Author Archives: Thebeerchaser

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About Thebeerchaser

Retired Chief Operating Officer at a large Northwest regional law firm. Attended Oregon State University in the late '60's and went to Portland State University for graduate school. Have resided in Oregon since our family moved here in 1960.

Expose Yourself to the Goose Hollow Inn

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The 2011 Willamette Week Drink Guide states, “(The Goose Hollow Inn), brainchild of Bud Clark, Portland’s most universally beloved mayor continues into its fifth decade as a kind of principled experiment in the civic virtue of the bull session.”

A Successful Experiment in Civic Virtue

The assessment of Bud Clark’s term as Mayor has obviously not changed since 2011…..Indeed, if there is a Portland bar (and its owners) that embodies what makes Portlanders never want to leave our City, it’s the Goose Hollow Inn.  From the 2012 Willamette Week 105 Favorite Bars, Pubs and Clubs:                      

History on the Walls!!

“The five-decades old joint is everything you’d expect from a placed owned by Clark since 1967 — that is, a cabin-style pub with wooden benches adorned with old photos and campaign posters of Clark, with wrap-around porch….”

To experience the true flavor of this “institution,” however, you need to talk to the original owner himself. Thebeerchaser, Portland attorney, Jim Westwood and retired Oregonian columnist, John Terry, had this opportunity for a “very short” ninety minutes with Bud on a Tuesday afternoon in July.

With our Mayor from 1984-1992

Bud Clark, after attending Portland’s Lincoln High School, continued his education in 1952 at Vanport Center and then PSU before leaving for the Korean  War.

He reminisced about his time as a bartender at the long gone Jerry’s Gables (where the $1.25 special included half of a hamburger, potato salad and garlic bread), his ownership of the Spatenhaus – his first bar which was located at the site of the present Keller Auditorium, and buying the Goose in 1967.

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He regaled us with stories about the Expose Yourself to Art poster (originally intended to raise funds for a 1977 public health campaign to “Zap the Clap”).  The Portland Art Museum was not interested in the poster and the original photographer, Michael Ryerson, printed them and sold them for $1 at Waterfront Park –  250,000 were sold by 1984 and now it is displayed in the Smithsonian!                           

Bud Clark – A Proponent of Open Public Greetings

David Kish, the owner of another bar – The Storm Cellar Tavern – who ultimately served as Portland’s Director of General Services and Clark’s Chief of Staff, told me that Bud donated his proceeds from the poster to the NW Examiner (Neighborhood Newspaper). Kish, before he worked for the City, also served as salesperson for the poster and patrons of his bar could buy the poster and a beer for a buck!  Kish also related how when Bud told his friends about his plans to buy the bar in Goose Hollow that the reaction was, “You might as well be in Hillsboro…”

A lot more on tap than just Bud….

And there was his campaign against Frank Ivancie (“Ivancie Terrible” as labeled by former Oregon Journal columnist, Doug Baker) where Ivancie used the poster as an example of Clark’s lack of judgement.  Ivancie mistakenly believed that people would vote for Clark only out of morbid curiosity, and the bar owner and political outsider’s campaign was a lark. Both Westwood and Clark remembered their mutual friend, coach (of Westwood’s GE College Bowl Team) and campaign advisor, PSU Professor, Ben Padrow.

The Mayor was known for his favorite greeting, “Whoop Whoop.””  Bud told us (and Kish elaborated) that this exclamation originated in an attempt to imitate the mating call of a pet guinea pig named George Raft…..   

And then there was the campaign in 1984…..

The values of the Clark family are evident through the history of the bar.  For example, the excellent mono- graph, Portland’s Goose Hollow by Tracy Prince states on page 10:

“By the late 1960’s, Goose Hollow faced the bulldozers of ‘urban renewal’ and the neighborhood name had fallen out of common usage for several decades.  Bud Clark’s strategy to rename a tavern he purchased in the hollow as the Goose Hollow Inn to help rekindle civic regard the neighborhood, and prevented the … name from fading away.”                            

A History worth Preserving

Distinguishing Characteristics   

The Food – A great menu including salads, sandwiches (notable roast beef and pizza)  – headed, of course, by “The Best Reuben on the Planet”  described in one review as:  “a deliciously oozing pile of corned beef, sauerkraut and cheese.”

Thebeerchaser confirmed. The turkey dumpling soup is also superb.

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The History, Character and Values of the Owners –  Clark stated that before the advent of microbrews, the Goose served only three beers and Budweiser was King.  Before he took office in 1984, the Goose sold 180 kegs of Budweiser per month and was recognized as selling more Bud per square foot than any bar in the United States. He chuckled relating how when he was away his wife, Sigrid, who was managing the bar, added what is now a wonderful deck, but the additional square footage lost them the Budweiser top ranking.

The Deck — Altered the Square Feet to Budweiser Sold Ratio

Examples of the values include:

Meatless Mondays –  Bud instituted this concept in the ’60’s to remind people of the GIs fighting in Viet Nam while all of us lived in comfort back in the States.

