Curious about how one would start a new bakery business?
An intrepid pair of flavor lovers are sharing their bakery beginnings story with the readers of eGullet. Steven and Jill of the Sweet Life Bakery in Vineland, New Jersey have begun to tell the tales of their progress in working for themselves.
Follow Steven and Jill as they craft their business plan, deal with a flour allergy, sell their first cake, puzzle with bourbon ball pricing, and work on the fine skill of public relations.
Tastier than reality TV!
Imagine my surprise to open up the Eugene Weekly and find that I got second place in the category of Eugene’s best blog.
Really, its an honor to be nominated- I’ll bake y’all a cake as soon as I get a chance! This pictured one is a Sweet Life cake made for the cover shot that displays cute little bits of Eugene. If you look closely, you can spot a tie dyed t-shirt on the bottom tier.
Now- on to the tasties: the Forkin’ Good category:
BEST ASIAN
Continue reading Best of Eugene Awards.
This entry is part of the Food Destinations Project. Check in to see if your upcoming vacation spot is highlighted by one of our eaters!
If you were to pop into my world at the University of Oregon, these are my show-n-tell spots for some of the best eats in Eugene! Most of them are casual, all of them have heart…
Eugene Breakfasts
Eugene Lunches
- -
Getting a plate of green healthy goodness at Laughing Planet. Specializing in healthy, wholesome food, this is a great place to pop into for greens and grains, or an amazing burrito. If you feel your lunch was too healthy… Sweet Life is just across the street!
Contact: 541-868-0668
Address: 760 Blair Blvd
Website: none available.
Map of Location.
- - Picking up a peruvian tamale or a plate of Pad Thai at the Saturday Market. If you ever step foot in Eugene, you must find your way to the Saturday Market. Handmade crafts and art nestled in with produce stands and great food booths- this is the best place to people watch and eat well.
Contact: (541) 686-8885
Address: Saturdays, 8th & Oak in downtown Eugene
Saturday Market Website
Map of Location.
- - Ordering a full seafood lunch at Full Boat or a fried handful of fish and chips with a wonderful assortment of slaws to choose from. In the surprising setting of a fish shop- some amazingly good deals can be had for lunch or dinner at Fisherman’s Market. This is where the West Brothers bros test out seafood entree’s for their other restaurants in town.
Contact: 541-484-2722
Address: 830 W 7th Ave
Website: none available.
Map of Location.
- - Washing away your thoughts in a bowl of Shoyu Corn Nininku at Toshi’s Ramen. If you happen on a rainy day in Eugene, nothing will clear your head like Toshi’s garlic infused ramen. Such an amazing jewel in Eugene’s food crown.
Contact: 541-683-7833
Address: 1520 Pearl St
Website: none available.
Map of Location.
Eugene Coffee / Snacks
- - Visitng Full City Coffee and ordering a chocolate latte… which is a noticable different term than mocha. However, its the same drink. Full City makes their chocolate coffee drinks with ganache… need I say more?
Contact: 1(800)531-4829
Address: Full City Coffee Roasters, 842 Pearl Street Eugene, Oregon 97401
Map of location.
Full City Website
- - Going next door and looking at the cookies and cakes at Palace Bakery. Palace offers such a nice assortment of daily made sweet bits. They are a wonderful complement to the great coffee next door.
Contact: 541-484-2435
Address: 844 Pearl St
Website: none available.
Map of Location.
- - Waltzing around the corner to Perugino’s and getting distracted from coffee and ordering a cup of their custom made gelato (though the bruno mocha really is stunning, especially iced). The superlative gelato at Perugino’s is a sumptuous reward for your taste buds. The ingredients are simple so that true flavors ring through. Take your time, sample and away and then load up and watch everyone else line up behind your example!
Posts: Perugino Review
Contact: 541-687-9102
Address: 767 Willamette St # 102
Website: none available
Map of Location.
- - Ordering an iced latte at Triomphe market place and ordering a cookie from the bakery counter next door. This indoor market place houses a coffee bar, a bakery, and a nice eatery. Plus its a good place to meet with friends and watch Eugene’s inner political workings get lined up over a power coffee.
Contact: 485-6267
Address:1591 Willamette St.
Website: none available.
Map of Location.
- - Sharing a soft taco order at Pato Verde… you know, just to tide you over. Family run, with lots of heart. Eating here makes you feel taken care of.
Posts: Taqueria El Pato Verde
Contact: 541-686-9700
Address: 682 E 13th Ave
Website: none available.
Map of Location.
