The Diamond Hotel – The Cutting Edge in Hospitality and the Final Chapter in Thebeerchaser Tour of Eastern Oregon

Posted on November 24, 2013 by Thebeerchaser

The Peter French Round Barn south of Burns

After lunch in Burns – a great town where one pundit asserted, “You could get a good meal, rent a movie and hire a contract killer,” we headed southeast on Highway 78 to Diamond, Oregon (population 5) and our final night at the historic Diamond Hotel.

Passing through the most desolate country on this stretch – Burns south past the Malheur National Wildlife Preserve almost to the Steen’s Mountains and the Alvord Desert. We toured the Peter French Round Barn – on the National Historic Register and constructed around 1870 by the cattle rancher who used it to train horses.

More prevalent than cars on Highway 78

The remarkable interior structure of The Round Barn.

About 50 miles south of Burns, we also stopped at the Diamond Crater Natural Area – which reportedly “has the best and most diverse basaltic volcanic features in the United States.” We saw lava flows and tubes and cinder cones from the observation area.

A road through the lava beds or what Dave maintained was a description of Thebeerchaser's career.

A road through the lava beds and a sign that Dave maintained was a description of Thebeerchaser’s career.

The Diamond Hotel was in a beautiful grove of poplar trees and we believed the sign that said the population of Diamond was only five since the hotel was in essence the center of “the city” – on Main Street.

The Census Bureau had an easy time in this venue

After playing cards and having a beer, we sat down for “Family Dinner” – eight people sitting around a large rectangular table for an outstanding rib dinner with all the accoutrements. The three-hour feast lasted that long because of the fascinating conversations with our fellow diners.

Family Dinner at the Diamond Hotel

Two of the diners were a married couple in their mid-eighties and riding in on their Harley – mid-way through a tour that took them into Montana, Idaho and Oregon.

Another was a high-tech exec from Portland – a German immigrant who rode in on his BMW bike on which he has toured most of the western US and Canada. We were the only boring ones at the table……David Thompson, one of the friendly owners, briefed us on history and shared stories while we were eating.

Notice the Harley and the BMW bike

For those who love our state and want to explore, the Diamond Hotel should be on your bucket list. Built in 1998, it was completely restored in 1990. Shirley and David Thompson, descendants of one of the first families in Diamond bought the hotel in 2001 and now operate it.

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It was headquarters for the Cycle Oregon staff during their 2013 ride this summer, which had a one night stay near Diamond. The rates at the hotel, including the dinner, are very reasonable and it is quaint and interesting.

“Recreation” before Family Dinner

And so ended our four-day road trip. After breakfast, we headed north – this time on Highway 205 back through John Day, then north on 395 and to Steve’s home in Pendleton. We photographed the Stampede Room in Long Creek, which will have to wait until our next trip to raise a mug.

The Stampede will have to wait until the next trip

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We saw amazing sights and reaffirmed the premise of Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Portland Taverns, Bars and Pubs – “Each bar or watering hole has its own unique character, ambiance and clientele,” – only in the central and eastern part of our wonderful state.

Whether sampling the brews of Johnny Brose at the Bull Ridge Brewery and Pub in Baker, kidding Patty at the Central Pastime Tavern in Burns, hearing stories from Heather at the Horseshoe Tavern in Prineville or just photographing the Powder Club Tavern in North Powder – which incidentally, is Under New Management or The Elkhorn Saloon in Sumpter, our visits to the Central and Eastern Oregon bars was outstanding and we would recommend it.

Powder – Under New Management!

We told Eastern Oregon bar jokes like the one about the dog who limped into the bar and said to the bartender, “I’m looking for the guy who shot my paw…!”

The bartender who asks the horse who comes into his bar and orders a beer, “Hey, why the long face..?”

Besides the establishments mentioned above we also visited The Solstice Brewery in Prineville, The Long Branch Saloon, The HideoutTavern and 10 Depot Street Bar and Restaurant in LaGrande and The Mt. Emily Ale House in Baker City. These are reviewed in the first three blog-posts of this road trip.

1,746 miles, four nights and ___ bars later....

1,346 miles, four nights and eight bars later….

Now back to Portland where the next Beerchaser post will review the fairly new and interesting neighborhood tavern – Church.

Burns, Oregon – A Hot Stop on Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Eastern Oregon

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Thebeerchaser

One of the sights along the highway in God’s Country

Our third day on the Eastern Oregon tour started with a drive from Catherine Creek State Park through Baker City to John Day where we had lunch. Although it was too early for a beer, we photographed Kilpatrick’s Tavern in Mt. Vernon and I talked briefly to the female co-owner, who with her brother, lawyer, Mike Kilpatrick, are the offspring of the legendary Oregon lawyer, Roy Kilpatrick, who served on the Oregon State Bar Board of Governors from 1965-8.

Kilpatricks Tavern in Mt. Vernon

The sign from his law office by the entrance to the bar shows his firm was established in 1854. Among the partners was Grace K. Williams, the first woman elected to serve as a district attorney in Oregon, who died at 90 on June 22, 2007, in John Day.

Robert Dayton, my colleague at Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt for many years, also worked at Kilpatrick’s firm and described Grace as, “Honest, tough and did not cave into pressure.”

: A Legendary Eastern Oregon law firm

Bob described Roy Kilpatrick as “An Eastern Oregon powerhouse along with Wendell “Pinky” Gronso from Burns….and Owen Panner of Bend. Owen and Roy hit it big as plaintiff’s lawyers for the folks flooded out in the big Mitchell flood of 1956.” (After a thunderstorm resulted in four inches of rain in about 50 minutes a sudden surge of water destroyed or heavily damaged 20 buildings in the Mitchell and several bridges.)

His obituary in The Blue Mountain Eagle stated: “His red bow tie (was) as colorful as his vocabulary….He was a fighter, without peer…one of the last of the colorful characters who set the tone in courtrooms in the eastern two-thirds of Oregon.”

The Dirty Shame Tavern and Pizzeria in John Day

We decided to explore some other camping options before opting for Clyde Holliday State Park in Mt. Vernon, and drove south from John Day and on the Forest Service Roads off Highway 395 past Wickiup and Parrish Cabin Campgrounds to what we hoped was a great camping and fishing at Canyon Meadows Lake. Wrong…!

The “remains” of Canyon Meadows Lake.

We saw the impact of the drought and forest fires. The only water at Canyon Meadows was a small creek which passed through an impressively large meadow – once the bottom of the lake – which ended with a recently erected beaver dam.

: This campground shows the impact of the Parish Creek fire in 20

So we headed back to Clyde Holliday Park for dinner and the night with an early start the next day to Burns and Diamond. The highway was straight and well-maintained as Dave, feeling the power in his left foot, powered his Highlander up to pass two cars until he realized in the nick of time it was a cop chasing a speeder…..!

Broderick Crawford would have been appalled…..

The fourth day we drove south on Highway 95 to Burns – home of former U of O and now St. Louis Rams quarterback, Kellen Clemens.

We explored and made a stop at Reid’s Country Store which had an impressive growler option for beer-hungry patrons.

Impressive selection of beers

Growler options

The grocer directed us to the Central Pastime Tavern (CPT) for lunch, which allowed us to ignore Steve who was pushing for the Broadway Deli after seeing the sign below and arguing, “It would be good food and also make sure our car had a smooth ride to Diamond……..”

