A Good Old Fashioned 'Wich-Hunt

The Search for Eugene’s Best Sandwich
(Photos by Jackson Voelkel)

What is it that makes sandwiches so awesome? Is it the texture, flavors, DIY mentality, or the propensity for customization? Is it the fact that you can make food less messy by holding it between two slices of bread? Does a sandwich even have to involve bread? The short answer is that a little of all these questions and characteristics go into designing and building a truly great sandwich, and there are a multitude of places in this great city of ours waiting to share their skills with you. Seriously, you’d be amazed at how many unexpected places are sitting on a mountain of sandwich gold.
So without further ado, here’s where to get your Sammie on:

Cornucopia Bar and Burgers
Recommended Sandwich: “Wade’s Smokey Club”

Although Cornucopia has been voted time and time again as the best restaurant in town to grab a burger or sing karaoke, the folks at both of their locations are also in the know about how to make a great sandwich. With multiple vegetarian and meat options, there’s a great assortment of choices for all types—whether you want a Tempeh Rueben or a B.L.T—and the portions won’t disappoint. The prices are a little higher than most, with a sandwich and fries costing anywhere between eight and eleven dollars, but it’s still worth the trip.
Cornucopia has two locations: 207 E. 5th Ave. & 295 W. 17th Ave.


"Wade's Smokey Club" at Cornucopia


The Kiva
Recommended Sandwich: “Build-Your-Own”

Almost everyone has been inside or noticed the Kiva, it’s hard not to when your store is located right next to the downtown bus station. Aside from being an awesome grocery story, wine merchant and bookseller, though, the Kiva is also home to some incredible sandwiches, made-to-order style. There are some interesting veggie options that make the Kiva’s sandwiches unlike any of the other places in town, these include hummus and tofu pate, and there are a multitude of vegetables to choose from also. At $5.75 for a whole and $3.75 for a half, the prices are undoubtedly Eugene’s best, so keep this in mind for a quick and inexpensive lunch when you’re downtown.
The Kiva is located at 125 W. 11th Ave.

Benedetti’s Market and Deli
Recommended Sandwich: “Meatball Grinder”

While Benedetti’s might be just across the border into Springfield, thus making it an “unofficial” candidate for my sandwich hunt, it is still one of the most interesting and authentic places around, so it’s worth mentioning. Vegetarians beware here—it is a meat market after all—but for those who love meaty, East Coast deli style sandwiches, this place is one of the best. It really doesn’t matter what you order, it’s gonna taste great. Okay, so there is one vegetarian option—it’s a walnut, dried cherry and Monterey jack salad. So there you have it; even amidst a haze of meat there’s still something for everyone.
Benedetti’s Market and Deli is located at 533 W. Centennial Boulevard, Springfield.

Jiffy Market
Recommended Sandwich: “Club”

Jiffy Market is one of those rare gems that you can’t help but love. It’s tucked neatly into a small space along Hilyard, just south of West Amazon, and despite it’s rugged exterior, the inside is a wonder to behold. So, what of the sandwiches? Well, there’s a multitude to choose from—whether you’re in the mood for a cold and simple cream cheese, cranberry and turkey, or something more complex like the mouthwatering curry chicken—and the portions are awesome. Everything is made fresh, so you can feel free to grab a beer out of the fridge (that’s right, it’s like a convenience store that lets you open your drinks inside), or get microbrew on tap and sit there watching intently while your Sammie is prepared. The prices are fair—a sandwich will run you around seven bucks—and the service is quick. Eat in, take out, do whatever; you’re gonna love these sandwiches.
Jiffy Market is located at 3443 Hilyard St.


Jiffy Market's enormous "Club"


Cheba Hut
Recommended Sandwich: “Five ‘O’’

Fans of Subway and Quiznos looking for something classier will find solace in Cheba Hut. While the entire chain is based on a marijuana themed gimmick, the sandwiches themselves are far more than just quirky stoner food. With around thirty different subs to choose from, there’s no way you’ll run into problems finding something you like, and the ingredients are all fresh and delicious. They’re open seven days a week and deliver until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays. All this taken into account, there’s no doubt that Cheba Hut is Eugene’s best sub shop.
Cheba Hut is located at 339 East 11th Ave.