Meat – Don’t Even Think About it on Monday at the Goose in the late ’60s

Smokeless Tuesdays – Long before Oregon law forbid it, patrons refrained from coffin nails once each week — and it was enforced.

Environmental Ethics – According to Kish, who is an environmental energy expert and once directed the Oregon Dept. of Energy, Bud implemented some innovative solar energy options in the Goose long before State tax credits and availability in the marketplace.  Bud also “kicked out Budweiser” and stopped selling it for a period when Anheuser Busch opposed the Oregon Bottle Bill in 1971.

Family – The Clark family has been instrumental in the Goose Hollow Neighborhood and family values are pervasive in their businesses.  Rachael, Bud’s daughter, now is the manager of the Inn.  She joined us for the discussion and talked about the emphasis on a customer service ethic.  She also refuted the one negative comment in scads of complimentary reviews: “My friend had to pay an extra $1.00 for the Au Jus on a French Dip Sandwich.”  Rachael said, “I tried to contact the guy to tell him that we did not have French Dip Sandwiches on the menu at all then, but he never responded.”

Rachael Clark Carries on the Family Tradition – Is there no AuJus??

Fehrenbacher is the family name of Sigrid Fehrenbacher Clark, Oregon Symphony violinist and business partner in the pub. The Clarks also operated an outdoor store and antique shop.  The family carries on with the tavern and an excellent little coffee shop – Fahrenbachers Hof  immediately adjacent to the Inn –  one that got excellent reviews for the coffee, staff and food.                                                      

Fehrenbacher’s Hof – No Bud but Great Java!

This Bud’s For US!!!

The Goose Hollow Inn is a wonderful pub in all respects.  Thebeerchaser gained a new perspective on what a treasure the Clark Family is to Portland.  Stop by and have a draft and then top it off with a cup of coffee at Fehrenbacher’s Hof next door.

It is fitting to conclude with Bud’s motto for the Inn:

“Dedicated to Quality Draft, Fine Food, Pleasant Music and Stimulating Company.  We’re also dedicated to extremes of opinion, hoping that a livable marriage will result.  If physical violence is your nature, either develop your verbal abilities or leave.”

The Goose Hollow Inn                1927 Jefferson Street

Fahrenbacher’s Hof                    1225 SW 19th Avenue

                                                                                                 

Bottles — The Preferred Alternative to a Glass Ceiling

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Not a Fancy Setting but it’s What’s Inside that Counts!

We (thebeerchaser and his environmental lawyer friends) decided to hit another bar on NE Fremont street about thirty-seven blocks east of County Cork, where we started the evening.

Bottles looks very plain externally although the great aroma wafting from the barbecue roasters by the front door, encouraged us to not only have some beer, but partake in the flamed fare.

Take the Title — Literally…

Shaun, a co-owner, and who was our bartender and waiter (and excelled at both) briefed us on the bar which opened in 2011 – it used to be a small Turkish import store – and offers between 450 and 500 different bottled beers.  Before one gets disappointed, there are also eight draft beers, which according to the Bottles website “rotate daily — or sometimes hourly.” As one impressed reviewer commented, “The rotating taps are always full of great selections, and have led me to try several different beers I never would have tried otherwise.”

Shaun (in the background) Joins the Environmental Group

Since the beef and pork are from Carlton Farms and they serve Draper Valley Chicken, it is suggested you not visit Bottles on a Monday because it is the only night they don’t serve barbecue. After devouring the chicken slider (a heaping portion because it was the last one that evening), we were stuffed. 

We concurred with the reviewer who was delighted with the food, “The BBQ is delicious…..The Mac & Cheese is also amazing. The hot sauce is a fantastic accompaniment to all their food. Indeed, I always take a straight mouthful on every visit. Their spicy mustard is quite amazing as well.”     

While imbibing, I conveyed to my environmental friends, the contemporary version of an old adage about personal development: “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.  Teach him how to fish and he will be dead of mercury poison in three years.” 

Terminal??

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Beer – It is doubtful there are many, if any, NW bars with this wide an assortment of bottled beers, while also serving great draft beers.  Indeed they take their beers seriously. 

They have an excellent section on their website entitled, “Education” which list beer styles (Ales, Lagers, American Lagers and Specialty Beers) with variations of each style and then a detailed description of each type.  For example under Lagers: “Bohemian Pilsner – Similar to German Pilsners, however, Bohemian Pilsners can be more full-bodied and darker in color.” There is also a section with detailed elements of taste i.e. Aroma, Flavor and Texture.                        

A “Case” of Beer

The Display – It’s eye-catching with several glass cases are totally filled with different beers.  They even had the Lucky Buddha Beer I had heard about but had not been able to find elsewhere.

Lucky Buddha Bottles

Other nice additions to the bar were a very large patio (dog friendly…), a sitting room with big screen TVs and space for darts, video games  and shuffleboard.

