BAR PILOT

Halloween Hijinks

A cocktail and a game for your seasonal soiree

Posted by: John Chandler on Oct 28, 2011 at 02:00PM 3 Comments

Welcome to another frightening Halloween post. This makes number three—time sure flies, huh? Longtime readers will recall my two previous posts (here and here) in which we discussed scary seasonal drinks appropriate for either an impending Halloween shindig or for a night on the couch ignoring the doorbell while stuffing your face with Kit Kats and marinating your mind with a bunch of gory fright flicks.

Here’s a potent one, that’s basically a modified manhattan.

Jason Takes Manhattan

2 oz whiskey
1.5 oz apple cider
2 tablespoons pumpkin ice cream
1 dollop of maple syrup
1 dash cinnamon
Cinnamon stick for garnish
Nutmeg for garnish

Mix ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into martini glass. Garnish with cinnamon stick and/or nutmeg.

But what good is a cocktail without an awesome Halloween party game? I “borrowed” this one from www.drinkoftheweek.com, and it’s ideally suited for watching a whole evening’s worth of hack-and-stack, dead teenager movies. Anything from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, or Halloween oeuvre should work swimmingly. I guarantee you’ll be totally hammered well before the closing credits roll.

Take one drink every time:

• We see the killer but the character on screen can’t.
• The victim runs upstairs instead of out the front door.
• Something or someone darts quickly in front of the camera causing the main character to turn around or look up
• The one black character hanging out with a bunch of white kids gets killed.
• There’s an “omigod” fake scare shortly before a real one.
• One character comforts another and assures them “it’s all over now.”
• Anyone drinks alcohol, smokes pot, or engages in premarital sexual activity

Take two drinks every time:

• The killer is apparently dead but rises to chase and stab again.
• A character trips while being chased through the woods.
• Characters decide to split up rather than stick together.
• A body tumbles out of a hiding place scaring the bejeezus out of still-living characters.
• A character says “I’ll be right back.”
• A cell phone either can’t get a signal or runs low on power.
• A character hides under the bed or in a closet and witnesses the killer murdering one of the other characters.

If any of my drinking buddies have their own suggestions for drinks, games, costumes. hors d’oeuvres, or what have you, leave ’em in the comments section. Boooooo!

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Tags: Cocktails, Halloween, Drinking Games

We’ve Got Spirits!

The second annual Portland Cocktail Week is coming

Posted by: Max Gelber on Oct 03, 2011 at 10:00AM 1 Comments

Hold off on that planned detox for just a little bit longer! Yes, the beer-soaked festivals and events have begun to wind down, but what about the countless variety of spirits that need celebrating? That’s right ladies and gentlemen, Portland Cocktail Week is almost upon us!

For the second year, the Oregon Bartenders Guild is working alongside the Great American Distillers Festival for a booze-filled four-day weekend of spirit seminars, parties and lots and lots of liquor. Did we mention liquor yet? So let’s not do anything too crazy, like trying to get started on that New Year’s resolution to cut back on drinking—put that nonsense off till November.

When I spoke with Dave Shenaut, president of the Oregon Bartenders Guild and one of the founders of Portland Cocktail Week, he emphasized the event is not just for industry professionals, but welcomes all lovers of great cocktails to come and enjoy the festivities.

“[It’s] important to us just to remember, this is for bartenders, by bartenders and anyone who enjoys putting energy into crafting a great cocktail. We want that to be the overwhelming theme of the event.” says Shenaut. “[The] overall goal is to look at Portland as a center for craft cocktails, being on the cutting edge, but also keeping in mind that this is just drinking, just having fun,” says Shenaut. “Don’t want to take anything too seriously.”

With a four days stuffed full of hooch happenings, we’re here to guide you to some of the stand-out events worthy of your discerning palates.

Thursday, Oct. 20 Welcome to Portland Cocktail Week: Dust off the tuxedo or pearls, this year’s festivities are kicking off at Portland’s iconic jazz club Wilf’s. International producer Pernod Ricard will be providing the classically inspired cocktails to help ease you into the smooth buzz you’ll be maintaining for the next few days. You can also mingle with bartenders from over 30 cities cross the country in town to participate at the weekends PDX Cocktail Invitational.