The Central Pastime – “Best food in Burns….”

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It was a great recommendation. We talked to owner Glen Williams, a Wisconsin native, who was very cordial and a real character. After a variety of occupations involving surveying and power, he bought the CPT seven years ago and said the original bar was in the old hotel in Burns.

Thebeerchaser logo with Thebeerchaser and Glen Williams

However, the bartender, Patty, was the star of our visit. She served us a great lunch (chicken gizzards, a rib-steak sandwich and a taco salad) and we each had one of the eight beers on tap.

Rib Steak, onion rings and Heinz 57 – it doesn’t get any better….

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We listened to some great country music – it reminded us of Bob Newhart’s memorable quote, “I don’t like country music, but I don’t mean to denigrate those who do….And for people who like country music, ‘denigrate’ means ‘put down.'” Of course, this prompted us to remember some of our favorite county-western titles such as:

If The Phone Don’t Ring, You’ll Know It’s Me
I’m So Miserable Without You; It’s like Having You Here
I Put the Golden Band on the Right Left Hand This Time (This one is actually a wonderful real tune by the late and great, George Jones)

Great interior design enhances the atmosphere at the Central Pastime

Since we talked about Kellen Clemens, Dave decided to ask one of the patrons, “Do you know Kellen Clemens?” The guy was listening to country-western and replied, “No, but hum a few bars to see if I remember the melody.”

But the conversation with the hard-working Patty, an attractive and personable lady in her late forties or early fifties, was the best part of this bar. I had seen the cocktail menu which included some interesting libations including one entitled, “Liquid Marijuana.” I didn’t want to pay $9 and had already had a PBR, so Patty offered to fix a shot sampler and told us the ingredients: Captain Morgan’s Rum, Blue Curacao, Malibu Rum and a splash of Midori (green melon liqueur). It tasted like a Long Island Ice Tea with coconut.

Liquid Marijuana – “Because it’s green and makes you hungry…”

We could have talked to Patty all afternoon, but we needed to head to Diamond and our conversation concluded with this friendly exchange:

Beerchaser: How long have you worked at the Central Pastime, Patty?

Patty: Eighteen years.

Beerchaser: Then this must have been your first job out of high school?

Patty: And I thought the cowboys around here were smooth talkers. You city slickers put them to shame!

Good food and selection on “The Daily Specials”

And with that parting dialogue, we took off south for the historic Diamond Hotel – our last night on Thebeerchaser Tour of Eastern Oregon.

The bar at the Central Pastime. Patty was camera shy but impressed with the city slickers passing through.

The Beerchaser Does Eastern Oregon – Part II and Johnny Brose, Beerchaser of the Month

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Thebeerchaser

Historic Church in John Day

The second leg of our four-day Eastern Oregon road trip started at Unity Lake State Recreation Site where we had spent the first night. We headed north through Sumpter for breakfast and to photograph The Elkhorn Saloon. (next trip we will have a beer!)

: An historic saloon in an historic Oregon city

Abandoned school-house in Granite

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We drove through Granite and Starkey – a town so small you can wake up next to yourself – passed an immense camp for firefighters which had about 150 tents, and on to LaGrande – which requires a correction from Installment I of the Eastern Oregon tour on this blog. We did not hit the two taverns in La Grande (Long Branch Saloon and The Hideout) until the second day and not on day one.

Catherine Creek –

After visiting the aforementioned two saloons, we pitched our tent that night at Catherine Creek State Park, which is accurately described in the website as, “a cool, quiet and peaceful setting.”

We then contemplated the benefits of escaping from the daily routine and just relaxed in God’s Country as you can see by the picture below………

Away from the daily grind – wait a minute – are those I-Phones??!

We hit the road again in search of a dinner venue – like a good steak considering all the beef on-the-hoof we had observed. We heard good reports on the Cove Tavern and Steak House, but it was closed on Mondays and we ventured into the City of Union.

Pick-up Truck at Cove Tavern and Steakhouse

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Steve, being an educator and astute observer, stated, “You know, both dogs and pick-up trucks seemed to be ubiquitous in these environs.” (He then defined “ubiquitous” and “environs” for Dave and me….) As evidence, we saw the following two signs on taverns we visited:

Keep your dog in your pick-up and not the bar.

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The historic Union Hotel was also rumored to have a great steak and was impressive, but it was closed as was another Union institution – LG Brewskis, a very interesting looking pub which will have to await our next trip.

As we got back on the road, Dave wondered why there were a number of cities with nautical themes in their names, but without a trace of water around. Examples included Cove, Island City and Hot Lake. Our attention span was not sustained long enough to try for an answer.

Unfortunately we could not find out what the LG designated in the name of this pub

Hungrier now, we ended back in LaGrande, which was fortunate because we had a fantastic dinner at 10 Depot Street, a restaurant which also had one of the most impressive bars we saw on the trip.

An impressive bar complemented the great food

Unfortunately, we were not going to be in town for the La Grande Pub Tour “….which kicked off its Celtic Festival,” and for which $10 would secure a ride on the trolley making the rounds. (10 Depot was the first stop.)

A first-rate LaGrande bar and restuarant

A first-rate LaGrande bar and restaurant

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We had a nightcap at the Mt. Emily Ale House – the one disappointment on the trip. Although it was a Monday night, there was a decent crowd, but the bartender was inattentive and did not have a clue about the products produced by his brewery. The beer was also not very impressive, which is also the case with their website.

A disappointment for a number of reasons.

It was a full moon and we were awakened in the middle of the night by screeches and screams – many more decibels in intensity than the snoring which had started early that night. It was coyotes.

Dave then awoke with a start and admired the view of the moon and stars before exclaiming, “Where in the hell is my roof?” before we assured him he was not at home and our tent had a vent-hole at its top.

The next morning, Dave demonstrated his culinary skills with a great breakfast and we headed for Baker. Upon reaching the city we took picture of two more bars before stopping at the Bull Ridge Brewery and Pub. A conversation at 10:50 AM between Steve Larson and his wife gives some context:

: Culinary skills helped start the day.

Steve: Hi Babs, we are in Baker waiting for the Bull Ridge Brewery to open. We’ve already been to two bars earlier this morning.

Babs: Isn’t that a little early to start drinking beer?

Steve: No. No. You don’t understand. Don just took pictures of the first two. All we’ve had this morning is coffee so far.

The Stockman Bar deserves an actual visit on the next trip.

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To lend credence to Steve’s assertion, the following are two bars in Baker which we photographed but did not visit on this trip although like General McArthur – “We shall return.”

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The Idle Hour – interesting, but too early to partake

Waiting until the Bull Ridge opened at 11:00, we drank what, for us, was an early beer. Camas, the helpful waitress (named after the flower) told us a little about the establishment which is housed in an historic building – originally a mercantile warehouse and opened two years ago in September.

We had pints of Bull Ridge’s Tumbleweed and Flagstaff Pale Ale, which were excellent. As a side note and rationale for AM drinking, beer was probably the safest liquid we could consume since Baker City was in the middle of a battle with cryptosporidium which had contaminated its water and sickened dozens of residents.

Dave and Steve in an inarticulate and awkward effort to demonstrate that it was 11:00 when we entered Bull Ridge

Camas then told us we should see the Brewer for a tour and we met Johnny Brose, who was a smart, articulate and friendly young guy who gave us a personal tour.

