BAR PILOT

It’s Rum Day!

So what are we having?

Posted by: John Chandler on Aug 16, 2010 at 10:00AM 7 Comments

Today is National Rum Day! From what I’ve been able to determine the origins of this holiday are shrouded in mystery—which usually means it was something concocted by the rum industry in an effort to move more product. But far be it from me to rain on any event dedicated to the cocktail cause. If you’re in a celebratory mood, you can find specials on rum libations at any of the Rogue drinking establishments today.

Speaking of Rogue, today is also the day that the Green Dragon Bistro and Brewpub on SE Ninth Ave unveils its new in-house brewing operation which will be called Buckman Village Brewery. Rogue master distiller John Couchot will be the captain driving that particular boat. If you’re in the neighborhood, drop by for a pint or two of the Buckman Chamomile Ale.

And since it is National Rum Day, I’ve included an instructional video on how to make Hawaii’s most devastating cocktail, the mai tai. If you’ve got any lovely rum cocktail ideas knocking around in your noggin please send ’em along. Aloha!

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Tags: Cocktails, Craft Beers, Rum

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

My Liquor Cabinet Sucks!

Even so, cocktailbuilder.com can help

Posted by: John Chandler on Aug 02, 2010 at 01:00PM 9 Comments

It never fails. Whenever someone drops by and has the gall to say “yes” to my insincere offer of a cocktail (it was a rhetorical question! You know, like “Yeah, but what are you gonna do?”), my liquor cabinet will be drier than Alan Bennett’s wit.

Invariably I’ll have some rotgut brand of vodka, the last dribble of Old Grandad bourbon, and maybe some gin. And mixers? Ha! That’s a laugh. Like regular people have tonic water on the premises.

Luckily I discovered cocktailbuilder.com, and from now on I’ll be ready for any booze moochers that darken my doorstep. You simply enter the ingredients you have on hand and it will tell you which drinks you can make without a trip to the market.

At the moment I can make:

Bitter Orange

2 oz of gin
4 oz of orange juice
1-3 dash of bitters

Combine gin, juice and bitters in a shaker with plenty of ice. Shake well and strain into a collins glass with a couple of ice cubes.

Screwdriver

1 1/2 oz of vodka
4 oz of orange juice

Pour ingredients into a collins glass.

Gin & Tonic

1 part of gin
1 part of tonic

Serve over ice, garnish with a lime.

And something called a Presbyterian

3 oz of bourbon
ginger ale
sparkling water (or other mineral water)

Pour bourbon over ice cubes into a chilled highball glass. Add equal parts ginger ale and sparkling water. stir gently.

Now you give it a try and tell me what awesome cocktails you came up with—and I’ll be over shortly with my crazy straw!

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Tags: Cocktails

Patriotic Potables

Try a festive cocktail this weekend.

Posted by: Emma Hall on Jul 02, 2010 at 01:00PM 1 Comments

Everyone’s favorite summer holiday—Fourth of July—is this weekend, and it’s right up there with St Paddy’s Day and New Year’s as an occasion to imbibe. If you’re burned out on popular domestic lagers, you can always go for a local brew (it is Oregon Craft Beer Month after all). But we recommend trying a patriotic cocktail instead. The good people over at Three Olives vodka have again made our day with some inventive star-spangled ideas.

Take the Roman Candle for example:

3 oz. Three-O Berry Vodka
½ Oz. Cranberry Juice
Dash of Grenadine
½ oz. Blue Curaçao

Shake vodka, cranberry juice and grenadine in a shaker with ice. Strain into martini glass. Pour Blue Curaçao gently down the side of the glass so it comes to settle on the bottom.

See? With just a few ingredients you can get an All-American cocktail. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with the usual cherry, maybe a couple of blueberries on a toothpick or even a tiny wedge of watermelon for that Martha Stewart touch.

Nothing says Independence Day (or the Runaways) like the Cherry Bomb.

1 ½ oz. Three-O Cherry Vodka
4 oz. Ginger Ale
Splash of grenadine

Mix in a glass filled with ice and garnish with a cherry.