Friday, Oct. 21 Bartenders’ Run to Kick Cancer’s Ass: Hung over? Sorry, we don’t understand this mortal concept, not when there are 4Ks-to-kick cancer in the face that need to be run. Come support Novo Fogo co-founder Emily LaCroix-Axinte kick breast cancer to the curb with this fundraiser, with all proceeds going to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Friday, Oct. 21 Makers Mark Arcade: Makers Mark are taking over Ground Kontrol for what will surely be the happiest of happy hours in the city. Prepare yourself for an evening of arcade-style videogames and pinball, classic cocktails and a more adult spin on arcade food. You can also blame the booze when you lose that 6th round of Street Fighter, we won’t tell.

Sat/Sun, Oct. 22-23 Great American Distillers Festival: The event that inspired all this madness is back for the 7th year. Local distillers from Rogue to Sheridan-based Ransom Spirits, as well as distillers from Colorado, Washington, California, and Vermont will be taking over The Left Bank Annex for two days of showcases, tastings and panels. The Festival also features the annual PDX Cocktail Invitational, featuring some of the best bartenders all over from Miami to Honolulu battling it out for a years worth of bragging rights.

Saturday, Oct. 22 Robots Vs. Humans: With the ongoing battle between man and machine, we have let our domination slip a little bit: robots now have access to our precious Jaeger-Bomb technology. The evil masterminds at MIT will be shipping off some of their robotic mixologists for a head to head battle with Portland’s finest. Come cheer on the human race, or get on the good side of our future mechanical overloads—whichever will help you sleep better at night.

Sunday, Oct. 23 Speed Rack: Come watch the best female bartenders in the city duke it out to find the fastest booze slingers in the Pacific Northwest. This competition, created by and to help better promote female bartenders, will also help raise money for Breast Cancer Research.

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Tags: Cocktails, Cocktail Culture, Portland Cocktail Week

Cocktails: The Price We Pay

How much is too much?

Posted by: John Chandler on Aug 31, 2011 at 11:00AM 14 Comments

Art by Michael Godard

Along with the usual barrage of email requests I get about “the best happy hour,” there are two other topics that erupt with the regularity of Old Faithful. The first is about the presence of children at brew pubs. Me? I’m against it. If parents want to go out for a beer, hire a sitter. Or just leave ‘em in the car for several hours, like my Uncle Red did with me and my brothers. To his credit, he did crack a window and bring us the occasional bag of chips or a Dr. Pepper, so I can’t really complain. This is a subject I’ll no doubt return to at some point in time.

But today’s topic has to do with the price of a cocktail. If I recommend a place like Teardrop Lounge or Secret Society, typically someone will angrily let me know that these temples of mixology aren’t within their budget. Variations of “I’m not spending $10 for a @#$!%?* drink!” is the usual tenor of the response. And I can understand that. Hell, I’m on a budget too. I’ve embedded a video courtesy of liquor.com from San Francisco’s renowned Bourbon & Branch bar that sensibly addresses this topic.

On the other hand, if a place wants to charge me more than, say, $8 for a cocktail with standard, store-bought ingredients, I’m out of there. I know from my many conversations with waitstaff and bartenders, that a hefty percentage of restaurants make the profits they need to stay in business with $8-plus cocktails. The price point on food is just too high. And that’s fine—up to a point.

What do you think, drinking buddies? Should folks who want cheap drinks simply stay home with a bottle of Hood River vodka? Or are we merely hapless pawns of “Big Liquor?”

Behind the Drink: The $13 Cocktail from Liquor.com on Vimeo.

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Tags: Cocktails, Cocktail Prices, Cocktail Culture

Happy Hour: Oswego Grill

A confluence of comfort and style

Posted by: Chelsea Fitch on Jul 11, 2011 at 10:00AM 2 Comments

Photo: Chelsea Fitch

Growing up around these parts has taught me two crucial survival skills: (1) Never expect (or accept) an average meal and (2) not drinking local is a sin against the Portland brewery gods. If I can get through a happy hour with at least one of these skills, I am often still pleased—and such is the case with Oswego Grill, a posh pit stop south of Portland just off I-5 (3-6 pm & 9 pm-close).

