The Woodsman Tavern Strikes a Chord

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Thebeerchaser

Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Bars, Taverns and Pubs has resulted in visits and reviews of over 200 establishments since its inception in 2011 – not only in Portland, but all over Oregon, the US and even a few in Europe. Therefore, its logical that the Woodsman Tavern – a Portland icon, of sorts, would make the list.

That said, I try to avoid venues that are primarily restaurants with a bar as kind of an ancillary feature. It’s not that these establishments don’t have good beer or cocktails or attractive bars. They just don’t have the character and ambiance of a stand-alone watering hole, especially that evidenced in dive bars!

The McMenamin’s bistros generally fall into the former category although I have made a few exceptions. Beerchaser visits to The Fulton Pub, the White Eagle Saloon and the St. John’s Pub were splendid. These all, however, had historical significance or distinguishing features.

For example, The Fulton was the site at which Hammerhead Ale was originated (and I consumed my first beer with the late NW author and Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, Brian Doyle) and the White Eagle is on the National Historic Register – its history is replete with tales such as a prostitute being murdered and it being haunted by ghost-like apparitions on the second floor.

Notwithstanding its title, the Woodsman Tavern is an example of the former category i.e. more restaurant than bar. While our two visits were well rewarded, it had the look and feel of a high-end restaurant. That said, let’s look at why it is getting great reviews – it has a new chef, an expansive menu of cocktails and whiskeys and the food – most notably, the fried chicken is superb. (Note also that most taverns do not have a “chef” per se’.)

The Woodsman is also one of the few places that I’ve visited where the Oregonian’s food critic, Michael Russell has authored a detailed review. (He’s probably never been in the Reel M’ Inn – twenty blocks down Division Street and also known throughout the Northwest for its fried chicken. According to one article, it fried up an estimated 52,000 pounds of chicken in 2016. But it’s a completely different ambiance….)

The Woodsman is in an old building in Southeast Portland and has a bright and attractive entrance with classy dark wood interior. When opened in 2011, it was evidently a hot spot in the Portland food culture – known for its high-end dishes such as roasted trout.

Eateries run in cycles. Social media reviews until recently started trending negative on the food and service. That appeared to change late last year evidently because one of Portland’s noted chefs, Doug Adams, temporarily took command of the kitchen and menu:

“Suddenly, the Woodsman Tavern is once-again among the hottest restuarants in town.” (1/1/18 Review by Martin Cizmar of Willamette Week.) Adams made his mark at Paley’s Place among other restaurants and is waiting for a new restaurant in downtown Portland to open.

The Bar Itself

The dining room is separated into two large rooms with booths and tables. The bar is a long L-shaped counter with about twelve stools at the back of the east section.

It has an impressive display of hard liquors and twelve cocktail options ($12) with names such as “Dog Will Hunt” and “Married in a Fever,” and includes their trademark “Old Fashioned.”

For the bourbon and whiskey connoisseurs, I counted 120 options on the menu ranging from a pour of Jim Beam for $7 to Wild Turkey Tribute 15-Year Bourbon that will set you back $180. (Perhaps this is economic validation of the distillery’s 2011 ad campaign entitled, “Give’em The Bird.”)

They have a nice selection of wines and fifteen beers on tap including five by one of my favorite breweries – Block 15 in Corvallis. On our first trip to the Woodsman when we had dinner, I had a pint of Block 15 Double IPA and on the second trip, where we just sat at the bar for drinks during Happy Hour, I could not resist a cold Rainier for $2.

The east side of the restuarant

Let’s get back to the food, which should be the guiding rationale for a visit. I will talk more about the food critics’ reviews below, but The Oregonian stated, “For food fans, this might be Portland’s best sports bar.”

Since there are only two televisions over the bar – both with sporting events when we were there, I guess this is his subtle way of promoting the Woodsman’s Double Cheeseburger and implying that the food in most Portland sports bars, sucks!

An outstanding starter

The side dishes are ala-carte and either $3 or $5 and the bucket of chicken was $19, so we started by splitting what is a boring option in most places – a wedge salad. And while a little spendy at $11, it was wonderful (bacon, big croutons and superb blue cheese dressing!)

I love fried chicken – that’s how I persuaded my wife, Janet, to go with me to the Woodsman. It was a late birthday present. There was no question what I was going to order. And it’s a fantasy – your own metallic bucket filled with five large pieces. I am appalled that I was so enthralled that I forgot to take a picture!