He demonstrated real pride and knowledge of his product and the brewing process. I was both surprised and pleased to learn that he is an Oregon State graduate who earned his degree in Food Science and Technology with a focus on Fermentation Science. OSU is one of only two universities in the US to offer a fermentation degree and is home to an internationally recognized hops research initiative

Brewmaster, Jonny Brose and Camas with Thebeerchaser logo

He was a Baker City High graduate and before returning to his home town he interned at breweries and wineries for a year in Germany learning his craft.

Jonny was extremely helpful and has lofty goals for the brewery. He receives Thebeeerchaser of the Month of November in recognition for his enthusiasm for his profession and his competence in his craft – also being a Beaver.

The pub has an excellent selection of beers on tap and wines and a nice menu. Since we visited, Johnny has rolled out several new beers and his creativity is evident in the names:

Johnny extracting a sample for us to taste.

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Haymaker Hefeweizen, Bear Claw Porter, Whitetail Pale Ale, Gun Sight IPA, Rut Dust Amber and Lone Pine Lager.

He plans to roll out a winter ale at the beginning of December, but has not named it yet. How about Beaver Dam Winter Ale?

We recommend you visit the Bull Ridge Brewery and Pub when you are in Baker and say hello to Johnny Brose.

The Bull Ridge Brewery and Brew Pub 1934 Broadway Baker City

The Bull in Bull Ridge..!

Thebeerchaser Does Eastern Oregon – Part 1

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Thebeerchaser

Granite – one of the stops in the Eastern Oregon Beerchaser Tour

After visiting pubs in six European countries on a 21-day Rick Steves’ Best of Europe Tour this summer, a return to basics was in order. What better description of “basics” could one devise than a four-day road trip through Eastern Oregon – visiting taverns, pubs and bars along the way. (This post is the first of three installments…)

Historic beauty along the highway

Psyched to start our 1,300 mile journey

Thus, three of us – Thebeerchaser, brother-in-law, Dave Booher and Pendleton teacher and coach, Steve Larson, completed a 1,346 mile four-day trip in August.

We camped three nights and stayed at the wonderful Diamond Hotel, in Diamond, Oregon on the fourth. Diamond, with a population of five, is so small that the “Welcome To” and “Come Again” signs could be on the same telephone pole. Anyone who has not experienced this historic inn, should make it a bucket-list item.

As one can see from the map, we circled through the “God’s Country.”

The Route - From Prinevill on the West to Baker on the East - Diamond in the South and ending at Pendleton (North)

The Route – From Prineville on the West to Baker on the East – Diamond in the South and ending at Pendleton (North) – 1,346 miles in 4 days.

This trip was a great opportunity to either visit or photograph some of the colorful and historic local watering holes that are institutions in cities such as Prineville, LaGrande, Baker, Fossil, Burns, John Day, Mitchell and Sumpter.

Solstice – Prineville’s only brewery

Prineville

Solstice Brewery – Solstice celebrated its second anniversary in July and with a play area for tots (which we did not try) is a family oriented venue. Shelby, our waitress, was friendly and helpful as was the owner, Joe, who told us it was the only brewery in Prineville and that they have a five-barrel capacity.

Shelby and Dave with Thebeerchaser Logo

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The Bar at Solstice

They bought their five-barrel brew kettle from Terminal Gravity Brewery in Enterprise. Their beer was good and we tried the War Paint Red Ale, Show-me-the-Honey Wheat Ale and Walton Lake Lager, three of six Solstice’s own brews. We also had a good Sunday lunch.

The Horseshoe – Established in the 1940’s

Horseshoe Tavern – Just up the street from Solstice on Prineville’s Main Street we met native Pennsylvanian, Heather, the bartender, who did a great job filling us in on the history of the bar, which is over 70 years old – a fact substantiated by the picture of the original owner, Howard Bose, on opening day.

Horseshoe Founders in 1940

Heather told us that her most challenging customers were the off-duty state troopers, who made the trucker patrons look tame.

They have seven beers on tap and we enjoyed the Bombshell Blonde from Cascade Lakes Brewery in Redmond. This review from “Urban Spoon” summed up the Horseshoe pretty well, “Good food, huge portions.$1 beer, friendly staff. What more could you want?”

Heather at the Horseshoe

Heather convinced Thebeerchaser to have an “Angry Balls” cocktail which is Angry Orchard Hard Cider (5% alcohol) and a drop of Fireball. It was very good although evoked no emotional or physical reaction implied by the name.

LaGrande

The Hideout Saloon – Our next stop was in “downtown”, LaGrande, where Cindy, the gregarious bartender who has worked at the Hideout for ten years, hailed from the Land of Sky Blue Waters as did the “Beer-of- the-Day” – a draft Hamm’s.

Thebeerchaser “hiding out…”

Cindy briefing Dave on the Hideout

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Cindy didn’t know exactly when the bar started operating, but said without equivocation, “It’s older than anybody here.”

Old Testament Vintage

We noted that a number of patrons – other than ourselves – reminded us of some of the Old Testament characters so we knew the bar was old.

Because they had cheap PBR and Dave was in a nostalgic mood, he harkened back to his days in the Navy’s Submarine Service and used the phonetic alphabet and ordered a “Papa – Bravo – Romeo,” which Cindy understood.

The LongBranch Saloon – Just down the street, we discovered our final LaGrande bar – one that had no lack of character and ambiance. Patsy, the bartender didn’t know how old the bar was, but said that her grandmother worked there at one time.

Barbed-wire sculpture added to the atmosphere

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One young guy came in and she asked for his ID which he didn’t have. He left – came back and showed his ID – then just got a glass of water….! The Long Branch also has a quant diner attached that looked like it was from the 1950’s.

Straight from the 1950’s..

We then debated where we should camp that evening. Steve advocated flexibility, but I told him, “Spontaneity on this trip takes a lot of planning…”

We stopped at the Dairy Queen in John Day to assess our options, while I had a chocolate malt, Dave a Dilly Bar and Steve a DQ Sundae. We couldn’t figure out why Dave told the Drive-thru waitress to make sure that our orders were “To Go.”

Unity Lake at Sunset

We headed east on Highway 26 and about half way between John Day and Sumpter, we ended up at one of Oregon’s wonderful State Parks – Unity Lake State Recreation Site.

“Camping” may be a stretch to describe our accommodations because we stayed in a cabin with bunks, but as you can see from the photos, it was a perfect ending to a day of exploration.

A toast to God’s Country!

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A Tribute

And this post should end with a short tribute to the man who instilled my appreciation of God’s Country when I was in my teens and he was a carpet salesman for Mohawk Carpets.

My Dad – F. Duane Williams – on whom we lovingly bestowed the moniker, “FDW”, grew up on the East Coast and thanks to his courage and that of my mom (Frannie), we moved to Oregon from Ohio in 1960 after a three-month camping trip (a VW bus hauling a Nimrod pop-up-tent trailer) across the US. We missed three + weeks of school in the fall because FDW wrote the superintendent of schools that we were getting an outstanding education on the road.

FDW in God’s Country

We all fell in love with Oregon on the trip and FDW quit his job and moved to Portland while Frannie sold the house and then drove the four kids across the country to our new home in Oregon City. From that point on, FDW was imbued with “The spirit of high adventure.”

