BAR PILOT

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

Happy Hour of the Week

Civilized eats and atmosphere at Accanto

Posted by: Caterina Purves on Aug 06, 2010 at 03:00PM 0 Comments

Accanto is the little-sister cafe adjacent to decadent Italian eatery Genoa on SE Belmont. It’s in my neighborhood, and I walk by its large, scenic windows all the time, staring in at the tall, mirrored wall of liquors behind the stark wooden bar. I’ve even eaten there once—brunch, at the boyfriend’s behest. The atmosphere is convivial—quiet, low-lit, stylishly bistro-esque—and the food is decent: delicate, reserved, well made with fresh ingredients. So why can’t I bring myself to truly like you, Accanto?

Happy hour is daily from 3-6, weekdays from 9-10, and weekends from 10-midnight. Not bad. The nighttime stretch gives us working stiffs a decent window, which is great because honestly, if I have to rush to choke down a drink by 6, I’m not going to bother. Unfortunately, the menu isn’t particularly bountiful, with seven very civilized bites (i.e., small and painstakingly plated) ranging from $1.50 to $6; craft pints on draft (Everybody’s, Walking Man, Hopworks) for $3.50; “happy wine” (red or white) for $5; and a house-infused cocktail for $5. Last night the special happened to be gooseberry infused bourbon mixed with apricot puree and lemon juice, garnished with lime. Cue “danger” music.

Frankly, I’m not a whiskey gal. But by that time I had already decided that I wanted a cocktail, dagnabbit, so despite my belly’s brown-liquor dread, I ordered the daunting concoction. And guess what? I liked it. A delicious intro-to-bourbon drink, I decided. If you’ve had the Bye and Bye at the Bye and Bye, it tastes quite a bit like that—though less gut-wrenching and drunk-making, given the fact that it’s got only one spirit instead of two (and isn’t served in a jar the size of my head).

The boyfriend opted for the red, a light and refreshing Sangiovese that we both liked. Not being particularly drawn to any of the food items, like the marinated olives ($2) or the tomato, mozzarella, and rapini panini ($5), I ordered the “happy” soup of the day: a summery vegetable number, warm and broth-y with squash, kale, and zucchini, garnished with, to my best estimate, toasted baguette slices and shredded Parmesan cheese ($5). I wasn’t thrilled, but I also wasn’t disappointed.

Although it was only about an hour before close when we arrived (just in time for happy hour, naturally), and there was no exterior lighting, the server, rather hesitantly, let us sit outside. In retrospect, I think she made the right choice, because the boyfriend and I ended up getting into a heated philosophical debate about geometry, which probably would have disturbed the pristine nature of the indoors.

Not only did the server’s sound judgment win her points, but she was also very attentive at our table, and at the nearby table populated with Baby Boomers. And she was cute. I like places with an attractive wait staff—what can I say; I’ve got a well-developed aesthetic. Plus, her cute, trendy appearance was a great match to the cute, trendy décor.

Accanto’s not a bad place; it’s fine. I should like it and it’s not that I don’t. I think it’s the middle class, middle-aged bistro patron that fails to titillate me. God knows why (cue sarcasm). Accanto, I’m sorry—It’s not you, or your thoroughly modern fare, it’s me. If you want me back, you can find me down the street at the Vern, where I can yell about mathematics to my heart’s content.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Cocktails, Craft Beers, Cheap Eats

Happy Hour of the Week

A Lucky Strike indeed!

Posted by: John Chandler on Jul 29, 2010 at 11:00AM 7 Comments

The awesome avocado shake.

A recent broiler of an afternoon found yours truly and his special lady friend parked and panting in the patio at Lucky Strike on SE Hawthorne. It shares the old Masonic Temple that also houses rowdy all-ages venue the Hawthorne Theater, occupying the former India Oven slot. The interior is dark and chummy, and the ceiling is painted a glitzy gold. A contented Buddha statue adorns the corner bar, a homey touch I’ve missed since the closing of Hung Far Low.

