Off the Waffle

One of the quirkiest places to grab breakfast in all of Eugene has to be Off the Waffle, a waffle joint that serves only liege waffles. No syrup required! These waffles are thick and soft on the inside. So the age old question is, "is Off the Waffle all hype?"

I have ventured to this establishment twice and they are doing VERY well. So well, that they just opened another location in downtown Eugene! Whenever I have gone to the original location, there is always a ton of people squeezed into the small eating area and even the outside area. Table hunting is not on my list of things I want to spend my morning doing, but if the waffles are delicious...it is well worth it.

The first thing you will want to try upon going to Off the Waffle is there freshly squeezed orange juice. We were watching the girl in the kitchen tirelessly shove orange through the juicer, her hands must have been ridiculously itchy.

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice [$2.50]

The following waffles were shared among my friends and family, so I got to try a little bit of everything! I have to say, I prefer their sweet options over their savory...but that's just my personal preference.

The Beloved Bully [$6.25]
(Belgian chocolate chips, strawberries)

The Sweet Funk Machine [$6.00]
(pear, gorgonzola, cinnamon, local wildflower honey)

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy [$7.00]
(sunny-side up egg, bacon, real maple syrup)

The Fruit Party [$6.75]
(strawberry, pear, banana, and whipped cream) 

The Fruit Party [$6.75]
(strawberry, pear, banana, yogurt)

Cyclops the Greek [$8.25]
(kalamata olives, tomato, caramelized red onion, feta, egg, spinach,
homemade tzatziki sauce, olive oil, smoked paprika)

The Giuseppe [$6.00]
(Nancy's yogurt, banana, walnuts, coconut flakes)

Out of all these waffles, my favorite was by far the Beloved Bully (I know, I know, I'm boring). I think the fact that the flavors in the Beloved Bully were so familiar, I could appreciate the actual flavor and texture of the waffle itself.

Now would I recommend this place? Yeah, I guess. As you can tell I am not SUPER excited, but it is a fun place to visit with out-of-town guests. This place embodies the vibe of Eugene for an affordable price. The waffles are small, so small that many people argue that the portion is way too small for what you pay. I am someone that can accept paying higher prices for higher quality, so this doesn't bother me THAT much. I am a small eater, so a waffle any bigger would have been too much for me anyway.  A part of me does feel that this place is a little overrated, only because their waffles aren't over-the-top memorable and delicious. However, I do feel like you should try this place at least once if you are in Eugene, just to say you went...but if the there is no seating and the line is really long, there are other options in Eugene much better than Off the Waffle.

Noisette Pastry Kitchen

On a rainy Eugene day just like any other, Natsumi and I decided to go to Noisette Pastry Kitchen, located in downtown Eugene! Okay, to be honest, I had been planning for us to eat there for like the whole week prior. I heard rave reviews about their pastries and new that it would be a wonderland for our stomachs, and cameras.

Upon entering, the first thing you notice is their huge open kitchen! You can see people rolling dough, forming crusts, etc. It is so neat! Especially for a pastry buff like myself. They have all their ingredients and tools out, nearly spilling into the eating area. The vibe was also very inviting. It had a very minimalist cafe feel. The tables were propped on barrels, and there were only a few customers just relaxing, reading a book, having a conversation, or enjoying a fresh cup of coffee.

The service at the counter is really attentive. Everything looked so fresh, I had such a hard time deciding. The goodies on the far right were all pastries (like breakfast/lunch) and the goodies in the glass case were desserts.

Natsumi and I started off with some savory brioches because it was almost lunch time, but they hadn't brought out the other lunch options such as flatbreads and sandwiches. They were super tasty and fresh! I got the goat cheese brioche and Natsumi had the sausage and cheddar cheese brioche. Mine had a fluffier texture, while Natsumi's had a crunchier texture. Natsumi also got an almond macaron which was ridiculously cheap and incredibly good.

Goat Cheese Brioche [$3.25]

Sausage & Cheddar Brioche [$3.25]
and
 Almond Macaron [$0.50] 

For dessert, I got the strawberry tart and Natsumi got the chocolate mousse cake. I loved mine to the moon and back because I am a sucker with anything with custard, crust, and fresh fruits. It is my perfect dessert. We almost missed it too! We were going to order and then I spotted something red from inside of the kitchen. I was like, "WHAT IS THAT!?" and the rest is history! The pastry cream was incredibly light, the strawberries incredibly fresh, and the crust incredibly buttery. A little pricy, but the presentation was so cute and the flavors were so amazing. I felt like I was in France!

Strawberry Tart [$4.75]

Strawberry Tart (inside)

Okay, to be honest, I am not a super fan of chocolate like some people. I'd rather have a fruity dessert. But this cake was so light and fluffy! The mousse was soft and the cake was moist. Melt in your mouth good!

Chocolate Mousse Cake [$4.25]

Chocolate Mousse Cake (inside)

I would HIGHLY recommend this place! Most people in Eugene automatically go to Sweet Life Patisserie, but I feel like more people should try out this cute little joint. It has a more "natural" or "hipster" vibe to it than Sweet Life. Sweet Life has a more elegant feel to it. Noisette Pastry Kitchen is a place you should go to if you want to have a relaxing breakfast or brunch with a nice cup of coffee, and Sweet Life is a place to go if you want desserts. The variety of sweets at Sweet Life is incomparable! But hey, who am I to say what's better or worse!? Try both and form your own opinions!

Larry's Cupcake Cafe

My friend Brian had told me about this new cupcake place that he had heard good things about, and I knew we had to go there immediately. Now this place isn't your typical "make it just for kids" type of cupcake place, they actually make such sophisticated flavors (some involving alcohol) that would only target adults. It is located in downtown Eugene, conveniently close to the Saturday Market.

The impression I got of this place upon entering through the glass doors, was how organized and clean it looked. So different from the typical Eugene way of haphazardly decorating with whatever "hipster" decorations can be scavenged from yard sales.

I had heard things about their cupcakes and their cream puffs, so I knew I had to get both. As a way to both taunt my boyfriend and show him that he's always in my thoughts, I decided to get the "Apple Pie Surprise" cupcake, because apple desserts are his favorite.

(Left) Raspberry Cream Puff [$0.75]
(Right) Apple Pie Surprise Cupcake [$3.75]

White Chocolate Marionberry Cupcake [$3.75]

Tiramisu Cupcake [$3.75]

Mocha Madness Cupcake [$3.75]

Very Berry Cupcake [$3.75]

Each cupcake was filled with a surprise of some sort! Not to toot my own horn, but I believe I made the best choice with mine. The presentation of the cupcake was adorable, and I love how the frosting piped so that it looked like an apple pie! The cream puffs were also amazing! The cream wasn't heavy at all, but it still had the strong flavor of raspberry. The puff pastry was beautiful crafted to be amazingly soft and fluffy. They also had a buy 3 for $2.00 deal. Although the cupcakes were pricier than what you would normally pay for a cupcake (standard $3.75 price), I believe that "gourmet" cupcakes are worth every penny. Larry's cupcakes were particularly moist and creative. Best I have had in Eugene so far. Would recommend to ANYONE.

Larry!