Nib Modern Eatery

I’m sorry NIb, please don’t go.
I should’ve been better. I should’ve called and stopped by more often. Maybe then, this wouldn’t have happened.
I enjoyed you so the few times we met. You started with such inventive, playful desserts. Then you opened it all up with savory dinners that weren’t so much uppity as experimental in a culinary way, trying to give us the best combinations of ingredients to excite our palates. We only enjoyed pasta night once, and I thought it was the best pasta and the best deal in town. How could I have ignored you after that? I understand, you need to move on.
Now your doors are closed. I can’t return to such an authentically Parisian bistro experience, enjoy your friendly service or fine wines.
Please forgive me. If you ever reconsider, call me.

Well, apparently my fears about Nib becoming overrun with tourists were unfounded: run quickly (as in the next day or so) for dinner, as this month is likely their last.
I’m so saddened by this loss. Nib, maybe you were too cool for us after all.

Can’t recommend NIB enough… it’s really cool, a crazy-​modern-​fun take on mainly Spanish influenced food. Short menu, with off-​beat choices (specials on the day I was there included frog legs and lamb/​sweetbreads; who knew this would go over well in Eugene?).
The service is great… I threw myself on their judgment, and told them I’d been at the track meet all day eating crap, and asked them so what should I eat? They agreed, don’t eat any more crappy food today! They brought me a wilted escarole salad with chorizo, white beans, a sweet sauce followed by a (room temp) duck confit with kale and a raspberry sauce… all really good.
This trip got me into a new (for me) and interesting Eugene neighborhood, there are a few other interesting looking restaurants… I’ll be back!

We had a fantastic brunch at Nib, starting with a wonderful bloody mary that was served at the ‘spicy’ level with a pickled green bean. This is one of the best bloody marys I’ve ever had. Of course the oakshire beers on tap were a welcome addition too.
We had brunch appetizers, if such things exist, of the fresh donuts and toast with rhubarb jam and sheeps’ milk. The donuts were excellent, with just enough heft and density without being heavy. I didn’t think the chai dipping sauce added much to them, but it didn’t detract either. I loved the sheep milk, which was also in my main dish of rapini, along with fennel sausage, carrots, and a fried egg. I wasn’t sure how to eat this whole thing, but it was delicious in any combination I had.

I don’t know what everyone else is raving about this place. It was disappointing overall. The ambiance and external factors were fine; it was a bit dark for me though. Our plates tasted okay, but for what they were charging I thought it was overpriced. There is no variety. Their menu was not updated (and I’m talking about the one written on the chalkboard!). I will never come back to this place. Save your money and appetite for someplace else.

What a charming little restaurant! I brunched there after stopping by a couple of nights prior to have a look at their menu – it looked so delicious, I couldn’t leave town without eating here… so I didn’t.
After anticipating brunch for a couple of days, I must say that it exceeded my expectations. I have to say that I just particularly like cute little places like this – family owned, locally sourced ingredients, and plenty of personality. The service is great. It is what I imagine it would be like to have some dear friends who happen to own a nice restaurant host you for dinner – professional, sure, but also friendly, inviting, and comfortable.
But what, you may ask, of the food? The food is delicious! I couldn’t decide what to order, because everything sounded good. Our server provided some helpful suggestions, and I was lucky to have a brunch buddy so I could try two entrees. We also ordered the doughnuts to start out, which I highly recommend if you, like me, have a hard time deciding between savory and sweet breakfasts. They were perfect little bites of fried doughy goodness with a suble, perfect glaze… so delicious with the coffee. Honestly, we kind of wanted to move in and eat there every day. An outside patio will provide a nice place to enjoy some outdoor dining once the weather cooperates – and some added space in this small restaurant. Definitely worth a visit, whether you are a visitor or a local.