Eugene Dinners
- - Sitting pretty at Marche, who specializes in using locally and sustainably raised foods. Stephanie Kimmel was recently nominated for a Beard Award, and the proof is in the pudding, and the salmon, and the desserts. This restaurant showcases the amazing produce quality we have in this region.
Contact: 541-342-3612
Address: 296 E 5th Ave # 128
Marche’s Website
Map of Location.
- - Spicing it up at Red Agave and their inventive cocktails. A wonderful stop for spicy, alive latin flavors that mingle with Eugene’s finest produce.
Contact: 541-683-2206
Address: 454 Willamette St
Red Agave Website
Map of Location.
- - Sipping wine and enjoying a wonderful Italian dinner at Beppe and Gianni’s, at the edge of campus.
Contact: 541-683-6661
Address: 1646 E 19th Ave
Website: none available.
Map of Location.
- - Nibbling on some of the plumpest potstickers in town at Saigon Kitchen.
Contact: 541-302-1277
Address: 1461 E 19th Ave
Website: none available
Map of Location.
- - Finishing an amazing meal at the unassuming KoHo Bistro.
Contact: 541-681-9335
Address: 2101 Bailey Hill Rd # L
Koho Bistro’s website.
Map of location.
Eugene Desserts
Eugene pastry lovers rejoice- guess who has been added to the restaurant delivery service Pony Express? Sweet Life!
I haven’t ordered for them to be delivered yet… it kind of feels too dirty to get pastries like that. Perhaps I will feel brave enough soon! Though with Pony Express’s flat fee of $3.95, you’d have to order enough goodies to make it worth the call!
Looking over the menu is interesting to see how they deal with the fact that their offerings change daily. To reflect that, several sweet things are offered in the flavor of the day, such as chocolate cake, tartlets, cheesecake, Pot de Creme, Biscotti, Creme Brulee, Chocolate Orbs, and fruit pie. While the menu looks great I see favorites that are missing- my beloved parfait cups and the dense slice of chocolate pave. Perhaps a tip to the driver can procure special off the menu treats with a scoop of gelato too?
Continue reading Sweet Life Delivers!.
originally posted on Something 2 Eat, May 24,2004.
Not so Secret Vegan Agenda? In Eugene?
And so the sweet sweet Sirens of Sweet Life beckon my sated tummy to their temptuous lair. “No really, I’m fine,” replies my stomach, which is soon wrestled into submission by my eyes which have spied glistening fruits, gleaming frostings, and gilded Nipples- oh my!
With a new enlarged and smartly painted cafe, Sweet Life has expanded its dessert cases and offerings to now tempt its lucky customers with a variety of gelato flavors. The brightly colored walls are inviting, and Sweet Life is brimming over with charm.
The pie and cake specialties are always calling my name, but more often than not, the chocolate mousse receives my approving nod. This creation typically receives special flavoring considerations and is often embellished with mocha or rose flavored whipped cream. This succulent cup of perverse chocolate foam serves its purpose well, and I reward it with swift retirement from it’s zoo-like existence trapped behind glass (don’t feed the animals, here the ‘animals’ feed you).
Vegan delights are finding a happy social scene to commingle with the rest of Eugene’s sweet appetites. In fact, I dare say these often politically classed cuties (the desserts dear, the desserts!) are purposefully pushing the envelope of dairy-freeness to tempt us into asking the dairy question of ourselves…
if one can still find ganache, and whipped ‘cream’, maybe it’s ok to enslave soybeans instead of cows?
Sweet Life Patisserie - 755 Monroe St., Eugene, Open late!
Quality: 3 outta 4 forks… Mmmm, fresh. The desserts are made daily.
Presentation:4 outta 4 forks…Titilating. These desserts often receive special frills in the way of garnishes- often a true beauty to eat.
Value: 3 outta 4 forks…
Local Color: 4 outta 4 forks…fun collection of folks that seem to be gettin less scarey lookin? (must be the chocolate)
Service:… Self serve, counter service cheerful.
originally posted on Something 2 Eat, May 24,2004.
Fit to be Thai’ed
The flavor of a restaurant can be wonderfully gleaned from its specials… the scent of which tickled our noses as we first walked in. This evening we choose a house special: Eggplant Garden with Tofu, and a board special: Pumpkin Curry Noodles. Both were perfect concoctions of sweet and heat, with eggplant that surrendered in our mouths like a cherished lover… love at first, second, and twentieth bite! I think I’m in for a long term relationship.
Continue reading Chao Pra Ya Thai Cuisine.
