Restaurant Review - the Vintage in Eugene, Oregon

The Vintage is located in a lovely old house on Lincoln Street in downtown Eugene. It features homey d�cor, with seating on two levels, and also a garden courtyard, with vines and flowers surrounding the diner. Owners Shannon Richie and Megan Knode opened The Vintage in February of 2006; they had previously had a sandwich cart business in downtown Eugene.

The Vintage offers regular fare such as burgers, sandwiches and salads, as well as breakfast dishes, but what makes the restaurant special are their crepes and fondues. Fondue is only served after five, and is available in both small and large sizes.

On a recent trip to the Vintage, we started with a Caesar Salad, which was fresh and crisp, the dressing tangy with lemon and anchovy. While the others in our party ordered more standard bar drinks of scotch and gin & tonic, I tried the Vintage's Rosemary Martini - a lovely and refreshing drink served in a tall martini glass and garnished with a sprig of the fragrant herb. The Vintage doesn't skimp on their drinks or the alcohol in them - the drink was big and it was strong!

For our main dish we ordered the large fondue using the Swiss cheese. The fondue is also available with Jack, or with Beer Cheddar cheese. The fondue came with small chunks of sourdough bread and fresh vegetables. The large was quite enough for the three of us, especially since we ordered the Chocolate Fondue for dessert. The dessert comes in either milk or dark chocolate (we ordered dark) and was served with pretzel sticks, fresh strawberries, cheesecake pieces, and mandarin orange slices. It was the perfect end to the meal.

The Vintage is also famous for their crepes, light and airy with various sweet and savory fillings. They offer quite a few vegetarian options on their menu as well.

The Vintage offers a full bar, located on the ground floor of the restaurant, and also local wines by the glass or by the bottle. They feature drinks unique to the Vintage, such as the Lava Rock, a martini made with Midori and coconut rum, served in a martini glass with Pop Rocks on the rim. It's a popular place for weekend brunch, and fills up quickly, so be prepared to wait for a table.

The Vintage is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays, 9 a.m. to midnight Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. They are located at 837 Lincoln Street in Eugene. Their phone number is 541-349-9181.