The Happy Hour (3-6 and 10-close) menu is a hoot. Under the “Drinks” section it reads, “Well drink, very good version $4.” To put this pronouncement to the test, my girlfriend ordered a screwdriver, which is her well standby. Since she used to tend bar herself, she can be awfully fussy about her cocktails. After an experimental sip, the verdict was in: “This is the best screwdriver I’ve had in years. Certainly the best one I’ve had since I moved to Portland,” she opined.

Any joint that actually takes a measure of pride in the preparation of its well drinks deserves a high five. In my experience, the Happy Hour well drink is about as enjoyable as casket shopping with an elderly relative. A fleeting splash of bathtub gin, a quick spritz from a sticky gun, and presto! You are the proud owner of a beverage fit for a Sterno-drinking hobo. I usually consider it a victory if my gin and tonic doesn’t cause blindness, insanity, or eat a hole in the table. Lucky Strike FTW!

Whilst my lovely inamorata happily lapped up her screwdriver, I ordered an avocado milkshake ($8 for the version with a healthy pour of gold rum in it) and several small plates of chow ($3-5). The shake is actually kind of fun to drink, and it comes with a huge bubble tea straw for power slurping. Imagine a silkier version of mashed potatoes (except with avocados) merrily blended with a dollop of yo-ho-ho juice. It’s a spendy concoction, true, but slugging it down is time well spent.

The better-than-average drinks at Lucky Strike are a bonus, ‘cause its raison d’etre is the sizzling Sichuan entrees. Our plate of green beans ($5) was so crowded with lethal red peppers that it put us in a Yuletide mood. The beans were perfectly cooked with just the ghost of a snap left in them. It’s also fun to share a plate and battle your companion with chopsticks to see who gets stuck with the most infernal beans.

Guinness pork ribs. Smoky, sweet, salty, and soul satisfying.

The Guinness pork ribs ($5) are a smoky-sweet sensation, like meat candy on a stick. The Dan Dan noodles ($4) are practically smoldering with chili oil, but even so, the ground pork and scallions are not overpowered. And the Kung Pao chicken ($5) is tangy, hot, and refreshingly uncluttered—just chicken, peanuts, and the devilish Sichuan peppers—with no superfluous veggies (e.g., baby corn). Have I mentioned that the presence of baby corn in Chinese food makes me fly into a white-hot rage? Well, now you know.

Just to prove I’m not totally in the tank with Lucky Strike, I will say that the service is a little lackadaisical, though friendly and gracious. The place seems understaffed, but if the crowds keep queuing up, I would imagine a “Help Wanted” sign will soon be in the works. And in a city where decent Chinese food is harder to find than a yeti in the Sahara, that’s definitely a good sign.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Cheap Eats

Happy Hour of the Week

Picks and Pans at Cafe Nell

Posted by: John Chandler on Jul 16, 2010 at 01:00PM 16 Comments

Remember in those old Warner Brothers cartoons when Wile E. Coyote would almost catch up to the Road Runner—right before the latter took off in a blinding burst of speed that left the road aflame? Well, now you have an idea of how fast I want to get out of the office today. The sun is out, there’s a beer fest going on, and I still have to iron my cargo shorts.

Since brevity is the soul of wit, I will recap my Happy Hour visit to Cafe Nell by describing its various components as either rocking or sucking. Besides, our analytics indicate that in the kingdom of short attention spans, it’s best to get right to the point.

IT ROCKS: Happy Hour eats are varied, inexpensive, and plentiful. Particularly applause worthy was the herb omelet and french fries ($4); the tangy barbecue bacon slider ($2.50) and the fried onion and pickle slider ($2.50). The head-on collision of spicy mustard, crunchy onion slice, and dill pickle was totally Einstein.

IT SUCKS: The Old Bay Peel and Eat shrimp ($5) had all traces of the sea boiled right out of them. Anyone for packing peanuts?

