New Year, New Digs

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It’s official! Starting on Monday, January 7th, my co-bartender Scott Butler and I will be officially heading up the bar at Bel Ami, located in the Midtown Marketplace at 1591 Willamette Street here in Eugene, right across the street from the bar where I learned to mix cocktails all those years ago.

Bel Ami logo

This is a great way to start off the new year, and we’re excited to be working with everyone at Bel Ami. In the 3-or-so years they’ve been open, they’ve done a tremendous business and built up a loyal clientele. Now they’ve graciously allowed Scott and me to step in and run their bar and infuse it with our own sort of, uh, charm. We’ll be continuing our education and exploration of classic cocktails, modern flavors and timeless techniques.

Midtown Marketplace logo

Owned by local track hero and businessman Roscoe Devine, Midtown (and Bel Ami) is already at the top of the list in Eugene for their perfect coffee, an incredible selection of wines, the finest food, attentive service, and elegant atmosphere. Here’s to hoping that we can help make the bar an even more enjoyable place than it already is.

The bar at Bel Ami is open at 4:30, Monday-Saturday. Scott and I hope to see you there!

22 Replies to “New Year, New Digs”

  • Dear Jeff, Does your bar have live music? The reason I am asking is because we perform as a fingerstyle guitar & percussion duo as shown on my site at GuitarSolo.com … click on the links there for sound tracks (CDs), gig performances, weddings, etc.. We primarily perform my originals and some classical to modern day acoustic (two guitars: acoustic and classical), and would possibly like to perform at your bar. I’ve played at many venues in Oregon since I moved here in May 05. Check us out when you have time, and please get back with me. Thanks, Bob

  • Lisa and Lori says:

    Hey guys! Lori and I will definitely be visiting you at Bel Ami, but you may have to share us with Tim at the Wine Bar (We still love you the most though!LOL).

  • Chris, we have a whole bunch of fun scotches for you to try, but not the Portwood yet.

    And Siobhan, I’ll most likely see you in Portland very soon!

  • Siobhan says:

    Congrats, boys! I’m a bit late to the game on reading up, but I just returned from a trip to Mexico. Don’t cry for me. 😉

  • Chris says:

    Hey Jeff and Scott – Congrats on the move! Melissa and I will have to stop in sometime soon. Your new digs don’t come with the Balvenie Portwood (or any other Balvenie than the Doublewood) does it??

    See you soon.
    Chris and Melissa

  • Heath: Great to hear you’re still around, I look forward to making you a cocktail in the near future.

    Angie: Sorry to have provided the third in what sounds like a long series of twarts, but I assure you our new location is more than permanent.

    See you both soon!

  • Angie says:

    Hi Jeff,

    A few words about traveling, cocktails, and your new locale.

    After a long holiday break in a land devoid of fine cocktails, we returned to Portland on New Year’s Eve in search of a Sazerac and a fine Manhattan. We shook off the 737 cobwebs and headed straight to the Teardrop Lounge only to find them closed for a private event. We then dropped down to the Park Kitchen and found a similar sign in the window.

    After two cocktail thwarts, we headed straight to Vaquero on Jan. 2 only to find…thwart number three.

    No Jeff. No Scott. No “New Old-Fashioned.” The initial word at Vaquero was that you were on “hiatus.” I realized after a few minutes that this hiatus was permanent, but was relieved to find out that it was only a permanent break from 5th Street Market.

    I look forward to seeing you both in the new location soon.

    Congratulations.

    Angie

  • Heath Hutto says:

    Enjoy your new digs, then–I’ll stop by whenever I’m in town, and Bel Ami has the advantage of being more in the middle of my Rennies/Davis/Soriah run.

    Also, I stopped by El Vaquero a week or so ago, and while I was sorry not to see you, was pleased to see the Dark and Stormy on the menu.

  • Lance J. Mayhew says:

    I am SO tempted to embed a certain link in my comment, but I won’t. Suffice to say, google “bel ami” and you’ll be quite amused.

  • Karama says:

    A bar is only as good as the people
    tending it…and the two of you are the best! The drinks were great and
    you guys have a way of making patrons feel appreciated and comfortable. The space suits you well. Great move!
    Thanks for an enjoyable evening.
    (See..I can be nice sometimes!!)
    See you again soon:)

  • mike says:

    Hey Jeff and Scott –

    Angela and I missed you guys at El Vaquero tonight!! We will have to stop by Bel Ami to try your Spanish coffee at the new place.

    Mike

  • Congrats, Jeff!

    Best of luck in the new venture!

  • canary says:

    as always, excellent. you already seemed at home there. very classy bartending at a classy place!

  • Marleigh says:

    Congrats! It must be the gigantic four-leaf clover belt buckle that cinched the deal.

    Now that you’ve let that Pappy Van Winkle bit slip, I’ll never be able to keep the boyfriend from dragging me up to Eugene for a visit.

  • Thanks, Jeff. Although there are more than a few out there who would take you to task for the term “geniuses”, we’ll take it in stride and remind you that we carry the Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve – the 20-year.

    Hope to see you soon, at 4:30, of course!

  • Jeff Frane says:

    Congratulations on the move, although I’ve heard that the bar itself is smaller than your previous location, making it even more difficult to get close enough to watch you two geniuses at work. Maybe the only way to do that is to show up at 4:30.

    Kind of a scary photo . . .

  • Dominik, if you ever make it to the Eugene, your drinks are certainly on me.

    And Jimmy, we always tell people that we’re “Partners. But not ‘partners’, more like cops. But not like the cop from the Village People”

  • Jimmy says:

    you guys are “just friends,” right?

  • Dominik MJ says:

    Congratulations – the change of the working place is anytime a bold one!

    All the best and a lot of fun!

    Unfortunately I won’t come in 2008 to Eugene – but if I’ll find a way to work in the US I’ll find a way to come to Eugene…

    Cheers!

    DMJ

  • canary says:

    I was just there the other evening & heard the news. Congrats!! I’m so glad you two are staying together. 🙂

  • Jacob G says:

    Perfect coffee and great cocktails? Likes it! Congrats on the new gig.

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