Now let’s look at how some experts describe this one of six entr’ees. Martin Cizmar, who for the last seven years has been the Arts and Culture Editor at Willamette Week, is succinct, but on point. (I am sad to see him leave the weekly this month. He wrote great reviews of not only restaurants, but every kind of bar, tavern or brewery in Portland and always creatively captured the character of the place. (He’s moving to Washington D.C. to write for an on-line publication.)

You should read his entire review of The Woodsman: http://www.wweek.com/restaurants/reviews/2018/01/02/the-woodsman-tavern-is-entering-a-new-golden-age-under-chef-doug-adams/

Martin Cizmar – will be missed….but will still drink PBR (Photo courtesy of Willamette Week

He is a an outstanding writer and seems a lot less pretentious than his counterpart at The Oregonian:

“….the best fried chicken in town….(Adams’) ultra crispy recipe in which the honey is drizzled onto just out-of-the-fryer batter.” (WW 1/1/18)

Now compare that to the more ostentatious description by Michael Russell:

“…..Adams’ fussed over bird , each crunchy piece wearing a shaggy brown coat reminiscent of a teddy bear’s fur, drizzled in honey and served with a clear glass bottle of hot sauce on the side.” (Emphasis supplied !??)

And not to get overly compulsive, but this one from a Thrillist ranking of the top 15 fried chicken places in Portland by Andy Cryza (9/2/15 – before Adams arrived…) Woodsman was the top-rated option. (Reel M Inn was #3.)

“…..Perfectly fried, with the juices locked into the premium bird, which is cut up into five generous pieces…..And the breading – occupying the zone between crisp and light – is kissed with a smack of honey which, when mixed with the salt, takes it into a danger zone hovering near meat-candy perfection.”

But if you don’t like chicken there are other worthy choices. I was able to persuade Janet, if I gave her a little bit of my chicken, to get the Double Cheeseburger ($16). It was immense and the Canby, Oregon, Laney Family Farm’s beef scrumptious. The fries were a perfect complement.

I described Michael Russell’s writing above as somewhat pretentious e.g. he started his review with the following: “…the restaurant has languished of late (last year) behind food that seemed to have lost its sense of place.”

I changed my opinion – a little. He was a little more down-to-earth when he wrote this about one of the Woodsman’s twelve starter options:

“Take the bologna sandwich. It’s impressively thick cut of pink meat seared gently, surrounded by melted American cheese like fondant on a wedding cake and topped with sweet pickle on a sesame-seeded bun. It’s a borderline obscene take on the classic….I’ve ordered it on every visit.”

Fried chicken – “each piece wore a shaggy brown coat….”

At least he shied away from the toy creature analogy he made above with the fried chicken and didn’t compare the bologna to the Porky Pig stuffed animal he got at Disneyland……

And to affirm that this menu option may be worth the seemingly steep price ($12), let’s look at a non-foodie’s view – just your typical Yelp comment on 1/17/18:

“Now I know what you’re thinking, what the hell is in Bologna anyway, but this (sandwich) was freaking delicious. I don’t know what’s in Bolgna, I probably don’t want to know. But I’m on board.”

Finally, while the bistro is also known for its chilled seafood and a seafood tower for $95 along with “Oyster Hours” all day Monday and from 5:00 to 6:00 on other weekdays, I loved our meal there because the food was good but also plentiful. The picture below shows the box that we took home with our leftovers (It was filled and some of which survived to lunch the next day…)

As another Yelp review who shares similar views succinctly stated:

“The food big. Big food. Platters….Reminds me of a place when I was a kid. Logger means, man.” (Yelp 1/15/18)

Most of the recent social media reviews are very positive although some question the prices especially since it is an ala-carte menus. Another complaint which rang somewhat true with us on our first visit was the physical spacing:

“I don’t mind sitting at tables or booths, but why does anyone think that being 6 inches from a stranger is comfortable.” (Yelp 1/14/18)

However, if someone is going to do a hatchet job on the Woodsman Tavern, they will have to come up with something of more substance than tables being a little too close. Besides, you should check out their fried chicken……….

The Woodsman Tavern

4537 SE Division Street

Beerchasing in the Desert — Part I

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Thebeerchaser

The Oregon Coast in Road’s End at Lincoln City

How does one reinforce his or her appreciation for living in Oregon? I started wondering this when I was only twelve after we moved here from Ohio – a courageous decision by my parents in 1960, since they were building a new house in Cincinnati and my dad had no job out here.