Game Room

    

 We decided it was time to leave Bottles and were reassured by another unusual feature.  A coin-operated breathalyzer machine called “Alco-Buddy.”  It allowed us to ensure we were sober although that was facilitated by the final environmental joke of the evening:

Dog Friendly Patio

“An environmental lawyer and a non-renewable resource walk into a bar and sit down for a couple of pints. After a while, the non-renewable resource orders two more beers. The bartender turns to the lawyer and says, ‘I’ll serve you, but not your friend, he’s getting wasted”      

                Bottles               5015 NE Fremont

Coin-operated “insurance” in case the bad jokes don’t sober you up

July 2012 Beerchaser of the Month —– The Crew of the USS Constitution

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The Fourth of July holiday harkens thebeerchaser back to his Naval History courses at Oregon State University.  While the following oft-quoted tale has been disproven historically for a number of reasons, it speaks well to the spirit of Navy personnel throughout  history.

It also provides an opportunity to celebrate America’s great history and why we should honor her on the 4th of July.                                                                           

The USS Constitution – known as “Old Ironsides” was a combat vessel carrying 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475.  This was sufficient to last for six months of operations at sea.  She carried no evaporators or fresh water distillers.

The following are notations from her ship log:

On 27 July, 1798, sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon-shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum.   Her mission was to destroy and harass English shipping.

79,400 Gallons On Shipping Out!

Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum.

She then headed for the Azores, arriving there on 12 November.  She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine.

64,300 Gallons of Portuguese Wine

On 18 November, she set sail for England.  In the ensuing days, she defeated five British man-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchant ships salvaging only the rum aboard each.                       

Only the Rum was salvaged……

By 26 January 1799, her powder and shot were exhausted.  Nevertheless, although unarmed, she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland.  Her landing party captured a whiskey distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single-malt scotch on board by dawn.  

Then she headed home.   

Old Ironsides arrived in Boston on 20 February,  with no cannon-shot, no food no powder, no rum, no wine, no whiskey                   but               38,600 gallons of stagnant water.

As one Naval historian opined, there are a number of reasons this story equates to that of sailors and mermaids.  First, it would mean that each man on the ship consumed approximately 2.5 gallons of hard liquor per day during the entire cruise.  While we have heard of the “high” seas, this amount would stagger not only the imagination but the sailor.  Other examples,

1) In 1799, the United States was war with France, not England.

2) The United States Navy moved away from using Jamaican rum as part of the grog ration and moved towards more home-grown spirits such as Kentucky whisky.  Grog was about 2 or 3 parts water to one part whiskey.

Sailors’ Delight…

3) When a warship captured a merchant ship, the alcohol supply was the last thing on the captain’s mind. Instead, he was looking for goods he could sell when the cruise was over.

Regardless of the veracity of the story, our military deserves a salute this Fourth of July and thebeerchaser wishes you a Happy and Safe Fourth of July

Drink Responsibly!

County Cork – The Irish Solution

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The Irish are Right!!

Don’t Fight It – Have a Guinness

County Cork was visited early on a Tuesday night. Thebeerchaser and four friends who I consider among the top environmental lawyers in Portland were in our group.

Since John Mansfield, a patent attorney, accompanied me to Mock Crest Tavern, (see previous June post) one might wonder why environmental lawyers were the preferred companions.  Well, if one has the choice to converse on what constitutes prior art and derivation practice under the American Invents Act, or alternatively, to discuss nuances resulting from the interaction of Endangered Species Statutes with the numeric effluent links of the Clean Water Act, most people would choose the latter.  (How about those Mariners….?)

Clearing the Air – Tanya, our Waitress and 4 Env. Lawyers

A guy at the next table who overheard us talking piped up: “You know it’s not pollution or industry that is harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water.”

We abruptly ended the dialogue when he then opined, “The recent eclipse of the sun is irrefutable proof of the unreliability of solar power.”

The pub, County Cork,  is named after the county by the same name in the southwest region of Ireland.

An Irish Geography Lesson

Since one of our party was named Brien Flanagan and he is a Notre Dame double grad, we were not concerned about fitting in. In fact, the bar has a reputation for being family friendly.  How family friendly?  It even has a play area for kids with a toy chest and a shelf full of kids books.  The 2008 Willamette Week Bar Guide sums it up:

“Go ahead – bring all the kids you want to this Irishy Irvington pub. Sip an imperial pint from Eire (Murphy’s, Beamish, Guinness) ……. while little Angus and Fiona try their hands at darts.  When they’re done poking holes in each other, stuff them full of fish and chips.”       

“Good Night Moon” – The book – not when you pass out!!

There are 16 beers on tap and also cider, Guinness and Murphy’s Irish Stout brewed in Cork County.  Also nine bottled beers and a wine list.  Drink and food prices are reasonable with Dollar-off-Pints 3 to 6 o’clock  Monday through Friday

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Interior – Although it is in a somewhat ordinary setting on Fremont Street, the bar does have the feel of an Irish Pub.  Pictures of JFK and Bobby are prominent as are signs about Irish food on the menu and live Irish music on most Tuesdays and Fridays (e.g. Johnny Connelly and Danny O’Hanlon that night).  There are two individual stalls for darts, which is somewhat unusual. The bartenders are “in costume”, so to speak.

