Agate Alley

Agate Alley Bistro opened up here in Eugene about 4 weeks ago right next to 19th St McMenamins on the corner of 19th and Agate. I have been by about 4 times now, mostly for cocktails.

There is a restaurant side and a patio, but I have spent all of my time in the lounge. The atmosphere is cozy but trendy, and the somewhat eclectic menu ranges from mac 'n' cheese to porcini (this is a mushroom) ahi (tuna). Of course I had to order both. The cocktail menu has clearly been thought out and designed to keep up with the craft cocktail trend with concoctions such as the Marionberry Mint Margarita and of course Jeff Morgenthaler's Richmond Gimlet. I went with the Hemingway's Lament, a concoction of rum, maraschino (Luxardo liqueur), grapefruit, lime juice and lavender syrup. I think this is a nicely constructed cocktail, well balanced sweet and sour flavors. The maraschino is bold and the lavender is subtle.

The ahi puzzled me a little bit. Granted I have not traveled the world eating seared ahi, but I have always seen it served seared, sliced and plated - just like sashimi would be served. What I got though was two pancake sized pieces seared only on the outer ring - as if an ahi equivalent of a prime rib roast had been seared and carved. It tasted pretty good, but by the time I got to the center of the cut, I was eating chunks of raw tuna with no condiments.

Mac 'n' cheese was delicious. Walla Walla onions add a sweetness to the sharpness of the Tillamook cheddar cheese sauce. Great texture, I really liked this.

Overall a cool place, especially for the location. If you're on campus and want a cocktail, Agate Alley is pretty much unrivaled. Open until 1am, it's a pretty strong late night snack option as well.