BAR PILOT

Roll Out the Barrels!

A modest roundup of short subjects from the Bar Pilot bag

Posted by: John Chandler on Sep 17, 2010 at 11:00AM 6 Comments

At the new Cascade Barrel House, no beer will be served before it’s time.

ITEM: I was lucky enough to sample several of the sour beers created by Cascade Brewing’s Ron Gansberg in advance of the opening of the new Cascade Barrel House at 935 SE Belmont St (which should be any day now). And they are incredible. What Gansberg has done with his mix-and-match, cut-and-paste barrel-aging and ale-blending approach is to produce a whole line of brilliantly nuanced beers whose flavor profiles are much, much narrower than the standard lager, pilsner, amber, porter, and stout designations. By taking fresh cherries, raspberries, blueberries, oranges, and apricots, and introducing them to existing ales and then aging them for six months at a time, Cascade Brewing has embraced chaos theory and is on the threshold of establishing a beer-tasting aesthetic that’s going to be very similar to that of wine. More subtle, more organically unpredictable. My prediction? It’s going to be big.

ITEM: Another edition of MusicFest NW has come and gone. The best show I witnessed was the sensational and soulful Bellrays who were a face-melting epiphany as always. And for variety’s sake, it’s hard to go wrong with the evil speed metal of Toxic Holocaust at the Satyricon and the grimy Black Sabbath grind of Red Fang paired with the more delicate sensibilities of a resourceful troubadour like mbilly segueing into Big Freedia’s super-freaky butt-shaking cavalcade.The diversity angle worked in a big way this year.

ITEM: Just had a divine cocktail over at Santeria, the Mexican restaurant that’s attached to Mary’s Club (formerly El Grillo). It’s called Llorona, and presumably it’s named after the Latin legend of the crying ghost woman who haunts river banks searching for her missing child. The drink itself is a spirited blend of horchata (rice milk with assorted spices), cinnamon, and a hefty pour of Hatian gold rum served on the rocks in a pint glass for $7. Poverty stricken citizens may want to opt for the $6 version with Monarch rum, but that’s not how I roll. It’s simple, sweet, spicy, and satisfying, and the ideal accompaniment to a plate of carnitas.

The Llorona at Santeria. Don’t cry—just drink up.

ITEM: A note from retro hepcat deejay Drew Groove informs me that the SE Morrison space that once housed Maiden in the Mist (later abbreviated to the Maiden) just had a soft-opening shindig for its latest incarnation, the Star Bar. Not sure about the menu, but if they’ve got the good taste to employ Drew Groove, then it will be a certain stop on a near-future ramble.

ITEM: A congratulatory shout-out to my pal Michael Carothers and his Japanese bar/eatery Miho Izakaya on N Interstate Ave. They’ve now been open for one year and it looks like the best is yet to come. A Happy Hour report is in the offing. Keep the saké warm!

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Tags: Bar Openings, Craft Beers, Live, NoPo, Cascade Brewing

Something About (Hamburger) Mary’s

Beloved bar and grill returns—to Old Town!

Posted by: John Chandler on Sep 13, 2010 at 01:00PM 9 Comments

Hamburger Mary’s is moving into the old Pasha’s locale.

The new home of Hamburger Mary’s is 19 NW Fifth Avenue, in the former location of Pasha’s Mediterranean Grill, a multi-culti dance club and restaurant. This comes after dribbles and drabs of information were leaked claiming the Portland franchise of this West Coast chain would be located where Bettie Ford’s used to be at 1135 SW Washington, while still another source ID’d the site as 239 SW Broadway, an address that currently does not exist (unless the grand opening is going to be held in the intersection between the Benson Hotel and Northwest Rugs, directly across the street from where I am now sitting).

Longtimers will recall the original Hamburger Mary’s from its heyday in late 70s and 80s as a bustling, gay-friendly greasy spoon that was situated in the block currently housing the Fox Tower. It was one of several satellite locales that sprang from the first Mary’s, which opened in San Francisco’s Castro District in 1972.