The Food – Some of the reviews describe the food very favorably (esp. the fish and chips) although one of our party with experience, used the adjective “scary” to describe the Scottish Egg on the menu (Hard-boiled egg wrapped in seasoned pork sausage and lightly breaded, deep-fried and served with a side of house-made chutney)

301 or Cricket??

Menu “classics” included Murphy’s Stew, Bangers and Mash, Shepherds Pie and Bread Pudding.

County Cork was enjoyable and we decided to leave when Flanagan asked us if we had heard about the Irish boomerang?

“It doesn’t come back, it just sings songs about how much it wants to.”

County Cork               1329 NE Fremont

A Family Friendly Patio — Is that Angus??

Beerchaser of the Month for June – Dr. John Walker – Portland State University Professor of Public Finance and Economics

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Cheers to a Notable Prof.

Thebeerchaser’s recent visit (and last blog post) to the Cheerful Tortoise on the edge of the Portland State University campus brought back memories from the late 1970’s.  While a loyal OSU Beaver alum, I received an outstanding graduate education in the PSU Masters in Public Administration program.  When my wonderful adviser, Dr. Walt Ellis, chided me that since it had been seven years, I needed to finish my MPA within the next three terms or they would start taking credits away.

Like most good procrastinators, I had saved the toughest courses until last –  to wit:

Public Finance       Statistics and Data Analysis   (2 terms)

While thebeerchaser’s new spouse – a fellow MPA graduate –  pulled me through Data Analysis, I faced Dr. John Walker‘s course on public finance with trepidation given the prof’s reputation for being a tough grader and his challenging tests on complex topics.

Red Line = GPA Trendline After Public Finance Course

Besides, how interesting could three-hour evening lectures be by a guy who published a paper entitled, “Long Run Aggregate Supply Verticality: Fact or Fiction,” in the American Economist. To my surprise, however, I learned a great deal from Dr. Walker – enjoyed his lectures immensely and, in part, based on my study partner’s (former Oregon Department of Human Resources Director, Jean Thorne) discipline, even aced the course.

Stimulating????

John Walker would start each lecture with a monologue, of sorts, railing against government policies, politicians and institutions.  With his dry and sarcastic wit, these were humorous and conveyed his point vividly. He also peppered his lectures with these comments.

Enjoying this type of humor, I “collected” these witticisms – listed them in a section of my legal pad and filed them away – until two weeks ago while going through old files. It was refreshing in 1977 to listen to a very intelligent person who disdained political correctness.  So while trying to absorb the Law of Variable Proportions or comprehend the intricacies of the marginal rate of transformation in lecture, I would gleefully jot down comments such as:

“Taxing the rich isn’t always a good idea.  It’s very easy to think of a group of very nice rich people and really crummy poor people.”       

or

“Government being run like a business means that it should raise taxes while concurrently lowering services.”

Dr. Walker had the flu during the term and one of the students subsequently asked him how he was feeling and his reply was “Relative to what?”

I determined that others should be able to share in some of the gems that he conveyed although for obvious reasons, deciding to eliminate the names of specific politicians in the quotes such as  “The combined ability of ______ and ______ is a negative number.”        or     “Governor ______ wants to be just.  The problem arises because his version of what is just is wrong.”

We start with my favorite:  “It’s much more economically efficient to bury people vertically rather than horizontally.”     (He does have a point…)            

The Model is Economically Inefficient….

“I went to testify before the Oregon Legislature as an expert witness, but there was no precedent for expert testimony.”   

“Do fish mind swimming through crud if there is enough oxygen?  No, but we have no reason to believe that fish know anything.”

Potential Invaders??

“It is my opinion that we could lower the defense budget to zero and the Russians would not attack….However the Mexicans would.”

“Under the Oregon fraternal organization statutes, something has to be given to charity each year to be exempt from property taxes.  The law doesn’t say how much — all  you have to do is give $1 to any deserving midget once per year.  When the Department of Revenue conducts an audit and asks what your charity is, the organization simply replies, ‘Marvin.'”

“I prefer diversity. It’s bad enough that I have to look at you each week, but think how bad it would be if you all looked the same.”              

Undesirable Students!

“School boards are elected to make people’s kids smart and beautiful.  Three years later, when they’re still dumb and ugly, the board members are not re-elected.”

“The great general cause of poverty is the absence of money.”

Although it has taken thirty-five years, here’s a toast to Dr. John Walker as Thebeerchaser of the Month – just as we toasted his humor after class at Sam’s Hoffbrau in 1977.  Similar to a previous recipient, Dr. Harry Frankfurt (Beerchaser of the Month for September) of Princeton University, the author of the brilliant book, On Bullshit, Dr. Walker used his wit and creativity to educate — effectively.

It also seem appropriate to end with a citation (also used in a prior beerchaser post), but one which I think Dr. Walker would approve:

Therefore education at the University mostly worked by the age-old method of putting a lot of young people in the vicinity of a lot of books, hoping that something would pass from one to the other –while the actual young people put themselves in the vicinity of inns and taverns for exactly the same reason.

The Cheerful Tortoise – Slow and Steady Wins the Race

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Aesop Was Correct!!

