Steve Lawrence – Mayor of the Dalles and Beerchaser of the Quarter

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Thebeerchaser

The Dalles - West from the City's official website.

The Dalles – from the City’s official website.

The Dalles, with a current population just under 15,000 people, incorporated in 1857 (as The Dalles City) is one of Oregon’s most historic cities on the Columbia River. It was known earlier in its history as the town at the end of the Oregon Trail. Archeological evidence suggests the area has been inhabited more or less continuously for more than 10,000 years.

Steve Lawrence is now the Mayor of The Dalles and fits the ideal profile as a chief elected official – one you would expect of any of the towns listed in Small Town Gems of America which to illustrate, include Red Wing and Stillwater, Minnesota; Guthrie, Oklahoma and Cody, Wyoming.

Steve Lawrence with 2014 Beerchaser of the Quarter and his good friend Jud Blakely

He and his twin brother were born in 1945 and graduated from high school in The Dalles, where the future lawyer was a three-sport athlete – wrestling, track (held his high school’s pole-vault record twice) and football (he was a 146 pound starting center.)

Steve went to Boise Jr. College and ended up enlisting in the Army in 1967, which of course, meant a trip to the Republic of Viet Nam. He was selected for Officer Candidate School and because of his linguistic skills, was promised Russian Language School, and in a series of events that remind one of Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 – after training at Ft. Benning he ended up commanding an infantry platoon in Viet Nam where he was decorated for heroism in combat.

2nd Lt. Steve Lawrence

We were joined that day by another Viet Nam hero – Jud Blakely, awarded the Bronze Star (with Combat V) and recipient of the Purple Heart in 1967 as a Marine Corps 1st Lt. – described in Thebeerchaser’s post from October 2013.

While a Second Lieutenant, Steve recalls several “serious helicopter events” including two crashes nearby during fire-fights, and an Army pilot who made three passes firing on Steve’s troops and wounding half of his squad before the chopper was called off by radio.

His Silver Star was awarded for action in combat in July 1968 and Bronze Star (with Combat V) for “his display of personal bravery and devotion to duty” in February 1969. His Bronze Star has an Oak Leaf Cluster because he received a second one for meritorious service while still in Viet Nam. Excerpts from the text of the citations for these two medals is shown below:

Steve's Bronze and Silver Stars for Gallentry

Steve’s Bronze and Silver Stars for Gallantry

Silver Star – “For gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force….2nd Lt. Lawrence distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader……When his unit became heavily engaged with a large enemy force, (he) exposed himself to hostile fire as he moved to a forward fighting position to direct the fire of his men. When two men were wounded, and lying in an exposed area (he) maneuvered his men into position enabling the injured personnel to be recovered.” 14 October, 1968

Bronze Star with Combat V – “During an intense mortar and rocket attack, one of the billits in (his) unit took a direct rocket hit. With total disregard for his own safety (he)…moved through the rocket and mortar fire to the damaged building….and assisted in applying first aid and evacuating severely wounded men. Although the attack continued….,he repeatedly returned…in search of other missing individuals. 3 June 1969

A moment of “relaxation” in Quang Tri Province.

After the Army, Steve attended Portland State College where he first met Jud Blakely – then a Marine Corps Officer Recruiter – while Steve was involved in student government and trying to mediate in the dispute with students, who tried to throw the Marines off campus after the Kent State University tragedy.

At Jud’s suggestion, both were going to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), but after Jud purchased two of the massive prep manuals, he decided otherwise, although he still justifies the decision by quoting comedian, John Wing:

“And God said, ‘Let there be Satan, so people don’t blame everything on Me. And let there by lawyers, so people don’t blame everything on Satan…'”

Steve was admitted to Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College at night and Jud went on to work as the Asst. to General Manager Tom King at TriMet (newly formed in 1969 to replace five private bus companies in the Tri-County area). The two were reunited after Steve was selected as the Asst. Director of Marketing and then as Asst. Personnel Director. (Jud told him about the job opening) A major project was developing Tri-Met’s first handicap accessible policy.

Mementos of his military service.

During this time Blakely, Thebeerchaser and Lawrence (as a 146 pound center…) played basketball on Friday nights in the gym at Catlin-Gabel School with a group of Nike execs, and then Mayor Neil Goldschmidt with some of his key staff including Alan Webber (now an entrepreneur and candidate for Governor of New Mexico)

The two offered Steve a chance to write and manage a federal demonstration grant for the LIFT Project through the City of Portland. The LIFT became a permanent TriMet special transportation program and still exists.

After admission to the Oregon State Bar, he had a long legal career and established a reputation as a tough litigator first at the Hampson Bayless & Stiner labor law firm (Lon Stiner is the son of legendary Oregon State Football coach, Alonzo Stiner from 1933 to 1948), in his own practice in The Dalles, at the Williams &Troutwine firm and then as in-house counsel for both North Pacific Insurance Co. and Liberty Mutual.

The hometown boy retired in 2007 and returned to The Dalles where in 2008, he married the widow of the quarterback on his team. Donna, his new wife, was his high-school sweetheart and they had lost contact when Steve went to junior college. His civic work in the Dalles and beyond is notable including 25 years on the Board of United Cerebral Palsy of Oregon and SW Washington (3 terms as President).

His initial novel, First Light, based on his experience in Viet Nam, will be published on-line in the near future and his second novel, Amaton Field – an historical novel of The Dalles is about 3/4 finished.

He ran successfully for Mayor in 2012 and will be on the General Election ballot this November. One can see his energy, enthusiasm and leadership by reading one of his monthly reports. They chronicle his efforts to bring new industry, capitalize on recreational opportunities including cycling and promote the City’s agricultural legacy:

“In the movie, “Lincoln,” I witnessed three skills which Abraham Lincoln possessed. The first, was to listen more and blame less. The second, was to relax now and then and the third was not to hold grudges. He had a vision and he was persistent. If we exercise these skills, we can all help move The Dalles forward.”

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Beerchasing in the Dalles

Steve, Jud and Danny at The Ale House - great food and beer and no salmonella!

Steve, Jud and Danny at Clocktower Ale House – great food and beer and no salmonella!

Steve invited Jud and me to hit a few of watering holes and it was interesting to see the affection of the townsfolk to their elected leader. (It was also part of the effort to “relax now and then…”

We kidded him about the safety of these eateries, harkening back to 1984, when 750 people were victims of the Rajneesh bio-terror attack through the deliberate contamination of salad bars at ten local restaurants with salmonella. This bizarre plot, according to some sources, was one of only two confirmed bio-terrorist attacks on humans in the US since 1945.

Clock Tower Ales and Brew Pub, where Steve had his election victory party, “is located in the second Wasco County Courthouse built in 1883 and home to the last public hanging in 1905….. Join us in Historic Downtown for fine pub grub, live entertainment and over 30 craft beers on tap (cider, local wines and a full bar also).”

Danny mixes a cocktail at the Clocktower bar.

Our waitress, Danny, from Wamic, was a wonderful server, the beer and food was excellent and they have a great patio.

The Clocktower patio on Union Street.

We then trekked a short distance to River Tap – owned by Tom Wood, who has a similar bar in Hood River – in one of first new buildings in downtown, The Dalles, in about 20 years. We toasted over Braeval single-malt scotch shots.

Happy Hour — All Day!

Steve is a Renaissance guy, and he had mentioned to us that he reads poetry at “Open Microphone Night” at Zim’s Brau Haus – another bar with great ambiance just up the street. So we set out again – but it was closed since it was late on a Sunday afternoon. However, in deference to the Mayor, the owners, Bill and Connie Ford, readily answered his knock and gave us a walk-through of their establishment.

Zims

Zims is noted for its $2.50 breakfast and two steak nights – Tuesday and Friday “yum! The steak is cooked just as ordered…..better than Delicious!! They have Spatzel!! it’s absolutely wonderful!
(Yelp review)

Besides the Mayor reading poetry, there’s also some good entertainment: “Total forty-something and over place. Lively on a Tuesday night. Old guys with acoustic guitars crooning old country favorites–and giving a pretty professional performance to boot. (Trip Advisor)

The owners of Zims with Thebeerchaser logo.