Barry’s Espresso and Bakery
Recommended Sandwich: “Breakfast Special”

This place has giant sandwiches, and when I say giant, I mean “equivalent-of-three-square-meals” giant. They can make just about anything you want on just about any bread—including Challah, a sweet, braided Jewish bread that’s a must try—with a half sandwich costing $5.25 and a whole at $6.95. The atmosphere is that of a New York style Jewish deli; the type of place you go to grab a quick and awesome lunch during your break. It’s the breakfast, though, that really takes the cake: The “Breakfast Special” contains egg, bacon, pesto, cheese and tomato, all stuffed neatly in a challah roll. Believe me, you’ll be happy you tried this one.
Barry’s has two locations: 2805 Oak St., & 804 East 12th Ave.


Barry's "Breakfast Special"


The ‘Wich House
Recommended Sandwich: “Turkey Dinner ‘Wich”

It seems as though the ‘Wich House has been missed by a lot of people. This may be due to the fact that it’s tucked into a small space between buildings along Wilamette street downtown, or it could just be that word of mouth has yet to catch on. Whatever the reason, the ‘Wich House is not to be missed. Their lunch menu has ten sandwiches to choose from along with soups and salads, and the options are all incredibly unique. Take, for instance, the Turkey Dinner ‘Wich—a sandwich that basically sports a Thanksgiving dinner between its two slices of bread—or other items like the Spicy Ahi ‘Wich and the Poached Pear ‘Wich (which is great for adventurous vegetarians). From top to bottom, the ‘Wich House has got it going on.
The ‘Wich House is located at 840 Willamette St.

Capella Market
Recommended Sandwich: Grilled “Build-Your-Own”

From the outside (and most of the inside) Capella is nothing more than a somewhat pricey health-food grocery store. But a ten second walk to the back sandwich counter will be one of the most worthwhile trips of your life. Here, you fill out a quick form (which is adorned with awesome ingredients) drop it with a Sammie maker, and wait for what is undoubtedly one of the best sandwiches you will ever have. The price for a half is $4.49, a whole costs $6.49, and the deal is topped with a free bag of chips and a pickle. While the wait can be longer than most other places, it’s more than worth it for the Best Sandwich in Eugene. Capella’s sandwich bar also sports great veggie options and is without a doubt one of the best value for money delis you’ll find in the city. Do not, under any circumstances, miss these sandwiches.
Capella Market is located at 2489 Willamette St.


A Capella "Build-Your-Own" with beef pastrami and the works

So there you have it; some of the best of the best sandwiches that our city has to offer. Enjoy.

[Eugene Daily News, 5/12]

¡Tiempo de Fiesta!

The Vet’s Club Ballroom will celebrate its annual Cinco de Mayo bash on Thursday, May 5, and it should be a night to remember. The headlining act this year is El Combo de la Salsa, an eight-piece salsa band that cut its teeth locally, both here in Eugene and up in Portland. The band contains elements that remain essential to the composition and flavor of authentic Latin music: guitar, trumpet, baby bass, trombone, congas, timbales, saxophone and, of course, high-energy vocalization. El Combo is renowned for its ability to get people swingin’, so for those who love to dance this is a part of the night well worth checking out.



Other attractions at the fiesta include free dance lessons, a silent auction, appearances from DJ Mario Mora between performance sets, Salsa performances by the Eugene Casineros — a locally based social dance and demonstrative group — and further dance displays by Javier and Adha of Gemini Salsa in Portland.

Aside from being a raging party, the night aims to be a boon for the community: All proceeds will go toward benefitting the work that the folks at Centro LatinoAmericano have strived to perform since 1972. Centro is a not-for-profit agency that works tirelessly with its advocacy of Latino empowerment across Lane County, as well as providing human services to benefit not only the Latino community but also the Lane County community as a whole.

So whether your goal is just to dance, or if it’s to help the community you live in, the annual Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Vet’s Club Ballroom is a must visit. Olé!

The celebration kicks off 8 pm Thursday, May 5, at the Vet’s Club Ballroom; $10.

EW 5/5

Queen of the Ivory Keys

It is said that Gabriela Montero began playing piano at age 0. That is, she was just seven months old when she first laid her finger on a key and by eighteen months she’d already learned to play the National Anthem of Venezuela — her country of origin. Montero’s forte is, undoubtedly, improvisation — a talent that she supplements with an unbelievable ear for music. She can improvise around the structure of anything from piano masterpieces such as Rachmaninoff’s “Third Piano Concerto” and Chopin’s “Nocturne in C minor,” to standards like “Happy Birthday” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” It’s this skill that truly separates her as one of the greatest and most versatile classical pianists of our time.