“FDW” on back road near John Day

He moved to Oregon City while my mom stayed back and sold the house and then she transported the four kids (ages 8 to 14) on a cross-country road trip. They raised us to always look for the “Spirit of High Adventure” and we did repeatedly on his carpet sales territory in Eastern Oregon.

Janet is a native Oregonian, having been born and raised in McMinnville, where her dad, Joe Dancer, was the first City Manager and held the position for twenty-six years. (Joe Dancer Park in McMinnville is named in his honor.)

City of McMinnville Website

The opportunity, however, for us to escape for a week in Arizona in late January when it was dreary and KGW’s weather guru Matt Zafino was predicting “Significant precipitation for the next week,” sealed the deal along with a Companion Fare on Alaska Airlines.

“Let’s go to Phoenix/Scottsdale and sit in the sun, read, hike and Beerchase.” (not necessarily in that order) at a number of breweries and pubs. We’d be there too early in the year to see Spring Training, a favorite pastime, but it would be a great respite.

Well the weather that week ended up being pretty reasonable although on the night we flew in, the server at our roadhouse (a very good Chelsea’s Kitchen) admonished us to “Stay warm!” as we left with strong desert winds whipping and temperatures in the mid-30’s.

The visits to the ten breweries and one taphouse/bottle shop were outstanding – superb beer, friendly and helpful bartenders and nice patrons who enjoyed chatting while sitting at the bars, in addition to one of the best pizzas we’ve consumed in years…..(See below)

A typical Phoenix intersection but less occupied because it was Saturday

However, the overall ambiance of this “disaster in urban planning,” made us immediately homesick for the concepts we take for granted – like trees, urban growth boundaries, good public transit, intersections which don’t require a ten-minute wait if you hit a red light, trails in Forest Park and, of course, the Oregon Coast.

While Portland breweries surpass every city on the globe, Phoenix and Scottsdale have made great progress and have a thriving beer culture with about thirty venues. We passed two brewpubs packed to capacity on the way to the baggage claim at Sky Harbor Airport – O.H.S.O. Brewing and Four Peaks Brewing. The acronym of the former stands for Outrageous Homebrewer’s Social Outpost.

O.H.S.O. in the airport – great BLT sandwich!

We also visited O.H.S.O.’s Scottsdale brewery and stopped for a quick albeit delicious BLT sandwich at their airport pub while we were waiting for our return flight..

The fact that Four Peaks had been acquired by Anheuser Busch in late 2015 dampened our enthusiasm for visiting what is now a corporate extension although both Ten Barrel and Elysian in the Northwest have gone the same route.

The first night we started with what became our favorite and was also the most interesting – Goldwater Brewing Company. It was named after the late Arizona icon, Barry Goldwater, a retired US Air Force pilot and Major General who served five terms in the US Senate and ran for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1964 against Nelson Rockefeller.

His campaign slogan was, “In your heart, you know he’s right.” He was portrayed as a militant conservative who, if elected, would lead the US into a nuclear war with Russia.

Now there were no B-52 models hanging from the ceiling at the great family-owned brewery, but their flagship beer, which won a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival, was “Machine Gun Teddy. While this might seem clever in Arizona, in light of recent events, it makes one wonder if they will still advertise it as “cuddly,” or in the interest of discretion, rename it.

Is this an appropriate name for a beer?

A warm and inviting bar at Goldwater

And besides the festive, warm taproom, which has twenty-four of their own beers, delicious free popcorn popped with Jalapeno peppers, Goldwater has a second space to drink beer sixteen feet below – in the space which used to be Mandall’s Basement Shooting Range. They serve Goldwater’s specialty brews and it holds about twenty people – it’s opened limited hours on the weekend:

“Three 10-foot fermentation tanks fill three of the shooting tunnels. One of the tunnels has been restored to what it likely looked like while in operation; pulleys on the wall and top of the range, let the shooters move their targets down the tunnel.”

(This may be a good idea for conversion of shooting ranges around the country…..)

Next to Goldwater was an interesting place although it was closed when we went by – Sip Coffee and Beer House:

Sip Coffee and Beer House

“Sip’s coffee beans will be provided by Cartel Coffee Lab, a local roaster. We will feature 19 rotating craft beers on draft and over 100 bottled beers. We will also feature some very wild and unique liquor infused espresso/coffee drinks.”

(This seems like a better idea than Starbuck’s mostly failed experiment of having one beer tap and trying to turn their stores into your neighborhood bar.)