As an aside, Steve is also a great fan and collector of Hemingway’s works as evidenced by the view of his home den below.

This summer beckons for a return trip to The Dalles. In one of his monthly Mayor’s report he states, “If interested in serving on a city committee or commission, please let me know….. My phone number is 503-807-0724 and my email is SeLawrence1963@yahoo.com.”

: A fan of Hemingway.

Even if you don’t reside in The Dalles, but are visiting, you should take him up on that offer. He might even buy you a micro-brew at Clock Tower, a shot of scotch at River Tap or read a poem at Zim’s!

And if you talk to him, thank him for his service to his country and community.

Bazi Bierbrasserie – More Than Just a Walk in the Park!

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Thebeerchaser

Another one of Draft Magazine’s 100 Best Beer Bars

Bazi Bierbrasserie (Bazi) is another one of the select five Portland taverns which made Draft Magazine’s 100 Best Beer Bars in the USA for 2014. And Thebeerchaser has done reviews of two of the others in this list – Bailey’s Taproom (reviewed 4/13 – somewhat of a disappointment) and Saraveza (reviewed 3/14).

Bazi was a definite favorite with our group, which included Roy Lambert, Mary Maxwell, David and Kate Dickson and Janet, Thebeerchaser’s spouse. We typically take a walk before eating and drinking – a great way to get exercise and mitigate the guilt from partaking in pub faire.

And Mary, who prior to retirement in 2009 was the Director of Aviation for the Port of Portland, demonstrated her superior planning skills by charting a superb 2.5 mile walk through the Lone Fir Cemetery and Laurelhurst Park on a rare, beautiful spring day.

Perhaps this should be labeled “The Beer Walk”….

Strolling through the Lone Fir was very interesting and we learned about the ties with Portland’s Russian community – as evidenced by many of the family plots with pictures engraved in the stone monuments.

” ….Russian immigrant graves which are distinguished by colorful plantings of genuine, live flowers, creating a patchwork of color among the somber greens. The Russians are particularly fond of a kind of black granite which they have laser-etched with their likeness and, usually, a highly romantic scene. (Flickr – “Dead Man Talking”)

Laser-etched likeness….

For those interested in Portland history, Lone Fir Cemetery “….reads like a good book, telling the story of the many eras of settlement and development that have transformed the Portland area since the cemetery was founded in 1855. This 30-acre property is the resting place for more than 25,000 people, including famous Portlanders with names like Lovejoy and Hawthorne. Visitors will also find notable trees and shrubs, giving Lone Fir the feel of an arboretum.” (Metro website)

We then walked through Laurelhurst Park, which on one of the first nice days in many moons, teemed with people and activity. The 27 acre park was purchased by the City of Portland in 2011, and in 1919, the Pacific Coast Parks Association named it the “most beautiful park” on the West Coast. It was also the first city park ever to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

: A Portland Gem!

Although the walk was great, the biggest treat was still to come – drinks and great food at Bazi. And it was evident by the total experience why this bar made Draft’s Top 100 list.

The beer selection is extensive, the staff is knowledgeable and the food really good. “Bazi is a Dutch word for lovable crook or scoundrel….Bierbrasserie is a noun used in Flemish Belgian to describe establishments that have great food and a killer beer and beverage selection.” (Bazi website)

The Portland Barfly summary is apt:

: A great place to watch Timber (or Blazer games.

“Suds snobs rejoice! This friendly Hawthorne neighborhood hang has more than 15 Belgian-style brews on tap, including locals like Double Mountain, Pfriem, and Commons. It’s a dandy spot to watch Portland Timbers games on the 119″ big screen, and the food is surprisingly awesome….”

An extensive selection of Belgian beers.

One of the distinguishing features for Bazi is its management – Hilda Stevens is the owner. I was surprised to find while researching before my visit that she responded to many comments from sites such as Yelp and Trip Advisor – most notably, the critical ones – which often times are really trite and unwarranted.

Hilda, the owner, (holding the logo) with our group.

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An example was a complaint on Yelp, by a customer who thought the food service was too slow:

“Thanks for taking the time to write. Can you let me know when you visited recently that you experienced slow service?….

I’ve also been monitoring our food tickets and they’ve been in the 5-25 minute range. Considering we make everything from scratch that’s within industry standards. The more information you can send me as to your recent visit the more valuable it will as I investigate the situation. Thank you again for being a return customer. I value everyone’s feedback, but specially those who continue to support us.” Hilda

I have to admit, given the ongoing success of the bar, which opened in May, 2011, and was an immediate hit and the moniker, “Hilda,” I was expecting the proprietor to be a much older person. When we chatted with her, however, we met a delightful, young entrepreneur, who was raised and went to college in Texas. She traveled extensively in Europe and did a bunch of research – most notably on Belgian beers. She completed her Masters’ Degree at Oregon’s George Fox University and developed a smart business plan – to specialize in Belgian beers – and capitalize on service and quality – this was evident.

The bar at Bazi 1906 reclaimed wood from the Jim Beam distillery in Lexington, Kentucky!

Our server, Sydney, was also very knowledgeable and offered specific and detailed comments on several of the seventeen beers on tap, which helped in our selection – we tried a few including Oakshire Frederic’s Lost Arm Farmhouse Ale and the Bavik Premium Pilsner – all very good.

In retrospect, given the superb selection, we should have done a flight of four 5oz. pours ($10 Domestic and $15 Imported.)

Given the outstanding line-up of handcrafted cocktails, Thebeerchaser also tried the $5 Happy Hour Cocktail which that day was “Sleepless in Oostende” (Jim Beam, lemon and orange juice and orange bitters.) The cocktails are named after Belgian cities.

Oostende is a Belgian city located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The “sleepless” reference might result from worry that the series of the dikes that keep the North Sea from flooding this town would fail. Or perhaps it is in recognition of the City’s guards during The Siege of Oostende (1601 -1604) of which it was said that “the Spanish assailed the unassailable and the Dutch defended the indefensible” (Wikipedia). The siege resulted in 80,000 combined casualties – the single bloodiest battle of the Eighty Years’ War.

Bazi also has an extensive list of bottled beers and ciders, a nice wine selection, a bunch of hard liquor selections you can get by the shot, and you can also fill your growler.

Impressive Happy Hour menu.

You can see from the picture that they have a robust Happy Hour menu. The Baon burger, fried chick peas, brussels sprouts, veggie burger and most notably, the Stoemp (Yukon mashed-potatoes and veggies) were all scrumptious.

: Great food – made from scratch….

The patio was full that day and it was obvious that it was both dog and family friendly.

The Patio

As stated in the most recent Beerchaser post, I have conceptual difficulties with rankings; however, having visited five of the eight Portland bars making the Draft Magazine Top 100 Beer Bars in the last five years, Bazi is my favorite so far. (The Horse Brass Pub (reviewed in 5/13), Concordia Ale House, the Green Dragon and Imperial Bottle Shop have also made the list in prior years.)

And when you visit Bazi, try a walk in the park and a stroll through the burial grounds – it’s a hike with a plot!

Bazi Bierbrasserie 1522 SE 32nd Ave Phone (503) 234-8888

Old-growth timber in Laruelhurst Park

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(To view the map with all the bars reviewed by Thebeerchaser, click on the “View Larger Map” link at the bottom of the map below)

Bailey’s Tap Room – Keep a Stiff “Upper Lip”

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Thebeerchaser

Bailey’s – Repeats on the Top 100 Beer Bars

As was the case with The Tugboat Brewery, (reviewed in March, 2013), Thebeerchaser was embarrassed that he worked downtown – right on the Portland Transit Mall for many years and had never visited – or even known about Bailey’s Tap Room. For five straight years, it has made Draft Magazine’s Top 100 USA Beer Bars. It even got special recognition in the preface to the list with the following quote:

“We want you to go to Bailey’s Taproom in Portland, Ore., which cares so much about beer freshness, the digital menu says when each keg was tapped and how much is left. We want you to go to all 100 of these places, because they really are a cut above the rest.” (Actually, part of this statement is incorrect – the digital display shows how much of the keg is left, but does not give the date it was tapped, although it does have the designation, “Just Tapped” for a few selections. )

Charlie and Jack Faust with Thebeerchaser logo

Accompanying me were Oregon appellate lawyer, Jack Faust, – who before retiring, made it on a number of list for many years – that of Oregon’s and America’s best lawyers. Jack, who was also the award-winning moderator of KATU’s Town Hall program, was joined by his son, Charlie.