But when will it be open? Oh.

I actually discovered the new location when I was attempting to take a friend to Pasha’s for their $7.99 Mediterranean lunch buffet. It was a hit-miss quality meal but it was never crowded and I could always count on a tranquil lunch without being flanked by a pack of yammering yahoos. I’m a little sad it’s gone, but I look forward to dining on fried Twinkies, big omelets, and something called “Buffy the Burger Slayer” at the new Hamburger Mary’s.

Any of you old timers have any spicy tales of Hamburger Mary’s? I only ate there once and I was hungover out of my gourd. I just remember it was called Hamburger Mary’s so it wouldn’t be confused with strip-club Mary’s. Ah, good times.

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Happy Hour of the Week

The Fritos fly at Fixin’ To

Posted by: John Chandler on Sep 13, 2010 at 10:00AM 5 Comments

And now a few words about Fritos and cheap whiskey. Since a respectful amount of time has passed since senior editor Bart Blasengame’s departure from the Portland Monthly masthed, I think it’s perfectly legitimate to pay a Happy Hour visit to his trailer-park-themed watering hole, The Fixin’ To. Located in the rustic heart of St Johns, the Fixin’ To gives Bart B. the chance to introduce the locals to the starchy, unpretentious charms of his Arkansas upbringing.

Establishing a “vibe” can be a daunting task for your average barkeep. We’ve all seen the failures: the random distribution of a few kitschy ceramic trinkets does not create atmosphere—it just makes the place look like a yokel’s garage sale. It’s obvious that Bart spent many of his formative years drinking rotgut in dive bars on the downside of the Mason-Dixon. There’s no other explanation for the presence of so much rotel—cheese dip with chilis and tomatoes—and Fritos that simply must be eaten in the spacious whiskey-tango patio that was cunningly cobbled together from corrugated tin, cyclone fencing, and old doors. Props: he’s also got shuffleboard, the best bar entertainment available that doesn’t involve the removal of clothing.

Rotel makes everything better.

Happy Hour is a low-key interlude weekdays from 2-6 ($1 tall boys of Hamms, Rainier, Old German, and PBR, $1 off wells and specialty cocktails), with enough cheap chow options to pacify even the most cash-strapped citizen. Five bucks will get you three different chip-and-dip options: tortilla chips and rotel or Ritz crackers with either sour cream scallion or bean dip. Portions are thoughtfully divided by size and dietary preferences (vegan, veggie, meat-eater). The chicken and dumplings ($7) are peppery and pillowy and can be served vegan with seitan (wheat gluten) in place of poultry. Both the St Johns Chili Bucket ($7-10, served over jalapeño pudding) and the Frito Pie ($6-9) come with veg options and are probably more food than you can shovel down your pie hole in one sitting, unless you’re one of those competitive eating freaks. After all the snacking there was no room at the inn for Not Your Mom’s Meatloaf ($11), but it looked like a rockin’ prospect as it passed by on the way to another table.

Um, which one lead’s to the Men’s Room?

Bart and his crew do not make fancy, shmancy, cocktails, though they might give it a whirl if you mind your manners. The coin of the realm at The Fixin’ To is brawny drinks with a few unexpected fripperies, like the St Johns Sweet Tea ($6). Here a “good-for-what-ails-you” slug of Old Crow bourbon is blended with sweet tea, triple sec, and muddled citrus, to create a simpler and less syrupy version of the more famous Long Island libation. Old Crow also makes an appearance in the Vacation Bible School ($6) alongside a whole lot of ginger, for a surprisingly refined refresher—surprising because Old Crow is a burning sensation and not a spirit normally associated with polite society.

The Fixin’ To corrals some of the rowdier aspects of southern hospitality, gives them a spit shine and makes them a bit more presentable. And with all the supposed rancor between red states and blue states that seems to be a popular media meme these days, it gladdens my heart that there is common ground for yankee and rebel to roister in our own backyard.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Cheap Eats, NoPo, North Portland Dining, The Fixin' To, St. Johns

MusicFest Gathers Steam

Terrific tunes in store this weekend

Posted by: John Chandler on Sep 10, 2010 at 03:00PM 1 Comments

Photo: Anne Marie DiStefano

The surprisingly sophisticated Sallie Ford.