Montero has charm, elegance and grace both in her playing and the way she carries herself. She can effectively pull an audience into the experience of classical piano while maintaining the poise of a truly great show-woman. Montero’s Jaqua Concert Hall performance will be a solo recital to back the release of her 2010 recording Solatino. The album itself is a collection of Latin American compositions taken in by Montero and made all her own. In a recent interview about the collection, Montero described the recording process as “a voyage of who we are and what we’re made of, and the way that we express ourselves.”

Gabriela Montero will play at 7:30 pm Friday, April 29, at the Jaqua Concert Hall; $12-$36.

EW 4/28

I'm Still High?

Wading through a sea of shitty comedians is a drag these days. Just flipping to the “Comedy Central Presents” marathon — which seems to fill at least one day’s worth of airtime per week — doesn’t cut it anymore, so it’s always exciting when someone actually worth listening to pops up.

Enter Doug Benson, star of the parody "Super High Me", sixth-place finalist on “Last Comic Standing” and all-around funny man. His style maintains elements of that generic stand-up presence and obvious joke-filler, while remaining in league with the irreverent greats of the past. His routines range from that “what’s up with airports?” type shit to witty and endless riffing on the possibility of a guy wanting to jack off to High Times magazine. It’s this versatility and ability to keep you guessing that makes him engaging.



Marijuana has become something of a calling card for Benson, so there’s little chance of escape for those of us with supple, virgin ears. But that’s what stand-up is all about: laughing at shit you never thought could be funny. When asked by EW last week if he wants to be known as anything besides the pot jokester, Benson said, “I’d settle for funny comic.” On the other hand, he currently hosts a podcast discussion of movies that usually breaks down into wacky hijinks by the time it’s run its course. So there’s something for everyone with Doug Benson — even the completely unrealistic dude who goes through life trying to avoid all mention and/or use of drugs could have a good time.

So whatever your tastes, there’s bound to be at least one joke worth chuckling at when Benson hits town. Who knows, maybe Doug will be so fried from 4/20 that he’ll just lie on stage and sleep? It’s all a mystery waiting to be solved.

Doug Benson performs at 7:30 pm Thursday, April 21, at WOW Hall; $20 adv., $23 door.

EW 4/21

Swing Your Razor Wide!

The origins of the character Sweeney Todd stretch back as far as the eye can see: a speculative history which frames the original character as an entity closer to some sort of cryptozoological mystery creature than a barber. Nevertheless, Sweeney Todd remains a long-enjoyed face of stage performance and as such his menace lives on through musicals, movies and plays alike.

The demon barber was brought to life before my eyes at the Cottage Theatre on April 9 during a rendition of the 1979 Sondheim-Wheeler musical adaptation. Cottage Grove’s bone-chilling performance of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street didn’t just linger in my mind for the next few days; it was all I could think about. With the words “attend the tale of Sweeney Todd” bouncing around in my brain, I was constantly reminded of the precision with which the musical had been directed and performed.



Don Kelley threw down a maniacal performance, offering multiple crowd members (included my bearded self) the most terrifying proposed shave of their lives, while supporting cast members Karen Snyder (Mrs. Lovett), Ken McClintock (the Beadle) and Paul von Rotz (Judge Turpin) saw that the hilarity, horror and heart of the tale never faded. Nick Forrest’s performance as Tobias Ragg took the cake for me, though; his singing was delightful, his accent blazed with Cockney enthusiasm, and his ability to create chemistry with each of his colleagues became a show stealer.

The Cottage Theatre’s foundation of community volunteerism stands at the core of shows such as this, and upon arriving with this in mind I turned to my fellow spectator and divulged that I was not expecting much from the evening.

I stand entirely corrected. Bravo, Cottage Theatre.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street runs from now until May 1 at the Cottage Theater in Cottage Grove; info and tickets at www.cottagetheatre.org

EW 4/14

In the Dog House

A wiener, a bun, and then some

Upon walking into Dog in a Box on the corner of 17th and Pearl, I was greeted with the smell of freshly cooked sausages, two smiling faces and a large sign reading “Legends,” beneath which hung framed portraits of history’s better known jazz musicians. From outside, the view had been of windowpanes packed from left to right with prices, drawings and signs — an intriguing hole-in-the-wall appearance that welcomed me inside.