Bailey’s has also made Willamette Week’s Annual Bar Guide, featuring the paper’s favorite Portland bars every year since its opening in 2007, but let’s examine the rationale for Bailey’s – BEER!!! (not that there’s anything wrong with that….)

Scott – one of the knowledgeable and helpful bartenders

“Beer-me-up, Scotty!” The space-age display

The twenty-four rotating taps of West-coast beers – according to Scott, the friendly and knowledgeable bartender – they tap about five new ones each day – are an eclectic and impressive list supplemented by spotless showcases featuring over fifty bottled beers from all over the USA.

An impressive selection of bottled beers too!

But the title of 100 Best Beer Bars begs the question, “How come?” The Beerchaser Tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs is not primarily about the beer. It’s about the ambiance and distinguishing characteristics that make you want to return to an establishment with your friend(s).

And that’s lacking at Bailey’s as evidenced by the following excerpts from the Willamette Week guide:

2009 – “What it lacks in atmosphere (white walls, bright lights and sparse decorations give off the vibe of an operating room) Bailey’s makes up in suds.”

2012 – “Simplicity is the name of the game at this busy downtown beer bar. No liquor, no wine, no food, no games – just 20 taps of craft beers and a dozen tables filled with mostly male computer programmers, loan officers and other assorted cubicle drones.”

2014 – “Really, the people are the only problem at Baileys. First, there are always far too many of them crammed into the SW Broadway space, bird-dogging tables even when somebody just gets up to go the restroom.”

Now it’s certainly true, that we had an excellent sampling of esoteric beers – and it helps that they have both large and small glasses (4 ounces) for a number of brews, so you can get a good sampling and maintain your equilibrium and your wallet.

And Scott and Janelle, the bartenders, were extremely helpful and patient in explaining each one – but the overall atmosphere was more like that of a cafeteria (without the food…) than a bar or pub.

Between the four ounce glasses and sharing some pints, we tasted the following beers:

Green Flash White IPA (Belgian) Oakshire Overcast Espresso Stout

Ninkasi Critical Hit Kermit the Hop IPA Stillwater French Farm Ale

Heater Allen Pilsner (McMinnville) Ballast Point Navigator Doppelbock

New Belgian Gruitt (horehound, bog myrtlle, yarrow, wormwood and elderflower)

All of them were great except the Espresso Stout, which would have been better at Starbucks.

No food except what comes in externally – thanks Charlie!

Fortunately, Charlie Faust had the foresight to bring some pretzels we could munch on and a number of reviews talk favorably about Santeria, the Mexican restaurant across the street that will deliver orders to go to the bar, and evidently has great food.

The lack of atmosphere and food means you focus the conversation on the beer and your compatriots – that’s not a bad thing given the background of the Fausts:

For example, I learned that Charlie, after graduation from U of O, traveled for a year in Europe and SE Asia, then worked as a staffer for Senator Bob Packwood. That prepared him to weather the storms when he worked for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and had the experience of being on the crew in a NOAA hurricane research plane during Gloria in 1985 – peak winds of 155 mph.

: Charlie’s plane was in there someplace….

: Jack Faust – Brews his own beer besides doing some other stuff….

And drinking beer with Jack Faust, means chatting with a very interesting and intelligent guy – after all, for years he had a hobby of brewing beer in his garage. (once brewed a raspberry ale that was the color of sweat…)

He graduated first in his class at U of O Law School, was editor of the Law Review and still stimulates conversation with queries such as, “When will all the rhetorical questions end…?”

I shifted the conversation to past cases before the Oregon Court of Appeals and Supreme Court after he told me that he would have to kill me if I asked any more questions about his service as a Special Agent in the Far East Command of the Army Counterintelligence Corps during the Korean War.

I will have to admit, however, that Charlie and I were both fascinated by his recounting the details of his arguments in the 1986 Oregon Supreme case Oregon Republican Party v. State of Oregon. Did the Party violate the Oregon Corrupt Practices Act provision that “[n]o person * * * shall directly or indirectly subject any person to undue influence?”

And finally,Thebeerchaser’s standard practice of visiting each bar reviewed twice, paid off because Scott the bartender, casually mentioned that I should visit “Bailey’s Upper Lip.” My response was to ask whether I needed a secret code word or a note from the bartender, but that wasn’t the case.

The entrance to the Upper Lip on Ankeny Street

And walking part way down Ankeny Street to an inauspicious doorway with only a bottle on the door, and then up a dark, narrow stairway heightened the anticipation of what awaited.

Willamette Week’s 2014 Bar Guide sums it up well: “There, you’ll find six well-chosen taps and a massive case of bottles ranging from Belgians to small-batch bourbon stouts.

There’s a short bar, a long table for groups, a digital tap list, a bartender, a few high-top tables set on barrels…..”

There were less than ten people, while the Taproom below was very crowded and Luke, the bartender, told me that the group was typical – evidently a lot of people are just not aware of the speakeasy-type addition to the main floor bar. I decided to be bold and had a small glass of Nebraska Brewing’s Sexy Betty Imperial Stout. (Betty was, in fact, hot….)

Bartender Luke and the bar at The Upper Lip

If you want a to sample a wide variety of draft or bottled beers from all over the world and receive expert guidance and advice from the staff, Bailey’s is your place.

Bottled beers from all over — to say the least

If you want the ambiance of a neighborhood bar with good food and interesting regulars, Thebeerchaser suggests going Off Broadway…..

Long tables upstairs

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If you want to view all a map with all the establishments previously reviewed by Thebeerchaser, click the link which states, “View Larger Map” below.

Bailey’s Tap Room and The Upper Lip 231 SW Broadway

Crackerjack’s Pub – Open the Door and There’s a Prize Inside

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Thebeerchaser

Thebeerchaser at Crackerjack’s Pub in NW Portland

One of the joys of Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs, which commenced in 2011 and has resulted in review of over 60 establishments, is that it motivates one to discover hidden gems. While I have visited some classic venues such as The Goose Hollow, The Lutz, The Mockcrest Tavern, et. al., many have been neighborhood bars I never would have otherwise discovered. And some of them are the most memorable.

The Willamette Week annual "Bar Guide" - a great resource for Beerchasers.....

The Willamette Week 2014 “Bar Guide” – a great resource for Beerchasers…..

As evidence, consider one of my favorite resources, Willamette Week’s Annual Bar Guide. The just-published edition has 150 of the paper’s favorite bars (this included six strip clubs which Thebeerchaser does not review on this blog….). And only twenty-one of those visited by Beerchaser’s to this point, were in the 2014 listing. For context, remember that Portland has about 750 taverns!

Crackerjacks Pub and Eatery is a perfect example. Although it has been a gathering place at 28th and NW Thurman for fifteen years, it has never made the Willamette Week list.

While I don’t rank the bars I review, I can say that my two visits to Crackerjacks were among the most enjoyable of any since this journey commenced.

A Cheers-type Ambiance

A small-curved bar…

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It has a Cheers type of ambiance and Sam, the wonderful female bartender who made us feel like we were regulars on our initial trip, kidded me about my nickname – “Dirt,” which you can see on the logo above and the caricature below.

I don’t have enough space to explain how that moniker was bestowed my freshman year at the Oregon State SAE house. Suffice to say it was when I weighed 120 pounds and spent Saturday mornings running obstacle courses in an ROTC counter-guerilla training group called “Raiders.”