FDW and his VW

Although he did not make much in commissions from his Eastern Oregon territory, he loved the trips. From the geology to mingling with his dealers such as Doc Mosier of Mosier’s Home Furnishings in John Day – founded in 1955 and now operated by Doc’s son he relished the adventure.

I still have a personally autographed copy of famous Oregon cattleman, Herman Oliver’s autobiography, Gold and Cattle Country, with whom my dad had many visits in Grant County.

And no trip was complete without navigating a little-used Forest Service road in his VW Bus. (We once spent the night sleeping in the VW when we took the wrong turn got stuck on a new spur in the Mt. Emily Road and had to be pulled out the next morning by a bulldozer that was excavating for the new road!)

The Beerchaser Goes International – The Final Chapter

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Thebeerchaser

The Arc de’ Triomphe

After leaving the wonderful Cinqua Terra on the Mediterranean Coast of Italy, we headed for the final two stops on our Rick Steves’ 21-Day Best of Europe Tour. From Italy, we hit Beaune, France for a night followed by the last two of our trip – Paris.

Tasting at the Bouchard Aîné & Fils cellars

Beaune (pronounced “bone”) is a delightful and historic city of about 25,000 people in eastern France, right in the wine capital of Burgundy. The city still has a good portion of the wall, ramparts and moats constructed during the Roman era to protect it. Although my preference was obviously beer, we had a very interesting tour of Bouchard Aîné & Fils cellars – one of the many located in and around the city and established in 1750. .

We also visited the Hospice de Beaune, a charity hospital built in the 15th century after the devastating Hundred Years’ War and the Plague left more than 90 percent of the town’s population destitute .

I then ventured into a majestic cathedral right across the street from our hotel – which turned out to be Notre-Dame de Beaune – one of the largest Romanesque churches in Burgundy. It dates to the 12th century and was not completed until the 1600’s and has marvelous tapestries from the 1500’s inside.

The majestic Notre-Dame de Beaune

Notre-Dame de Beaune – dates from the 12th Century

Unfortunately, we left early on a Saturday morning when the merchants of Beaune were just setting up the notable food market which features cheese, wine, fruits and other delicacies from all over Burgundy.

Before an excellent dinner, we had a beer in one of the most delightful pubs we encountered on the trip – The Publican. Unlike my experience in Paris the next day, the bartender was very friendly and spoke excellent English. (I considered myself to be bilingual because I knew how to say “hello” in French.)

A wonderful little pub….

Nice selection of beers and great atmosphere at The Publican.

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They had a nice selection of beers and a great little deck where we joined a number of other patrons and enjoyed the afternoon.

We concur with this excerpt from a Yelp review in late 2012:

“Best bar in town!” The owner is great. The prices are perfect …The seating is all couches and nice chairs, very comfortable! Very English friendly but we also saw a number of local youth (18-25 years old). The wine they serve is from the owner’s in-laws and very good for the price. We didn’t have any food, but the meat and cheese plate looked good.”

Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris

The bus driver, as we arrived in Paris, gave us a quick tour, of sorts, through the city. Seeing the Eifel Tower, the Seine River and the Arc de Triomphe was amazing – as was our subsequent tour of the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral and the incredible Church of Sainte-Chapelle.

The magnificent stained glass of the Chapelle de Saint

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I found another amazing cathedral – this one the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral – established in 1861 and the first Russian Orthodox place of worship in Paris.

The Russian Orthodox Cathedral

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And while we really enjoyed Paris, Thebeerchaser had his only negative experience in a Parisian bar after visiting over sixty in America and six European countries since I started this blog in 2011 – a validation of the stereotype of rude and snobbish French servers and a justification for presenting this bad bar joke before I relate my experience:

A Frenchman with a parrot perched on his shoulder walks into a New York bar:

Bartender: “Wow, that’s really neat! Where did you get him?”

Parrot: “In France. They’ve got millions of them……”

: Millions of Frenchmen available….

Thebeerchaser is Chastised!

Our hotel was only one block off the famed Champs-Elysees – one of the world’s most famous boulevards. The night before, I saw a pub with the inauspicious name “The Beer Station” only about two blocks from our hotel and I took a picture of the sign on the outside.

After visiting the Russian Cathedral, I decided to take a picture of the interior on my way back even though I did not have time for a beer – I wanted to at least mention one bar in Paris.

The Beer Station – not one of Paris’ finer bars..

So on a late Sunday afternoon, I popped in and took a quick photo of the bar which had about four patrons sitting at it. After I left, the bartender came running out yelling, “Monsieur, Monsieur, you did not ask permission to take this photo.”

I explained what I was doing and showed him the two pictures – one of their sign and one of the bar with its beer taps. In righteously indignant and broken English, he informed me that he wanted me to delete the picture of the bar. Rather than argue – I did.

Everything turned out fine, because I walked a block to the La Vin Couer – a classy bar and one in which the bartender and his staff were more than happy to pose for a Beerchaser picture.

La Vin Couer – A classy alternative to The Beer Station – and friendly!

It made me wonder why the bartender was so prissy about pictures which admittedly did include a few patrons. I assumed, however, that an important corporate officer or high-ranking politician who did not want to be seen at a bar would patronize a place other than one called “The Beer Station.”

Then it occurred to me that a bar with this moniker only one block off the classy Champs-Elysees is tantamount to Leonardo de Vinci, naming the subject of his famous work – “Gertrude.”

De Vinci’s Mona Lisa at the Louvre – did not name his famous work “Gertrude”

And after reading this April 2012 Yelp review, it made me think that I was better off skipping The Beer Station anyway:

“What you see is what you get.

Eating here was not a highlight of my recent trip to Paris. It was raining, I was tired, so we decided to find a place near the hotel to eat. This place filled that void. We had below average food and wine at a below average price.”

And the bar down the street – La Vin Couer was classy and favorably reviewed in this December 2012 Yelp review excerpt:

“This seems to be an ‘in’ place with the crowd as it is relatively close to the Arc de Triomphe… It is a popular place. They were very pleased that we asked “Parlez vous Anglais?” even though they spoke perfect English – just made mention that it was nice that we even inquired! Food was very good and prices were reasonable – for Paris…Good sized servings, good taste, easy access…… “

And so ended our outstanding 21-day Rick Steves’ Best of Europe Tour – one that we would strongly recommend for anyone making their first trip to Europe. We saw majestic scenery, living history, met wonderful people and visited a few great bars.

We will return. Thanks Rick Steves!

That said, it will be nice to return to Portland and the comforting ambiance of the Barmuda Triangle…! Stayed tuned for our next review of Slab Town in NW Portland.

Crossing the Rubicon — For a Moretti?? Thebeerchaser Goes International – Part IV

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Thebeerchaser

The Glorious history of the Roman Empire – Still visible today.

In Florence we saw the wonder of Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia and then headed to Rome. Awed by the history, I tried to envision the perspective of a Roman Legionnaire in 49 BC crossing the Rubicon with Caesar to reassert his power in Rome after the Gallic Wars.

However the metaphor fails since I slept in a comfortable bed the night before, had an outstanding breakfast and traveled in a luxury bus and the only “hardship” endured was doing some of our laundry in the hotel sink!

Moretti - not an option in the 5th century.....

Moretti – unfortunately, not an option for the Roman Legion…..