First off, the price listing on Unilocal is incorrect. Only on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays are their prices between $ 7 — $ 14 (Which is what I would consider $$). Me and my husband went on a Saturday night for their dinner service and paid over $ 35 for two dishes. I would consider that more towards a $$$ rating (I am comparing based on numerous other places I’ve eaten at from Unilocal).
When we arrived to Nib, it was yet again one of the restaurants that I scoured Unilocal to have a lovely dining experience at. Unilocal had advertised a free wine with pasta plate offer for checking in. Incorrect. We were told that the offer was only valid during pasta nights, which were on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. This was not listed on Unilocal,and needless to say we were let down.
The two dishes we ordered were Cod with aubergines, and Clams cooked in white wine. The cod was well portioned and the presentation was fantastic. I only wished that I could have said that about the cod itself. It was under seasoned and could have used another minute or two on the pan. The aubergines (Brinjals, or eggplants as Americans refer it to) were a tad on the tough side and could have used a few more minutes in the fryer itself. The clams my husband ordered were cooked in white wine and in a tomato broth. The clams itself were well cooked, but the broth tasted burnt. The bread that they served to eat with the clams was a little chewy and was not anything to boast about. Presentation was lovely, but again the actual taste was lacking.
The ambiance was very warm and inviting, and was what perhaps warranted such high expectations from the diners. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. As such, the interior and décor of Nib was that which exuded quiet sophistication and fine foods. A diner seated to our right was also heard mentioning that the steak that he had was disappointing when his bill arrived. It is safe to say that Nib failed to meet our expectations.
It is sad, but when we were first seated, I wanted to love this restaurant, and left sorely disappointed.

Updating this review with the cliched, «Oh, I wanted to love you!» We’ve had brunch at Nib a few times and have generally been satisfied with the experience, but not blown away. We’ve highly anticipated dinner based on Unilocal reviews and took my Dad who was visiting from out of town, in the hopes that it would be a highlight of the trip or at least a great diversion from our typical visit to Belly.
We ordered the clams with soffrito and brussel sprouts with bacon confit. The sprouts were tasty and a fine portion size (but not as good as Belly’s winter brussels). The clams were very tasty and the carmelized onions were a nice addition, but I sure wish there were more. I think each of us had three or four clams between the three of us. And they took forever and a day to come out. As did our entrees. It seems like they had a dinner rush and were terribly understaffed. Dad and hubby ordered the hangar steak. It was a nice portion size but my dad felt it was a little overdone and I found my bite fairly chewy. The black trumpet mushrooms were an unusual touch. My cod was… interesting. It was very nicely cooked and I liked the tiny scallops that were scattered over it, but the pairing of a vinegar-​y carrot sauce and the pickled veggies were all too briny for me.
After dinner, our check came promptly with some miscommunication. I had to ask for dessert. We had macerated prunes, an interesting puzzle of chocolate cake, and an apple and cinnamon rice pudding with quince and a lemon cake. But no one offered us coffee. Over the service, while friendly enough, just wasn’t adequate. Dinner was served at a European speed and it was a good thing we had no where to be. At any rate, dessert was tasty and unusual and came closer to my Nib expectations of yore but we left feeling underwhelmed. We do look forward to returning to try one of their pasta nights because it’ll give us another chance while hitting the pocketbook lightly.

Nib is always a culinary delight! Shane, the co-​owner and cook, is inventive and brings a refreshing twist to the Spanish-​inspired menu. The rabbit paella is a melt-​in-​your-​mouth, savory dish that I can’t resist. Tiffany, co-​owner and front of house manager, makes fantastic drinks and provides superior service with a smile. The restaurant has an intimate feel without being pretentious and the small, knowledgeable staff consistently provides excellence service.
Spend an evening at Nib and you won’t be disappointed. Great for a special date or for a family meal on their budget friendly Pasta nights!

This is one of my favorite places to eat I ever. They had a fois french toast with apricot desert that was a orgasm in my mouth. Their pheasant was moist and flavorful. The pork belly was excellently balanced with the dressing on the dandelion greens and the beans. Their brunch menu included chorizo rice stuffed squid that had great texture and kick.
Lets put it this way: I love variety, even to the point of excess. But after eating at on Friday, I came back on Saturday, and then did brunch on Sunday.
The service was wonderful, especially the proprietress, who was friendly, and very helpful, with personalized recommendations based on what I had said about the pork belly the night before.
Really an unmitigated fantastic dining experience.

I love this place, and would eat here all the time if they put more vegetarian dishes on the menu. I’m not vegetarian, but my wife is.
I also like to get their emails every week with menus and specials, and admire that they run coupons for other businesses in the WHIT. But again, if there’s nothing my wife will eat on the menu (aside from the chocolate), I can’t go.