This is the 15th year in a row I’ve covered this particular rock ‘n’ roll revival. Before it was MusicFest NW, it was called North by Northwest, the Yankee cousin of Austin’s much-ballyhooed South by Southwest festival. And I’ve definitely had my share of Kodak moments whilst gallivanting from club to club (usually the Berbati’s Pan/Dante’s/Roseland/Satyricon/Ash Street Saloon nexus) in search of alluring sounds.

Thursday night turned out to be good hunting. I experienced first-hand the painfully honest, raw-boned folk of mbilly, Red Fang’s murky Black Sabbath homage, Big Freedia’s bouncing behemoth house party at Roseland, and the surprisingly sophisticated twangy torch tunes from Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside.

However, it was LA’s the Bellrays at Ash Street Saloon twho put on a sweaty set of rockin’ soul music that absolutely pulverized the crowd. Picture a testifying Tina Turner fronting a blistering garage band of white boys with the woo-woo’s and you get the picture. Remember the name: the Bellrays. Accept no substitutes.

There’s still an ample buffet of rock to graze this weekend, in particular the lineup at the Someday Lounge tonight, with Boy Eats Drum Machine, Finn Riggins, Y La Bamba, and Typhoon. And you should be able to sprint back and forth between Berbati’s Pan and Dante’s from 11-1 in order to catch Black Prairie, Richmond Fontaine, Thee Oh Sees, and The Gories.

Saturday and Sunday features major attractions like Blue Giant, Laura Veirs, the Decemberists, the Walkmen, and the National at Pioneer Courthouse Square, which makes for a pleasant and breezy change from the lemming lines and wall-to-wall punters jammed into the clubs.

Go! Listen! Learn! Love!

This Just In: Anthemic New York combo the Walkmen will be doing an in-store performance at Music Millennium this Sunday at 12:30. Bring stuff for them to sign!

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Oktober Already?

Beer and brats on tap

Posted by: Caterina Purves on Sep 09, 2010 at 03:00PM 0 Comments

Your weekend to-do list is probably overflowing by now, what with MusicFest NW and the Time-Based Art Festival providing endless opportunities for cultural diversion. But if music, visual art, theater, dance, and film aren’t really your thing (or if you need a break from them), get your belly ready for some beer and brats. I can’t imagine the task will be too difficult.

Annual Widmer Oktoberfest
Widmer’s is the big daddy of Portland Oktoberfests. What, you say? Oktoberfest? But it’s barely September! Well, October’s coming early this year. Last year’s edition of this annual block party saw 5,000 attendees drink 100 half barrels of beer. This year, Widmer will be featuring their seasonal Okto, plus staples like the Hef, Drifter, Drop Top, and Broken Halo by the pint. On the food front there’s bratwurst, chicken schnitzel wraps, kraut, and pretzels, all made by the kitchen commandos at Widmer Gasthaus. And what would Oktoberfest be without the accordion rock stylings of Those Darn Accordions, Irish punk band Amadan, and blues duo Hillstomp? Well, it would be slightly more thematically appropriate, for one, but we’ll just let that one slide.

Lompoc Oktoberfest
If what you seek in a beer festival is something a bit more laid-back than Widmer’s annual shindig, head over to Lompoc Brewing’s Fifth Quadrant for its first ever Oktoberfest. Though they usually throw a release party for their seasonal Marzen-style Lager, this year they’re upping the ante with a low-key festival. Beers on tap will include the lager, of course, along with the usual suspects: their Pagan Porter, C-Note IPA, and Proletariat Red. Barbecuing will be in effect, German-style, so expect sausages and potato salad, as well as a traditional accordionist playing polka tunes.