Two Brothers Brewery and Taphouse – After Goldwater, this one was a disappointment although at least they were located in a renovated historic building and had a good line-up of beers although just five of their own. Two Brothers is a Midwest brewery based out of Chicago that opened a brewpub in Scottsdale (probably so the brothers could deduct their winter vacations……).

It’s like going into a Rock Bottom Pub – more restaurant than pub with some young and effusive woman out front who are eager to seat you and a bartender who would rather be watching one of the games on their many wide-screened TV’s than serving beer.

Although now that former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter (October 2012) Coach Mike Riley is back at Oregon State as an assistant football coach, we wonder why anyone would bother, but Two Brothers is now an official University of Nebraska bar “where Husker fans can enjoy every game throughout the football season!” (I didn’t ask what a venue has to do to become “official”...

Shaw Butte – an essentially urban hike

The next day, we hiked up Shaw Butte, which tops out at 1,380 feet and gives a nice view of the desert to the north and Phoenix to the South.

It was much better than our attempted hike the next morning in South Mountain Park – purported to be the third largest municipal park in the world with “miles of hiking trails.” Now maybe we hit the wrong entrance, but all we saw on our abbreviated walk in the park was freeways that ran directly by high-rise buildings.

After the walk up Shaw Butte, we hit North Mountain Brewing, a microbrewery and gastropub where we talked to Bernie, the affable bartender, who had worked their five years and was spot on with his recommendation of the Sessions IPA.

Bernie at North Mountain

The brewery is in a strip mall and doesn’t have great ambiance but gets rave social media reviews for their food, which transcends just pub faire.

A few common themes emerged from the watering holes we visited. First, the bartenders, almost without exception were great people. They each let us sample their different beers – and even encouraged us to do so. (Some misguided Portland brewpubs even charge for this courtesy, which is pretty short sighted.) They were knowledgeable about beer.

Secondly, when we told them that were from Portland and about TheBeerchaser blog, almost all suggested competitors that we should visit to see the best Phoenix/Scottsdale breweries. In fact, Bernie recommended our next stop – SunUp Brewing – as did just about every other bartender.

Phoenix parking

Another trend, albeit, negative, is that almost all the breweries and pubs (and just about every other commercial enterprise) was located in a strip mall surrounded by parking lots that are usually full.

The historic ambiance of Portland gems such as the White Eagle Cafe, Gil’s Speakeasy, The Rambler (all of which I have reviewed and could go on) not only have warm interiors, but very interesting or idiosyncratic exteriors which makes Beerchasing a lot more enjoyable.

The Historic White Eagle

Metropolitan Phoenix (The Valley of the Sun) has a population of 4.3 million and the City itself a density of 2,797 people per square mile. That compares to Portland’s 4,537 and Portland is near the bottom in density for West coast cities.

The Valley of the Sun seems to be the epitome of urban sprawl. While the road system is pretty good (I assume the Mexicans paid for it..) it takes a long, boring drive to get almost anyplace.

“Density” must be a pejorative term as evidenced by even one of their athletic teams “The Phoenix Sprawl” Okay, it’s an Ultimate Frisbee Team, and I guess that’s better than the San Diego Wild Fire in the same league, but don’t embrace the concept!

Janet enters SunUp

Sarah, our bartender, at SunUp Brewing, (she was a gem) told us that it was the oldest brewery in Phoenix although their website states they opened in 2001 which made the claim a little dubious. It was a great place, however, from the logo to the expansive patio to the cool historic building and their lineup of beers, which has gained popularity. (Another source stated that the oldest brewery in Arizona, is Gentle Ben’s in Tuscon which opened in 1971.)

George Hamilton stories and more…..

One of the more interesting chaps we met that week was sitting at the bar at SunUp – an old guy with a considerable white beard who was friendly but full of baloney – to be polite – and talked loudly.

While drinking a porter, he went on for about forty-five minutes with stories on his exploits around the world including the one where he served as a doorman in an exclusive Park Avenue apartment in New York City in which B-list star and artificially tanned raconteur, George Hamilton lived. (He told this story because he asked where I was born and I told him Long Island, New York.)

Perhaps he got sloshed remembering his start on Rin Tin Tin and the Donna Reed Show

The bearded one told us how Hamilton came in early one morning sloppy drunk and he aided the actor to his room and into bed. He was purportedly awarded with a generous tip at the end of the month. We left when he started the story about trekking in the Khumbu region on the way to climb Annapurna in Nepal……Oh well, we agreed that this encounter is one of the reasons that sitting at the bar is fun and interesting.