Since the Greek story-teller Aesop, was purportedly a slave, it is doubtful that he conveyed his fable about the tortoise and the hare to Aristotle or Herodotus while hoisting a mug in a fifth century Greek pub.

Aesop’s Legacy

The Cheerful Tortoise Pub (CT) by the Portland State campus, however, has an eclectic mix of PSU students, professors, athletes and OHSU medical students so drinking yarns and tales of  yore are prevalent.  With its 42 television sets, gobs of sports momentos and historic sponsorship of PSU athletics, the CT was voted the top sports bar by Portland City Search two years in a row.  However, it’s far more than just a sports bar as one patron stated:

“One must remember that this place is a college bar that is a sports bar that is a karaoke bar that is a neighborhood dive bar. Most of the time it is chock-full of regulars, but at other times is a raucous mess of barely 21 college student who get stupid after 2 beers.”

Scholarship Support for the Viks….

I was fortunate to be joined by my good friend, former insurance company president and now Director of New Business Development for the PSU Athletic Dept. Dennis Ferguson.   All the bartenders know Denny, who is an extrovert and so optimistic that he once started a diet on Thanksgiving Day.  He commented on the generosity of owner Amy Nichol and Pat Lockhart (former) whose contributions generate PSU scholarships.

A TV Spreadsheet to Keep Track

Thursday night is $1 beer and $2 wing night so the probability of seeing out-of-control college kids escalates.  Trivia Nights on Mondays are for those who desire a more mundane experience.     

Denny, Allison and thebeerchaser logo

While a few of the reviews commented on unfriendly and slow service, our experience was great.  Our bartender, Allison, helped educate us about the bar which opened in 1940, and she and fellow bartenders Lana and Brooke were all intelligent, friendly and great looking!

Sports Memorobilia Abounds

The TC has 18 beers on tap — I had a Hamms which is always $2.75 except on $1 beer night.   Karoke is on Wednesday – Friday and Saturday.

Distinguishing Characteristics

The History – Although fellow PSU Grads, historian John Terry and former GE College Bowl PSU Captain, Jim Westwood, wax eloquently about the tradition of PSU-area pubs such as Lydia’s, the Chocolate Moose and Birdies, andthebeerchaser remembers some good draft beer after class at Sam’s Hoffbrau (now a McDonalds), none of these survived – and the Cheerful Tortoise is still going strong after 72 years!

It evokes Park Blocks memories for many  – whether it is WW II vets taking courses at Vanport Extension Center, Ben Padrow coaching his 1965 College Bowl Team or the outstanding dialogue when masses of students gathered to hear and debate decorated Marine Corps officers and Viet Nam veterans, Lt. Ancer Haggerty (Silver Star and Purple Hearts – now a federal judge) and Cpt. Jud Blakely (Bronze Star and Purple Hearts)  when they recruited on campus during the late ’60’s.      

Promoted Dialogue in a “Charged” Environment

         

Denny and the Building — Both Historic…..

The Character –  There are essentially no windows and the 42 TVs provide the light so it’s very dark yet the big fireplace roaring all year makes it warm and hospitable.  One night, you may see a bunch of international students in front of one of the TVs cheering on their favorite soccer team. It’s quirky trademarks such as $1 Beer nights and the $1.99 Breakfast available every day, have a wide following.  As Willamette Week’s 2009 Drink Guide, listing their 100 favorite bars, aptly stated:

“The CT packs the benefits of a college sports bar without the vomiting sorority girls and Dave Mathews fans….But on the Bar’s legendary $1 beer nights…there is no escape.  Come ready to get drunk– and relive the glory days.”

You don’t have to be a student to enjoy the Cheerful Tortoise – give it a try.

The Cheerful Tortoise                         1939 SW Sixth Avenue

        

Beerchaser of the Quarter – John Terry – Historian and Columnist

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A Portland Treasure – Historian John Terry

The intent of this blog is to periodically recognize individuals who facilitate this tour of Portland pubs.  It has been too long since one has been recognized and former Oregonian columnist, John Terry is belatedly recognized for the first quarter of 2012

John authored a column for many years on Oregon History in The Oregonian.  To the consternation of many, including thebeerchaser, earlier this year, the paper decided to discontinue what had become a weekly Sunday feature.  After sending John an e-mail lauding his contribution over the years, he agreed to meet me for lunch where I quizzed him about the history of Portland taverns and pubs.  He was a fascinating and comprehensive resource for thebeerchaser tour.

Jim Westwood – Another John Terry and George Washington Admirer

To give one an idea of the consternation of many of Terry’s fans, see the Oregon Live excerpt below from another Portland amateur historian and celebrity, of sorts – Portland lawyer and former Captain of the Portland State GE College Bowl team in 1965.

Jim Westwood, reflecting the eloquence which has made him one of Oregon’s leading appellate lawyers expressed righteous indignation to the publisher:

“When The Sunday Oregonian discontinued John Terry’s weekly articles on Oregon history, I sighed and told myself I’d get used to turning to something else first thing every Sunday morning. How wrong I was. How long has it been now, a couple of months? It’s an eternity. I miss John Terry’s lively, superbly researched articles.