Compare this to the Roman infantryman (named “Mules”) who carried as much of his own equipment as possible including his own armor, weapons and 15 days’ rations – about 60 pounds total – and walked in sandals. As comedian, Bill Maher, quipped, “If you think you have it tough, read history books.” (See the end of this post for more details on ancient Roman beer.)

Modern travel superior to foot-power…

We toured the Vatican first and were overwhelmed by the immense collection of art and the historic structures. It compels consideration of the impact of the Catholic Church through the annals of history – even before priests had to admonish their parishioners to turn off their mobile devices at the start of mass.

These range from the positive contributions to art, culture and education to the tales of intrigue and outright decadence by some of the medieval pontiffs. Stunned by the magnificence of the Sistine Chapel, one can imagine Michelangelo responding to Pope Julius II in 1508 by saying, “You want WHAT painted on the ceiling…?”

“This Swiss Guard gig is an honor, but do we get a brewski when our watch is over?”

June 2nd is Republic Day – the Italian equivalent of Independence Day in the US – and Rome was festive. In St. Peter’s Basilica, we witnessed a half-hour procession of worshippers – all from one village – filing in for a 6:00 PM mass. Take a look at Thebeerchaser’s video to see just a small fragment of the celebrants filing into St. Peter’s: http://youtu.be/fHcJQVsWv0g,

The State within a State

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The Colosseum in Rome – the center of entertainment and athletics during the reign of Caesar

On the second night in Rome, after an outstanding tour of the Colosseum, we had dinner in a wonderful pub/cafe – Miscellanea.

It is interesting to note that a lot of bars and taverns in Portland, although they have their own internal ambiance, there is a good chance of passing a Subway Store, a Home Depot or some other strip mall chain upon exiting. Conversely, immediately adjacent to Miscellanea was the Pantheon.

This incredible temple to the gods of Rome rebuilt in 126 AD, is a circular structure with sixteen massive granite columns and a central opening to the sky, which sources say is still the world’s largest un-reinforced concrete dome.

The granite columns of the Pantheon – this ain’t no Home Depot…!

The reviews of Miscellanea were spot on including this one by a Canadian tourist this March:

“We were near the Pantheon when it started to rain and we went into this cafe for shelter and lunch. How lucky were we! The place was very busy and we shared a table with three other diners. Pasta was very good and the house wine was fine.

The atmosphere was good with lots of laughter and chatting and it seemed to be mainly Italians who were eating. At about 2pm the place started to empty as Romans returned to work and left a few tourists to idle away the afternoon with another glass of wine.”

Cassius had a “lean and hungry look.” Maybe we should jog back to the hotel……

Miscellanea had a great selection of beer and wine plus the food, as you can see by the photo, was amazing – and the portions were large.

It was also interesting to see both the display of beer labels and a chronology of university students who signed the “register” when visiting the establishment – essentially, a listing of colleges and universities all over the world whose students frequented the bar while studying in Rome.

: A great selection of beer and wine.

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I loved this picture of the 1994 class of Notre Dame which is concrete proof that the University has an academic program of which their football team can be proud:

: The Fighting Irish leave South Bend to “study”abroad…

Go Irish!!

On the walk back to the hotel, per the tradition, we threw a coin over our left shoulder at the Trevi Fountain – commissioned in 1732 by Pope Clement XIII – the largest in Rome and one of the most famous fountains in the world.

Legend has it, that this action ensures a return trip to Rome – plus it helps to fund the water bill for the gushing attraction.

Trevi Fountain – featured in the movies, “Roman Holiday” and Three Coins in a Fountain”

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After we left Rome, we stopped at another majestic cathedral in Central, Italy.

The Cathedral of Orvieto, built in the 14th century is another example of the Pope’s influence – this one, Pope Urban IV. While the external trappings are impressive, the interior is another magnificent example of Middle Age art.

Orvieto Cathedral – to commemorate a miracle in 1283.

The beautiful stained glass in the Cathedral of Orvieto, Italy

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And going back to the Roman legionnaires and the quest for a good brew, a sixteen-year old post by Gregory Smith from the “Brew Your Own (BYO) Magazine” web site, poses an interesting theory to the role of beer in the time of Caesar: “History tells us that Julius Caesar was stabbed in the back by Brutus in 44 BC. If everyone had just been a little patient, Caesar’s passion for a mug of beer would have killed him off without the mess of the Ides of March stabbing. In fact it was probably the Roman passion for a good beer that killed off the entire Empire.

It wasn’t the actual beer that would have killed the Roman ruler, it was his lead-laced beer mug. Roman brewers used a variety of earthenware containers to store and serve their beer. The pottery and glaze were lead based. The risk to the beer drinker would increase based on the amount of beer consumed or the age of the brew.

If Brutus had waited a little longer, Julius Caesar could have literally drunk himself to death by lead poisoning, which was very common in the years of the Roman Empire (from 753 BC until around 476 AD)

Beer could have caused the fall of the Roman Empire because it probably led many Romans to settle in lands far away from Rome, leaving the heart of the empire unprotected against ravaging barbarians.”

And now on to the Cinque Terra on the Mediterranean coast of Italy and the Swiss Alps! Then, before the end of the Rick Steves’ Best of Europe Tour, we head back to Portland for a review of one of Portland’s classic bars – The Slammer. And don’t forget to try a Birra Moretti. You can get it in the USA and 39 other countries.

Thebeerchaser Goes International – Through Bavaria to Venice and Beyond….

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Thebeerchaser

A draft Moretti at the Devils Forest Pub in Venice

Back to the Rick Steves’ Best of Europe Tour after the first two posts took us from Amsterdam through the Rhine Valley in Germany (according to Wikipedia, a 2010 report showed Germany ranked second in the world for per-capita beer consumption) and Austria. A highlight was traveling through Bavaria – the southeastern-most state of Germany, which is known for its 40 types of beer and purportedly over 4,000 brands of Bavarian beer.

So many options and so little time….!

Bitburger – an excellent German Bier

The Autobahn is an outstanding method of traveling and the scenery, mostly rural, is stunning.

Highlights included two historic castles – both abodes of “Mad King Ludwig II.“ This is not the name of a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders, but a real Bavarian king, whose taste for these massive structures helped lead to his ultimate demise in 1898, even though they were not built using public funds, but from the king’s personal fortune and borrowing.

Neushwanstein – A King’s home is his castle – er, castleS, that is……

Construction of Neushwanstein – the largest castle – started in 1868 as a “retreat” and tribute to composer Richard Wagner.

Perhaps Ludwig’s childhood castle home – built in 1833 by his father called Hohenschwangau, in the Bavarian village of the same name, wasn’t sufficient because the “retreat” – only a few hundred yards away was started when Ludwig was 35 and living in the fortress below.

The original castle – Hohenschwangau – A “stone throw” from Neushwasnstein – the King’s retreat castle.

Our nine days in Italy commenced in Venice – the Floating City, which is built on pilings and actually comprises over 100 islands separated by the legendary canals and connected by bridges.

American humorist, New York Times columnist and actor, Robert Benchley, upon arriving in Venice was reported to have sent a cable to his editor stating, “Streets full of water. Please advise.”

Venice was marvelous and besides the wonderful history, the food and the pubs – not just cafe’s, but real bars – were notable.

Near the Bridge of Sighs in Venice

Streets full of water – Please advise…..!

Although we did not eat there, based on its ambiance, the staff and the beer, my favorite bar was The Devils Forest Pub – right near the famous Rialto Bridge.