When I walked in a week later on my follow-up visit, Sam yelled so every patron could hear, “Dirt Williams is back!” It reminded me of the shouts of “Norm!” at the famous TV bar in Boston when he entered Cheers.

: The birth of “Dirt”

The following reviews – the first by The Portland Mercury and the other from City Search sum it up well:

“This longtime neighborhood pub sports everything a dive-bar aficionado requires: strong drinks, cheap happy hour specials, an easy balance of hipsters and old-timers, “sports” on the big screen—when I was there, MMA was being featured instead of the Winter Olympics… priorities and all—satisfying pub grub and pizza slices, ’80s music on the jukebox…

You can either plop down alongside the curved bar, or cram your pals into any of the spacious booths that sprawl throughout the establishment. Don’t forget to drink and laugh heartily. Crackerjack’s was dropped from the heavens for exactly this.” (Steven Humphrey)”

Memorabilia to enhance the environment

Or take this review from City Search:

“Neighborhood Pub the way it should be – Man, I love this place. I love the atmosphere, the owner, the servers and the food. I always feel like I’m at home. At a home with free pool and tasty little corndogs, mind you……I don’t know a better place to get a salad in a bar. And the patio is great for an afternoon beer.”

: Free Pool….

While Thebeerchaser is certainly no gourmet, one of the best parts of this bar was the food – excellent on both visits. My good friend and Beerchaser, San Francisco consultant, Dave Hicks, (see prior reviews of The Horse Brass Pub and The Belmont Station) and I watched two simultaneous NCAA Elite 8 games on the big screens.

Dave had an excellent hamburger and I had four pieces of delicious friend chicken and French fries for only $11.50. While they have twelve beers on tap, I opted for the LLL Pilsner in a bottle and Dave had a Dead Guy Ale.

: A hamburger rivaling anything at Princeton, NJ

: Scrumptious fried chicken

Dave went to undergraduate school at Princeton (his nickname was “Lucky”) and then to law school at the University of San Diego including a semester studying law in Paris. He honed his musical talents singing bass at Princeton in the famous a capella group The Nassoons.

One of the treats during our visit was the great line-up of ’70’s tunes being played on satellite radio – the line-up ranged from Steely Dan and Fleetwood Mac to Hall and Oates and the Eagles. Dave talked about his thrill of seeing them live at the LA Forum in January this year and meeting lead guitarist, Joe Walsh and his wife, Marjorie, back stage.

On my second visit, after a bowl of fantastic Portuguese bean soup, I had an amazing Southwest Chicken Salad – huge pieces of chicken and very little lettuce unlike the converse in most pubs’ version of this dish. According to Sam, they recently overhauled their menu and serve nothing that has been frozen. We asked to meet the cook and had the pleasure of greeting Jimmy, who has held the position for the last eight years.

Sam and Jimmy – Crackerjack’s ace cook.

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About the only negative comments I could find were from a 2007 Yelp review, “..The fries are decent. The only problem is that the clientele’s average age is about 38. Kinda like ‘Cheers.’ I guess I should have picked a better fantasy.”

Okay – since a lot of this bar’s clientele are regulars and the above review was 7 years ago, logic dictates that the mean age has now risen to 45 – and I was a significant deviation from the mean! That maturity opens the door to reminisce just a bit about the original Cracker Jacks….

Still tasty, but instead of a decoder ring, a tiny decal…..

This delicious concoction of caramel popcorn and peanuts with Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo on the box were first sold at baseball games. Anyone attending a Major League game has mentioned the treat in the seventh inning stretch when singing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game“. On June 16, 1993, the 100th anniversary of Cracker Jack was celebrated at Wrigley Field.

Baby Boomer’s can remember the neat “prizes” in every box such as puzzles, baseball cards or decoder rings – now they are cheap decals. And speaking of decoder rings, this raised another great memory – Captain Midnight and his decoder rings a Saturday morning TV favorite…..

: Captain Midnight and the amazing decoder ring (Thanks to Jerome Holst and TVacres.com)

But if you want a prize inside that has not diminished in value, make a visit to Crackerjacks Pub. Open the door, walk in and tell Sam and Jimmy, “Dirt and Lucky sent us!”

Crackerjacks Pub and Eatery 2788 NW Thurman

(To view the map with all the bars reviewed by Thebeerchaser, click on the “View Larger Map” link at the bottom of the map below)

Beerchaser Miscellany – April 2014

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Thebeerchaser

: Beerchaser regular, John Mansfield in a margarita toast to the 95 Theses at Church Bar

Thebeerchaser.com

Views of this blog have now exceeded 26,000 since its commencement in August 2011. Average views per month during the last year are about 1,200 and there are now 53 Followers – folks who get an e-mail automatically every time there’s a new post. If you want to be in this esteemed group, click on the little black box in the bottom right of the screen and put in your e-mail address.

And one reason for getting more views – amazingly from all over the world (today there were hits from Canada, United Kingdom, Belgium, The Netherlands and Greece) – is the “tagging” in each post. For example, I tagged “Portland lawyer John Mansfield,” in my last post and several persons searching for him on Google came across his name and clicked on Thebeerchaser.com – something I’m sure that John appreciates as a marketing opportunity for his intellectual property law practice!

And since the blog’s statistics page showed that someone had searched on “Don Williams Drinks Beer,” I tried it myself and the screen came back with 3,260,000 potential hits – and “Don Williams Thebeerchaser” was first on the list. A lot of them were links to the country-western singer by the same name, who is also referred to as “The Gentle Giant.”

Not the Beerchaser, but The Gentle Giant probably also likes beer….

Some of these links were kind of interesting – like the one on page 10: “Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy.” It was about hazing at Dartmouth and Williams College. (To clarify, I was an Ag College Frat Boy.) Another hit was entitled, “Hops in Beer and Estrogen Level…..”

Lists…..Who cares!!???

I’ve always wondered about awards naming “the best” or lists with rankings – they are very questionable. Part of the skepticism is Thebeerchaser’s own example – named as “Wittiest” in 9th grade and “Most Likely to Succeed in High School” – no further evidence needed to affirm this theory….

The Bar at North Portland’s Saraveza

For example, this blog, while making very positive comments about Saraveza (reviewed in March 2014) – one of the five Portland bars again making Draft Magazine’s Top 100 Beer Bars in the USA, questioned the criteria and the same issue was raised by another repeat 100 Best Bar – Portland’s Bailey’s Taproom.

My recent visit impressed me with Bailey’s outstanding selection of beer and the expertise of the staff; however, the only food available had to be ordered from the restaurant across the street.

Bailey’s Taproom – another one of the five Portland beer bars in Draft Magazine’s Top 100

That same day, I went back to Crackerjack’s Pub, a quaint neighborhood dive bar in NW Portland, which is one of my all-time favorites since Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs commenced.

Could it ever be a Top 100 venue? Stay tuned for reviews of both of these establishments.

Not in the Top 100, but an outstanding bar (review coming soon)

While lists may not be valid for some purposes, they are interesting. For example, as reported in an October, 2013 edition of The Week magazine, residents of North Dakota consume more beer than any other state – an average of 46 gallons last year, which is an increase of 9.5% and exceeding the 44 gallons of New Hampshire residents – No. 2 on the list.

West Linn – One of America’s Safest Cities

Not to belabor the point, but The City of West Linn, where I reside, was recently voted the 31st safest city in the US and according to Neighborhood Scout – a real estate service (which obviously is a credible source….) the safest city in Oregon.

Again, it raised question as to how this ranking was determined. Any doubt was laid to rest, however, when I read a few actual excerpts from past West Linn Police Reports in the West Linn Tidings. See below and you may also agree that “safest” may be synonymous with “boring” or perhaps in a few cases “crazy:”

City of West Linn logo

1/10 – Someone wrote “vulgar” in the dirt on a vehicle in the 1700 Block of Willamette Drive.