Walking in the door, the old-world, dark wood appointments and obsessively polished bar and tables made my jeans and bright yellow top stick out like a tie-dye T-shirt among the business suits, pearls, and sweater sets, but the staff didn’t think twice about this fashion faux pas and seated us promptly with non-phony smiles. (No walking in and plopping down at any table here, even in the bar.)

At first glance the down-home menu was surprising for such a swanky watering hole. With comfort food options and fresh summery drinks, I was definitely put off guard at this oxymoron, they were calling happy hour. My first stab at the menu was the mac & cheese, and at $2.95, it was a steal. The baked dish had a shocking spicy pepper kick yet maintained a creamy, buttery, thick sauce making it more of a "grown-up mac & cheese” that I instantly devoured despite my tendency to want to hold my fork with my pinky extended high in the air.

Photo: Chelsea Fitch

Pork tenderloin sliders and fries, a sweet deal at $2.95.

My friends went the more seasonal bbq route ordering the Pork Tenderloin Sliders ($2.95, and they come with fries!) and mozzarella wedges ($2.95), which were deftly described by my companions as "a tangy wonderland of summer.” Looking around I saw nothing but joy and gusto on the faces of office drones lustily shoveling down elegantly prepared chicken nachos ($3.95), chicken and cheese quesadillas ($2.95), and fish tacos ($2.95). The menu, a cunning blend of comfort food with a splash of gourmet, definitely fit my “I’m pretending to be a suit and tie but honestly I couldn’t care less” budget.

While the homey food passed my first survival skill, the brew selection fell short. Pints of beer are a $1 off during Happy Hour, but don’t get your hopes up for a wide selection of local tastes. They offer Widmer Hefeweizen and a Ninkasi IPA on rotating tap, but with a hometown handle like Oswego Grill, I would have expected a stronger regional selection.

Where the grill lacks in locals, the cocktails shined forth in the dark, mood-lit bar. The consensus favorites of the afternoon were the Blueberry Drop ($7.50) and the passion fruit mojito ($8), both with made fresh fruit and a judicious layering of lemon. Sadly, the Very Berry Lemonade ($6), a seemingly can’t-miss summer refresher, was sorely lacking in the bright-flavor department. My advice? Stick to the fresh-fruit house-made cocktails for a bracing beverage.

Photo: Chelsea Fitch

The blueberry drop in a chilled glass, $7.50.

Even though I felt like “Annie Get Your Gun” among financial execs and proper ladies, the Oswego Grill is a great happy hour for when you’re in the mood to spoil yourself with comfort food gussied up with stylish accents. I’m in no danger of becoming a regular—the bill can add up fairly quickly and I’d have to pilfer my grandmother’s broach and a cardigan—but it’s a solid and serviceable happy hour nonetheless.

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Tags: Lake Oswego & West Linn, Happy Hour, Cocktails, Cheap Eats

More Drinking Dates

Everything from soup to so long, Tommy

Posted by: John Chandler on Feb 22, 2011 at 03:00PM 2 Comments

Chowderheads rejoice!

No rest for the wicked liver.

Lompoc Brewing’s Annual Chowder Challenge Now that’s good chowder! If you’re a seafood fan with a craving for clams, you’ll want to pipe yourself over to the Fifth Quadrant on Saturday to help determine the People’s Choice Winner at the Fifth Annual Lompoc Brewing Chowder Challenge. The festivities actually commence on Friday night with a shrimp boil between 6-9, where for $12 a plate you can load up on andouille sausage, shrimp, spuds, corn, and all sorts of yummy sides. From noon-5 on Saturday, 14 pubs and eateries, including Green Dragon, Hopworks, Laurelwood, and EAT: An Oyster Bar, will ladle up their finest chowder in order to impress not only you, the public, but an esteemed panel of guest judges including Lisa Morrison (aka, the Beer Goddess), the Portland Tribune’s Bread & Brew columnist Anne Marie DiStefano (aka, the Whiskey Widow), and yours truly (aka, the Bar Pilot, aka, the Handsome Lad). My credentials? I grew up on the coast, my family owns a fishing boat, and I ate clam chowder at least once a week from 1965-80. Of course, when you’re at one of the Lompoc locales, a river of beautiful beer is only a waitress away.