IT ROCKS: The Tom Collins (gin, lime juice, and club soda, $4) was perfectly executed. This old lady staple was tart and bitter, and it absolutely annihilated a Sahara-like thirst. It’s brawnier brother, the John Collins (same except bourbon instead of gin, $4) was surprisingly genteel, and equally well crafted.

IT SUCKS: A cute little cocktail called the Kozy Kitten (vodka, peach puree, maraschino, vanilla, and soda) was one of the all-time worst beverages I’ve ever sampled. A tablemate described it as “vanilla toothpaste” and I can’t improve upon that. For all we know, it’s still sitting on the table, three-quarters full. Poor kitty!

IT ROCKS: The service was speedy and super efficient. A waiter who can gather up a deluxe load of dirty crockery and take a complicated drink order at the same time is a real pro.

IT SUCKS: My contempt for Happy Hours that end at 6 PM are well documented.

IT ROCKS: It took the bartender a while to change the keg for a pint of Ninkasi, so they treated us to a plate of lamb skewers with red bean puree (normally $6). The tender, succulent meat was cooked to a turn and the puree was so flavorful we started dipping our fries in it. This is the sort of consideration that inspires customer loyalty.

IT ROCKS: The four of us ordered a barge full of food and drinks, including a whole pan-fried trout with french fries and coleslaw, and we escaped with a bill that came to less than $20 apiece. Despite my fondness for dives, Cafe Nell is a quality dining establishment with bountiful, expertly prepared entrees that are worth every nickel. If you can find a way to avoid the adorably named Kozy Kitten, you will most definitely stumble home stuffed and satisfied.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Cheap Eats

Happy Hour of the Week

Duck into Ducketts

Posted by: John Chandler on Jul 09, 2010 at 09:00AM 9 Comments

Photo: John Chandler

This must be the place.

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This must be the place.

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Words to live by.

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The obligatory interior shot.

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The sun is starting to set on the patio crowd at Ducketts.

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Let me tell you about our specials.

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My perfectly serviceable quesadilla.

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Two-man band Ardis Udder, part of the evening’s entertainment.

My band had a show last night at a North Portland venue that I was unfamiliar with called Ducketts Public House. Believe it or not, their Happy Hour lasts from 4 till 9 pm Monday-Friday so I was able to get in on the tail end of it. This report has less to do with the specific deals ($2 well drinks, 50¢ off drafts—pretty standard really, as Dr Evil would say) and more to do with the place itself, a clubby little punk-rock sports bar that hasn’t really found a regular crowd yet. IMHO, this works to its advantage; a bar should be a place where everyone feels welcome and as I kept an eye on the broad cross-section of humanity ambling in and out the front door my heart warmed to this little neighborhood dive. Either that, or I forgot my Prilosec when I ordered the chili cheese fries ($5.95).

Ducketts, situated within spitting distance of PCC on N Killingsworth, is a snug and clamorous hive (three TVs, pinball, video crack, live music starting at 9:30), that fortunately empties out into an equally cozy patio that feels like one of those postage stamp-sized parcels affixed to a condominium for your (minimalist) barbecue and entertaining needs. Rather than feeling uncomfortably close to that table full of baseball capped college students simultaneously yammering away about how much LeBron sucks, you feel inclined toward good will and bonhomie. After all, this is somebody’s party, you’re all invited, so belly up and relax. Clustered in various convo pods nearby were boisterous Latinos, a black dude on his cell, peroxide punks, skaters, a few nervous squares, and one old hippie with an open shirt who seemed incredulous and offended that my band wasn’t going to be playing anything by the Doors.

Oh, and there’s a ping pong table if you feel up to it. Had to conserve my energy for playing the bass last night, otherwise I would have happily thrashed the house.