Fortunately, this weekend isn’t your only chance to partake of an Oktoberfest in Portland. The last weekend of the month will see Oaks Park’s Oktoberfest in all its family fun glory. But if you’re itchin’ to travel and can’t afford a flight to Munich, head out next weekend to Mount Angel for their annual blast, or to Silverton’s Seven Brides Taproom for their Septoberfest. It’s not Germany, but at least it gets you out of the city.

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Tags: Craft Beers, Lompoc Brewing Company, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Oktoberfest

Happy Hour of the Week

Embrace the pleasant at Bread & Ink

Posted by: John Chandler on Sep 02, 2010 at 02:30PM 7 Comments

The scene: the Bar Pilot is eye-balling the Happy Hour menu at the Bread & Ink Cafe on SE Hawthorne. A look of confusion on his mug gives way to one of unbridled horror, as if he’s discovered rat droppings in his granola.

“You’re serving GULF SHRIMP?” I gasped at the waitress.

She didn’t bat an eye. Obviously she and the manager had dutifully rehearsed a response to this particular sticky wicket. “Yes, and it’s delicious,” she replied.

“It’s not … floating in British petroleum?”

“Nope. they’re fresh, clean, and really good.”

“I thought for sure she was going to claim it was a squid-ink reduction sauce or something,” chimed in my drinking buddy Lucy, who takes great delight in any discomfort on my part.

After ingesting a mild sedative, I ordered a plate. Five index-finger-sized grilled prawns with a chipotle and lime aioli for $4.50. Guess what? They were delicious. With the ice thus broken, I began to relax and have a good time. Bread & Ink is a casual, homey neighborhood cafe that morphs gracefully from breakfast joint, to Happy Hour hang, to serviceable sit-down restaurant. It’s also a place that I’ve walked by approximately 98,250 times without stopping in, so I decided to rectify that situation. Good on me.

Gulf shrimp—sans petroleum.

Despite the dreaded 3 pm – 6 pm run time, Bread & Ink delivers just about everything one could ask for in a Happy Hour. Frothy pints of local brews (Hopworks, Double Mountain, Laurelwood) are a sweet deal at $2.50. There are more than a dozen chow options, including a generous plate of curried chicken and cardamom rice ($4.75) and a batch of spinach and ricotta dumplings baked with butter and parmesan ($4.50) that tastes remarkably healthy despite the abundance of cheese. If I hadn’t filled up on the shrimp and chicken, the bacon provolone basil sandwich ($4.75) or the cheesy home fries with grilled onions ($3.25) would have gotten a day in court as well.

On the cocktail front, there are 10 specials ($5-6.50) mostly of the sort favored by soccer moms and receptionists on the down-low (e.g., lemon drops, martinis, and mojitos). The Green Tea Lemon Drop ($5) was a bracing and tasty surprise, as the herbaceous tea gave a jazzy lift to the tart lemon. Sadly, the mango-rita ($5) was too sweet in a vague, undefined sort of way, and not especially mango-ish.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of all was that Bread & Ink has not really established itself on the Happy Hour radar yet, which means cracking good service and a refreshing absence of neighboring yakkity-yak that makes civilized conversation a fleeting impossibility. For sure it’s a good news/bad news situation: good news for us and bad news for Bread & Ink. In any case, I’ve done my part. Yes, the Happy Hour here is more than worth your time. And the gulf shrimp is excellent. Come on in, the water’s fine!

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Tags: Southeast Portland, Happy Hour, Cocktails, Cheap Eats, Bread & Ink Cafe

Spirited Away

Lee Medoff to run Bull Run Distillery

Posted by: John Chandler on Sep 01, 2010 at 01:00PM 6 Comments

Lee Medoff (right), a founding member of House Spirits Distillery, will soon open Bull Run Distillery in Northwest Portland.