11/29 – A caller was frightened by a “round, bright, white light shining through the trees.” It was the moon.

11/29 – A suspicious man with a gas can asking for gas in the 4600 block of Elmran Drive really was out of gas.

8/26 – A man eating a bowl of cereal while driving ran a stop sign in 22900 block of Willamette Drive

8/26 Two suspicious men with a basketball were seen entering Midhill Park. Officers found them playing basketball.

10/26 – What appeared to be a severed leg in a driveway in the 19200 block of View Drive was really a Halloween decoration.

12/31 – A man walking out of tall grass near northbound I-205 at 10th Street seemed “odd.” In reality, he had run out of gas and was retrieving some.

At least one word of advice – “Keep a full tank of gas when you are in Oregon’s safest city!”

And for the curious, the safest city was Franklin, Massachusetts and the most dangerous, East St. Louis. Lake Oswego ranked number 84.

And speaking of weird headlines, I found the following in my collection:

“West Linn Man Cited for Hanging Dead Squirrel” – The Oregonian

“Death of 105-year old Milwaukie Man Investigated as Suspicious” – The Oregonian

Resourcefulness and Beer

: A liquid with multiple vocations….

The off-duty Houston firefighter was returning with his wife from a car trip when they spotted a large truck on fire – not a big fire but one that could spread. The truck was hauling beer.

The small fire extinguisher on the truck was not enough so they started “shaking and spraying cans of beer on the blaze and the fire went out.” This refutes the quote by the 19th century German who opined, “Beer that is not drunk has missed its vocation.”

The Plover by Brian Doyle

The recent Beerchaser of the Quarter, Portland author, Brian Doyle – also the editor of the wonderful University of Portland’s Portland Magazine, with whom I recently had the pleasure of raising a mug at his favorite pub – The Fulsom Brew Pub, just had his most recent novel published.

Brian Doyle at The Fulsom Brew Pub

The Plover, is a nautical tale and the following reviews indicate that those who enjoyed Mink River or his wonderful short stories and essays, will be in for a good read:

“A rare and unusual book and a brilliant, mystical exploration of the human spirit.” Kirkus Reviews

“Doyle has written a novel in the adventurous style of Jack London and Robert Louis Stevenson but with a gentle mocking of their valorization of the individual as absolute. Readers will enjoy this bracing and euphoric ode to the vastness of the ocean and the unexpectedness of life.” Library Journal

Don’t “Sniff” at Quimby’s

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Thebeerchaser

: Quimby’s – formerly known as Cheers

If you glance at the new Beerchaser map (see link below), you will see that most of establishments visited on Thebeerchaser Tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs, commencing in August 2013, are located on the southeast side of Portland – in what includes the infamous and beloved Barmuda Triangle.

: Sniff — Anyone for a Hair of the Dog IPA??

It is thus fitting, to hit a Northwest venue – the last one was Slabtown last October – especially when two are located in the same block. And Sniff Cafe may be accurately labeled a “unique” watering hole in Portland in that it appears to be the only one that is integrated with a canine day-care and hotel.

My initial reaction was to harken back to Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Eastern Oregon last summer when I witnessed the antithesis of Sniff at the entrance to two different taverns – one in Burns and one in Prineville. Take a look at these two signs greeting patrons at the doors of these bars.

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Non-ambiguity re. furry friends…..

To the contrary at Sniff, if you stop in for a glass of beer or wine during the Happy Hour times of 5:00 to 7:00 P.M., you get a $1 discount on beer and wine — plus, your pooch gets a free romp in the pet indoor play area – even getting occasional personal attention by one of their attendants. You also get to view not only your pooch, but the other dogs cavorting in this puppy play pen.

One wonders if they may be playing, “Duck, Duck — Goose!”

Taylor serving a beer.

Sniff is a neat little bar – it does not have hard liquor, but beer, wine, coffee and snacks ranging from pastries to pizza to wraps. According to our bartender Taylor, who has been at Sniff for two years, it has been successful since it opened in 2010 – even to the extent of recently expanding as can be seen from the picture below.

Expanded bar areas at Sniff

Instead of hard-boiled eggs, pickles or other unhealthy stuff placed on the bar for snacks, Sniff had dog biscuits!!

: Healthier than Pickled Pigs Feet….

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I did not have the guts to ask Taylor if he had heard the joke about the dog who walked into the bar and asked the bartender, “Have you seen the guy who shot my paw??? ”

Sniff also has some rules for their pet guests that might be a good idea for some bars to institute as well – especially dive bars with a rough clientele. For example, check out these guidelines below. Substitute “you” for the canine equivalent in the following and you’ll see what I mean:

“We want all our guests to play nice. That’s why we pick and choose which guests will socialize the best…..Call ahead and schedule your free temperament evaluation.

Leaving an impression…

WHAT IF MY DOG DOESN’T PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS? If your dog is not social, or requires one-on-one attention, for the safety of our guests, he or she is required to stay in a private suite and participate in private play sessions and/or walks; additional fees will apply.”

: Artwork to keep the guests comfortable…

To further the above premise, they also have special rules for females in heat, because they “can stress our male guests…”

Sniff has only four beers on tap (inexplicably no Hair of the Dog Brewery products) but seven additional bottled beers. Also three white and three red wines to try.

To momentarily digress, Sniff also reminded me of my favorite Beerchaser regular, Portland lawyer, John Mansfield. He tends to view phrases literally and on one of our bar trips after he saw a sign stating, “Temporary Dog Play Area,” commented, “Given my scheduling constraints, I would be interested in getting one of those temporary dogs.”

Okay, so let’s assume you either don’t have a dog or you just dropped off Fido at the Sniff Hotel and want to have a nightcap in the vicinity. Just walk one block to a neat little neighborhood bar at 19th and Quimby.

The bar at Quimbys.

Quimby’s prior to 2011 was named Cheers, which allows mentioning one of my favorite quotes from Cliff Clavin – intrepid regular at the beloved television bar:

“Well Norm, it’s like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it’s the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole….because the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.

The beer vs. buffalo analogy as framed by Cheers’ Cliff Clavin (Wikimedia Commons – public domain)

In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That’s always why you are smarter after a few beers.”

Quimby’s is a quaint and typical neighborhood bar – with seven beers on tap. Although they have a decent menu including sandwiches, pizza, good soups and more, the bar has a partnership, of sorts, with six food carts immediately adjacent to the back entrance and patrons can bring their cart cuisine inside while consuming their favorite beverage.

The patio and adjacent food carts

According to Steve, the affable bartender, who has been in the business 16 years, although he had just started at Quimby’s that day, their specialty is Buffalo Wings – we verified that they were really good.

They also serve reasonably priced breakfast all day, although when I tried to order one of the breakfast combinations in the early afternoon of my second visit, was informed that they had run out of eggs.

I had heard that the bar could be rather sparsely populated although the late afternoon of my first visit with my daughter and her boyfriend, Ryan, on a Thursday, we had to scramble for a table because it was Trivia Night and people came early for what is usually a big and raucous crowd. The neighborhood is growing by leaps and bounds and patronage at the bar will continue to grow – especially in the summer with the patio area available.

Laura and Ryan with Thebeerchaser logo

There is both a free pool and ping-pong table plus darts, pinball and three big screen TVs which have PAC 12 and Big 10 broadcasts – evidently Ohio State and Michigan State fans frequent the bar to root for their teams. Happy Hour is every day from 3:00 to 6:00 and they have specials each night such as Taco Tuesdays, Whiskey Wednesdays, etc.

A recent Yelp review summarized pretty well by stating:

“The service is rather impeccable. Attentive, kind and respectable bartenders round out an overall enjoyable experience.”

So the next time you’re in Northwest Portland, give both Sniff and Quimby’s a visit.

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Sniff Café 1528 NW Raleigh Street

Quimby’s 1502 NW 19th

(To view the map with all the bars reviewed by Thebeerchaser, click on the “View Larger Map” link at the bottom of the map below)

The New Beerchaser Map of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Thebeerchaser

: A Beerchaser toast to Jamie Magnusson!