You could take this general recipe and run with it: alcohol+plain-colored mixer+grenadine = festive red drink.

If you’re having a fancy soiree (or if you decide to spend more money on booze than on meat at your barbecue—hey, it happens) you could always serve three options of cocktails: a big pitcher each of red, white, and blue drinks.  Perhaps a Strawberry Daiquiri (red), Piña Colada (white), and Blue Bayou (a fruity blue drink made of vodka, blue curaçao, pineapple, and grapefruit juice all blended together).

So, drink up and cheers to America this weekend!

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Tags: Recipes, Cocktails, Holiday Events

Set ’Em Up, Joe

Tell me about your bartender

Posted by: John Chandler on Jun 22, 2010 at 11:00AM 7 Comments

Just got through perusing an article by bartender/writer Karl Kozel in the Huffington Post about the primary responsibilities of a good bartender. Kozel believes, and rightly so, that there’s more to the business than being able to concoct a drink with 11 ingredients.

Kozel recalls the past fondly: “…twenty or thirty years ago, good drinks were made, but the bartenders also had personalities, and many were unique characters. They were fast, facile, knowledgeable about current events, business, the arts, and were pretty good with their fists if they had to be. Thank god the era of fisticuffs is behind us for the most part, but you get the picture.”

Is this an accurate memory or is Kozel perhaps missing a movie cliché that simply does not exist? You know, that dapper fella who always knew what you were drinking and who let you run a tab when times were tight. The garrulous Irishman with a hearty laugh and a million stories. The wise-cracking sports statistic machine. The soulful ex-bar fly with better advice than Ann Landers. I spend time in a lot of bars and for the most part, the bartenders in this town are a fairly laconic bunch who go about their business promptly and professionally. Sure, they’ll gab for a bit about the Blazers or the weather or whatever, but their presence is usually required in about 50 other places, so conversations tend to be brief. For that matter, if I’m at a bar I’ve most likely brought my own company to banter with, or, if I’m alone, I prefer to stay that way.

Discuss drinking buddies: Do you appreciate a chatty bartender? Should they instinctively be like cab drivers and barbers and be able to hold up their end of a conversation on demand? Or do you just want the drink and no gab? Tell me about your favorite bartenders, local, factual, or idealized. As for me, I was always a big fan of Miss Laura May Carroll at the Matador, a veteran drink slinger who could talk your leg off about her pet mountain lion, if you wanted to listen—and if not, that was fine too. But she always remembered what I was drinking.

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Tags: Cocktails, Bar Culture

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, Cheap Eats

I Need a Drink!

What to have when you need a nip

Posted by: John Chandler on May 26, 2010 at 02:00PM 10 Comments

Welcome to a brand-new Bar Pilot feature called I Need a Drink. On a semi-regular basis (or whenever deadline pressures cause my toupee to melt into my scalp) I will take a well-earned break from my Herculean labors and venture out into the wide world of Portland in search of a lovely cocktail.

Today’s edition features the Grand Old Fashioned ($10) as prepared by bartender Arthur Smith from the Palm Court bar at the Benson Hotel.

The Grand Old Fashioned

2 oz. Maker’s Mark bourbon
1 oz. Grand Marnier
Muddled orange and cherries
Dash of Angostura bitters
Sprinkle of sugar
Top off with Prosecco

This stately creation has all the brawn of a simple old fashioned, but the Grand Marnier gives it an elegant and luxurious boost that brings out the royal best in the fruit mashup. Add the fizzy kick of the sparkling wine and you have a drink fit for a king—or a jack or a 10 of diamonds.

After jawing with Arthur for a bit (martinis, cosmos, and lemon drops are his most-requested drinks) I search the menu for future possibilities. My eager peepers settle on the Benson Bubbler, an imperial blend of Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac, Veuve Clicquot champagne, and a splash of lemon. It retails for $95. “I’ve only sold one,” Arthur tells me.

I almost order a double to cheer him up, but I’d probably have a devil of a time getting reimbursed.

