Portland has this thing about “keep Portland weird” seems to work for them, and I would say I agree. About Portland anyway.
But Eugene is way more than a smaller version of PDX…it is…Unique?
No unique is really isn’t quite it – I mean after all we have a full size University here a member of the AAU, and a pretty good football team 8 years out of 10. Eugene is a very complicated place for being so small. And then you add Springfield in.
But we also have “The Whit,” better known perhaps as the Whitaker Neighborhood.
“The Whit” that is the eclectic neighborhood that runs several blocks east and west of Blair street for 8 to 10 blocks north.
Its a heady mix of old neighborhoods, industrial plants like Ninkasi Brewing and old school industrial areas like the planing mills, amazing restaurants and clubs like Sam Bonds Garage and add in a few also mysterious alleys that pop up in various places,
So this is a a neighborhood that needs a straight up great bakery, restaurant, and coffeehouse!
Initially The New Day might seem a little out of place on Blair street, with restaurants and bars and brewing businesses already.
But think of the New Day Bakery really as more like an “Oasis of Food” in an area that already has a lot going on.
What I really liked was the colors…a riot of them in the mid spring! Flowers, sunny colors on the walls, and a new patio just completed!
And the neatly trimmed grounds and welcoming patio was a real treat.
The big sign by the front door is the mission statement: Welcome
Look carefully at the neatly trimmed tree in the center of the photo. What is going on there anyway?
Inside the New Day did not disappoint. Friendly and knowledgeable staff had coffee that was in the top five percent of all americanos that I’ve ever had. Generous coffee flavor, but mellow and not burned or acid tasting. Just the way I like it!!
Very spacious area for sitting and working the internet, and a good selection of baked treats and other great food. Everything extremely well kept and clean. A wonderful respite from a sunny but cool spring day.
Every day was some kind of special lunch food, a very wide selection! Today was black beans and rice plate.
But I had already decided upon the oven roasted turkey sandwich with the carrot salad on the home made bread.
I made one little error, I ordered fried potatoes, thinking “french fries” Well a little different from what I expected, but I did manage to finish them all off!
The only problem is that The New Day is a World Cafe, and also a bakery, so there are quite a few temptations. All made from scratch and baked here on site.
The oatmeal raison scones…too good to miss..And then the cinnamon rolls…still warm from the baking pan…might have an adverse effect on my low carb diet plan..
Lots of interesting artifacts and interesting decor in the New day. Makes me want to spend the day just enjoying the coffee and great home made food.
One of the most dangerous areas for diners and coffee drinkers was the “day Old” table.
Here every thing that had not sold on its production day was neatly packaged in bags, and marked half price or less.
This is extremely dangerous as the “cheapo” DNA throughout my body was in conflict with the “reduce carbs” DNA, and is was a terrible fight!
The New Day Bakery and World Cafe is open from about 7 am to 9 pm every day.
Watch for me with the Americano and the scones next to the window in the last booth.
I would give The New Day Bakery and World Cafe four and a half Heywillamettes because of the great quality of fresh food they strive for, the easy parking I always seem to find right in the area, and the friendly and knowledgeable staff they have. Well done New Day Bakery!
Hey Willamette Valley 