Hillsdale Brewfest If you’ve still got some room after stuffing yourself with chowder, the Hillsdale Brewery and Pub is the site of the annual Hillsdale Brewfest, in which 20 McMenamins brewers will square off to see which of them will represent the company at July’s Oregon Brewer’s Festival. Again, your votes will decide the winner. It’s just like American Idol except with lots of beer and no crappy singers—a 100 percent improvement IMHO.

Lucky Lab’s Barley Wine and Big Beer Festival There’s no room for Coors Light at this annual skull-smashing soiree. Some 40 brews—strong ales, old ales, vinter varmers, barley wines, and other potent potables—will be on tap at the Lucky Lab Beer Hall on NW Quimby, Mar 4-5. You will need to purchase a glass and tokens—not to mention a taxi.

Bon Voyage, Tommy One of Portland’s best bartenders, Tommy Klus, was recently awarded a grant from Tales of the Cocktail’s apprentice foundation to study scotch-making at the Bruichladdich distillery in Islay, Scotland. To make sure young Tommy has a bit of walking around money in the U.K., his pals at the Teardrop Lounge are throwing a fundraiser on his behalf, Sunday Mar 6 at 6. A roster of all-star bartenders will prepare an enchanting array of cruise-themed cocktails (Grog, Quarter-decks, among others). If you’re wonder about the dress code, head bartender Daniel Shoemaker suggests “luxury liner during Prohibition.” Hmmm. I’ll have to get the sherry stains out of my camel’s hair coat, but it shouldn’t be a problem.

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Tags: Beer Festivals, Cocktails, Lompoc Brewing Company, Teardrop Lounge, McMenamins, Lucky Lab

Last Minute Gifts!

Suitable presents for the tippler on your list

Posted by: John Chandler on Dec 20, 2010 at 10:00AM 6 Comments

I am a notoriously lousy gifter. When wandering the stores at Christmastime I become hypnotized with possibilities and all thoughts of the actual recipient vanish. My eyes glaze over, and like a crow, I am drawn to the shiniest bauble on the shelf. Perhaps it’s my narcissism or shocking lack of empathy, but I frequently bestow presents on friends and family that would be better suited to… someone like me.

With that in mind, I’m undoubtedly the perfect guy to cobble together a list of gift possibilities for that hale and hearty soul in everyone’s life; the individual who simply looks naked (shudder!) without a mug or a highball glass in their hand. Of course, you can always ignore these notions and simply buy them a spendy bottle of hooch, but I already grazed that pasture last year. I realize this post is arriving rather late in the season. It’s yet another symptom of the careless gifter—sloth. Thanks to Lisa Morrison (aka The Beer Goddess) for not getting riled that I’m freely pilfering a couple entries from her own gift guide. It’s all about the circulation of ideas, folks!

1. Old Lompoc Snuggies. The perfect present for that special someone who can’t always be bothered with pants. You’ll be the nattiest dresser at your house in this handsome and comfy mu-mu embroidered with the logo of Portland’s own Old Lompoc Brewing. Slip it on and commence swilling a C-Note IPA! $25. Available at 5th Quadrant.

2. What to Drink iPhone App. How many times has this happened to you? You’re sitting down to an elegant meal at a posh dining establishment and you’re stymied by wine choices to go with your Lobster Thermidor? Based on the popular book What to Drink With What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, this handy application will magically transform you from slob to sophisticate in no time!

3. Oregon Beer Odyssey. Speaking of sophistication, it’s high time you educated your palate to the myriad beer styles available in your local cooler. From amber to zymurgy, Oregon Beer Odyssey’s classes will get you up to speed in all things ale-related.

4. Absinthe Kits. Delve into the mysterious world of the drink known as “The Green Fairy,” referred to as such for its rumored psychoactive properties! Only recently legalized in this country after being banned for nearly 100 years, absinthe preparation is as much ritual as it is routine.

