Country French in Eugene

Jumping off of I-5, and veering toward the side of Eugene where the University of Oregon dominates, I noticed a sign on an angular building covered with corrugated aluminum and hip colored paint.

Rye.

I like rye whiskey in my (very) occasional Manhattan. Was it a cocktail lounge? But it looked more like a restaurant. We were hungry and I thought it would be nice to sample some of the local fare. After we checked into our room, I did a quick Google search. “Refined French cuisine and craft cocktails.” Hmm, what could be better. Once again, I was glad we swore off the fast food.

Sure, food was costing more on this trip than we’d originally planned. But so far, it had been worth it. So we all got cleaned up, jumped in the car and headed the eight or so blocks back to Rye and tentatively entered the dark, nicely decorated restaurant. So many French restaurants in smaller cities tend to be stuffy, formal affairs. But not so at Rye. It felt more like a country auberge meets Place Pigalle, but distinctly American.

We had no reservations but because it was early, and a weekday evening, we were rewarded with a comfortable table. My wife and I started out with some local Oregon wines, and the bartender made orange cream sodas for the kids, which they went bonkers over. The heirloom tomato appetizer was out of this world fresh. And our main courses (Duck Daube and Chicken) made me feel like Peter Mayle on holiday in Dijon. Truly one of the finest meals I’ve had in years.

If you find yourself in Eugene, by all means try out Rye. The prices were reasonable and their commitment to culinary excellence is at a very high level.

To learn more about our thirty day adventure across America, check out our other publications WHERE DO WE FIT IN? and 30 CUPS ACROSS.