SunUp, like a number of the breweries we visited, has expanded as the beer culture in the desert has intensified. For example in 2014, they produced 800 barrels, but after expansion, rolled out 3,000 the next year.

An example of mead – A Polish mead using two units of water for each unit of honey.

We demurred this time, but will have to try mead at another venue. SunUP had twelve different meads. Their flyer described mead as,

“A beverage as old as the hills and as new as a shiny penny….a delicious honey wine enjoyed for centuries with evidence of mead dating back to 700 BC.”

They ranged in price from $10 to $16 for a 5 ounce glass – not only expensive but the ABV averaged 13.5% which explains the small glass size.

McFate Brewing

That night, again based on recommendations, we had beers and dinner at McFate Brewing. Ryan was our favorite bartender in Arizona.

He was outgoing, generous with samples and we ended up with a flight of three 4 oz. pours for $6 (No-Nelson Pale Ale, False Promises IPA and Fateful IPA were super.)

But the real prize that night was McFate’s pizza. We had a Truff Diver and Janet asked and they honored her request for extra arugula on her half. This review from Trip Advisor (3/24) summed it up well

“The real star of the evening was the Truff Diver pizza. It was topped with olive oil, mozzarella, parmesan, mushrooms, truffle oil and an egg, and finished off with fresh arugula before serving. Hands down one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had – it even tasted good 2 days later as a leftover!”

It’s the first pizza I’ve had with an egg (over easy) on the top. Notwithstanding its good size, we did not take any back to the hotel like the reviewer above.

Ryan – an outstanding bartender

McFate’s, opened by a former financial exec in 2010, could not meet the demand for their beer and expanded in 2015 with another location in South Scottsdale and now has a 15 barrel capacity.

We were at the original brewpub which is not a large space, but it has a good vibe, friendly staff, robust selection of good beer and great food. – What more can you ask for??

Stay tuned for the reviews of the other Phoenix and Scottsdale breweries in Part II of “Beerchasing in the Desert.”

Mark Edlen – Beerchaser of the Quarter

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Thebeerchaser

Mark Edlen outside his favorite beer place

“I briefly met Mark Edlen when we were both on the U of O Daily Emerald board together. Flash forward forty-five years, his firm Gerding Edlen has had a profound impact on our city, with the Brewery Blocks standing out among many great projects.

Mark and his firm led the way in sustainable development, making LEED a standard for our city. Serving on the Portland Development Commission with Mark, I saw him utilize his smarts and knowledge to protect the taxpayers’ interest as well as could be done. His civic contribution is as good as it gets.”

Tom Kelly

The above narrative was the response I received from Tom Kelly, President of Neil Kelly Company when I asked him to summarize Mark Edlen’s contribution to Portland. Tom is another Portland civic icon and corporate leader and their relationship goes back to college days.

Gerding Edlen halls during Civil War….

It was fall in 1985. Besides having just gotten engaged, I’d just started a new job as the Business Manager at the Oregon State Bar. That’s right – The Lawyers’ Trade Union – as some of my attorney friends kidded me. The administrative, financial and support functions in the organization all needed some rethinking – my predecessor had been fired and decided to go to seminary……

The Bar was in some respects a publishing house – it produced several Continuing Legal Education books each year written by dedicated Bar volunteer lawyers to help educate their peers on such stimulating topics as Creditors’ Rights and Remedies, The Oregon Rules of Professional Conduct (Annotated), Contract Law including a stimulating chapter on “admissibility of extrinsic evidence to establish ambiguity in a contract term,” and of course, Torts.

The current CLE library is more stimulating given recent changes in Oregon law and for $165, one can buy the Bar appropriate titled book on marijuana law – Joint Oregon and Washington Cannabis Codebook. (Emphasis supplied)

So the first time I met Mark was when as a Xerox salesman, he and his partner, Joe DeJager, convinced me (in what was a great long-term decision) to buy a $30,000 copier with all the bells and whistles that would improve efficiency while lowering the cost of Bar productions.

That began a long-term relationship since Mark and Joe both soon went to work for Cushman & Wakefield. They represented the Bar in its successful efforts to sell its current building and move to a newly constructed headquarters on Kruse Way in SW Portland.

Having been extremely pleased with the effectiveness and energy they exhibited at the Bar, we continued to have them represent us when I moved to the Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt firm as the Business Manager. They were the firm’s leasing representatives when we renegotiated our lease for 100,000 + square feet in the PacWest Center.