Lee Medoff has been with House Spirits Distillery since its inception in 2002 and as cofounder, helped develop some of its trademark potables including Aviation gin and Medoyeff vodka. Now, after establishing House Spirits as a major player in the artisan liquor business, he’s moving to the dark side. With favorable winds and good luck, he’ll open Bull Run Distillery in late November, a fledgling operation that will specialize in “dark spirits” like whiskey and rum. In addition, his own Medoyeff vodka will be part of the inventory.

The new venture is not due to any rancor between Medoff and his House Spirits partner Christian Krogstad. In fact, it’s because of their success that Medoff feels empowered to try something else. “Aviation gin is available everywhere from Berlin to Sydney,” Medoff tells me. “But I think the dark spirits—rum and whiskey—represent the future of craft distilling.”

Bull Run Distillery, like House Spirits, will have a tasting room and retail space open to the public (NW 23rd Ave and Quimby St), and will periodically turn out small-batch artisan spirits. Medoff is installing two 800-gallon stills to up his production numbers. “This way we’ll be able to produce five barrels of rum or whiskey at a time,” he says. As for turning his attention to rum, a spirit much maligned as a fool-proof ingredient for cocktails favored by amateur imbibers, Medoff vows to bring a level of sophistication to his creations.

“Besides, I really like rum,” he confesses. Stay tuned for further developments.

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Tags: Bar Openings, Whiskey, Rum, Local Distilleries

What’s For Lunch?

The Bar Pilot Patty Melt!

Posted by: John Chandler on Aug 31, 2010 at 12:00PM 13 Comments

I feel like I just ate a park bench. This will be my last lunch report from Big-Ass Sandwiches for a while, I promise. But since they did me the honor of naming this week’s special after me, I feel I should acknowledge the effort—especially since it’s friggin’ awesome.

The Bar Pilot Patty Melt is a leviathan of fresh ground Piedmontese beef (tender, juicy, lean) and grilled onions, splashed with caraway aioli, and loaded with a layer of french fries. You have three cheese choices; bleu cheese crumbles, Swiss, and the bechamel sauce. I recommend the latter, because it introduces a slightly smoky element into this highly munchable mess. The caraway aioli replicates the taste of rye bread, a traditional component of the patty melt, and the bechamel, onions, and fries become fused into a glorious, savory sidewalk of starch. I also recommend a change of clothes: the juice from the beef soaks the bread and the normally sturdy Fleur de Lis-baked bun turns into a spongy tortilla resulting in more falling debris than the Hindenburg. I’m ashamed to admit I couldn’t quite finish—don’t you judge me!

Zoinks!

Having a sandwich named after me is one of the coolest things that’s ever happened. How pathetic am I? “That sandwich is you,” said one of my office mates. “Beefy, wry (rye), and really cheesy.” If I’d actually consumed the whole sandwich in one sitting it would have been my epitaph.

Speaking of monster sandwiches, I ate at the Sonic Drive-in in Wilsonville the other day. Glory be! It’s a sinful shrine dedicated to calories, carbohydrates, and carhops, a totally Old School operation like A&W used to be. You order from your car and a waitress on roller skates wheels out a tray loaded with heart-stopping comestibles—a partial menu is shown below. The dreaded tofu wouldn’t dare show its pale face around these parts. I guess what I’m trying to say is, temptation is everywhere. Enjoy your life and I’ll see you in hell.

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Tags: Food Carts, Big Ass Sandwiches

Potions & Notions

The Beer Fashioned gets a day in court

Posted by: John Chandler on Aug 26, 2010 at 02:00PM 6 Comments

The Beer Fashioned—not without its charms.

When we last left our hero, he was contemplating the ambitious and—judging by your responses—unappetizing prospect of spending some quality time with a Beer Fashioned. I’m happy to report that there were no fatalities. In fact, I see great potential there. My proportioning was rather elephantine (too much bourbon, not enough beer), but once the mixture settled a bit, the co-mingling of brown sugar, bourbon, and beer, with just a whisper of orange, proved to be an agreeable combination. The brown sugar and bourbon produced a pleasantly medicinal taste, while the wheat beer added malty notes and, along with the orange zest, provided an unmistakably festive tone. Note: I only had one due to a shortage of bourbon. More experiments to follow.