Good news for followers of this blog and their colleagues and friends who are interested in exploring new bars.

Thanks to the extensive help of son-in-law, Jamie Magnusson, who is not only a great traffic engineer, but excellent with technology, each bar previously visited on Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs is now identified on a Google Map plus some additional features as shown at later in this post.

Engineer and technology wizard, Jamie Magnusson

Engineer, technology wizard and Husky, Jamie Magnusson

As you can see below, each bar is designated with a beer mug icon (Go figure…..!). If you click on the icon, it will bring up information about that individual bar including a link to the original Beerchaser post, a short paragraph from the review, the address, a picture (in some cases) and a link to other Google reviews as shown in the example below the map.

View Larger Map

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Further, if want to see a complete listing of Beerchaser bars reviewed, just click on the “View Larger Map” link, (immediately above or below the map). All of the establishments will appear on the left hand side of the screen in alphabetical order and allow you to bring them up for additional information as in the example below for the Northeast Portland bar Church.

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Church

Last Updated by Don on Feb 8

Thebeerchaser

Church is a relatively new bar on 26th and NE Sandy. Opened in 2013, it has an intriguing interior to mitigate the nondescript exterior and lack of a really viable patio.

Willamette Week, in its review accurately states, “Though it is a neighborhood bar in no neighborhood at all, it’ll likely gather a congregation,” – affirmed on both of our visits – an energetic crowd to complement the friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Church 6 reviews 2600 Northeast Sandy Boulevard Portland, OR 97232 (503) 206-8962 churchbarpdx.com

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After this post, the map can be accessed on the blog by clicking on the words “Map of Thebeerchaser Bars” in the white lettering on the black panel just below the logo.

Saraveza – Breaking the Top 100 – Again…

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Thebeerchaser

A beacon in Northeast Portland - Sareveza

Saraveza – A beacon in North Portland

Saraveza in North Portland is a great bar and for the fourth year in a row, it is on the list of Draft Magazine’s 100 Best Beer Bars in the country – along with four other Portland establishments in 2014 – Bailey’s Tap Room, Bazi Bierbrasserie, Belmont Station (reviewed by Thebeerchaser in April 2013) and Imperial Bottle Shop. Missing for the firm time in three years are The Horse Brass Pub (reviewed by Thebeerchaser in May 2013) and Apex. It should be noted that there are only 31 bars in the entire Western region of the US which garnered this honor.

: Thebeerchaser at Belmont Station – another in the Top 100

Without making any inference about these venues, it raises a few questions about how Draft Magazine determines its annual listing of the best beer bars in the country. For context, the publication prefaces its 2014 awards with the statement:

“After six years of making this annual list, we had to rethink the definition of a top-notch beer bar. New ones are opening every second, and “good beer bar” no longer equals a zillion taps; there’s just more to it now. We needed to walk out of these places saying, ‘Now there’s a bar that really, really cares about your experience with beer.’”

So what does that mean? Having well-cared for, thoughtfully selected beer with an eye toward variety, trends and tradition, in the kind of place you’d want to stay awhile, delivered by someone who knows their stuff. We don’t want to send you to a place where the server doesn’t look up from her texting when you ask questions….”

Evidence that Saraveza is serious about Beer!!

To support its premise, the publication even uses the example of Bailey’s in Portland “which cares so much about beer freshness, the digital menu says when each keg was tapped and how much is left.”

This statement raises the question, however, about how sophisticated or picky a beer drinker has to be to truly enjoy his brewski – harkening back to college days when a luke-warm Blitz in a can (even if it had already been opened for several days) was synonymous with Nirvana on a hot day in Corvallis.

Year and temperature unknown, but eminently drinkable -- still

Year and temperature unknown, but still eminently drinkable — (Thanks to Olyguy and Olygal for the photo)

One reader who questioned the criteria stated, “Interesting that a bar from one year can be left off the list the next year, even though nothing has changed about it to warrant not making the list.”

And the list does make one wonder if Draft personnel personally visit all these bars – and more importantly, about the thousands of other watering holes which didn’t make the list but serve a mean micro-brew and have great ambiance.

Okay! So I worked around lawyers for almost forty years – process is important – but rather than castigate Draft Magazine, I will put forth Thebeerchaser’s Theorem on Bars based on my experience visiting 52 bars since August 2011 when Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs commenced:

“Bars are like Bull Markets or ______, (fill in your own option) when they are good, they are fantastic and even when they are bad, they are still very good.”

The bar at Saraveza

But I digress – Saraveza is a really neat bar. It has also made Willamette Week’s Annual Drink Guide or best bar list every year since it opened. The 2010 description is representative:

“With illuminated PBR signs posing as art, a bottle-cap mosaic tabletop and a misguided allegiance to the *#+*% Green Bay Packers, Saraveza is like the coolest Midwestern dorm room ever. The only problem is that Portland lacks a soul-crushing winter freeze to justify the heft Saraveza will donate to your midsection.”

Beer memorabilia adds to the ambiance

Some people are not fans of the *+$#@ Green Bay Packers – but don’t publicize it in this bar

“There’s the beer, of course—in bottles big and small, drafts bitter and sour and strong—but the pasties will do some damage, too. Bring a date and split one of those flaky meat pies and a mountainous Caesar salad.”

One important factor which makes a superb bar is the staff. And from Sarah Pederson, the owner and founder of the bar in 2008, (the name of the bar is derived from a combination of her name and the Spanish word for “beer.”) to Tyler “The Elder” Vickers – the original bartender, who is still there, they have a great team. I heard Sarah speak to a civic group a few years ago and she truly has a passion for her craft and is another Oregon example of a young entrepreneur who successfully pursued her dream.

In fact, our waiter, Brian – who had only worked at Saraveza for about six months – was one of the best waiters encountered on Thebeerchaser tour to date. He was friendly, knowledgeable and the epitome of a great server.

Brian - an example of the great Saraveza team

Brian (on the left) – an example of the great Saraveza team – Roy holding Thebeerchaser logo, Mary and Janet

Thebeerchaser and his wife, Janet, were pleased to be accompanied by Roy Lambert, a retired tax lawyer from Schwabe Williamson and Wyatt.

Roy who could be considered an Ivy League guy having graduated from Cornell before going on to Columbia University Law School and then hitting the books again where he earned his LLM – a Masters Degree in tax at NYU – is also an avid swimmer. In college, he swam for Cornell and now swims every morning at 6:00 AM. His background prompted me to find my favorite quotes to promote some erudite conversation that night about taxes:

Will Rogers – “I can’t figure out the calculation for double-declining balance depreciation.”

As a starting premise: “The Internal Revenue Code should provide some evidence that it was written on purpose.” He was also reluctant to agree with Will Rogers, who stated, “The reason death is not as bad as taxes is because death does not get worse each time Congress meets.”

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Nine beers on tap and then there’s the bottles….

Brian did a great job of walking us through the nine beers on tap and encouraged us to sample those that were not familiar.

Interestingly, three of the four of us immediately chose the Occidental Brewery’s Dopplebock – a great choice.

Roy’s companion was Mary Maxwell, who is a very interesting lady and had a demanding and important job as Director of Aviation for the Port of Portland for four years before she retired in 2009. Prior to that she was the Port’s General Manager of Business and Properties for seventeen years. I’m sure that she has stories which would make novelist Arthur Hailey’s Airport Manager, Mel Bakersfield glad that his fictitious job was prior to the TSA. The tales would also be much more interesting than Roy’s yarns about the nuances of the Internal Revenue Code.

: PDX – An operation exceeding $150 million annually

Mary had a bottle of Red Nectar Ale from Humboldt Brewery in California. “….. a floral aroma, distinctive accents of toasted malt, caramel, spice and a sweetness to appease those demanding taste buds.”

Red Nectar Ale – an excellent bottled beer

And those who love Saraveza for the food, have a reason. Our group had macaroni and cheese, bratwurst and the fabled Caesar salad – it was mountainous! We reluctantly passed on the free bacon (if you buy a beer) because we were there on Bacon Night the second Monday of each month.