I miss them desperately. I’m frustrated and angry that The Oregonian could have taken them away without considering making them at least a monthly feature. Sunday will never be the same, and it hit me again this morning. In this season of rebirth, I hope The Oregonian will resurrect John Terry and his wonderful works on the history of our state and its people.”

John regaled me with brief stories of many of the taverns with historic roots in Portland that are still operating:

The White Eagle Saloon    The Slammer    Horse Brass Pub    Kells’    Claudias’

Still Open for a Brewski!

He also told me about the once world-famous, Erickson’s Saloon, founded in 1895, which occupied two stories of an entire block between 3rd and 4th on Burnside and was reputed to have the largest bar in the world (400 feet long…).  Indeed, evidence of the saloon can still be found as the photo below shows: 

The Stories Behind this Wall….

And Bertie’s Montgomery Crystal Gardens near Portland State, which had nickel beers on Tuesday nights and Jan’s Streets of Paris near Hawthorne and Division on the East Side that had a New Orleans theme and ………..

One can still learn a lot about historic Oregon by doing a search on Oregon Live.  For example, John Terry’s column from August 2011, on the Portland Hotel, opened in the 1890’s on what is now Pioneer Courthouse Square:

“The finished product (costing $1 million) boasted 326 sleeping rooms, steam heat, gas and electric lights, restaurant, ballroom, bar, sitting rooms, dining rooms, sewing rooms, reception room, ladies parlors, public restrooms, public telephones, news and cigar stand, Western Union office, elevators, offices and quarters for live-in staff.

Eleven U.S. presidents were among its guests, starting with Benjamin Harrison in 1891. Virtually every luminary – actor, musician, politician, writer, tycoon – who blew through town put up there.”              

Demolished in 1951 for a Parking Lot….

So join thebeerchaser in a toast to John Terry…or better yet, echo Jim Westwood’s complaint to the Editor of The Oregonian about the paper’s error in discontinuing John Terry’s excellent column.

A Toast to Columnist John Terry!

Mock Crest Tavern – A North Portland Classic

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Founded in 1947 and Going Strong!

This wonderful neighborhood bar in the historic Kenton District of NE Portland is on N. Lombard – about two miles east and slightly north of the University of Portland and one of thebeerchaser’s other favorite venues – The Twilight Room (see review from September 2011)

The visit was prompted by the following:

Its history – operating for 60 + years, named after North Portland icon, John Mock, and previously operated as a meat market and an ice cream parlor.

Classic Furnishings and Ambiance

Identified repeatedly as a “Classic Portland Bar”  – affirmed by the fact that the only “substantive” negative comment in five years of reviews on websites was one guy’s gripe that there were red onions served with his salad.

  • The urging of my friend and former colleague, John      Mansfield – one of the excellent Intellectual Property (patent, trademark, copyright, cyber security, etc.) lawyers at the Schwabe Williamson firm.  John, who is a litigator, had previously used John Batchellor, the co-owner of Mock Crest, as an expert witness on a computer software case with good results.

    Attorney John Mansfield

Mock Crest Tavern has a number of colorful slogans to describe the venue – all of which seemed very accurate:

Home of the North Portland Blues

Easy to Find – Hard to Leave

Where Friends Meet

Laurie, the Director

Some might wonder about the wisdom of hitting a bar with any lawyer, but especially an IP lawyer (people whose Cliff Notes in college were on quantum mechanics rather than “orginating”  ideas for an essay on Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities).  

John is a Renaissance Man, however, having graduated magna cum laude from Cornell Law School, after undergraduate degrees at both Portland State and U of O (in music!).  For example, he played the keyboard in a four-person 80’s funk and rock band named The Core – “one of the least successful bands to come out of Eugene in decades…”  — possible reunion tour on tap?  John has also appeared in many Portland theatrical productions ranging from “Pump Boys & Dinettes” to “Rocky Horror Show”.

Mansfield and “Core” Values in Eugene

Besides, how can one resist drinking with a person who recently authored a stimulating article entitled, “Metadata and Public Records Requests.”

Mock Crest has 8 draft and 14 bottled beers in addition to classic 16 ounce cans of Hamms and Rainier.  We started with a Miller since at Mock Crest “Every Day is Miller Day” and a Miller draft is $1.50 from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. (we couldn’t figure out why Miller Lites were $1.75 except for possible paternalism by the owners)

I was watching the Mariners lose 3 to 1 on one of the multiple wide-screen TVs when John then told his first Intellectual Property bar Joke:

A neutron walks into a bar and says, “I’d like a beer.”

The bartender serves him and says, “For you – no charge!”

Free Beer for Neutrons….

The staff at Mock Crest adds to the bar’s charm.  We talked to Laurie, the Director, who has worked there for ten years with the original intention of staying only two months.  She was very helpful, let us see the deck area, which is temporarily close while being extensively reconstructed and told us about the rich history of the pub.

Deck – A Work in Process

Lisa, our waitress, was wonderful and gave us some complimentary jello shots besides being the epitome of good service and courtesy.

