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Palace Coffee Roasters plans to open its fifth — and possibly final — retail location within the next year. It will be in downtown Springfield. Plus: Blu Mist returns after a two-year hiatus, the annual Grilled Cheese Experience is ongoing; and a beloved food cart is closing by the end of February.
“On the Fly” is a column highlighting Lane County’s latest food and drink news: comings, goings, events and more.
After closing two years ago, modern Thai restaurant Blu Mist reopened Feb. 10 at a new location in north Eugene.
Blu Mist ceased operations at its first location, 1400 Valley River Drive, in January 2024, stating the closure was temporary until a new location was secured.
The menu brings back traditional favorites (pad thai, khao soi) alongside fusion dishes (adding pear to green papaya salad, lemongrass to clam chowder and making tom yum a pasta dish). Diners will find gluten-free and vegan options, as well as impressive dessert and cocktail menus.
If you go: Blu Mist is at 2840 Crescent Ave., Eugene (formerly home to Los Potrillos Mexican Restaurant). It’s open for dine-in or takeout from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday; and noon to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Happy hour is 3 to 6 p.m. daily.
What else is new?
Palace Coffee Roasters’ Springfield cafe in the works
Palace Coffee Roasters plans to open a cafe in downtown Springfield, just off Main Street and kitty-corner from the PublicHouse.
Details are slim, but founder/owner Lisa Truelove aims to open the cafe within the next year. It will likely be Palace’s last retail location, “unless the perfect drive-through comes along,” she said.
Truelove owns the Springfield property under Truelove Properties LLC and has been roasting beans there for four years. Palace Coffee Roasters built a reputation for directly and sustainably sourcing, roasting and brewing quality coffee beans, alongside scratch-made pastries, cookies and breads. It currently has four locations.
Moss to open cafe at former Poppi’s location
Downtown Eugene is getting a new cafe thanks to Moss Culinary Studio.
Owners Katie Moss and Cody Owens, who founded Moss in 2025, announced their key-jangling news on Instagram and aim to open their brick-and-mortar cafe in May. Moss Culinary Studio will be at 992 Willamette St., where Poppi’s Anatolia operated until it moved to 5th Street Public Market as Poppi’s Greek Taverna.
The seasonal menu “will be an extension of what we already offer at Lane County Farmers Market,” Moss said in an email. The menu celebrates Willamette Valley produce, meats, dairy and grains with simple, well-executed dishes such as yogurt and granola, sandwiches, soups, salads and a rotating selection of cakes, cookies and savory pastries.
She wants Moss to be “a place people can stop in daily, whether for a quick coffee or a lingering lunch.”
Kingdom Koffee brings Russian flair to south Eugene
South Eugene’s newest coffee shop has purple walls, premium coffee from a California roaster and house-made piroshki. Kingdom Koffee just opened in the former home to Off The Waffle on south Willamette Street.
“My main desire was creating a space for people to hang out, collaborate, create and just feel welcome and seen,” owner Jessica Kalashnikov said. “And of course, good coffee.”
The airy shop makes coffee drinks with roasted beans from Yuba City-based Steele House, the owners of which are friends with Kalashnikov. The piroshki, leavened hand pies typically filled with meat (Kingdom currently offers sausage/mushroom and beef/cheddar), are a nod to her husband’s Russian roots. You’ll also find house-made scones, brownies and muffins.
As for the Ks: “We spelled Koffee with a K because of our last name,” Kalashnikov said.
If you go: Kingdom Koffee is at 2540 Willamette St., Eugene. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mexican grill to open at former Hawaiian restaurant in Eugene
Romulo’s Mexican Grill is opening its third location — and its first in Lane County — at 1777 Coburg Road in Eugene. The eatery sits at the corner of a shopping center where Chacha’s Hawaiian Grill once operated.
Romulo’s, which has two locations in Douglas County (in Sutherlin and Riddle), announced the new location on Facebook in early February, stating it would open “soon.”
The grill offers hefty burritos (including breakfast), tacos (crispy, soft and rolled), tortas and popular specials such as carne asada nachos and quesabirria tacos.
By the way, Chacha’s Hawaiian Grill is back as a food truck after a brief hiatus.
Last call
Nosh Shop to close, sell food cart after seven years
February is your last chance to nosh at Nosh Shop, a beloved food cart known for its fish tacos, fish and chips, cubanos, poutine and much, much more (owner Brian Pruett said his mobile business cranked out 150-plus menu items over the years.)
Pruett is planning to sell his cart and will post it to Facebook Marketplace “very soon,” he said on his business page. Nosh Shop will be open at the M. Jacobs Furniture parking lot at Eighth Avenue and Olive Street in Eugene until the end of February.
Bo’s Wine Depot owner closes Whiteaker store, jazz bar
Boris Wiedenfeld-Needham is leaving the Whit — but not Eugene. The Whiteaker neighborhood location of Bo’s Wine Depot closed earlier this year, and Nero, his adjoining wine and jazz bar, isn’t far behind. The bar will host its last Valentine’s Day (by reservation only) Saturday.
Wiedenfeld-Needham told The Register-Guard last week that he wants to reopen Nero closer to the University of Oregon as an all-day cafe.
Bo’s Wine Depot’s south hills location in the Edgewood shopping center remains open.
Food events and happenings
Grilled cheese for a cause
The Grilled Cheese Experience is running all of February, with dozens of participating Lane County food establishments bringing unique takes on the classic sandwich.
The annual fundraiser benefits Food for Lane County, with $2 from every sandwich going to “fight hunger in Lane County,” per the nonprofit food bank. Want to scope out the goods? Check out the cheesy cheat sheet that lists participating restaurants (and their grilled cheese takes) by municipality.
The Slow Food movement returns to Eugene with new chapter
Slow Food USA, a national nonprofit dedicated to “good, clean, and fair food for all,” is back in Lane County after a decade of dormancy. To celebrate, members of the Slow Food South Willamette chapter are hosting an informational potluck at Osteria DOP later this month.
The new chapter is led by Osteria DOP chef/owner Rocky Maselli, forager Katie Neall and Vanessa Salvia (yes, the former food correspondent at Lookout Eugene-Springfield). They aim to improve access to healthy food, reduce waste, celebrate food traditions and connect consumers to the people who grow, harvest and cook their food.
If you go: The Slow Food South Willamette chapter is hosting an informational potluck on from 3 to 5 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 22, at Osteria DOP, 1122 Oak St., Eugene. The organizers ask that attendees bring a dish and their own utensils/plates, if possible.
February is Oregon Truffle Month
As one of the country’s — and world’s — most prominent truffle-producing regions, it’s no surprise that Oregon has an annual festival dedicated to the funky fungus. The Oregon Truffle Festival takes place every February, which was declared Oregon Truffle Month by Gov. Tina Kotek last year.
The festival hosts several events throughout February, and it recently held the 11th annual Joriad North American Truffle Dog Championship in Eugene (more on that soon).