Moving to the present – I was certainly aware of his success in the Gerding Edlen development firm and his charitable and civic efforts, but had not been face-to-face with Mark for a number of years when I asked him to join me for a beer at McMenamin’s Zeus Cafe (his favorite beer pub) so I could interview him as this blog’s newest Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter. (We both drank a pint of Hammerhead Ale….)

The last time I sat across from him had been about ten years ago when I was raising money for the City Club of Portland’s Research Endowment Fund. I met Mark in his office and began my pitch by reminding him that twenty years prior, I bought a $30,000 copier from him when he was a young Xerox salesman. He immediately pulled out his checkbook and I left smiling.

Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter – Although this is a blog about bars and beer, each quarter I try to recognize an outstanding individual or group. A number of these have nothing to do with my favorite beverage – they are just interesting individuals who have made worthwhile contributions to society and have a good story which should be told.

Craig (The Dude) Hanneman (right) on Mt. Everest climb

Past recipients include authors such as the late Brian Doyle (Mink River and The Plover), athletes such as former All-coast and then NFL tackle, Craig “The Dude” Hanneman and media personalities such as Dwight (The Godfather) Jaynes and Amy Faust of KWJJ, the Wolf. (To see their stories, click the links on their names.)

The most recent was Father Martin Grassel, the Procurator at the Mount Angel Abbey and also the Head Brewer for the Benedictine Brewery.

Father Martin Grassel

Now most people in the Northwest know of Mark through his success and the environmental values of Gerding Edlen Development Inc. or his civic efforts such as serving on the Portland Development Commission. But Mark Edlen has a much broader story than these accomplishments. He is also a wonderful family man, outdoorsman and athlete. You will see why below.

The Honda 750 – his original high school motorcycle

To better understand this guy, we should go back to high school at Sunset High in Beaverton – he graduated in 1971. His activities in high school gave a good indication of what was to come…..He worked at Safeway on the night crew and concurrently had a landscaping business during the day.

These jobs paid for the motorcycle he bought – a Honda 750, which he then sold to pay for his freshman tuition at U of O.

Gerding Edlen halls during Civil War….A life-long Duck..

“I then stumbled into the University of Oregon,” Mark states, and his remaining earnings from high school diminished to zero about six months after he made the scene in Eugene. His delayed college education eventually continued at Portland State University for two terms before he returned to Eugene graduating in 1975 and earning his MBA in 1976.

His first job was with Xerox Corporation and he started his years at Cushman & Wakefield in 1980. His legendary work ethic was evident according to Tom Usher, the Managing Partner at the office.

“I have known Mark for over 37 years, and I have never, and I mean never, ever met anyone in the real estate industry that has his energy and drive. Emails at 3 A.M, meetings at 6:30 A.M. (And on his Xerox sales skills) ‘I think he wrote the course for Xerox. His favorite question was always, ‘So shall we meet tomorrow morning or in the afternoon?”

Mark Edlen was consistently one of the highest commercial real estate producers in Portland during his career at C/W and Tom Usher adds that part of his energy may have due to the daily ration of Diet Pepsi and maple bars he consumed. (Mark asserted he gave up the maple bars about thirty years ago.)

The late Bob Gerding

He met long-time partner Bob Gerding in Portland in the late ’80’s when both were involved in a property transaction. “Bob was very liberal and since I was a “Certified Lefty, we hit it off.” He describes Gerding as brilliant with a PhD in biochemistry and “The best big thinker I have ever met.” They cofounded the Gerding Edlen Development Inc. (hereafter GEDI) in 1996.

The Oregon State Bar building was the firm’s first build-to-suit project, followed by work for Key Bank. Now from this point, I could describe in great detail the amazing accomplishments of GEDI – starting with their groundbreaking work in what was to become Portland’s Pearl District in what was both fortuitous and visionary. (Stroh Brewing bought Blitz Weinhard and Olympia Brewing and GEDI had the opportunity in 2000 to buy the Blitz Brewery in what Mark described as “An action that was so far beyond our skis, it was ridiculous.”

The Armory was transformed into the Gerding Theater, home of Portland Center Stage

The Weiden and Kennedy firm moved into their Pearl District building and the renovated Portland Armory became the first LEED Platinum building on the National Historic Register.

It became the home of Portland Center Stage and in 2006 was re-named The Gerding Theater at the Armory “….the first renovation of a performing arts venue in the world…it has drawn groups of people interested in sustainable design from across the country as well as international delegations from Russia, Belgium and Hungary.” https://pcs.org/about-the-armory/ Historic preservation is another hallmark of the firm.

