Mexican Flair at Verde Cocina - Pearl District

I have now been to Verde Cocina twice, once for dinner and again for brunch. We were equally impressed and both visits we ordered the fresh guacamole and handmade corn tortillas. These are honestly the best corn tortillas ever...no joke. Soft, fresh and served warm. You think chips are addicting at mexican restaurants? Wait until you try these tortillas and then come talk to me.

Every day, they feature a handful of speciality menu items and we haven't been disappointed with the selections. For dinner, we went for the taco trio (see chalkboard photo below) and some delicious molé enchiladas. Our brunch excursion lead us to the chorizo breakfast tacos with a cabbage slaw and the ever popular, huevos rancheros. In case you were wondering, they both come with the fresh corn tortillas. 

Not only do they offer fresh food menu items but their libations are made with fresh juices and purees. For their weekend brunch, they offer $5 drinks including a housemade Bloody Mary/Maria. The mimosa of the day was the peach mimosa with fresh peach juice and the special margarita was made with strawberry purée.  Can't wait to see what they are offering next time! 

huevos rancheros 

This is a great spot for brunch, lunch or dinner and hopefully we can check out their other location off Capitol Hwy too! Enjoy!

Verde Cocina

524 NW 14th between Glisan & Hoyt

503.894.9321 

open seven days a week | daily happy hour 3 - 5:30pm

Eugene's Finest - Uly's Taco Shack

So, it wouldn't be fair unless I wrote about the one and only campus taco stand in Eugene, Oregon. Uly's is parked conveniently between two of the most active campus bars at The University of Oregon. The menu is easy...tacos and more tacos, for only $2 each. It is fair to say I have had my share of these tacos, sometimes at dinner hour and other times at 2:00am. There is generally a long line of students waiting for a carnitas, steak or chicken taco on Friday and Saturday nights.

Line at Uly's on a Friday

You can order the tacos individually or as a Trifecta - one each with a different kind of meat. It is funny because after midnight and a few Long Island Iced Teas, people insist on ordering the $6 Trifecta because it is the best deal. Interesting since the single tacos are $2 and the 3 taco Trifecta is $6. Yes, you can do the math.

But, no matter what time of the day, these tacos rock! They are loaded with a meat of your choice, cheese, sour cream, onions, cilantro and a tasty sauce. These tacos would give the Mexican food carts in Portland a run for their money.

Next time you are in Eugene cheering on the Ducks, check out Uly's!

Here is a link to their Facebook page. Enjoy!

Girl's Night Out at Cha Taqueria!

My girlfriends and I were long overdue for a girls night out, so we deciding on a happy hour at Cha! What a great outdoor dining destination on 21st and Everett. This restaurant is perfect for summer time because it has a fantastic outdoor ambiance. There are tables lining the streets, but also an entire covered area with a neat fountain as the focal point (it was not running tonight, but I imagine it would be really cool).


If you couldn't already tell by the name, the cuisine is Mexican. It is authentic with fresh, organic ingredients. Our waitress brought us out chips to start, but with a flare. It was a pile of blue corn tortilla chips with black beans, mexican cheese and guacamole on top. A very nice change from the traditional chips and red salsa.



Next, we ordered our drinks and we all got margaritas (of course), but not the traditional margarita - a hibiscus margarita! This was their daily special and I was sold the minute she said it. I am not a huge fan of the traditional margarita but I loved the sound of this one. $5 on their happy hour menu, which I thought was a pretty good deal. Also, for those who are not a fan of tequila, they will substitute it for another type of liquor.



For our food, we all ordered different small plates. We started with the chicken and potato taquitos. I have never had potatoes in Mexican food, but such a nice flavor with the salsa verde. I ordered the enchiladas de mole poblano and then the others ordered picaditas, nachos and pastor tacos (pastor is pork).

My enchiladas were pretty good, but I wish there were some more garnishes. It was just a chicken filling topped with onions and cilantro. Although, the mole sauce was very delicious - it was a perfect combination of rich chocolate and peppery spice. The nachos were a good size and came with pork or vegetarian. The corn chips have got to me homemade, they were so crunchy and fresh. I did not try the picaditas but they were loaded with sauteed vegetables and served on corn cakes. A great option for a vegetarian. The tacos also looked delcious, but spicy (take a look at the picture - covered in yummy red sauce).



Overall - great for outdoor seating, vegetarian options, service was great, happy hour with food and drink specials

Cha Taqueria and Bar

305 Northwest 21st Avenue
Portland, OR 97209-1141
(503) 295-4077

Happy Hours

Monday - Thursday 4-6
Friday, Saturday, Sunday 3-6
Late night Friday & Saturday 10 - 12

Welcome home Chipotle!

Chipotle finally comes to Eugene and it seems to be a big hit! Could that have anything thing to do with the free food and drinks? Maybe. But, either way, customers seemed excited as they waited anxiously in line for their free burrito.

I was one of the many customers today at the pre-opening for Chipotle on Coburg Road. For me, there was no promotion necessary because I have been eating at Chipotles around the Portland area for awhile and have been awaiting the Eugene store's grand opening.

For those of you not familar with Chipotle, it is a trendy Mexican grill offering a variety of burritos, tacos, bowls and salads. The style of the restaurant is simple and unique, using metal and wood as their textiles of choice. According to their Web site (www.chipotle.com), they believe the food tastes better in a cool environment, so that is the inspiration behind the design of each restaurant. Chipotle values quality food that is natural, unprocessed, organic and sustainable. I think this type of product line will mesh well with the Eugene locals.

Now for the food - I am obviously bias because I have been eating at Chipotle for a couple years, but I think it is pretty darn good. Customers have a choice of beef, chicken, pork or vegetarian. These protein choices can then be combined with veggies, rice, pinto or black beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa, a corn mix, guacamole and sour cream. Your meal is prepared right in front of you, similar to the style of a Subway or Qdoba. My personal favorite is the chicken tacos with a side of guac and their fabulous tortilla chips. The food is good, served quick and there is a lot of it. One perk is Chipotles have their liquor license, so you can order a refreshing Corona on the side to pair with your Mexican meal.

The new Chipotle is located on Coburg right next to the car wash, across the street from the Verizon Wireless store. It is also right across the street from a Baja Fresh, I wonder how much this will affect their business?

Be sure to bring you appetite for their grand opening tomorrow, June 4, from 11a.m. -8p.m. for FREE FOOD!

For all those new to Chipotle, I would love to hear your feedback! Let me know what you think...

www.chipotle.com