At the moment, owner Dustin Berkholtz is the only staff in sight, and he’s remarkably efficient. Bartender, server, cook, busboy, and restroom supply guy all rolled into one, he still manages to perform all these duties in a timely manner, never leaving a customer hanging at any of his stations. I appreciate hustle, and Berkholtz seems to be a relentless dervish of task handiness. Gotta hand it to him.

There are craft beers on tap (Ninkasi, Rogue, Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas), but they feel out of place here. Instead, $5 pitchers of PBR and Rainier (one of my favorite blue-collar brews; sturdy and reliable) flow like Type O from a freshly nipped jugular on True Blood. Eeew! Sorry, I didn’t get much sleep last night.

There are menu curiosities I didn’t get a chance to sample (steak and baked potato, $9; mac ‘n’ cheese bites $4; bowl o’ chili $3.50; jello shots $1) but I can report that the quesadilla ($5; $6 for chicken), the service, and the prices were all a-ok. Tall boys of Tecate for $2? Here’s a twenty. Keep ’em coming.

Ducketts is still a nebulous entity, a nascent hangout waiting for that one clique to claim it and plant their flag. Frankly, I hope none of them does. You’ll never learn anything drinking with the same ol’ slobs. No offense, drinking buddies.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Beer, Cheap Eats, Live Music

Happy Hour of the Week

Idle pursuits suit Mash Tun

Posted by: Logan Buckley on Jun 25, 2010 at 10:00AM 2 Comments

The need for exploration drives us to relentlessly seek out new places; our desire for adventure causes the heart to beat stronger, faster, and sometimes, at the moment of discovery, to stop. Sorry to say that discovering the Mash Tun Brewpub will not cause your heart to stop, but it may, for a moment, fill you with the same sense of wonder you had as a kid when you found a rad treehouse or abandoned fort in the woods—an unexpected oasis to while away a summer day.

Tucked away in the Alberta Arts District between two of the more bustling zones of the strip, the Mash Tun has a perfectly serviceable Happy Hour for frittering away an afternoon in the company of a satisfying array of suds and snacks. From 3-6 pm Monday thru Friday patrons can satiate themselves with $3 house micros and well drinks. For the real deal, pop in on Tuesdays when house brews are only $2.50 during Happy Hour and pitchers are $8.50 all night long.

The main entrance is just off Alberta on 22nd Ave, seemingly hidden for those with eyes that are naturally accustomed to searching for likely locales to escape the traffic and sidewalk throngs. The lofty ceilings with numerous skylights and dotted with hanging plants complement the airy open floor plan and “local, sustainable” vibe. Follow the breeze to a sizable covered patio spiffed up with a mural of copper mash tuns nestled against a vivid backdrop of mountains. The overall effect is like being suspended well above terra firma.

After dutifully goggling at the scenic splendors, it’s time to replenish the inner man. When hunger strikes, be advised that the Happy Hour selections at Mash Tun are decidedly mundane, but thankfully well executed. Familiar foodstuffs generously portioned—fries, hummus, nachos, a burger, and salads—are all priced somewhere between $2.50-$6. Nothing earth-shatteringly spectacular, but no obvious bum steers either. Citizens worried about the specifics of what goes into their body, should rest assured that most of the ingredients are locally sourced. And peckish vegetarians will be thrilled by the number of entrees, including a vegan BLT sandwich. Mmm. Fake bacon.

When sifting through the six unfiltered, unpasteurized, and unprocessed directly-from-the-holding-tanks house brews on tap, don’t miss the Sam Jackson Pale Ale or the robust Razorback Red, both of which have the basic template of balance and flavor down pat, and also possess a bit more spice and soul than the darker offerings. There are also guest taps from Lagunitas, Ninkasi, and Anchor Steam, if you aren’t willing to root for the home team.

