegetarians (my dad even got a quesadilla which is abnormal for him). They give you a bottomless soda if you ask for it, which is awesome, and they also are great about refilling water. You can even order off of the appetizer menu and be full. The portion sizes are huge, maybe even too large sometimes. We have two containers of leftovers in my fridge. Today, we feed 4 people for 40 dollars, plus tip. That's a pretty sweet deal in my opinion. Maybe not the healthiest options in the world, but pretty darn tasty!

Cafe Yumm without Yumm Sauce is still Cafe Yumm!

Cafe Yumm is pretty famous around Eugene. It is a great place for healthy options.
One thing to keep in mind is that Yumm Sauce is kind of high in calories. I had brought a low-cal, low-fat soup to work with me the other day and by the time lunch time hit, there was no way that would be enough food. So, I decided to be brave (I'm new to this whole driving thing) and drive to Cafe Yumm all by myself.
I ordered a Yumm n' Greens, without avocado (personal preference) and without their famous Yumm sauce (now don't get me wrong, their sauce is delicious). One half of that would be a serving for the dieting me.
My argument is this: Cafe Yumm is still Cafe Yumm, even if you opt out of their sauce. Pre-life style change, I would have ordered a Pesto Turkey panini, eaten all the chips, had a strawberry lemonade (oh to die for) and maybe even a cookie (even the before me thought the chocolate dipped cookies were a bit overkill, but hey, to each their own).
My point is simply this: If you are changing your life, you don't have to give up everything, make a few small changes. Healthy places like Cafe Yumm are still great - just make sure you make great choices (and yes, Cafe Yumm is still quite yummy - even without the Yumm Sauce).
Oh, and I still had a few chips, and I didn't feel guilty! (And the driving part was the easiest part!)

Burrito Boy Vs. Burrito Amigos

Two Eugene legends, one almost identical menu. But which is better (for vegetarians anyway)? Burrito Boy or Burrito Amigos?

Wet Burritos-

Burrito Amigos markets their "famous" wet burritos, but I find the sauce they come with to be unbearably salty sometimes and so they alternate between delicious and almost painful. Burrito Boy's wet burritos do not reach the high level of deliciosity the Amigos sometimes reaches, but it is much more consistent and if given the choice I'll take Burrito Boy.

Breakfast Burritos- 

The gripe that comes up with Burrito Amigos breakfast burritos is the potato that comes in it, I often don't feel the need for the added carbohydrates potatoes provide, a tortilla is one thing but potato often feels like overkill. And don't think about asking for the potatoes to be omitted, they're pre-mixed in with the eggs. But don't take that as a ringing endorsement of Burrito Boy's breakfast burritos, oddly enough, I find them to be bland, and sorely in need of a heaping helping of hot sauce. All things considered, I give the edge to Burrito Amigo, potatoes and all.

Nachos-

Burrito Boy's nachos are a work of art, chips, guacamole, sour cream, beans, pico de gallo, and cheese in a tin piled high, they are a meal to themselves. I've only had Burrito Amigo's nachos once, and I was not impressed at all, a very uninspired effort, I would not reccomend them or have them again.

Overall Edge-

If given a choice between Burrito Boy and Burrito Amigos, I'll take Burrito Boy almost every time. Not that that is a slam on Burrito Amigo, but Burrito Boy is a great choice for vegetarians, almost anything on the menu can be vegetarian easily and deliciousness abounds.

Though note: none of this is a recommendation to people on weight watchers, most anything to be had at either place is not a prudent option. 