Trip Advisor reviews were good including this one from a visitor from the United Kingdom in April:

“This pub was fantastic with Italian staff that also spoke English, the food was delicious and great value for money and the décor is fab like an old English pub well worth a visit.”

Devil’s Forest bartender with our crew.

This one from July, 2013 echoes our experience:

“Great pub just a few steps away from Rialto off a side street. Very friendly staff and a great crowd there. Good beers on tap, we did not eat there, but the place was packed with a good fun crowd (was there during Spain/Brazil match). Would definitely go back if I return.”

A true pub atmosphere at The Devil’s Forest

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After a long day of sightseeing (and shopping) we wanted to sample some of the Venetian food so we took a boat to the other side of the City. We were successful in this goal as can be seen from the photo below:

: Pizza and Moretti beer for dinner

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And while in Venice, I got to see a few more bars which looked good from very cursory visits and on-line reviews – they are on my list to explore when we return. These included:

Bar A1 10 Savi: (see picture below)

Bar A1 10 Savi – Another tavern near the Rialto Bridge

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Bacaro Jazz made me chuckle because the décor and stated tradition surrounding it reminded me of one of my early Portland dive taverns – The Dixie Tavern in Old Town. Take a look at the July, 2011 review from Yelp of the Venice bar and the pictures I took of both establishments:

Bacaro Jazz Bar – The international symbol of support on the ceiling……

“Bacaro Jazz has a fun atmosphere and is perfectly placed by the Rialto Bridge to bring in all the tourists and backpackers. Right when you walk in the first thing that grabs your attention besides the long bar counter is all the Bras – yes Bras hanging on the ceiling.”

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“The tradition is all the women walking in who donate their bra to the collection tend to get a free drink and a rise from the
crowd. The Bar has every drink you can think so if your intent is to walk in sober and leave the same way forget about it.”

Portland’s Dixie Tavern – A New Meaning to “In the Cups”

Each year at the Dixie, they make a donation to the Susan Kommen Foundation for each of the ceiling decorations.

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Perhaps it is an abrupt transition, but I cannot leave this post without showing another example of a church we passed in Austria – the steeples were always great landmarks in every city and this one was no exception.

A landmark in every city in Germany, Austria and Italy!

And finally, one of the most outstanding cathedrals and structures on the entire trip – the Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of St. Mark – in Venice. We trudged up the 373 steps to the top of this architectural and engineering masterpiece for a wonderful view of Venice and the surrounding countryside.

The interior of St. Mark’s

The basilica is the final resting place of St. Mark, the patron saint of Venice. Construction started in the 9th century and it is one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture in the world. The mosaics (about 40,000 square feet) and bronze sculptures are remarkable. It has five domes laid out in the form of a Roman cross.

One can only imagine the labor of the peasants including stories of holding back food and water rations of the workers as the upper dome, which rises 141 feet, was being completed so they would not lose the significant time it took to leave their posts for biological functions. The Basilica was consecrated in 1094 although it was not completed until 1674.

One of the best examples of Byzantine architecture in the world.

On to Rome and the Cinque’ Terra on the Mediterranean coast.

Thebeerchaser Goes International – Part Deux

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Thebeerchaser

A Frosty Mug of Leffe Bier which is a product of ....

A frosty mug of Leffe Blond Bier which is brewed at the Stella Artois brewery in Leuven, Belgium

The last post summarized our recent 21-day Rick Steves’ tour of Europe. From Amsterdam, we headed south through the Rhine Valley in Germany and then Austria. (The Rhine joins the Willamette in being one of only about 30 rivers in the world to flow north.) While the coffee in Europe was found wanting (one either has a mini espresso or a small and watered-down Americano rather than a mug of java), the beer – or bier – was great. I’m sure you’ll agree that experimentation in the different countries was mandated.

To quote the late musician, Frank Zappa: “You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline – it helps if you have some kind of a football team or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.”

Before leaving the Netherlands, we stopped at the Arnhem Open Air Museum – a “village” with farmyards, historic cottages, businesses, shops and a wonderful little brewery – a permanent exhibit since 1996. The title of the exhibit is appropriately “Bier is dranck voor alleman” (Beer is a drink for everyone). Arnhem is noted as the site of the World War II Battle of Arnhem, commemorated in the 1977 movie, “A Bridge Too Far.”

: The Bier Brewery in Arnhem, Netherlands

There is a restored 1750 brewery from the Dutch village of Ulvenhout and a new building next to it (shown in the picture). Although I’m Protestant, given the preponderance of Catholic churches in Europe, I need to confess that I spent the most time here rather than lingering at the historic bakery, apothecary, sawmill, etc..

: The friendly brewer briefing Janet on their process.

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And the two brewers were friendly and gave Janet and me an informative briefing — and samples — of their product.

The process was different in the ___, but the end product still tasted good.

The process was different in the 1700’s but the end product still tasted good.

After two nights in historic (I guess “historic” and “village” or “city” in Europe are superfluous..) Bacharach, where we enjoyed a two-hour boat trip on the Rhine, we headed for one of my favorite cities – the walled city of Rothenburg.

The beauty of Bacharach

Rothenberg attracts tourists from all over the world based on its notable roots in the medieval era. The incredible wall with guard towers, which can still be traversed around most of the city, was constructed in the 1300’s. It again brings to mind, one wag’s view of the difference between democracy and feudalism – “In democracy, your vote counts while in feudalism, your count votes.”

“The Walled City” is no exaggeration.

Rothenburg also has World War II notoriety after initial destructive Allied aerial bombing, when US Secretary of War, John McClory, personally aware of the beauty and historic significance of the city, ordered American troops to refrain from artillery bombardment. Most of the city fortifications and artifacts were saved and it was occupied by the Allies in March, 1945.

View of the wall of Rothenburg from the wall of Rothenburg

Since we had some free time to explore Rothenburg, Janet and I split up and she joined our two new female friends on the tour to hit the shops in town. (I had contracted laryngitis, so I was worthless as a companion for conversation – but it did eliminate any language barrier with the locals.)

Now, many males view accompanying their spouses shopping as tantamount to torture – so consistent with the analogy, I spent a fascinating two hours in Rothenburg’s Museum of Crime and Punishment.

Four floors of exhibits – most notably instruments of torture and items used in the execution of sentences (literally!) – costly books, graphic arts, documents of emperors, princes, the nobility and towns were interesting and in some respects, bizarre.

Does it get any better than this??

A beer and dinner were a welcome respite after the museum experience and we had an excellent dinner of bratwurst and sauerkraut before embarking on a colorful Night Watchman Tour of the city. Hans Georg Baumgartner, the Watchman, whose comic timing in his colloquy, would make Jerry Seinfeld envious, took us on a wonderful walking tour of the city.

Only the grave digger and the executioner had lower status…

He pointed out that the watchman job – starting in the Middle Ages and continuing in Rothenburg until the 1920’s – was dangerous. Guarding the city at night was like a policeman, but the pay was low and the job was a dishonorable one. “Only the gravedigger and the executioner were lower.”

Hell’s Tavern (Zur Höll) – We finished off the Watchman Tour with one of Baumgarter’s best lines. This pub is in Rothenburg’s oldest house and the foundation of Hell was laid in 970…. He stated, in effect, “If a citizen in Rothenburg admonishes you to ‘Go to Hell,’ it is a good recommendation.”