Then came the public-private partnerships and GEDI developed drug clinics, affordable housing and university facilities and schools.

The firm eventually evolved from Portland to other markets including Seattle, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles – another example of willingness to take on risk as “We never really planned to develop outside Oregon.” They established investment funds in 2009 and the GEDI investment portfolio now involves management of over $1 billion in real estate assets.

Still involved with firm after retirement.

Mark after his “retirement” in early 2017 and handing the reins of the firm to Molly Bordonaro and Kelly Saito as co-managing partners, still remains chair of the firm’s Investment Committee and Chairman of the Board.

As an example of the firm’s standing, Bloomberg summarizes its description as:

“GEDI is internationally recognized for its expertise and success in creating mixed-use commercial, residential, educational, and retail developments. (They have) overseen the development of 56 projects totaling approximately $4.8 billion since the inception of GEDI.

And as an example of their acclaimed environmental work, let’s look at the highlights of one of their recent buildings – The Indigo@12 West – a 22-floor mixed use office, apartment and retail located at 12th and SW Washington in Portland. “(A) laboratory for cutting-edge, sustainable design strategies,” (Downtown Development Group LLC)

Four rooftop wind turbines generate renewable energy on-site.
Solar hot water and high-efficiency windows that let in natural light.
Rainwater is harvested and reused, and an eco-roof helps to mitigate stormwater runoff.
High quality, sustainable finishes include renewable bamboo hardwood floors and cabinets and wool carpets.

“Gerding Edlen originated the 20-minute living concept and established a set of criteria called Principles of Place—where community plays a pivotal role alongside design and technology in the success of their properties.

GEDI is committed to developing buildings that attain net-zero energy use and embrace the fundamental philosophy of community that integrates neighborhoods, educational institutions and builds strong business, government and community partnerships.” (From the Bullitt Foundation website)

And if you think that Mark’s intelligence, work ethic and interpersonal skills make this success come easily – Think Again! He talks about the sleepless nights and pervasive concern about cash-flow during the recession in 2008, when interest rates skyrocketed and vacancies in condos and commercial real estate were staggering.

Fortunately, he has had a life-partner to help in his endeavors – Ann, his wife of thirty-eight years, who he met when she came to Oregon on a trip from her native New Jersey. Ann moved to Oregon and became the Vice President and Marketing Director at First Interstate Bank.

She eventually resigned from the bank to raise their three kids – at that time, there was no parental leave to mitigate the demands of parenting…..She started her own strategic marketing firm, Think Joule about eight years ago.

A dynamic woman who graduated in the first class of women at the University of Notre Dame, her contributions to civic endeavors are exceptional – under her leadership as former chair of the Pacific Northwest College of the Arts Board, she and current chair, Aric Wood, raised $4 million for the school’s capital campaign.

The PNCA Building

She is still a member of the PNCA Creative Leaders Council. The Ann Edlen Creative Corridor at the school was named in her honor. Ann currently chairs the OHSU Foundation.

She is an athlete in her own right and in addition to being an avid skier, many of the cycling expeditions involve both of them as riders.

Rather than continue with what could be three blog posts on the accomplishments of Gerding Edlen Development Inc., let’s now focus on Mark’s personal life.

If you look on his Facebook page, you primarily see pictures of their grandchildren and family gatherings, posts about environmental issues and descriptions of their cycling adventures or skiing at their Sun Valley home.

Mark asserts that he learned as much from his outdoor endeavors as he did in Business School – those being camping, kayaking, rock climbing, skiing, hiking and most notably cycling.

His cycling days go back to his youth and although much more strenuous, probably safer than his U of O ski racing days and his several years racing motorcycles. (“You know you’re alive when you hit 150 mph on a Ducati”) It doesn’t surprise those who know him to hear him state, “I love the hills and get my best ideas riding up Terwilliger Blvd.!“

He estimated that last year he rode about 7,000 miles which is a typical annual regimen in trips ranging from riding in the Columbia River Gorge, “gravel grinders” in Idaho to a trek down the Oregon coast to Central Oregon loops to the couple’s multiple international trips through programs by inGamba. (France, Portugal, Italy, etc.)

To get a better indication of the combined challenge and joy in these journeys, I have excerpted some of the journal entries Mark posted on Facebook during their ride from Portland to San Francisco about four years ago. They are shown at the end of this post and are worth reading.

Each day his journal entry ends with the phrase, “Best Day of the Year,” – because Mark is not only a certified Lefty, but also a certified optimist.