Speaking of which (soul), there is a well-stocked free juke for your sipping soundtrack playlist. Free pool, free wi-fi, darts, and a bookcase of games and reading material round out the entertainment options, but here, idle pursuits seem to be the activity of choice. You can practically feel your blood pressure ease downward while seated next to Mash Tun’s decorative waterfall leisurely mulling over your next pint.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Craft Beers, Cheap Eats

Happy Hour of the Week

Groovin’ at the Blue Monk

Posted by: John Chandler on Jun 18, 2010 at 11:00AM 4 Comments

Gambling is a fool’s errand. Intellectually, I know this to be true but sometimes the idea that I can beat the odds seizes me uncontrollably—usually with disastrous results.

I was looking over the cocktail menu at erstwhile jazz bar the Blue Monk on SE Belmont when my eyes fell upon a drink named after former Cincinnati Red great (and now disgraced degenerate gambler) Pete Rose. The drink contained vodka, Red Bull, and grenadine, a dismal proposition at best. The ingredients were followed by a challenge: if the customer can roll a 1, 2, or 3 on a six-sided dice, they are entitled to the top-shelf vodka of their choice. If they roll a 4, 5, or 6 then they must content themselves with well vodka. I was hooked.

The bartender, knowing a pigeon when he sees one, ambled over with the die and said, “Go for it, Mr. Lucky.” I rolled a 5. Bottom shelf, here I come. Pete Rose tastes like a glass of sickly sweet tonic water that came from the Dollar Store. The house always wins.

Aside from learning a bitter lesson about the evils of gambling, I happily mark down the excursion to the Blue Monk as one of my more successful Happy Hour campaigns. Happy Hour is from 5 till 7 daily (all day on Sunday), and if you’re willing to move yourself downstairs to the basement bar (they need the upstairs for the dinner crowd, I’m guessing), you are entitled to an extra 60 minutes of discounted goodness. The downstairs bar has free pool, a TV tuned to ESPN, and a stage for low-key serenades from local combos. Upstairs everything is blue and the walls are populated with several portraits of hepcat pianist Thelonious Monk (hence the name).

There is a healthy selection of food priced at $5.50 during Happy Hour, and everything ordered up by my party of miscreants and troublemakers earned a thumbs-up. I punished a zesty chicken parmesan sandwich, smothered in melted cheese and marinara, served on a robust crusty roll. Around the table, the beet salad, pasta primavera, and pesto cheese bread (pictured) were similarly praised and disappeared in a jiffy. We didn’t get around to the meatball sub, but a fellow two tables over was lustily tearing into one with grizzly bear gusto. Food-wise, the Blue Monk’s kitchen is by no means an epiphany, but it’s far better than serviceable for folks looking to offset their binge-drinking with some sustenance.

Behind the bar are a dozen worthwhile rotating taps—and as long as the brewery is from these United States, pints are a paltry $3 during Happy Hour. If you find nothing to your liking on draft there are another 50 or so offerings by the bottle ranging from good ol’ PBR to pricey monastic imports. In addition to the Pete Rose—which is more of an object lesson than a cocktail—the 20 signature drinks ($4.50 during HH) are mixed strong and tend to be on the cloying side, though the powerhouse French Connection (Bulleit bourbon and Grand Marnier shaken and served up) is recommended if, for some reason, you’re going to limit yourself to “just one.”

Since the demise of nightly jazz, the Blue Monk has a slightly subdued air, but the confident sophistication lingers in the ace food preparation and lickety-split service. And if you get bored and don’t want to roll the dice, you can speculate about the presence of a dumbwaiter in the corner. But no rides unless you like gambling—and sign a waiver.

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Tags: Live Music, Happy Hour, Cheap Eats

Changes at Sagittarius

And dueling pianos are back

Posted by: John Chandler on Jun 15, 2010 at 11:00AM 12 Comments

There’s change afoot at Sagittarius.