PDX trip

Burgerville has a reputation as a progressive restaurant. And, on environmental matters, it is well deserved, food is served in biodegradable packaging and what cannot be composted is recyclable. As far as vegetarian food goes, the Anasazi spicy black bean burger sounds like a winner, but I was extremely disappointed, the flavor comes, seemingly exclusively, from the chipotle mayonnaise spread generously on the bun. I'm not normally one to get squeamish in regard to mayonnaise, but the quantity involved here is overpowering, and quite simply, overkill.
For Sara's part, she ordered a turkey burger with no mayo and a side salad. The meal was relatively-point friendly, 9. But the side salad was underwhelming, consisting of iceberg lettuce and cheese. Once upon a time that flew for a salad, but by no means did it live up to the money paid for it. And the turkey burger with no mayo? Again, generously applied, mayo was conspicously present. The whole wheat bun was largely dissapointing as well. If there is a whole wheat bun that looks more like plain white bread, we assure you, we have not seen it. Overall, bland and not worth the 9 weight watchers points.
And regardless of your eating needs, you are advised to give wide birth to their smoothies, a regular sized Triple Berry Blast has just under half a day's worth of calories and more than a day's worth of fat.
Once upon a time I bought into Burgerville's lore. Sara has always been rather underwhelmed. After our experience this time, Burgerville has been scratched from the Reluctant Foodies' list of enjoyed restaurants. If you find yourself near the Convention Center in Portland, may we recommend instead Red Robin? Less than a block away, better choices all around, and just as affordable (possibly even moreso) considering the free refills on drinks and their specialty, their fries. Their signature spice blend is also a healthy way to add more flavor to their already flavorful food. And don't be afraid to ask them to hold the whatever, Red Robin is more than happy to accomodate. In fact, if you go to their website, you can build your own burger, adding or removing wht you like or don't like, and can calculate the nutritional values just based on what you plan to eat. Unlike Burgerville, Red Robin has no problem leaving off the mayo.
And as the RF's 2010 Portland trip took an eatery out of our "rotation" so too did it give one back. The Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery in downtown Portland's Yamhill district has several excellent options for the dieter watching calories and fat. And what the Rock Bottom lacks in diversity for vegetarians, they make up for with a flourish with the deliciosity of the meals. Sara started with a cup of the Brewery's chili for 4 points, I however, have little recollection of this chili as the pesky thing was not on our table for long, Sara has a soft spot for chili, and decreed that the Rock Bottom's was worth its rather economic point price. Up next was the Asain Ahi Tuna Salad; spinach, baby corn, bean sprouts, zucchini strips, tomato slices, edamame (soy beans), crunchy noodles, Green Sesame seeds, and ample portion of seared Ahi Tuna, all in a Ginger-Citrus Dressing. It was remarkable both in a sense of taste and in the sense that it was the fullest Sara has ever been from a salad. And all this for a point value that borders on the ridiculous, 5. My food was a bit unorthodox, as I ordered my food off of the appetizer menu, a spicy cheese dip, with spinach and tomato, on flat bread. Unorthodox, sure, but let there be no doubts as to its flavor, it was delicious. A common problem with eating off the appetizer menu is portion size, but the portion size at the Rock Bottom nears perfection. Service is wonderful and the prices are very reasonable, in relation to comparable restaurants.
Since it was only 11:30 in the morning, the elder of the two RF's, Sara, refrained from trying one of the Brewery's ales - giving her something ese to look forward to on our next trip to Portland. Not that another trip for the Rock Bottom's food wouldn't be enough to look forward to!

- JDT

Go Healthy!

Alright, we're not always the healthiest eaters in the world. However, there is an amazing place in Eugene we think everyone should try. Heck, Sara even recommended it to her dad, and he doesn't really like anything good for you. We actually think he'd enjoy it.
Go Healthy Cafe started out as My Coffee. They have recently developed a gluten free menu and have a menu that covers soup, salad, burritos, sandwiches and bowls, as well as coffee tea and pastries.
Thank Goodness neither of the reluctant foodies are gluten free, it would just make things more complicated!
Sara had the grilled chicken burrito and Jarrett had a sandwich on rosemary foccacia which consisted of not only delicious bread but also zucchini, onion, yellow squash and mushroom slathered in a pinneapple-guava sauce (it gave it a tangy, sweet & sour taste) covered in provolone cheese and topped with lettuce and tomato. The burrito had black beans, rice, and chicken which was deliciously seasoned and served in your choice of white or wheat tortilla.
Their loose-leaf tea is also amazing, and the price is right.
The atmosphere is pleasant, with the feel of a coffee shop and excellent staff, a very welcoming establishment.
We tend to frequent often our favorite places, and Go Healthy cafe has been added to our repitoire for sure!

Welcome to the Reluctant Foodies Blog!

Welcome to our blog! We are a young couple in Eugene, Oregon. We love food, and we hate it. Jarrett is a vegetarian who claims to, quite often (especially when hungry) hate food. Sara has recently joined weight watchers and suffers from emotional eating and food guilt. This blog will detail our journeys through the world of food. We are the "reluctant foodies" because we both love and hate eating.
Living in the hippie capital of the Pacific Northwest however, and enjoying both cooking, and eating out, we thought we would detail our adventures in food-land.
We are hoping to include our reviews of local restraunts (and maybe non-local reviews as well), recipes, weight loss tips and struggles, vegetarian ideas, and of course, show how it works for couples who consist of mixed-vores: herbivore and omnivore.
Again, welcome to the blogspot of the reluctant foodies!