A reminder to all my drinking buddies that this weekend is the Nano Beer Festival at the Green Dragon. I for one don’t see the point of microscopic beers, but to each his own. I mean, are they served with an eye-dropper? What’s that? They’re not? Imagine my chagrin. This sudsy bash is a chance for smaller breweries (1000 barrels or less annually) like Heater Allen, Fort George, and Upright to bring out their own artisan ales and introduce them to a grateful public.

Finally, has anyone been to the Blue Parrot at 3416 N Lombard St lately? Apparently the name’s been changed to Foggy Notion, and I wanted to know if the bar was named for one of my favorite Velvet Underground songs.

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Tags: Beer Festivals, Cocktails, Bar Openings

The Beer Fashioned

Too much of a good thing?

Posted by: John Chandler on Aug 24, 2010 at 09:00AM 6 Comments

Today’s topic is the Beer Fashioned. What say ye drinking buddies? Thumbs up? Thumbs down?

I myself am insanely curious, so I’m going to drop some science and whip up one of these bad boys and report back tomorrow. This could be the summer drink we’ve all been waiting for! And if I call in sick to work, we’ll know the experiment was a rousing success.

The Beer Fashioned from Claire Thomas on Vimeo.

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Tags: Beer, Recipes, Cocktails, Bourbon

Happy Hour of the Week

3 Doors Down does it right

Posted by: John Chandler on Aug 20, 2010 at 12:00PM 5 Comments

My mercurial moods always get me into hot water. “You flip-flop between crummy little dives and places I can’t afford!” read the irate email. Well, “Justin,” let me see if I can break it down for you. There are times when my financial prospects aren’t so rosy. On those occasions I favor a Happy Hour where a few crumpled bills will fill my rumbling belly and perchance blur my sobriety. When the eagle screams, I believe in stimulating our local economy by disposing of as much of my paycheck on swanky cocktails and small-plate snacks as possible. That’s just how I roll.

A recent trip to 3 Doors Down belongs firmly in the latter camp. It’s a classy spot where I don’t skimp—the food is just too well prepared and the drinks are simply breathtaking. Will I regret my profligacy at some point during my two-week cycle between pay days? A little bit, but the sense memory of the creamy white bean spread or the dazzling eggplant parmesan ($8.25) usually buries any nagging recriminations. It’s a small space, one that’s not conducive to a big party of blowhards, but for small, civilized groups or a romantic tete-a-tete, it’s the bee’s knees.

One of the factors that weighs most heavily in its favor is the relaxed atmosphere. Happy Hour is only available on Sunday and Tuesday-Thursday, but it lasts all night, so you’ve got plenty of time to linger over a brilliant salad of Bibb lettuce, chives, smoked bacon, and garlic dressing ($4) that will curl your uvula. Don’t overlook the house specialty, a penne pasta with vodka sauce and sausage ($8.50) that melds flavors of pepper, ripe tomatoes, and a jab of licorice from the fennel into an entree that will consciously make you slow down while eating it. All the better to savor the ingredients—and make the dish last just a wee bit longer. The Zuppa del Mare ($10) is a zingy seafood stew of shellfish and shrimp seasoned with saffron that tingles all the way down.

Don’t be shellfish! There’s plenty of Zuppa de Mare to go around.

If you turn away for just a moment, chances are there will be a fresh plate of Pearl Bakery’s pugliese bread ($2)—a crusty rustic Italian bread that could sop up an oil spill—when you return your gaze to the table. Nope, they’re not cheap with the bread at 3 Doors Down, and the accompanying Tuscan white bean spread is a subtly piquant gem that should be smeared on anything that doesn’t move.