Just a few bits and pieces of pending bar news. Sagittarius, which boasts one of the better Happy Hour menus (rosemary mac & cheese, sliders, fire fries, etc) in North Portland, will be adding some new items as well as a late-night version of Happy Hour from 9 till midnight as part of a general makeover. New owner Chris Costello and general manager Ryan White are both fans of Sagittarius, and White insists the food isn’t going to be changing drastically. “We want to add some vegan options, probably a few salads, meat loaf, and an actual Happy Hour burger for $4.”

White also says they’ve painted the interior—it’s now a darker, more inviting shade of red, which is quite a change from the former atomic orange. And hours of operation will be expanding too, with the bar soon to be open for lunch during the week and brunch on the weekend, as well as staying open till 2:30 in the morning on Friday and Saturday. Oh, and there’s one other change. Instead of Sagittarius, the new moniker will be The Monkey Bar, a changeover which should take place in a couple weeks.

In more melodic news, the grand edifice at 105 NW Third Ave, most recently the home of Pala Fashion Lounge, will soon be reopening as a dueling piano bar. I know this, because I walked by it the other day and it bore a sign that declared, “Coming Soon: Dueling Pianos.” Anyone mourning the demise of Harvey Wallbanger’s and Boogie Woogie’s, two defunct bars that featured dueling pianos, should be ecstatic. As for the Bar Pilot, not so much. I went to Harvey Wallbanger’s once, and found the presence of two obnoxious pianists singing “Sweet Caroline” and “Uptown Girl” to booze-drenched bachelorettes was uncomfortably close to my personal definition of hell.

What’s wrong with dueling strippers, for crying out loud? If anyone has other items of interest from the world of bars, beer, and booze, feel free to unburden yourself here.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Bar Openings, Cheap Eats

Happy Hour of the Week

Victory’s victuals? Very, very good.

Posted by: John Chandler on Jun 03, 2010 at 11:00AM 7 Comments

The dusky atmosphere at Victory Bar suits me. Under the room’s sepia-toned low light, everything takes on a more mysterious caste. The music is in the background where it belongs and the efficient waitstaff come and go on kitty feet. The art of conversation is actually a thing within reach.

This may not be a big deal to most of you, but as someone who’s played bass in decibels-be-damned rock bands for 30 years, the relaxed volume at the Victory is a gift bordering on the princely. It’s a revelation that not a word of artful banter is wasted on my wooden ears. I’ve already ranted and raved about bartenders who can’t live without their Neanderthal playlists blasting the rafters, so let’s just move on to more productive topics.

Between 5 and 7 daily, discriminating Happy Hour idlers can graze through Victory’s $5 food menu, sip $3 well drinks, and take a dollar off the voluminous wine and beer list. More specifically, one can inhale a terrific bowl of spaetzle, which is basically the superior German version of mac and cheese. Loaded with smoky gruyere cheese and topped with crispy shallots, the spaetzle presents adult diners with a devilish problem, namely, how in the world to work through a whole bowl of these gooey noodles without letting out an annoying “MMMMMM!” after each bite. A similar conundrum accompanies the ridiculously rich and pulse-slowing pot de creme.

It’s not on the cheap eats menu, but attention should be paid to the Venison Burger ($10) which one of my comrades described as tasting “like meat used to taste.” Presumably he’s referring to the robust flavor that comes from a creature that’s enjoyed a diet of good ol’ grass as opposed to an institutional regimen of corn and steroids.

There are over 70 intriguing beers by the bottle—Belgium and Germany are well represented—and a rotating lineup of quality taps. There’s much to like beerwise at this SE Division getaway. We suggest you begin exploration immediately.

