I was one of eight hungry people gathered together for a lunch meeting at Davis’, a fairly new restaurant and bar in downtown Eugene with a reputation for killer cocktails and long lines on the weekends. More than once I have heard of their hip atmosphere, great live music and lip smacking beverages, but I had never heard a peep about their food.
Well, I’m here to not only peep, but crow.On the corner of Broadway and Olive, the restaurant interior floods with natural light from the bank of wide windows on two sides, then bounces off the Bamboo floor. (Way to be Green!) The long bar with bottles and bottles hugging the back wall, actually invites you to sit down and ponder your choices, but not be intimidated by all the options. With tables, stools and long padded benches, you have a choice of seating and all of them are comfortable.
We didn’t arrive as a single group, but trickled in one by one. The staff showed us to our table with warm smiles and the offer of something to drink before we sat down. To curb the noisy grumbling stomachs around the table, we started with three appetizers: The Mezze Plate with Hummus, Tzatziki, Baba-Ganouj, olives and warm pita triangles (9. for a full order/ 5. for a half), Chicken Wings with their tangy mustard sauce (10. /6.) and the Salmon-Crab mini-cakes with Tarragon Aioli (12. /7.)
Each dish offered a different texture, flavor and food group, and was eaten in relished silence until nothing was left but a smudge of sauce on the Chicken Wing plate.
The best part of a table full of people was that the menu was divided evenly and everyone ordered something different. From burger and fries to vegetable cannelloni (shown below) to chicken skewers, there was enough variety to make sure that any appetite or dietary food preference would be served.
The Davis Burger with tobacco onions and fries (8.)Charcuterie Plate with house made sausage, sauerkraut, deviled eggs and bread (10.)Caesar Salad with a Parmesan crisp and chicken (11.)Sum Yum Gai chicken skewers with cucumber salad and a sweet-spicy dipping sauce (12.)The authentic Monte Cristo sandwich surprised Matt, who had never seen powered sugar on a savory sandwich. He cleaned his plate, but never quite settled into a ham, turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich with a side of Raspberry jam. (9.)Even a basic like the Turkey Sandwich stood out of the norm with Provolone cheese and avocado dressing on a Pain de mie bun along with mixed (Sweet, Golden & Russet) Fries. (8.)
No one ordered the Vegetable Pot Pie, which sounded perfect for a cold day, so I guess that means I have to go back again and give it a try. Poor me.Our meeting progressed with unobtrusive interruptions to refill beverages, add and remove plates and the staff quietly made sure that we had everything we needed. Each person around the table fell into a contented food-fugue and readily agreed that dinner at Davis’ should be on the menu in the near future.
If lunch was this good, I imagine dinner will be something special.Here’s the final crow on Davis’: comfortable atmosphere, friendly and efficient wait staff and delicious food. Go—for lunch or dinner. Eat. Drink. And enjoy.
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