: Zur Höll – in one of Rothenburg’s oldest buildings

And of course, we descended a few steps from where he concluded into the “Gates of Hell,” if you will, which unfortunately due to its restricted size and the tourist season, was full. It has an extensive wine list and some exotic brandies (apple, grape, pear, cherry and small yellow plums) although a limited number of draft beers.

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So ended our time in Germany. It was one of the tour’s highlights for me. But after the tour in the Torture Museum, it may force a double-take in future Portland bars with pool tables, when I hear the term, “Rack-em Up!”

An extensive wine list and some exotic brandies

Rothenburg was our fifth day of the tour and I realized that except for a few minor snippets on BBC, we were clueless on current events. Of course, that also meant that since we left Oregon we had not had to hear the ubiquitous and chirrupy expression, “Hi, I’m Jan from Toyota,” for a week!

Stay tuned – on to Italy!

The Beerchaser Goes International…

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Thebeerchaser

Our final night in Paris

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a page.”

Although Thebeerchaser and his wife, Janet, did not have these words by St. Augustine in mind when signing up for a Rick Steves’ “21-Day Best of Europe Tour, they had new meaning when we returned – for we had never been to Europe previously. And after the journey, we felt like we had read a Classic. It was an intense and absolutely wonderful way to hit the highlights of that continent.

Most of the recommendations in this blog are for taverns, but there’s an exception for Rick Steves – whether it’s a guided tour, his travel consulting or Steves’ publications, check them out with the link above. You can see from the map, we hit six countries in 21-days and our wonderful tour director, Lisa Friend, was a mentor, history teacher and yes – a “Friend”….

Route of the 21-day Best of Europe Tour (Parens indicate number of nights in each stop)

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The best bus driver in Europe – Richard – with Lisa Friend

We traveled by bus – 28 of us, on a classy sixty-seat bus.

Charles Kuralt once observed, “Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything.”

However, the bus was a superb way to travel through Europe, and the scenery – whether viewing castles through the Rhine Valley in Germany, the Mediterranean in Italy’s Cinque Terra or the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland – was breathtaking.

Since I was away from Portland, I tried to hit one bar or public house – even if just for a photo – in most of the stops along our journey.

The tour of bars, pubs and taverns continued on the trip

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And there are some differences, which brought home, so to speak, why I love Portland bars. Those in Europe tend to be part of a hotel or restaurant – “Cafes” – if you will, rather than just a neighborhood watering hole for beer drinkers like the approximately 550 to 750 bars in Portland – depending on your source and the definition used.

When we return to Europe, I will do some research before the trip using a good website – to better explore Europe’s best bars:

The Classic (and my favorite) Dive - The Ship Tavern in Multnomah Village

The Classic (and my favorite) Dive Bar – The Ship Tavern in Multnomah Village

h ttp://besteuropebars.com/category/bars/

While not having a lot of time to search for them, I didn’t see a great dive bar in Europe – one that validates this apt description of these joints, to wit: “Like saints, dive bars should always be guilty until proven innocent — they always stagger on the precipice of becoming popular and thus ruined.” (Willamette Week 2010 – “One Hundred Favorite Bars”)

In the next several posts, I’ll include some pictures and brief comments from the establishments below visited on our trip. Besides the cafes and pubs, other highlights are pictures from some of the wonderful churches and cathedrals at which I marveled – most of which were not on our tour, but I sought out in the free time. A perfect example is St. James (Jakobs) Lutheran Church in the historic German city of Rothenburg.

St. James (Jakobs) in Rothenburg

Oh, the history! The church was built between 1325 to 1485 and in 1525 the peasant leader, Florian Geyer, read aloud the articles of the revolting peasants from its west chancel.

St. James Cathedral, built between 1311-1484. The church was consecrated in 1485 by the Bishop of Würzburg.

St. James Church, built between 1311-1484 – consecrated in 1485 by the Bishop of Würzburg.

: The Holy Blood altarpiece of the Wurzburg wood-carver, Tillman Riemenschneider, carved 1500 to 1505 and located in St. James Church.

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The cafes or bars I “visited” included the following:

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Cafe Karpershoek and the Heineken Museum “Experience”

Arnhem, Netherlands – The Bier Brewery at the Arnhem Open Air Museum

Rothenburg, Germany – Zur Holl (Hell’s) Tavern

Venice, Italy – The Devil’s Forest Pub

Vernazza, Italy (The Cinque’ Terra) – The Blue Marlin Café

Rome, Italy – Miscellanea Café

Laterbrunnen, Switzerland – Horner Pub and the bar at the summit of Schilthorn in the Bernese Alps

Beaune, France – Publican Bar

Paris, France – The Beer Station and La Vin Coeur Café

Our flight to Europe took us to Amsterdam and we flew home on a flight – originating in Paris with a brief Amsterdam layover. Both of the long flights (ten and eleven hours) to and from Amsterdam were Delta non-stop and excellent flights. We were fortunate that the young children on the jet behaved wonderfully and a long flight with kids brings to mind the story of the businessman who learned never to try to be nice by playing peek-a-boo with a child sitting in the row in front of him.

There’s no end to the game and he finally yelled at the young boy, “Look kid, it’s always going to be me – okay……..?”

The museum has on display 8,000 objects of art and history, from their total collection of 1 million The Ri Museum in Amsterdam with objects from the years 1200–2000, among which are some masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam which has on display 8,000 objects of art and history, from their total collection of 1 million. Included are objects from the years 1200–2000, among which are some masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer

Amsterdam is an amazing city – from the hordes of cyclists – none of whom wear helmets and definitely command the right of way over pedestrians, to the Red Light District – we passed through on our walking tour – to the coffee houses where cannabis is a mainstay on the menu. The city actually has more kilometers of canals than Venice.

In Haarlem, where we stayed two nights – a 35-minute train ride from Amsterdam – we ate in a café in a strucutre with a foundation laid about 1500. During the Spanish siege in 1572, there were about 50 brewing companies in the city, while 45 years later the city numbered about one hundred breweries.

Amsterdam Pubs, Etc. – There are a number of bars which claim to be the oldest in Amsterdam, among them Café Karpershoek, only a few blocks from the massive and historic Central Station (rail terminal) and the Red Light District. We stopped in for a quick Heineken and enjoyed the ambiance of our first European bar.

Café Karpershoek in Amsterdam

Karpershoek,

The Dutch slogan on the beam says, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.”

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We concurred with the February review on Trip Advisor stating, “I visited the Café Karpershoek, which claims to be the oldest pub in Amsterdam, (starting in 1606). The staff was friendly and the beer, while more expensive than many places, was quite good.”

The Heineken “Experience”

Speaking of Heineken, it’s the world’s third largest brewer, with 125 breweries in more than 70 countries and employs approximately 66,000. The sign on the building stating “Heineken Brewery” is not accurate – this site, as a brewery, closed in 1988.

The Heineken Experience, however, is a large museum and tasting room that we walked by on our way back from the Rijksmuseum and the Anne Frank House. Time precluded a visit, but the reviews on various web sites are favorable although the 16 Euro price seemed pretty steep:

“This is not just a museum it really is an experience. Set on four levels this former brewery has everything you need to know about the Heineken Brand. History, information, tasting areas, videos, games and even a roller coaster type video ride that’s very funny and informative. At the end of the tour you get two drinks of your choice..”