The two-dozen specialty cocktails are reasonably priced (nothing over $7) and just as generously poured. The cheeky tweaks on familiar names like the Ross Island Ice Tea (gin, rum, tequila, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, lemon, and loganberry syrup) and the Victory Martini (New Amsterdam gin, housemade cucumber vermouth, and garnished with a pickle) are mostly agreeable upgrades. Definitely take a dip into the Safe As Milk … Punch, a head-turning variation on a traditional New Orleans tipple. Your innards may not approve of this caloric confluence of bourbon, brandy, creme de cacao, orange curacao, vanilla, cream, and nutmeg, but your sense of well being will be through the roof. And you needn’t be concerned about the possibility of some influential citizen spying you with such a girlish glass of firewater—remember, the darkness is your friend.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Beer, Cheap Eats

Happy Hour of the Week

Linger over libations at Bartini

Posted by: Caterina Purves on May 27, 2010 at 11:00AM 4 Comments

I’ll have one of everything, please. It may take a while, but I’ve got nothing better to do. Northwest drinketeria Bartini—adjacent to Urban Fondue—sports more than 100 martini-glassed cocktail variants, from the aptly named 007 (gin and vodka shaken with a splash of vermouth and a twist of lemon) to the frilliest of lady drinks (see, oh, perhaps the entire “Decadent” section of the menu). The drink list is so immense that even the least adventurous imbiber will find something they’ll love. With far more than basic boring beer and watery well drinks, Bartini’s happy hour is a staggeringly sumptuous event (4-6:30, and all day Sunday and Monday). So if that’s not what you’re looking for, then read no further. But if a legion of well-crafted cocktails is what you’re after, venture on!

Bartini’s drinks normally fall into the $7-8 range, which is about average for an upscale joint. But during happy hour, the price meets you halfway (because isn’t free the ultimate goal?): all drinks are half off. $3.50-4. For the price of a non-happy hour, palate-numbing gin and tonic, you can order, for example, my personal favorite: the Crème Brule (vanilla vodka shaken with hazelnut, orange, and butterscotch liqueurs and cream, $3.50—go ahead and laugh). It tastes exactly like the opulent custard it’s modeled after, down to the graham cracker crust sprinkled over the top. Mmm.

Two drinks per person is about right, and if you play your cards right, you can get those plus a bite to eat for around $10. Every item on the happy hour food menu looks appealing and tastes even better—from plain ol’ bar stool staple, chips and dip (or, as the menu declares, “black pepper chips with blue cheese dip,” $2), to ahi tuna sliders with wasabi aioli and pickled ginger ($4), to the house special, a pot of smoked cheddar fondue to share with cheese-loving chums ($6-$11.25).

A word of warning, however: Bartini is always busy during happy hour. You may have to wait for a table, and you may have to wait for your drinks. But your patience is rewarded. The staff is friendly (this wasn’t always the case), the menu is six pages long, and the slow pace complements the dusky atmosphere and the velvety drinks. Bartini is like a piece of the Pearl dropped into the upper reaches of NW. It’s ideal for those evenings when you have nothing better to do.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Cocktails, Northwest Portland Bars, Cheap Eats

Happy Hour of the Week

Hop over to the Hop & Vine

Posted by: John Chandler on May 20, 2010 at 11:00AM 5 Comments

As a business model, trying to be everything to everyone is a guaranteed fail—unless you’re Applebee’s, of course. But occasionally someone with exceptional taste and modest ambitions can accomplish amazing things. This is certainly the case with owner Yetta Vorobik and her protean establishment The Hop and Vine on North Killingsworth.

Billed as a bottle shop that features local food and drink, Vorobik has created a charming oasis of comestible culture. Her shop combines the earthy elegance of a rustic French lunch counter, with the bonhomie of a neighborhood pub, and the casually Dockered sophistication of a wine bar. Here you have the option of relaxing with a smartly prepared cocktail from a small, but well-curated selection of spirits. Brew believers will squeal with delight over her six rotating taps and immense selection of craft beer by the bottle, which you are welcome to pop open and quaff on the premises. Vorobik’s discriminating eye extends to a wine collection that features hard-to-find vintages alongside regional varieties that are both palatable and reasonably priced.

OK, that’s all well and good. Now when do we get to the Happy Hour part of our program? It starts at 3 p.m. every day, but it’s especially captivating on Sundays (3-midnight) and Mondays and Tuesdays (3-8). The rest of the week it’s an all-too-brief 3-6.

