About Eugene's Downtown

Last Friday, I had the pleasure of dining at the Red Agave Restaurant prior to attending Hal Holbrook's presentation of Mark Twain at the Hult Center.

The ambiance of the restaurant was open without being like a warehouse. The noise level was quite low and we didn't have to shout to be heard. The wait staff was attentive and responsive. Then we come to the food. The Red Agave explains, in their words: "We create a unique cuisine derived from daydreams of Oaxaca, Havana, Buenas Aires and myriad places in between."

The restuarant is located just up the street from the Eugene Amtrak Depot at 454 Willamette St. If no other parking is available, there is plenty of pay to park at the depot.

We started with an exceptional Caesar Salad with a very tasty dressing. My companion had the Lamb Birria served with red cabbage, dried cherries and root vegetable escabeche. And, although they had duck and venison on special, I opted for the Columbia River Salmon, accompanied by butternut squash, brussel sprouts, lobster mushrooms and a chipotle lobster sauce.

We finished the dinner with an excellent flan that had a sneaky kick as an aftershock. All-in-all, an excellent dinner.

Following that, we enjoyed Hal Holbook's presentation. I think that Hal is probably about the age that Mark Twain was at the time he was being played. One of the quotes from the play that showed me that today's politicians were the same 100 years ago as they are today. "Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."

If you get a chance to catch the Holbrook play, do it. If you are interested in an excellent dining experience, try the Red Agave. Here is their website.