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Tags: Recipes, Cocktails

Sex 2 Sells

Going to see the movie? Have a cocktail!

Posted by: John Chandler on May 25, 2010 at 10:00AM 6 Comments

Now you can get tipsy like the stars!

Ever mindful of that all-important product tie-in designed to spur us to even greater heights of consumption, the folks at Mexico’s Dobel Diamond Tequila sent this little gem my way. (By the way, Sex and the City 2 opens Thursday. Make sure to bring plenty of tequila!)

With the highly anticipated Sex and the City 2 movie in theaters at the end of May, we thought it would be fun to salute the men in the movie for a change. Below, please find cocktails inspired by the MEN in Sex and the City that we have grown to hate and love. And lets face it—without them, there wouldn’t be much sex in the city.

Get it? Ha ha ha! True that, oh witty press release! But I’m a bit surprised we’re not seeing Sex in the City 2 Happy Meal toys at McDonald’s. Another golden opportunity missed. Anyway, if this sort of branding raises your hackles, feel free to substitute the tequila of your choice.

By the way drinking buddies, if you have your own movie tie-in cocktail recipes, I’d love to hear them. Perhaps something from Animal House or Leaving Las Vegas?

Mr. Big and the Dobel Neat: This cocktail blends elegance with a touch of arrogance… just like Mr. Big’s distinct style.

2 parts Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila
Glass: Sniffer (Not sure what a sniffer glass is—I suppose they meant “snifter.”)

Harry Goldenblatt & The Perfect Paloma: Like world’s number one husband, Dobel’s Perfect Paloma is flawless.

2 parts Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila
4 parts Grapefruit Soda
Splash of Lime Juice
Glass: Rocks
Garnish: Lime Wedge

Smith & the Spicy Pina: Smooth and sweet with the heat of Jalapeño—the Spicy Pina is a sexy and irresistible combination like Smith.

2 parts Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila
2 parts Pineapple Juice
.5 part of Simple Syrup
Splash of Orange Juice
Slice of Muddled Jalapeño
Glass: Rocks
Garnish: Jalapeño

Steve Brady & The Gran Dobel: The Gran Dobel is solid and without fuss, much like Steve.

2 parts Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila
Splash of Gran Mariner
Glass: Shot
Garnish: Blood Orange Wedge Sprinkled with Cinnamon
Served Chilled

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Tags: Recipes, Cocktails, Sex and the City, Tequila

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

New Late Night Happy Hour!

Cheap Date: The Secret Society offers a new late-night happy hour to pair with a show at the Wonder Ballroom

Posted by: Emma Hall on May 07, 2010 at 02:00PM 0 Comments

Secret Society’s famous Moscow Mule.

JUST IN: The Secret Society now has a late night happy hour. We feel giddy with insider info just thinking about it, and we’re stone cold sober.

This 1907 historic building (at 116 NE Russell St.) was a real members-only space for most of the last century, but now anyone in-the-know can afford to drop by and enjoy a vintage cocktail. For seven days a week from 10 PM-close (12 AM Sun-Thu and 1 AM Fri & Sat) stop by and get some delicious food and $1 off fancy drinks. Every week there will be a rotating “Late Night Special” of fanciful drinking food—this week it’s Pulled Duck Confit Sliders with Rhubarb Sauce and Crispy Potatoes for only $8. Also, don’t miss the flatbread of the day, such as a recent concoction that included a parsley-pimento salad, chopped hard boiled egg and anchovy fillets, served with pimento anchovy oil for dipping ($7). The menu changes each Tuesday.

Next door to the Wonder Ballroom, The Secret Society is a great place to grab a drink after a show. Consider these rocker n’ booze pairings:

May 15: Kaki King
Listen to the talented Kaki King, the first female to be named a “Guitar God” by Rolling Stone Magazine, as she slap bass-es her way into your heart. After the show, head over to the Secret Society and try the popular Moscow Mule. It’s an old 50’s drink (possibly the first vodka cocktail) made with vodka, muddled lime and ginger beer, served in the traditional copper cup. Can’t get much classier than that.