Ever conscious of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s increasingly fickle ideas about Happy Hour advertising, Vorobik insists you must show up to find out about drink specials, but typically it’s a buck off of tap beer or one of the 20 or so wines available by the glass. Last time I was in, I enjoyed a frothy pint of Laurelwood’s outstanding Work Horse IPA for $3, and there were also pours from Lompoc Brewing, Oakshire Brewing, and Delaware’s renowned Dogfish Head Brewery. If none of the draughts are to your liking, simply reach into the cooler for anything from the Heater Allen Brewery in McMinnville. You won’t be sorry.

The food is light and savory, ranging from a plate of rosemary olives ($2) to bacon-wrapped dates ($3) to surprisingly filling comfort food, like the tomato soup with grilled cheese panini ($5). Currently on the menu there is a Nutella and peanut butter panini with vanilla ice cream for $6 that should make your heart flutter with delight—right before it stops.

At the front of the house there’s an assortment of comfy couches and for summer lollygagging, the Hop and Vine’s backyard patio is as serene as an English garden. The main thing I loved about the place was that I felt right at home about 30 seconds after I walked in. And that might be the best Happy Hour bargain of them all.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Wine, Cocktails, Craft Beers, Cheap Eats

Happy Hour of the Week

Poor Richard’s is an oldie but goodie

Posted by: John Chandler on May 14, 2010 at 11:00AM 5 Comments

Once, while getting bombed at My Father’s Place with writer and rocker Willy Vlautin, we talked about our mutual fondness for old man bars.

“I like drinking with old folks,” he said. “They’ve already done it.” Since we were on our fifth round, I just nodded sagely in agreement rather than ask him to elaborate. His statement makes perfect sense. I would rather listen to tall tales about someone’s glorious (and probably fabricated) past than about unrealized ambitions in the present. I mean, if you’ve heard one hipster tell you about his new Brian Wilson-influenced band with dueling glockenspiels, you’ve heard them all. But listening to a Korean War vet talk about the time he changed the oil in Eisenhower’s jeep? Oh baby.

Poor Richard’s at NE 39th and Broadway is just such an ancient enclave. With “two-fer” steaks, a practice that’s been in place since the Nixon administration, and decor that suggests a disco-era IHOP, Poor Richard’s is a good spot to find the ghost of family dining. Grammy and Grampy treating the kids’ kids to root beer floats and French dip sandwiches, with pie and ice cream (vanilla please, none of that sinful chocolate) for dessert. It’s among the last of a dying breed.

The Almanac Room is Poor Richard’s sporty little bar, a drinking den for grizzled, blue-collar types. From 3–7 pm Sunday through Friday, loungers can swill puissant Happy Hour drinks ($3.75 for double wells) and partake of a generous bar menu. You can certainly do a heckuva lot worse than a burger and fries for $4.95, plump and crunchy onion rings for $2.95, and a more-than-respectable Caesar salad with chicken breast for $5.50.

On Tuesdays, oenophiles can get plenty of bang for their buck with glasses of house wine (red or white) for a measly dollar. I’m guessing it’s probably something from the finest vineyards of Des Moines and not a Willamette Valley pinot, but what do you want for 100 pennies?

Yet the mature clientele stands in odd contrast to the $5 specialty drinks listed on the chalkboard to the left of the fireplace. Here you can find such beguiling sorority sister sensations as an Apple Cosmo, a Jungle Love (Malibu rum, banana liqueur, and pineapple juice), and my personal favorite, the Grape Cooler (grape soda and vodka). I’ve heard of old timers entering their second childhood, but anyone ordering from this cloying cocktail list is probably looking for a senior citizen’s Spring Break.

And all too soon, I will become one of them. Closing time is at 10, so you can get home in time to see Murder She Wrote.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Cocktails, Cheap Eats