And although it may be challenging to comprehend given his business and outdoor pursuits, Mark Edlen has made his mark in the community through civic, charitable and public service activities. The latest has been his four-year term on the Portland Development Commission. Board service on Eco Trust, Portland Center Stage and the Bullet Foundation are a few of his other pursuits which are too many to list.

“Mark and his wife, Ann are actively involved in the Portland community and are deeply committed to education, healthcare, the arts, sustainability and the built environment. They believe that as engaged citizens we must always be asking, how can we add to our community, what is our what is our responsibility to the livability of the built environment and how can we help less fortunate Oregonians attain their dreams.” (From Bullitt Foundation website)

The Northwest is fortunate to have Ann and Mark Edlen living and working here. They are both role models and whether one looks at their contributions to public service or reflects on the urban landscape that has been shaped by Gerding Edlen Development Inc. their impact is lasting and remarkable.

Mark is a still a young man and I have an inclination that the future plans of this newest Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter might be accurately reflected in the picture below with these quotes from American author and essayist Edward Abbey, who was noted for his advocacy of environmental issues:

“It’s all still there in heart and soul. The walk, the hills, the sky, the solitary pain and pleasure – they will grow larger, sweeter, lovelier in the days and years to come………May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.”

Excerpts from the 2014 Ride from Portland to San Francisco

Summary: Nine days, 860 miles, 69,000 feet of climbing, an unbelievable number of calories consumed and burned, enough water drank to float a boat and what at times seemed like endless saddle time all mixed in with some of the best scenery of mountains and the Pacific Ocean anywhere, great support personnel and most of all fun, world class riding companions from across the US, Australia, Canada and Germany.

But the climb turned out to be the easy part. The descents all through the day were absolutely nothing short of brutal. We were on old county roads that are only used by farmers and loggers for the most part. The roads were full of pot holes, ruts and many times turned to nothing more than dirt and gravel.

And to add to the fun, often they were in the shade which meant you couldn’t see the ruts etc so we were often caught by surprise and thus jarring our entire body as the bike dove into yet another hole in the road. I really think that my collar bones and shoulder blades are now fused to my skull and I am hoping that feeling comes back into my hands before the morning.

But that was only the first climb. The second was even more exciting. While it was only 1,000 feet, the grades were in excess of 20% and probably averaged well over 13%. I was out of the saddle giving it everything I had more than I was in the saddle. I would look for the grade to drop down to maybe 10-11% so that I could sit and get my heart rate down to a tolerable level……..

Just when we thought this might go on for a long stretch the route turned inland and back uphill once again and the furnace came on with the inland heat. Wow, you couldn’t drink or eat enough the rest of the day. It probably approached the mid 90’s and we baked. Everyone was caked in body salt and we were draining our water bottles quickly no matter that the fluids we were drinking were just short of being hot due to the temperatures, it was still wet and helped replace the fluids we were quickly shedding.

We crossed a lot of classic Northern CA rolling brown hills with oaks and struggled up and down the rollers heading for the “queen” hill climb of the day which was 3,000 feet up spread out over about a 7 mile stretch following a 10 mile roller approach. Fortunately the grades were more moderate at 7-11% but it was still a struggle for everyone…….

And once again, the descent was nothing short of brutal with pot holes, gravel, ruts and other fun obstacles……But the brutal descent led us back into the Redwoods Park and paradise where traversed the Avenue of the Giants and a truly world class experience. If you had any doubt about saving such miraculous splendor you need to visit this park. It is almost spiritual.

At one point we stopped, were silent and all you could hear was the whisper of the wind through these magnificent giants.

Unbelievable! Today’s stats were 97 miles and 11,250 feet of climbing, by far the toughest, most challenging and perhaps brutal day that I have spent on a bike yet absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and satisfying at the same time.

The last two days were pretty challenging for me as I developed a respiratory issue that prevented me from being able to take in sufficient air so I simply eased off the gas and enjoyed a more moderate pace. During those two days we encountered some pretty significant coastal head…..several inland turns where we tackled various climbs of 1,000 to 2,000 feet at a time just for good measure…..

Most assuredly everyone was glad to be finished knowing that they didn’t have to mount up again the next day and I’m sure everyone was pleased with their accomplishment as it is amazing what you can accomplish when you put your mind and energy to it…..I may not elect that mode of transportation tomorrow or even the next day! But after a few days of rest and catching up at home and the office it will be time to start dreaming up the next adventure, but this time with Ann who is always the best companion…….