When I sat down to try the “Oktoberfest” hot dog that the employee kindly recommended; I was pleased to find that it was hot, with a fresh bun and evenly distributed condiments. In short, it had the all the characteristics and qualities of a legit hot dog

“We wanted variety, we wanted originality, we wanted quality and we wanted to control the process from beginning to end, which we did,” says owner, founder and self-proclaimed delicatessen hound Steve Solomon. “All our hot dogs are custom made to our own recipe.”

Dog in a Box boasts two Eugene locations, each of which is partly solar powered and stacked with options including vegan and vegetarian alternatives. With almost 15 entirely Oregon-grown and Oregon-made hot dogs from which to chose, there’s sure to be something fitting everybody’s tastes.


[Photo by Trask Bedortha]

Since first opening in 1993, the restaurant over time has garnered influence from cuisines around the world, with especial focus on European sausages and the beloved, traditional all-American hot dog. There’s been demand for hot dogs in the U.S. dating back to 1870, when original hot dog badass Charles Feltman sold sausages in buns on Coney Island. And while they may not have Feltman’s added attractions of the beach, boardwalk and Cyclone, Dog in a Box wieners still know how to draw a crowd.

“We’ve been in business 17 years, and every year it gets greater and greater, demand is very strong,” Solomon says. Demand, the crucial counterpart to supply, is definitely an important thing to consider, and there should be no shortage of it with the prices listed on Dog in a Box’s menu: A fat, condiment-slathered wiener will run you about five bucks — a fair price considering the quality and rate of service. Throw in a drink and you might even be able to pay with a card, considering they have a $5 minimum on debit and credit (be wary of this fact before going in, cash is preferable). If a trip to the ATM is all that’s separating you from an awesome and reasonably priced hot dog, I’d say it’s worth it.

From the checkerboard floor to the glossed-leather stools, Dog in a Box has that homey, vintage appearance you hope to find in a traditional hotdog and European sausage joint. Oh, and there’s this — all aesthetics aside, the food rocks. Charles Feltman would be doggone proud.

Dog in a Box has locations at 195 E. 17th Ave. and at 210 W. Sixth Ave.; more information at www.doginaboxeugene.com

[EW Chow! Restaurant Guide 4/7]

Green Skies, Collective Walnuts

Over the next seven days, two of Eugene’s hotspots will help ring in CD releases from a pair of solid acts. The first is Greensky Bluegrass, a decade-old bluegrass five-piece out of Kalamazoo, Mich., known for their use of bluegrass traditions in conjunction with unexpected exploration. Word is they’ll jump old-time standards to rock ‘n’ roll fuck-arounds with seamless confidence and skill, all while keeping Sam Bond’s jumping.



In the studio, Greensky sounds just as you would imagine — a tightly harmonized, virtuosic string band — but they add tangible flavor with their use of dobro, a steel-string lap guitar that gives the sound its completeness. Sticking to the road most traveled is always fun, and produces results more than worthy of an audience, but it’s sharp left turns into the realms of eerie, rockin’ fun that make Greensky one of the most daring and unique bluegrass outfits around.

Oh yeah, and bring a sound recorder, they encourage all-access recording of their shows so that the word may be spread!

Two days later, Eugene’s own Walnut Collective will hit the Oak St. Speakeasy to throw down their latest garage-haze madness. When I sat down to take a listen, I said to myself: “So what does Walnut Collective have to offer?”

Well, the guitars were fuzzy, the vocals were outrageous and the only words I could find to describe it all were “non-stop-sloppy-pop-rock fun,” which rhymed too many times to be dignified.



At times their new CD, Sea Rose, sounds like Bends-era Radiohead, other times it’s “What’s The Frequency Kenneth?” REM, and even after that there’s the Sonic Youth noise jams, the sex-minded ‘80s lyrics and the fuzzy, modern alternative sound to look forward to.

So what does Walnut Collective have to offer? Fucking anything you want. Enough said.

Greensky Bluegrass celebrate their CD release at 9 pm, Thursday, March 10, at Sam Bond’s; $10. Walnut Collective’s CD release is at 10 pm, Saturday, March 12, at Oak St. Speakeasy; FREE.

EW 3/10