Less than two months since opening its heavy wooden doors, Grit has experienced wild success. Located within the historical Shamrock building off of diners’ dream Blair Avenue and in the vicinity of other Eugene talk-of-the-town hotspots such as Izakaya Meiji, Papa’s Soul Food Kitchen and Mame, the local boom comes unsurprisingly. Already sporting a large social media and highly rated Yelp following, it appears as though chef proprietor Ashley Hawkins and her farm-to-table, slow food philosophy may be settling to stay.
The slow food movement, already popular in Eugene but still spreading, places emphasis on locality and freshness, ethical agriculture and regional community within kitchens and on plates. Its name means to contradict and oppose the eating lifestyles that many Americans might have grown accustomed to.
Check out the restaurant’s Facebook page for an album following the piecing together of the heavy wooden dining tables, direct from local lumber. The rustic, homey interior makes for a unique and warm dinner date spot and the lively wrap-around bar near the entrance caters well to the night scene with a chef-selected wine list and innovative herby cocktails like the “Fennel Fizz,” which consists of vodka, fennel juice, fennel syrup, lime and orange.
Combining western comfort foods with modern-tuned cooking techniques, Hawkins builds her menu with locality and seasonality in mind. Expecting consistent menu items? Don’t. The menu items change weekly, sometimes nightly, depending on what’s accessible and fresh at the time. The Chicken Gizzard Confit with pickled chantrelles and plums happens to be a feature of the restaurant, however.
Popular starters, always available, include oysters with mignonette, house made bread and butter, and a changing selection of savory cheeses and meats for the charcuterie. Salads, like this last weekend’s chicory featuring hazelnuts and a lemon boquerones (anchovy) dressing, also change often based on seasonality and availability. Prices for the small plates range from about $7 to $13.
“I’m from Portland, so I’ve had good-ass food,” said waiting diner and proclaimed slow-food movement enthusiast Connor Burns. “And this is good-ass food. This is my third time here, and I don’t repeat visits to restaurants often.”
Burns’ favorite meal to date?
“The chicken and dumplings are ‘grandma status,’ and I promise that’s a good thing,” he said.
A good thing it all must be: many exiting customers express joy and fulfillment following their new Grit experiences.
“Try the four course meal!” said enthusiastic Whiteaker native Jessica Medina as she was leaving the restaurant with her fiancé. “The items are featured for a reason, honestly.”
Weekly changing and seasonally inspired, Chef Ashley features a four course meal every night for $35. This last weekend’s: a gem salad of radishes, herbs and a lemon poppyseed dressing; a cheese squash and turmeric soup; a main-course rabbit ragu pasta; and for dessert, a chocolate buckwheat cake with a honey raspberry sauce.
Medina’s favorite?
“As if I could tell you,” she said with a laugh and a satisfied tummy pat.
Curious about vegetarian and vegan offerings? Take a look at the weekly menus at GritKitchen.com, and check out Eugene’s new upscale slow food dining experience for yourself at 1080 Van Buren St from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Make reservations at 541-343-0501.