5. 33 Beers Pocket Journal. No more blurry notes on napkins! Now beer snobs have a useful drinking companion who can remember what you did last night. This pocket-sized journal helps you take meticulous notes on the various properties (IBU, ABV, OG, etc) of every ale you’ve ever tasted. Also available at local beer emporiums all over town.

6. Portland Happy Hour Guide. Even yours truly is in awe of Cindy Anderson, Portland’s heroine of Happy Hour. Never again will you have to choke down stale chips or vulcanized chicken wings while unwinding after a miserable work day. 2011 edition now available.

7. Heavy Duty Juicer. If you’re serious about being the best home bartender on the block, then let me introduce you to my little friend. Fresh fruit juice is a requirement for cocktails that will be the life of the party.

8. Ultimate Home Bar Set-up Hello basement tiki bar! Between this and the juicer, you’re ready for anything—including all the new friends you’ll have.

9. Old Man Drinks: Recipes, Advice and Barstool Wisdom Enough with the fancy-pants cocktails! This indispensable primer from author Robert Schnakenberg will have you cranking out sidecars, rusty nails, and monte carlos just like the legendary Jimmie Charters.

10. iPhone Case Bottle Opener. Even if you’re not getting a signal, you can still crack open a cold one—as long as you’re not behind the wheel!

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Tags: Cocktails, Holiday Events, Craft Beers, Bartenders, Gift Giving, New Old Lompoc Brewing

Happy Hour of the Week

Great plates at Ate Oh Ate

Posted by: John Chandler on Nov 09, 2010 at 10:00AM 6 Comments

Korean chicken—feel the burn.

What’s the Bar Pilot’s equivalent of “don’t judge a book by it’s cover?” Probably something along the lines of “don’t diss a dive by its decor” or “don’t bad-mouth a bar because of its booths.” You get the idea, I think.

Case in point: Last week I visited a very upscale restaurant to partake of Happy Hour in its bee-yoo-tee-ful patio lounge. With three fire pits, immaculate landscaping, and a decorative wall of foliage, even a member of society’s flotsam like myself felt VIP-worthy for a short time. Of course, I paid for the privilege, and was rewarded with two feeble cocktails and a plate of undercooked calamari. Pricey. Waste. Of. Time.

In an effort to revive flagging spirits, my three-person posse ambled over to Ate Oh Ate (a play on the Honolulu area code) on East Burnside for some Hawaiian comfort food. This humble little cafeteria—order at the counter and then plant yourself—is part of Ben Dyer’s burgeoning Simpatica/Laurelhurst Market empire which automatically gives it the local foodie seal of approval. The decor is subtle: there are surf-shack knickknacks scattered hither and yon, and the walls are painted sea-of-tranquility blue. And that’s about it. But the dough they didn’t spend on ambiance is passed along to you, the hungry customer. There’s nothing on the menu over $10.95 and the portions are tsunami-sized.

Three kalua pork sliders for $5.

Happy Hour is from 4-6 daily and includes a half-dozen delightful plates ($2-5) that can be passed around luau style. Five dollars gets you five ample Korean chicken drumsticks that require an acre or two of napkins to keep your kisser clean. The smoldering chili marinade is augmented with pepper and a gentle brush-stroke of teriyaki sweetness that ensures leisurely finger-licking with each bite. The spam musubi tempura ($2) is an island version of sushi, with a tempura batter-fried shell of rice protecting a core of egg and spam. It comes with thousand-island dipping sauce—apply liberally. There are two varieties of sliders (three for $5), namely kalua pork and shoyu chicken. They were out of the chicken during my second visit (sad face emoticon) but the succulent and generously piled pig was a worthy consolation prize.

Needless to say, you can eschew the appetizers and saddle up for a full entree if you so desire. The Loco Moco ($10.95) is a substantial and highly authentic example of Hawaiian-plate cuisine, with a hamburger patty, rice, fried eggs, and a coat of Shiitake gravy heaped in beguiling fashion onto a very crowded dish. The saimin ($8.95), is like a Hawaiian pho; a vast bowl of noodles swimming in a sea of shrimp, chicken, and pork broth bolstered with reefs of fish cake, pork belly, and eggs. The ebb and flow of flavors is relentless and requires some meditation to sort out the sweet, salty, and sour sensations. The kalua pig ($8.95) is a happy mound of smoked and roasted pork shoulder that manages to be both light and luscious.