For example, she did not get mad when after seeing the caption on the menu, “Breakfast Served – Any Time,”  Mansfield ordered “French Toast from the Renaissance Era.”  I tried to apologize for the endearing practice of lawyers to take things literally.

Would You Believe French Toast??

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Ambiance – It was described by one patron as “just small enough to be cozy, and just big enough to be comfortable.”  Besides the friendly staff, its interior of dark wood and a great bar reflect its history.

There are neat signs with slogans such as “No Sniveling”and they have fried pickles and other gems on the menu – reviews were overwhelmingly favorable on the food.  (We had sandwiches and tator tots which were great..)  They have Texas Hold-em Poker nights every Sunday and Monday nights.

Lisa, John and theBC logo – she even laughed at his jokes….

The Music – there’s live music, described in one review as “quite an eclectic mix” (and no cover charge) on Tuesdays-Sundays .   For example, on May 1st we heard “Eagle Ridin Papas” featuring Johnny Ward.”

Jonnie Ward and Crew and No Cover!

An excerpt from a NW jazz publication stated, “Johnnie Ward is a name we all say often and with much love and respect……..an extraordinary musician, composer, American Folk Artist, and native Portlander….. a ‘living study’ of the Northwest Roots & Blues Movement with nearly 40 years of performance art to his credit…..”

As we listened to Johnnie Ward, Mansfield felt compelled to attempt his final science-laden bar joke:

An atom walks into a bar and says, “I lost an electron.”

The bartender says, “How can you be sure.”

The atom says, “I’m positive.”

Harkening back to my Cliff Notes on Charles Dickens, this led thebeerchaser to conclude that the visit to Mock Crest was, in fact, “the best of times and the worst of times….”  and it also negated the Mock Crest slogan, “Hard to Leave.”

Mock Crest Tavern    3435 N Lombard Street

Interurban – Urbane Saloon

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“Urbane” is defined as “notably polite or finished in manner,” which is apt for the relatively new (November 2011) Interurban (IU), another watering hole on the now trendy NE Mississippi Ave.  One of the three owners is Dan Hart, who also owns Prost – a bar up the street previously reviewed by thebeerchaser in November.

The original opening was delayed because of a fire of questionable origin until, according to our waitress, Rachael, Portland Fire and Rescue came in and pulled down some walls and discovered the source – an action commemorated at the top of the stairs with the logo shown below:

Tribute to “The City that Works” – 11/27/11

The bar was evidently named after Portland’s first interurban line, the Portland Sellwood and Milwaukie Railway, constructed in 1890 and the first of several interurban lines serving Portland and the Willamette Valley.  According to one of the owners, a spur once ran down Mississippi Avenue, right past the restaurant. For those into historic trains, an extremely interesting website can be found at http://pdxhistory.com/html/interurbans.html

The Oregon City Trolley on the Interurban Line

Reviews on IU are somewhat mixed and from our perspective, it was almost a little “too cool” – really dark wood, taxidermy, a coolly efficient staff, a nice sound system playing what one patron described as “a mix of classic funk, old school hip-hop, trip-hop and the like,” but was some good jazz when we (thebeerchaser and spouse) were there. A number of reviews have criticized the noise level at IU as being too loud with the sound system a factor.

IU is pretty confined – on the lower level, two tables by the entrance, a somewhat crowded bar with about 10-12 stools and some “buddy bars” with stools facing the wall and a small ledge for eating and to place drinks.  Upstairs there are about six or seven more tables. 

The Bar on the First Floor

There is also a patio for use when the weather is reasonable??!!    Happy Hour is every day except Saturday with $2 drafts $3-4 whiskey and $5 wine.  They have a nice selection (14) of cocktails, craft jello shots, 8 bottled beers and 14 draft beers (we had a nice Staropramen Pilsner).

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Food – two of the owners are well-known Portland chefs and the menu (coolly set forth in manilla file folders with clips..) has a great selection of pork and beef dishes, lamb stew and what is billed as “Portland’s largest corn dog” at $9.  I had the “hot dog of the day” – a chili dog – all the meat is from Olympic Provisions, which was outstanding.  Also a good range of soups and salads.

The African Trophy from Namibia

The Taxidermy! –  one of the bartenders told us that besides the large moose head on the wall, the other two animals on the first floor were shot by one of the bartenders and his father on a trip to Africa.

An Antelope from Zambia

The Mix of Cocktails – Both the display in the menu and the assortment were impressive and unusual for most bars.  For example, “The Suffering Bastard” – which research revealed has a history.  One website quoted a 1959 New York Times interview with the inventor himself, Joe Scialom, one-time head bartender at Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo. 

“When liquor was short during the war, he had to concoct ‘something to quench the boys’ thirst.’ He combined equal parts gin and brandy with a dash of Angostura bitters, a teaspoon of Rose’s lime juice, and English ginger ale. He garnished the drink with a sprig of fresh mint, a slice of orange and a cucumber peel.”

We enjoyed Interurban (of course, how does one not appreciate any public house).  It was cool – but lacked the character of many of thebeerchaser’s prior bars and taverns.  If the old trolley line was still operating, I would have taken it up the street to revel in the ambiance of Prost!                                   