The pasties also receive rave reviews. I was not familiar with this traditional British pastry filled with meat or mushrooms or vegetables or combinations thereof – a specialty at Saraveza and one which they have mastered. The rest of the menu is also varied and extensive.

The pasty – Saraveza is rightfully recognized for this pastry.

We took home what was a first-rate quart off Portland’s Upright Brewing ” Five” (“Five blends three hop varieties with pale caramel malt to create full flavors. Subtle pale fruit aromas produced during the fermentation brighten the profile and provide contrast to its bitterness.”)

: Beer-to-go: Upright Brewing’s “Five”

It’s one of the 250 different kinds of beers they have in attractive display cases. In fact, Brian stated that a sizeable portion of their clientele is patrons who come in on beer tours and one can understand why such a tour would choose Saraveza.

More Beer Stuff….

And one last thought about Draft Magazine – perhaps after Thebeerchaser hits the remaining 700 Portland watering holes, the Tour should start visiting the top 100 and those that did not make the cut too!

Saraveza Bottle and Pasty Shop

1004 N. Killingsworth

Beerchaser of the Quarter – Author and Wine Drinker, Brian Doyle

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Thebeerchaser

Author, editor and former basketball all-star

Author, editor and one-time basketball all-star

I knew that I had to meet and have a beer with Portland author and editor, Brian Doyle, when I saw the Portland Tribune article – “An Egghead Walks Into a Bar.” It reports on his work with University of Portland alum and inventor, John Beckman, to create what has become the annual Brian Doyle Scholarships in Gentle & Sidelong Humor – $3,333.33 per student for one academic year, during which the multiple recipients must create and publicly share a project of some sort that “brings the community together in laughter…”

According to Brian, who is the Editor of the University’s award-winning magazine, “The Humor Project” makes UP, the only university of its kind to have this type of project, and affirms a key personal philosophy – “Humor defeats fatuous pomposity and arrogance.” Realizing that Doyle’s talents are creativity and marketing – not administration, one of Beckman’s stipulations was that Brian was to be integrally involved, but not in charge of the project!

Brian Doyle self portrait – Humor – What humor??

Reinforcing my intent to have a brewski with him was the quote in the preface to Doyle’s book, Osama Bin Laden’s Bald Spot. After one of its short stories, “Hurtgen,” won a national award from the Catholic Press Association, he wrote, “(This) was pretty cool, although there was no beer in it for me…..”

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The Fulton – opened by the McMenamins in 1988 and reportedly the original home of Hammerhead Ale.

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So I wrote Brian and told him that I wanted to “honor” him in the Beerchaser blog. I was pleased, if not somewhat surprised that he accepted this unusual request and we met in his favorite bar – The Fulton Brew Pub. (To be reviewed in this blog in the next month or two along with Brian’s essay on the pub.)

In preparation, I read some of his essays, a bunch of short stories and watched videos of a few of his speeches. His creativity, humor and well….his off-the-wall idiosyncrasy was impressive. One does not know how many of these tales are based on his actual experience, embody some embellished conceptual truths or he just dreamed up when he was ruminating in his den. But after chatting with him for ninety minutes at his favorite pub, I would suggest most are the former.

Chatting over drinks at The Fulton

Let me give you a few examples:

One of his short stories – “Three Basketball Stories,” chronicles:

“…. a basketball league once in Boston that was so tough that when guys drove to the hole, they lost fingers. One time a guy….got hit so hard his right arm fell off, but he was a lefty and hit both free throws before going to the bench….

I heard that his team later had a funeral for the arm with everyone carrying the casket with only one arm as a goof but they all got so howling drunk that they lost the arm and had to bury the casket empty and then they spent the rest of the night trying to remember every lefty guy in the history of sports……”

(Brian was named to a city league all-star team in Boston in 1983 and has the jersey framed in his office. (Fortunately, he did not appear to have a prosthetic device for his right (drinking) arm.)

An honor worth an arm but probably not a leg….

One of his short stories, “The Boyfriends Bus,” is about a guy who organized a field trip with nine of his wife’s former boyfriends – another example of the writer’s active imagination:

“….So we rented a bus for the day, a small bus, sort of half a bus….and we hired a guy to take us out in the wine country for the day….Anyway, we all got sizzled, the other nine boyfriends and me, and all day guys were ribbing me for having won her hand, I was elected president of the bus and got to make decisions about which wineries to stop at and all, and in the end it was kind of poignant…..

Each guy said with genuine affection and respect that my wife was a wonderful woman, absolutely, an unforgettable woman, that his time with her was really a highlight of his life.”

The look if you split and infinitive or misuse an adverb…but not if you like long sentences…

Speaking of bars…..there’s an essay – “On the Misuse of Adverbs” – in which he relates the hilarious account of his five brothers and him getting kicked out of a New York City bar based on an altercation. It erupted when they were defending a young woman — and the English language:

“Finally there was a moment when the young man leaned toward the young woman and gently covered her exquisite digits with his offensive paws and said:

‘Hopefully, you and I… ‘ at which point my brother Thomas stood up suddenly, launched himself over the balcony rail, landed with a stupendous crash on their table, and said to the young man, ‘Never, and I mean never, begin a sentence with an adverb.”‘

Portland Magazine

While some of these tales may lead you to think that Brian is a total flake, that would be the wrong impression – he’s mirthful and loves humor, but is a gifted writer and editor of the superb University of Portland magazine, Portland, and very serious about his craft.

Portland Magazine cover – Autumn 2013

Brian is the second editor of the quarterly journal – assuming the position in 1994 when he came to UP. “The intent is not to have a glossy piece for alumni public relations. The objectives are to make you laugh, cry, lose your temper or kneel in prayer while concurrently punching you in the gut.”

The first Portland article I read (and excerpted for this blog ) was Father Patrick Hannon’s wonderful essay about the Twilight Room – the fifth bar I reviewed on Thebeerchaser Tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs.

I am now a regular reader based on articles such as Brian’s profile of Portland swimmer and speaker, Karen Gaffney, who just received an honorary doctorate from UP for her achievements and work on Downs syndrome.

Profile of Portland’s Karen Gaffney in the Winter 2014 edition of Portland

Or read Brian’s 2009 essay, “The Terrible Brilliance,” based on the art therapy work his wife does for young children with serious illnesses – a piece which both punched me in the gut and brought a tear to my eye because my daughter, Laura, works as a pediatric oncology nurse with these same children.

Portland Magazine, won Newsweek Magazine’s “national championship” of college and university magazines, beating out the Harvards, Stanfords and the other powerhouses in the SEC and Pac 12 that have academic programs even their football players admire. It has also won five Gold Medals. Perhaps it’s because the magazine is, “addicted to silly humor, roaring anger and is deliberately provocative.”

Even though I had two outstanding pints of Nebraska Bitter (first brewed at The Fulton Pub in honor of Nebraska Street where it was first brewed) and Brian had two glasses of pinot, we ran out of time to talk about his ten books – his next novel (The Plover) will be published in April and Mink River was a finalist for an Oregon Book Award in 2012.

Brian Doyle’s novels

If you do a Google search like I did to research Brian Doyle, you will get 3,230,000 potential hits and discover there are other famous Brian Doyles – a Canadian children’s author, a former New York Yankee who starred in the 1978 World Series (even though his career batting average was only 161) and even a former Deputy Press Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security – forced out after conviction of a felony.

In fact, Brian decided in 2002 to write letters to the other 215 Brian Doyles he found in a national directory to learn more about them:

Tell me a little bit about yourself, I wrote us recently. How did you get your name? What do you do for work? What are your favorite pursuits? Hobbies? Avocations? Have any of us named our sons Brian? What Irish county were your forebears from? Where were you born? Where did you go to college? What’s your wife’s name?