One other thought on airport security while it is fresh – Those who complain about TSA procedures in America, should be thankful – after going through security in Paris, we had two more encounters before boarding our flight in Amsterdam even though we had not left the secure area. The first guard who complimented me on my belt did not mitigate the statement of the next official who said, “You look a lot older than your passport photo.” – taken this January. And I will avoid conveying the awkwardness of trying to extricate a credit card from my money-belt, after it set off the alarm.

: Roxie, Wendy and Janet with Hans, the bartender, at the Devils Forest Pub in Venice

I’ll be back on the next post to talk about pubs in Arnhem, Rothenburg and Venice including the Devil’s Forest Pub in Italy’s Floating City shown here with two of our great new friends from the tour.

Our tour group in front of the Grote Kirk (Large Church) in Haarlem’s Central Market Square – right next to our hotel

Reflecting on Oregon’s Urban-Rural Divide – The Embers Brew House in Joseph, Oregon

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Thebeerchaser

The Embers Brew House

Thebeerchaser’s bar tour was in a slight rut. Fascinated by the contention of Kip, owner of Bar of the God’s contention that his establishment was in the midst of Portland’s Barmuda Triangle, I realized I had been sucked into the vortex and had focused too much on SE Hawthorne establishments including:

Bar of the Gods Hawthorne Hideaway Gold Dust Meridian

Claudia’s (visited but not yet posted)

As a result, in October I visited the Ship Tavern (not yet posted) in Multnomah Village and decided that an Eastern Oregon pub visited on a mini-road trip in late September should be included in my blog. Thebeerchaser and spouse took a wonderful trip to Eastern Oregon and spent two nights at Wallowa Lake Lodge in Joseph, Oregon.

Wallowa Lake Summit Tramway – Notice the Haze from the Smoke

The scenery was wonderful – the only problem was that the enormous brush fires in Eastern Oregon and Washington caused a haze which made beautiful Wallowa Lake gray rather than its normal crystal blue. The smoke even made the view at the top of the Wallowa Lake Tramway impossible to see the other beautiful Eagle Cap peaks.

However, we had a wonderful time at the Embers Brew House (EBH) on a Saturday night in Joseph after dinner at the Terminal Gravity Brewery in Enterprise.

: Brew and Dinner at the Bar at Terminal Gravity Brewery and Pub

A Great Place to Visit in Enterprise, Oregon

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It was after the tourist season in Joseph and on a Saturday night those at the EBH were mostly locals, hunters and a handful of tourists like us. Why did we love the Embers? A clue is in its website:

“The Embers past is firmly rooted in the history of early settlers, business people and today’s locals. A fire at the present adjacent site of a local grocery store destroyed that property, but The Embers withstood any damage and remained intact, thus the name “The Embers” was born.”

What else made our visit to the EBH memorable?

It was the hot-spot in town and the local folk were lively and friendly – a close knit community. This sign, shown below, posted by the bar embodies the philosophy:
Not Just a Quote on the Wall…
The food was outstanding. Teresa, the cordial owner and her crew, turned out an absolutely incredible number of pizzas and burgers for the large crowd.

Everyone was waiting to either see the Ducks vs. Arizona football game or listen to the Jimmy Bivans Band – a wonderful Boise country-western group that rocked the patio and beer garden area for several hours (you can hear them at three different McMenamin’s from January 12-14th, 2013).

Live Entertainment from Boise – Jimmy Bivins and Friends

Mike, a local guy I bonded with wearing a blue Notre Dame sweatshirt, was watching the Notre Dame vs. Michigan game which went down to the wire before the Irish won. I had listened to the Beavs beat UCLA earlier that day and we talked about both of our alma maters’ undefeated seasons so far – not realizing what was to come in the next weeks……

Mike, whose daughter also was a ND graduate, was a cool, rugged guy. He had no airs and was drinking white wine with ice from a plastic cup! The Notre Dame game ran over a few minutes into the Oregon game, but nobody was going to ask him to change the channel.

Some brief excerpts from reviews on Yelp give an idea why the Embers bustles:

“My husband and I spent the week in Joseph along with 4 other couples. We made it into Embers on 3 different occasions. The food was excellent; the beer cold, but most of all we enjoyed the staff.”

“Eating a spectacular Greek classic pizza with fresh basil and kalamata olives, outdoors, with a view of the Eagle Cap mountains, while enjoying a beer. It doesn’t get better than that!”

The Bar at the Embers

“We earned our Embers visit with a multi-day backpacking trip in Eagle Cap’s beautiful Lakes Basin. The pizza was a welcome relief after backcountry dehydrated meals. Embers offers plenty of options for the discriminating vegetarian. Their beer list is surprisingly extensive.”

We had eaten dinner earlier at the Terminal Gravity Brewery in nearby Enterprise, which also had a lot of character. Try their macaroni and cheese and their ESG (Terminal Gravity’s Rye beer, “Extra Special Golden,” might be described as an American golden ale.)

Joseph has several other pubs and even its own brewery. Take a look at the photos below::

The Hydrant — Where Beer Flows in Joseph

The Outlaw Saloon and Cafe – Another Joseph Bistro

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The Stubborn Mule Saloon in Joseph

: Mutiny Brewing in Joseph, Oregon

Elkhorn Saloon in Sumpter, Oregon

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On our road trip to Wallowa Lake we also went by several old taverns in other Eastern Oregon towns, but did not have time to visit them. For example, this picture above of The Elkhorn Saloon in Sumpter is a classic old saloon.

It enables one to envision the scene when one western bar patron, named Mike Fink, in the 1800’s unsuccessfully tried to shoot a tin cup of whiskey off the head of his friend – a guy named “Carpenter,” who ended up with a bullet in his head. Fink became the master of understatement by stating, “Carpenter, you have spilled the whiskey!” (“Legends of America” – Old West Legends)

Seeing the entrances of the establishments below convinced thebeerchaser that an Eastern Oregon segment of the Bar Tour should be on the agenda next year.

The Lostine Tavern in Lostine, Oregon

It also reminded me of the bar joke about the dog who limps into the bar in Wallowa and yells to the bartender and drinkers:

“I’m looking for the guy who shot my paw….”

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Leave a comment if you know of a bar in Central or Eastern Oregon that should be included in this future Beerchaser Tour. Shown below are some of the other saloons that beckon:

The Oxbow Saloon in Prairie City

The Range Rider Tavern in Enterprise – Notice that Hunters are Welcome!

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And let me conclude with my final western bar joke:

The sheriff bursts through the door of the western saloon and yells: “I’m looking for Paper Bag Bill – he’s a wanted man.”

A guy at the bar says, “What’s he look like?’ The sheriff says, “Well he has paper bag mask, a newspaper shirt, a crepe paper scarf and a paper bag chaps.”

The bartender asks, “What’s he wanted for?”

The sheriff says, “Rustlin!”

Paper Bag Bill — A “Rustler”….

—————–Eastern Oregon was a great road trip and we will be back to visit the Embers Brew House. Some people deabate Oregon’s Rural vs. Urban Divide. Having a beer at a good tavern is just as good in Joseph or Enterprise as it is on SE Hawthorne!

The Embers Brew House 204 North Main Street Joseph, Oregon

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Reflecting on Oregon’s Urban-Rural Divide – The Embers Brew House in Joseph, Oregon