May 30th: Nada Surf
Don’t miss Nada Surf, the alternative rock band hailing from the early 90’s when they make an appearance in Portland later this month. The band’s anthems are a great way to ring in the start of summer, and you can continue the celebration at Secret Society afterwards. Order a Monkey Gland (gin, OJ, grenadine and absinthe), an aptly named drink to sip on while you still have the goofy guys of Nada Surf’s lyrics stuck in your head.

June 8th: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Witness Krayzie-, Layzie-, Wish-, Flesh-n- and Bizzy Bone, members of one of the biggest-selling hip-hop groups of all time who are still rocking after 15+ years. After singing all the lyrics to “Foe tha Love of $” (you know you remember them all, well maybe not Bizzy’s), drop by the Secret Society for a classy high-roller drink like a Manhattan or Old-Fashioned.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Cheap Date, Cocktails

Happy Hour of the Week

Made in the shade at Jade Lounge

Posted by: John Chandler on Apr 16, 2010 at 09:00AM 7 Comments

The exterior of the Jade Lounge. (Middle) Veggie tempura and the last banana fritter. (Bottom) The Stephalicious

I’m not sure if it’s the shiny green walls, the preponderance of low-hanging light fixtures or the waitress’s sultry voice, but the Jade Lounge exudes tranquility. If Nurse Ratched had only thought to have medication time here, McMurphy might have eventually chilled out and become as docile as “Broom” Bromden. Of course, that wouldn’t have made for a very liberating literary experience, so let’s scratch that idea.

The Jade Lounge is the verdant little shoebox adjacent to Il Piatto on SE Ankeny. Why an Italian restaurant would want an Asian bar attached to it is a mystery best left for Phillip Marlowe, but the unlikely juxtaposition seems to work just fine. No cultural confusion; no one freaking out and demanding baked ziti or garlic bread. At least not when I was there.

Happy Hour at the Jade is 5-7 on weekdays with a buck off well drinks, beer, and wine, but your best bet is Tuesdays and Thursdays when the delectable appetizers go for $3 all night long. Of course, there is nothing wrong with tucking into the usual pub-grub suspects found elsewhere: fries and onion rings still dripping with searing, heart-stopping vitality; nachos made up of leftover tortilla chips and three-bean dip grudgingly assembled by the dishwasher, bartender, or escaped lunatic who happened to be hiding in the kitchen. What’s not to love? My beef is boredom—not nearly enough establishments stray far from the established chow template.

It’s the variety and quality of Jade Lounge’s $3 plates that has me returning like a boomerang with a bad case of the munchies. The tempura veggies are lightly battered in rice flour and fryer-timed to a delicate savory crunch. The cloying density of the yam fries is both muted and accentuated with the addition of a soy-wasabi catsup, while the rolls (seafood, salad, and pork) are made with snappy-fresh ingredients and obvious care.

My dessert pick is the madly addictive banana fritters. The corn-meal shell, liberally sprinkled with cinnamon, serves as a tasty prelude for the sweet gooey filling that makes me think of some long-lost auntie’s homemade banana pudding hastily shoveled into my crying pie-hole. Ah, memories.

Among the half-dozen taps are worthy entries from Deschutes and Ninkasi, as well as that can’t-miss exchange student Trumer Pils. Since it was a warm day I asked for something tall and invigorating from the specialty cocktail menu, and the waitress immediately steered me to the Stephalicious ($7), a palate-reviving combo of vodka, fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juices, and a float of chambord, a blackberry liqueur. If I could live in a universe where my desires became reality, there would be one of these waiting for me as I come in the door from work every night. Unfortunately, times are tight and we had to layoff our manservant.

Still, this heartbreaking domestic situation leaves me with a compelling reason for falling by the Jade Lounge—especially on Tuesday and Thursday. The rest of the week I must content myself with tequila and Tang. It’s my own invention and I call it the Tanquilalizer. It’s not tranquility, but it will have to do.

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