And an icy bucket of Hawaiian beer to wash it down.

And let’s not overlook the liquid refreshments. The mai tai ($8 in a pint glass) offers an instant blast of sweetness that’s brought back to earth thanks to the tangy fresh pineapple juice, while the light and dark rums mingle most effectively. It’s probably the tastiest tropical drink I’ve bought since my last island sojourn. There’s also PROG (passion fruit, rum, orange, and guava) and a traditional Dark and Stormy (dark rum and ginger beer) for about the same price. If you’ve got a group in tow, then a five-bottle bucket of Primo ($10), a surprisingly full-bodied Hawaiian lager, is a smart option. The modestly hopped brew does wonders for rinsing your palate clean of chili paste, peppers, and the ever-present tide of teriyaki.

During my second visit, my friends and I wiled away the entire two hours, sharing plates, drinks, and scintillating stories, completely indifferent to the stormy weather pattern that was developing outside. When you have such a winning variety of spicy dishes, full of exotically bold flavor combinations laid out at your table, conjuring up a little tropical paradise of your very own is child’s play.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Cocktails, Cheap Eats, Ben Dyer, Ate Oh Ate, Tropical Bars

Distill My Heart

A crowd gathers at the Distillers Festival

Posted by: John Chandler on Oct 28, 2010 at 11:00AM 3 Comments

Absinthe? Don’t mind if I do!

It wasn’t quite a lost weekend, but I spent Saturday at the sixth annual Great American Distillers Festival taking place at the Tiffany Center on SW Morrison. A packed house of some 400 spirit enthusiasts glided to and fro, tasting tiny tipples of everything from absinthe to Zante grape liqueur. More than 50 vendors had set up shop which made it difficult to navigate the room without over-sampling. It was like Costco except the more I samples I tried, the happier I felt. Happiness, as everyone knows, is not an emotion normally associated with an afternoon at Costco. Just sayin’.

Ransom Spirits, the local purveyors of a very respectable Old Tom Gin, introduced the world to its new Whipper Snapper whiskey, a modestly aged and barely civilized blend that’s a bit unruly, but settles down nicely with the help of an ice cube or two. Pacific Distillery from Woondinville, Washington, proffered a sinfully smooth absinthe that will be right at home in my next sazerac. And I could well imagine myself getting into all kinds of mischief courtesy of Firefly Distillery’s (Charleston, SC) dangerously yummy sweet tea bourbon.

Of course, some of these daring drinks should be filed under “failed experiment.” New Holland’s (Holland, MI) “Hopquila” comes to mind. It was, as my mom used to say, “interesting.” Nuff said.

I also rubbed elbows with local distillers like Christian Krogstad from House Spirits as well as his former business partner Lee Medoff, who’s branching out with his own Bull Run Distillery brand. Reps from New Deal, Rogue, and McMenamins also were present and busy pouring their little hearts out. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the abundance of tequila merchants. Tequila fans had more than two-dozen varieties to savor. Sadly, there wasn’t a piñata in sight.

While the rest of us mingled and mused, the PDX Cocktail Invitational was taking place on stage, with 19 mixologists from up and down the West Coast squaring off in friendly competition, shaking up intriguing cocktails for a panel of judges and members of the public. The few entries I got to taste were superb. I was pulling for Park Kitchen’s Adam Robinson, who came up with a jaw-droppingly tangy mixture of Corrida tequila and blackberry root, but in the end, Ali Tahsini from San Francisco’s Bourbon & Branch took top honors for his Bell-Pepper sour, which he threw together in a Chopped-inspired showdown where the four finalists were asked to construct a cocktail from boxes of mystery ingredients. For the locals, Tommy Klus and Art Tierce from Bluehour placed third and fourth respectively. Way to represent, lads! As for you out-of-town hotshots? Just wait till next year.

Now where the hell did we park?

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Tags: Cocktails, Festivals, Bartenders, Bartender Competition, House Spirits, Park Kitchen, Medoyeff Vodka

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

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