For a Meal and a Musical, I Always Drive to Eugene

I’ve been in my musical era for a while – I just can’t get enough plucky heroes, insanely choreographed dance numbers and songs sure to stay stuck in my head. 

My family lives in McMinnville, about an hour out from Portland, but we often prefer to go to the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene to get our musical urges met. Generally the ticket prices are 20-50% cheaper than in Portland, the parking is easier (and costs less), and I can pair a matinee or an evening show with brunch or dinner at one of my all-time favorite dedicated gluten-free restaurants. 

Recently, I nabbed tickets to the last sold-out matinee of The Book of Mormon, the bawdy, subversive, and sweetly satisfying show written by the creators of South Park, which launched on Broadway in 2011. My son, a budding musical theater actor, and I took two of our favorite musical-loving friends. We drove down from McMinnville and parked in a City Center Parking lot which is free on weekends. (The Hult Center also has its own parking garage with special event parking for $10.)

Eugene has a ton of places for people living the gluten-free lifestyle, but Jazzy Ladies Cafe & Club is the one I always mention first. It’s the project of two jazz-loving women who wanted to bring from-scratch, homestyle cooking to the city, where gluten-free is a guiding force but not a limitation.

I love Jazzy Ladies. It’s got a hopping, friendly vibe, an elegant, beautifully wallpapered dining room lit by crystal chandeliers, and a menu rich with homestyle brunch staples I can rarely order elsewhere. It’s a popular spot, and just across the street from the Hult Center, so reservations are a very good idea.

Our kids were astonished at the menu, where every standard brunch item is made special with a tiny twist or approach. Pancakes come made with mochi (sweet rice) flour, sweet potato hash gets a kick from harissa paste, and dishes like the Belgian waffle get a local nod whenever possible (Oregon berry compote).

To start we had coffee and matcha lattes, which come with musical notes or seasonal foam art (think snowflakes for winter). Two of us had the signature chicken and waffles while the other two ordered the Butternut Latke Eggs Benedict and an enchilada dish. 

We took a one-minute walk across the street and poked around before the show. I’m pretty enamored with the building with its giant, four-level vaulted lobby, 1980s post-modern vibe, and fun art incorporated on all of the levels.

But it’s the carpet I fall for every time. The Hult Center’s charming, Art Deco-inspired botanical rug feels oh-so Eugene – warm, nature-inspired, and playful. It just begged for a four-person, top-down shoe shot with friends. 

From our upper balcony seats, we had a top tier view of the Silva Concert Hall’s iconic basket weave ceiling. It was designed for its signature look but also to help the sound from a wide array of performance productions carry throughout the hall with clarity and depth. (If you are specifically interested in design, architecture, and production, the Hult Center offers a monthly, one-hour tour of the facility). 

From the high seats, we could feel the grandeur of the set in full effect, take in lighting design that makes full use of the space, and marvel at highly staged dance numbers. The Book of Mormon was everything – a raucous comedy of minute-by-minute delight with lovable characters, tender scenes, and gentle jabs at the culture.

Afterwards, we headed to the secret alley behind the Gordon Hotel (called Market Alley). I’m not sure how I missed this alleyway on my past visits to Eugene. It feels like a European-style arcade but with Eugene flair, a passageway lined with local food spots and retail shops.

It’s still wild to me that current college students are into millennium-era fashion, but I had some real Chumbawamba flashbacks at The Racks, which curates and sells all kinds of Y2K garb (think midriff-bearing tees, low-rise pants, logo sweatshirts, and anything that Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan would have been photographed wearing). 

Afterwards, we headed to the nearby 5th Street Public Market, always a must-stop when I am in town. We entered through Rhythm & Blooms, part of the downstairs marketplace, and headed straight upstairs to Mindy’s, a shop for needlepoint, embroidery, and lovers of big buttons (I am obsessed all three) while the kids went to the Elephant’s Trunk toy shop to check out LEGO offerings. 

Just a quick stop back at Handel’s homemade ice cream in the alley for a couple of cones and we were ready to hit the road. That look on my teen’s face? Shock. He had ordered a single scoop.