I think Jeremy H’s review below is a really spot-​on. Some of the food is good enough that this place merits 3.5 stars, but their menu changes so frequently I can’t recommend any specific dishes.
I’ve been twice with my girlfriend and we found some dishes to be smash hits and others to really miss the mark. That usually isn’t such a huge deal at most comparable tapas places b/​c the dishes are so reasonably priced, but the high prices here kind of make the poor dishes stand out more than usual.
The deserts/​savory dishes are generally pretty good, but it’s not that much better than what you can get next door at sweet life.
The atmosphere in this place is a little yuppie for Eugene, but the last time we went there they had shuffled around their tables to make the seating a little more comfortable (the first time we were awkwardly placed at a table for two in the middle of the floor, but very close to a table along the wall… kept getting bumped in to and didn’t feel very private at all).

Really I’d like to rate this restaurant at 3.5 stars, but half stars don’t seem to exist here. Rounded down to 3 because of some disappointing dishes and interesting no-​substitution hand slaps.
Hit or miss on the dinner menu. Went to the restaurant with 4 of my friends. Between all of us, we shared a good sampling of the menu. We all agreed some items were really not for us, and some were really good.
For example, my girlfriend and I shared the squab served over absinthe risotto… Squab was wonderfully cooked and flavored. However, when I took a bite of risotto I felt like I was Vincent Van Gough about to see the green ferry. It literally tasted like straight absinthe.
The cotechino sausage wrapped in steak was phenomenal. Thoroughly enjoyed savoring every bite on my way to devouring that entire plate.
The desserts were pretty good with some minor issues. Great chocolate dessert called something like «pure #10» on the menu. Wish it would’ve come with more ice cream and less fudge, but surprisingly enough the waitress brought us out an additional scoop when we asked! That was very nice and it hit the spot. Only surprising because we couldn’t try the squash ice cream with the butternut squash dessert (different but okay).
Pretty good service, but the no substitution policy seemed randomly implemented. Some great dishes with some not so great ones as well.
I would recommend this place only to someone who promised me that they will not order the absinthe flavored risotto bird nor the orange juice flavored beet ravioli.

My boyfriend and I had an absolutely wonderful experience for dinner here the other night. We found the dishes to be creative and tasty.
We sort of went all out, and ordered the beet salad (the root and greens were served), wild boar ribs w/​polenta, pesto pasta with chanterelles, and the sausage. (Menu changes all the time though, so don’t know how much this will help!) It was all fantastic. Highlights of the meal were the olive-​tomatoey sauce (in the Italian style I was told) that dressed the boar ribs, the pesto pasta which was delicate and flavorful, and the execution of the beet salad, which was perfect.
We also got the «Pumpkin» dessert which was very small bits of roasted apple, pumpkin walnut bread, some sauces, and pumpkin ice cream presented on a long rectangular plate in a very «modern art» deconstructed style. It was interesting to look at.
Wine was also great!

I have to say, I was really excited to go here. My friends and I had the intention of sharing a bottle of wine and some desserts.
Then I saw the menu.
The prices were astronomical for the amount of food that is served. Sure, I understand that it’s a fancy restaurant, but I’m not anorexic.
Please, please, please put something more on my plate.
Another thing, my friend wanted the melon sorbet trio and also wanted to try the cucumber sorbet. She asked to have one of the melon sorbets substituted with the cucumber, and the waitress bluntly stated that she doesn’t think the chef will allow that.
I think the request was reasonable and could have been easily done. I understand that a chef may have specific ideas and tastes s/​he is trying to create, but that substitution seemed simple enough.
I think the people around us were really enjoying the restaurant if it means anything to the reader.
Oh, and the décor was nice.
Probably won’t go back, but only because it didn’t fit my style.

As Ellen eluded to, Nib is a wonderful, quaint, and cozy gem tucked away next to Sweet Life Bakery. This place has been on my radar for sometime now but I always seem to forget about it. Finally it hit me today when my gf and I decided to go out and enjoy a lovely Sunday brunch together.
When we arrived to Nib’s we noticed a very empty restaurant and waitstaff looking a bit bored. But we were shown a table in their «courtyard» where other customers were already out there enjoying their meals. Tables were small, and spaced limited (both indoors and outdoor). The limited space makes for a cozy and romantic place for couples or very small groups.
From what I’ve heard from friends who have eaten here that it was a foodie’s delight in Eugene. And my friends were right! With a huge array of dish selections on the Sunday brunch menu we were treated to a foray of international inspired dishes. Who’d ever think to find ingredients such as foie gras, pork confit, stuffed pork w/​chorizo, duck w/​cherries in a brunch menu??? A hint of sophistication and skill is found in each of their dishes. Plating & presentation was beautiful and simple, the food was wonderful and delish! Albeit the only problem was portions were rather small. Even though the prices are decent for the ingredients you are getting, getting a small side to go with the dishes would’ve completed the meal. Diners might consider ordering a starter or two prior to getting your main course (s). Dishes are made fresh daily, the menu also changes every so often too. It was a shame to not be able to enjoy the blueberry compote french toast w/​mascarpone as they were all sold out when we got there.
All in all we were both very impressed with Nib and hope to return for dinner and dessert! If you are looking to get a culinary and foodie experience in Eugene without having to hit one of the bigger known places and paying for it I highly suggest going to Nib for that meal!