He spoke to or corresponded with 111 and his essay, “Being Brian,” was published in Harper’s Magazine. “Oddly, we were all neurotic about getting to airports early (at least two hours) and all had terrible handwriting.” After talking to Brian, I have a feeling he would have undertaken this endeavor even if his name had been Jim Johnson or maybe even Alexi Fronkiwiecz……..

Being Brian….

While there may be 215 or more Brian Doyles across the US – and who knows how many more in Australia, Asia, Africa and Antarctica – we are fortunate to have our own right on the University of Portland campus.

In 2006, he wrote a book, The Grail – a chronicle of “A year ambling and shambling through an Oregon vineyard in pursuit of the best pinot noir wine in the whole wild world.” Maybe that’s when he converted from drinking beer to wine although he admits he will still have a Hammerhead at the Fulton if it is really hot.

The Grail – available at Amazon.

Brian Doyle is a gifted story-teller with a great sense of humor and a good jump shot, albeit a slowing first step to the hole. He’s also a man of strong faith and values and a good dad.

Doyle is humble and has the courage and conviction to castigate both institutions and individuals for hypocrisy or pomposity whether it’s the Catholic Church or a politician. And his gift of language makes his criticism piercing and memorable.

The above reasons explain why a guy who now drinks wine instead of beer can still be the Beerchaser of the Quarter.

Read his stuff – you will admire and enjoy it!

Note: I was profoundly saddened at the passing of this great human being on May 27, 2017, at the age of 60, after being diagnosed with brain cancer the previous November. Brian is survived by his wife, Mary, his daughter, Lily and twin sons, Liam and Joseph. His solid faith sustained him through surgery and treatment and he showed love, humor and the personality traits that endeared all who knew him until the end. The family received tributes from all over the world lauding his literary career and his humanity.

Thebeerchaser’s tribute to him is at

https://thebeerchaser.com/2017/06/09/brian-doyle-beerchaser-eternal/

To honor his legacy, the University of Portland has set a goal to raise $1 million towards the cost of the new Brian Doyle Lecture Hall.

https://www.giving.up.edu/s/1797/home.aspx?sid=1797&gid=2&pgid=672

The Cheerful Bullpen

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Thebeerchaser

The Cheerful Bullpen – across from Jeld-Wen Field

One of the earlier bars reviewed on Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Portland Bars, Pubs and Taverns was the historic Cheerful Tortoise in 2012. This noted sports bar adjacent to the campus at Portland State University is owned by Amy Nichols – also the proprietor of the Cheerful Bullpen – located right across from Jeld-Wen Field (news flash – now Providence Park.) The Bull Pen reportedly has had five previous owners and been around for 66 years.

: Amy, Denny and our waitress, Ashley with Thebeerchaser log

I was accompanied by Denny Ferguson, who also Beerchased with me at the Tortoise, and persuaded Amy to join us – a good decision. Amy is a great story, herself, and has owned both bars since 2008.

An airbrushed version….

Denny, who served as President of JBL&K Risk Services, before becoming Director of Business Development at Portland State University, is a Portland “institution.”

He is a formidable golfer and tennis player and a great human being – so positive that he sings along with the music in elevators. His initial months in college at Santa Clara University were a little traumatic because it was the first time he had been away from home —-other than serving in the Marine Corps…..

The name of this bar evokes memories of what once was in Portland – The Portland Beavers, established in 1903 and playing in Vaughn Street Stadium, then Multnomah Stadium and ultimately Civic Stadium before it became a soccer venue. That’s when there was actually a bullpen at the stadium across from the Cheerful Bullpen!

The Beavers, although only a Triple A farm club for the Cleveland Indians in the 1960’s, had a rich history. Future major leaguers such as pitchers “Sudden” Sam McDowell, Luis Tiant and left-fielder and then Major League manager, Lou Pinella, thrilled Portland fans and the antics of player/manager Frank “The Flake” Peters (now proprietor of the Grand Café) are legendary.

Owner, pPitcher and manager, Walt McCredie, part of the Portland Beavers heritage.

I have fond memories of taking my daughters to Beaver games. Some consider the fact that one now has to travel to Hillsboro for minor league baseball to be a tragedy. Given the preponderance of current Cheerful Bullpen patrons who are soccer fans, there are probably those who would advocate a name to something like the Yellow Card Inn or changing to an Irish name such as Kitty O’ Shea’s. Don’t do it, Amy!!

But we digress – now back to The Cheerful Bullpen…Amy, grew up in Long Beach, Washington and earned her stripes serving as the “only girl deckhand” on an Alaskan fishing boat when she was thirteen, was a beer-cart girl at Heron Lakes Golf Course and then eventually waitressed at both Harvey’s Comedy Club and then the Cheerful Tortoise, where she worked her way up to manager.

Amy and her staff - not afraid of working hard...

Ashley and Amy – not afraid of working hard…

Former owner, Pat Lockhart, was a mentor and sold the The Tortoise and The Bullpen to her in 2008.

She remembers scrubbing walls at The Bullpen to rid it of built up grease and cigarette smoke stains and investing to make it a quality sports bar experience – and that it is.

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If it’s a broadcast sporting event, you are probably going to see it on one of the 21 TVs.

There are 21 TV’s, two pool tables, Big Buck Hunter video, two fireplaces and a very big patio which holds 50 -60 people – it’s especially popular after Timbers’ games or other athletic events at Jeld-Wen.

The twelve beers on tap that night were:

Bud Light – Budweiser Laurelwood – Widmer Hef
Alameda Rotator
Bridgeport IPA
10 Barrel Rotator
Deschutes Rotator
Ninkasi Rotator
OakShire Rotator

Two Bullpen Bartender Choice Rotators

They also have a brisk “Beer-to-Go” trade with twenty-two different beers from all over the world in bottles, cans and available for growlers.

You may have one of the twelve draft beers drawn by The Cheerful Mascot.

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Food – As with the Tortoise, the Bullpen offers its legendary $2 breakfast (2 pancakes and 2 eggs) all day. But their most notable menu item is the wings.

You can get 17 to 20 different flavors and on Tuesdays nights (Tightwad Tuesdays) six wings for $2 in addition to $1 beers. One patron who heard us talking about the wings called them “really amazing.”

As evidence, here’s an October 2013 Yelp review excerpt: “Every Tues starting at 8pm is Wing Night – wings of all flavors for $2…You want to get there before 8 to avoid a $3 cover, and to grab a table especially if there is a big game on. The list if flavors ranges from mild to “burn your face off.”

“Really Amazing” Wings

And on Saturdays – there’s all you can eat pasta dishes from $6.95 (noon until midnight). Otherwise you’ encounter a full menu with burgers, fish and chips, pizza, etc.

Buffalo!!?? If you go to the Bullpen on Sundays during football season, you will encounter scads (as many as 150 – 200) Buffalo Bills fans rooting for their team – an arrangement Amy brokered in 2009.

Every time the Bills score, the group breaks into song. (In 2013 – 339 points scored (21.2 / game) or 22nd of 32 in the NFL) – so the songs are infrequent enough not to be disruptive!!)

The Buffalo Sabres hockey team also has a fan group as does the American Outlaws soccer team.

Now evidently this doesn’t square with one guy who wrote a Yelp 2012 review and was irate because, “….I found myself here on a Sunday, so everyone else was here to watch football. Yuck. I don’t think the baseball games were on any screen and I’m pretty sure there would have been a brawl if I had requested a channel change on even just one TV.” (He could have just gone to The Cheerful Tortoise)

Reviews of the Bullpen were good although some complained about delays after Timber games or summer events at Jeld-Wen when the 60-seat patio and the bar are both filled – to a certain extent, something one would expect. Based on the staff we saw, they are good people who work hard.

Amy Nichols is an entrepreneur, a good marketer and a Portland success story. She keeps her establishments hopping with events such as Wednesday nights Pub Trivia through the “Geeks Who Drink” organization, monthly VIP Blazer Packages and sponsors periodic charity events such as golf tournaments.

And when you visit the Bullpen, you just might get to say hello to Denny Ferguson – although he will probably greet you first!