The Patio — Weather Permitting…

Interurban  4057 N. Mississippi

Beerchaser Miscellany

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Thebeerchaser’s tour of Portland pubs, taverns and bars and this blog commenced in August 2011.  My education on blog software is continuing and I hope to make it easier in the future to find items on the site; however, it may be helpful until that time to recap the venues reviewed in categories during the last ten months.

The next review will be posted this week and recaps our visit to Interurban, which will be followed by a visit to the historical Mock Crest Tavern.

Neighborhood Bars

  • Brooklyn Park Pub
  • Gladstone Street Pub
  • Hawthorne Hideaway
  • Laurelthirst Public House
  • Muddy Rudder Public House

“Taking the Plunge…”

Dive Bars (Not a negative connotation – see post entitled “Analyzing Dive Bars – Head First” from September)

  • Ash Street Saloon
  • Dixie Tavern
  • Joe’s Cellar
  • Yukon Tavern

Brew Pubs

  • Amnesia Brew Pub
  • Coalition Brew Pub
  • Migration Brew Pub

Miscellaneous Bars and Pubs – In a Class of Their Own

  • The Buffalo Gap Saloon
  • Proust
  • The Twilight Room (Could be considered somewhat of a neighborhood pub but also a traditional  “hang-out” for watering hole for University of Portland students)

Followers  of the blog have asked if I have identified a favorite establishment to this point.  While every visit has been positive, probably two tie as favorites for different reasons:  The Laurelthirst and The Twilight Room.

Beerchasers of the Month

This label above is a misnomer because only five of the ten months have named an “honoree” as follows:

  • Princeton University professor and author of On Bullshit, Dr. Harry Frankfurt
  • Crime novelist, James Crumley
  • Retired chemical engineer and drinker, Harold Schlumburg
  • The bartenders of the Brooklyn Park Pub, the Gladstone Street Pub, Prost and the Twilight Room

Efforts will be made to bestow that honor more frequently, however, my favorite to this point is the esteemed Dr. Frankfurt, who responded to thebeerchaser’s e-mail informing him of the distinction and he became a follower of the blog.

BS Expert – Dr. Harry Frankfurt

Beer-related Lawsuits

Having worked in a law firm for twenty-five years and at the Oregon State Bar prior to that time, I collected a lot of law-related articles and memorabilia. In reviewing old files, I came across my favorite law suit – reported in The Oregonian in 1976. It documents a $53,000 suit filed against the Mount Angel Oktoberfest in Marion County.

The plaintiff, Robert Rispler, claimed the portable toilet he entered at the annual Oktoberfest was pushed over by unruly patrons and he was “violently thrown about inside said portable toilet, became intimately mixed (emphasis supplied) with the contents thereof and sustained a fracture of his right wrist and other contusions and abrasions.”                                                          

A Lawsuit Dr. Frankfurt Might Appreciate

Unfortunately additional research on the results of this suit are beyond the resources of thebeerchaser although a quick search of the internet found two Robert Risplers – one, a 1974 graduate of Reynolds High School in Portland (he would have been too young to drink legally….) and one who is now Director of Accounting at Fannie Mae in Washington DC.  Thebeerchaser avoids political commentary (at times) and will omit any direct or indirect implications related to federal agencies.

Favorite Bar Jokes

Although my archives has more lawyer jokes than bar jokes, this blog needs to return to more relevant topics in this post and will finish with a few bar jokes, which will also grace future posts:

  • A grasshopper walks into a bar and the bartender says, “Hey, that’s really cool.  We have a drink named after you. The grasshopper looks at him skeptically and says, “You have a drink named Murray?”

  • A piece of toast, a glass of orange juice, some hash browns and a side of eggs walk into a bar and they order four beers.  The bartender says, “I’m sorry we don’t serve breakfast here.”
  • A physician, a nurse, a rabbi and a bulldog walk into a bar and the bartender says, “What is this, some kind of joke?”

Spring Training in Phoenix

Thebeerchaser and spouse were privileged to take in a few games during Spring Training in Phoenix in March.  While the tour of pubs is restricted to Portland, we visited and observed a number, which generated these observations:

It seemed like every bar we passed was jammed with people especially from about 4:30 to 7:00 and not necessarily because of Happy Hours.  It may be that given urban sprawl in this badly planned metropolis, that people don’t try to drive during rush hour and just hit a bar each day.  Rotating designated drivers keep things legal.         

It also seemed that many of the venues had multiple levels to accommodate all the patrons (see pictures below).  Perhaps it was also the hot weather.  It was ironic that it cost $4 for a bottle of water at the baseball games when one could get a PBR for $1.50 at the pub across the street.  It brought to mind, beerchaser of the month, Jame’s Crumley’s  request from his main character, C.W. Sughrue, “I want a beer as cold as my ex-wife’s heart.”

Of special interest was the Irish Pub, shown below, that also served as a saddelry.    

Did you hear the one about the horse that walked into the bar? **

*Bartender says, “Hey! Why the long face?”