Lest you think I’m giving the drinks short shrift, rest assured nothing could be further from the truth. In the hands of bartender Matt Stiles, everything from a mundane martini to one of his can’t-miss daily specials is rendered with Swiss-watch precision. Case in point, the mojito, a drink I normally avoid because it’s usually mixed in amateur fashion (too much mint or lime). Stiles, however, understands that a proper cocktail is a whole story unto itself with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Whether it’s the proportioning, the stir, or the dash of orange bitters, Stiles has a gift for weaving the ingredients into a superb three-part harmony of prickly mint, limey tartness, and the light rum’s sweet burn. He’s performed similar sleight-of-hand with virtually every cocktail he’s ever served me—and that’s a goodly number.

The mojito—magic in a glass.

The prices may appear spendy to anyone who’s more used to plunking down a few measly shekels for vulcanized chicken wings at Tuffy’s Tavern, but the value of the overall experience is off the charts: prompt and amiable service, crackling-fresh ingredients, and deftness of execution is not something you find at every hole in the wall.

Adieu, 3 Doors Down! I’ll return in two weeks with a bulging wallet and an empty stomach.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Cocktails

Deschutes Street Fare

Yes, we know the difference between “fair” and “fare”

Posted by: John Chandler on Aug 17, 2010 at 01:00PM 2 Comments

Photo: John Chandler

More than 1500 folks showed up to the Deschutes Street Fare held last Thursday at NW 11th and Davis.

View Slideshow » Photo: John Chandler

More than 1500 folks showed up to the Deschutes Street Fare held last Thursday at NW 11th and Davis.

View Slideshow » Photo: John Chandler

Local nonprofit Morrison Child and Family Services was the beneficiary of the Deschutes Street Fare to the tune of $5000.

View Slideshow » Photo: John Chandler

The jalapeño cheese popper sandwich from Grilled Cheese Grill was best savored with a cold beer handy.

View Slideshow » Photo: John Chandler

The sensational pork and kimchee sandwich came from the Slow & Low cart.

View Slideshow » Photo: John Chandler

The Deschutes beer vendors were definitely hopping on a hot afternoon.

View Slideshow » Photo: John Chandler

Garden State brought meatball-and-mozzarella sliders to the party.

View Slideshow » Photo: John Chandler

Chris Funk from the Decemberists (left) and Langhorne Slim delivered a set of fiery folk tunes.

View Slideshow » Photo: John Chandler

This is a waffle taco from the Flavour Spot with pecans and maple butter. It was sublime!

View Slideshow » Photo: John Chandler

The chilly fruit flavors at Oregon Ice Works proved popular with a simmering crowd.

View Slideshow » Photo: John Chandler

The pizza jockeys at Pyro Pizza kept the slices coming even on a hot evening.

When I first started working at Portland Monthly one of my duties was to attend local charity functions and report on how many people showed up, what went on, and how much money was raised. To be sure, the Portland nonprofit community is second to none in its dedication and generosity, but the events themselves tended to be a mixed bag. For every inspiring evening with bountiful auctions, exciting celebrities, dancing, and five-star cuisine, there was a corresponding night spent chained to a folding chair balancing a plate of rubber chicken while trying to distinguish between the monotones of all six guest speakers.

Well, Morrison Child and Family Services, the leading provider of children’s mental health services in Multnomah County, knows how to throw a proper shindig. A fortuitous team-up with Deschutes Brewing resulted in last week’s Deschutes Street Fare (spelled this way in reference to the all the different “fare” available), a street soiree that featured a whole squadron of food carts, a smart selection of bands, and plenty of Deschutes brews—good thing, ’cause the temperature crept into the low 90s and my thirst for hops hit critical mass.

In my opinion the presence of the food cart contingent was a stroke of genius because it gave a lot of Portlanders who weren’t familiar with these charming chuck wagons the chance to peck at some of the tastiest and most intriguing food around. And judging by the crowds around Whiffies Fried Pies and Garden State sandwiches, it was a very successful introduction. Some 1500 folks dropped by to sample the goodies, bob their heads to the likes of Loch Lomond and Sallie Ford, and $5000 was raised for Morrison’s coffers. Take a look at our web-exclusive slideshow for all the highlights.

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Tags: Food Carts, Craft Beers,