The menu is not at all extensive and the choices are more sophisticated than what I normally grub on, however I enjoyed having dined at Nib. On my last visit to Nib, I was lost in ecstasy after having tasted my BFF“s chocolate drink… dear god, it was pure joy lingering in my mouth. Before that, I enjoyed the cheese plate which featured three varieties: a sort of blue cheese, a creamy cow’s milk spread, and a delicious goat’s. It came with beautiflully thinly sliced apples and crackers. For my entrée, I had their amazing maitake and orzo and had a couple bites of my friend’s gnocchi which included a fern fiddlehead… I never knew that was edible… it tasted better the next couple days as leftfover, but I wasn’t all that jazzy about it the first time. Though we were totally satiated with our stomachs fully extended, we couldn’t help but risk our gastrointestinal comfort to the quaint establishment’s tempting desserts.
Each dessert plate was presented elegantly. My friend opted for the decadent chocolate plate dessert (The Pure), which I happily finished off for her before I immersed most of my senses towards my Lemon Rye… it tasted divine, it looked stunning and its citrusy aroma before it entered my mouth was pleasantly welcomed. Nothing was overwhelimingly sweet or shocking.
Our server was one of the owners, with her husband cooking everything else from scratch. I loved her attentiveness, the intimate setting of the restaurant with its soft lighting, and was also impressed with the fine detail of the takeout boxes.
The bill at the end was a bit steep for a casual dinner, but justifiable since it was a special night having my dearest friend visit me from out of town. In addition, I can appreciate the effort and time that must have taken to cook each item from scratch and beautifully serve each plate,

Went here last night with a group of friends.
The prices were a bit steep but everything was spectacular! I’ve never had food of this caliber before. The pork belly and olive explosions were fabulous.
The mise en place on everything we ordered was absolutely gorgeous!
The service was exceptionally friendly too! The chef came out and made sure we were enjoying our food. We could tell he was proud of his creations.
I’m don’t really have a sweet tooth so I can’t really review their sweets, but the food was stellar.
Would definitely go back :)
Huzzah!

Overpriced. Well, maybe not, but too pricey for me. I appreciate that the owners service this place, but let’s be honest, it’s a pretentious dessert place for people who don’t mind spending an extra 20 bucks on cake. Honestly, I didn’t like the dessert I got: doughnut-​thingys, a lavender/​white choc truffle, and ice wine. None of the items impressed me. They were sugary… that’s all.
Here’s why I think this place has rave reviews: Everyone loves dessert! This is not a reason to give it five stars. It’s not THAT great. Yes they have chocolate… but who cares. You can buy chocolate anywhere. I guess if you love being seen in a hip dessert bar, then it’s worth the stars. But if you care about quality for your money, it is below average.

So simple it’s hard to believe. Chocolate and Wine. The experience grows from there. I didn’t know it was possible to get so much out of so little. That goes for building as well as the food. These two decadent foundations are the beginning of a culinary adventure that is hard to quit at Nib.
This tiny little spot in the Whiteaker neighborhood, soon to be known as the «it» spot for desserts in this town, is easy to overlook if you don’t know what to look for. The miniature dining room is tucked behind Sweet Life and couldn’t be anymore different in their approach to dessert. Where Sweet Life is over the top pastel and candyland extrovert, Nib is the dark sultry intimate friend waiting to teach you something about the culinary art of flavors.
Van and I have been in several times now and can confirm our initial impression of some wonderful things happening in their kitchen. The presentation is simply beautiful. We started simple with wine and drinking chocolate with a charcuterie plate followed by a plate of petit fores. We have since moved on to the artisan chocolates with the highlight being an amazing lemon and basil savory chocolate that blew us away with the intensity of flavors in just two bites. The beignets served on New Years Eve and at brunch are so light and delicious the dipping sauces almost overpower them.
The owners of Nib have set the bar pretty high and we look forward to experiencing some more of their creations as this place gains momentum.