Hop on Board with Thebeerchaser – Part II – Quebec City

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened.

In the last post, I told you about our recent Holland America cruise from Montreal to Boston with our good friends the Noppers. https://thebeerchaser.com/2024/05/29/hop-on-board-with-thebeerchaser-part-i/

We had a night and a morning in Montreal before we embarked on the Volendam (on Saturday May 4th – my birthday) so on Friday, we took a ninety-minute bus tour of the city and then walked around to see historic buildings and, of course, bars and breweries.

I might add that we stayed at the La Centre Sheraton – right downtown – which had a wonderful looking bar itself. The concierge recommended a couple of good places for beer.

Th Sheraton bar

Our first watering hole where we had some excellent beer was 3 Brasseurs. (That’s “brewers” in English). Evidently, it is a chain with establishments thoughout France and four locations in Canada – Montreal, Quebec, Toronto.

Photo May 03 2024, 4 29 45 PM

“Welcome to our brand with 30 years of experience in beer making, design and service of authentic and generous local dishes, for the greatest satisfaction of our customers.”

The bar had a great atmosphere inside with a long, attractive bar, but given the beautiful day, we sat outside on the expansive patio – right on the street which made it more interesting.

And we sat next to a young and very friendly couple – the first of many great people we met on our trip – who were visiting from the Western part of Canada. We only had beer and they even offered to share their food with us since the servings were so generous.

Photo May 03 2024, 4 08 04 PM (1)

We declined and ate that night in an Italian restaurant – a mistake – we should have ordered a burger and fries at 3 Brasseurs.

I left the others for five minutes while they were waiting for our beers, to check out the other recommendation from the concierge – Brutopia – kind of an interesting name and I was sorry we didn’t have time to check it out. It looked very interesting:

“Brutopia Brewpub is the premiere brewpub in downtown Montreal. Since we opened our doors early in 1997, our attentive, friendly staff has been serving full flavoured beers, freshly brewed on our premises.” (# – External photo attribution at end of post #1)

It looked like the brewpub had great food, but we still had places to see and instead ate that night in an Italian restaurant – a mistake – but I guess I already said that above.

The ship left the next day at about 5:00 PM and we had some beautiful views of Montreal – by the way, the city is actually on an island….And shortly after we left the pier, I saw another brewery I would have liked to hit – I guess when we return.

It brought back memories of two of Molson’s slogans from the past:

“We’ll drink to that.” (2005)

“Molson’s makes it golden..” (1986) (#2)

Molson and Coors merged in 2005 and at that time, Molson Coors was rated the third largest producer of beer in the United States, and the second largest brewer in the United Kingdom.

It has continued to expand and in 2016, “per the agreement with the regulators, SABMiller sold to Molson Coors full ownership of the Miller Brewing Company brand portfolio.” Wikipedia

Shipboard Life and Port Adventures

We quickly acclimated to life on the cruise. The only issue which disappointed me was that with the exception of the second day, we sailed from port to port in either the late afternoon or after sunset into the morning hours and I didn’t get to see that much of the beautiful countryside and towns along the St. Lawrence.

Every day, we could either sign up for tours (excursions) ranging from walking tours, to tours of museums, historic homes to long bus tours e.g. an eight-hour ride (including lunch) which we took on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia to see the beautiful coast and mountains.

Historic and beautiful Quebec City (#3)

We sailed Saturday evening from Montreal to historic Quebec City. Before debarking the ship for the tour, we had our typical breakfast at the Volendam’s Lido Market Place – a buffet that had an amazing assortment from pastries to traditional faire to lox.

The first morning, I had lox and onions with my scrambled eggs, even though some would scoff at this combination.

We then took a two-hour guided walking tour of the city of 549,459 settled originally in 1633. To get from the pier to the upper level and most of the attractions, we took the Old Quebec Funicular (1879).

At the top was a great view and an abundance of history.

The tour was very interesting, albeit wet, as a steady rain came down. It didn’t dampen the experience of seeing the:

Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac (“An iconic historic hotel in Quebec City known for its castle-like architecture and stunning views of the St. Lawrence River.”) (1893) (#4)

Notre-Dame de-Quebec Basilica Cathedral (“An historic and iconic basilica-cathedral, known for its stunning architecture and religious significance.”). (1633 – original) (#5)

Since our excursion of Quebec City was over by lunch, we spent the rest of the day exploring the ship.

The activities were an eclectic bunch of pursuits – keeping in mind that given the median passenger age, there could probably be an animated discussion of the Nixon vs Kennedy debate.

There were team sports or competitions from bingo to trivia to soccer goal scoring to cornhole to poker to pickleball to bridge, but these were not for us as was the case with “Origami Folding – Paper-bomb” or “The Art of Flower Arranging” to “Coloring for Adults” (not hair…) or “Adventures with Water Colors – Jellyfish….” (#6 – #7))

However, there were no offerings such as “The Colorful History of Pabst Blue Ribbon,” or “Hop Gardening,” although I have to admit given the median age of the passengers, I was surprised to see one actually entitled “Pampering the Ladies…”

One that piqued my interest was “Make Your Own Mug” until I found it that it pertained to coffee rather than beer and I blanched about spending 90-minutes in a session – “Make Your Own Flower Vase.”

And these were just on the first two days so I thought with five more days left on the cruise, they might consider “Make Your Own Titanic” or “Make Your Own Submarine,” but Janet told me not to go anywhere near the Cruise Director with these suggestions.

We decided that we would enjoy walking the deck and then reading and viewing beautiful Quebec City from a higher deck – this while consuming one or two of our fifteen “free” drinks per day (unbelievably – part of the cruise package).

It made me think seriously about the assertion of Aloysius Archer, the protagonist in the Baldacci novel I was reading:

“If you’re going to drink all day, you have to start in the morning.”

While walking the deck, my mind was still at work wondering:

“Do they really need the warning message on the bulkhead shown in the following photo?”

Is that warning really necessary?

And while my initial “Make Your Own” suggestions were not viable, given the robust supply of cooking material on board, why not “Make Your Own Life Ring?” (#8)

On a more serious note, I thought Holland America missed a good opportunity by not mimicking Portland’s Breakside Brewery which recently advertised:

“Make Your Own IPA Ice Cream, 11 a.m.-noon Saturday, June 15: Join Malek and Breakside head brewer Ben Edmunds – churn your very own beer-infused ice cream.”

Photo May 10 2024, 8 37 34 PM

The selections in the dining room for the evening meal were splendid as was the presentation and quality. We typically had two meals each day (along with an occasional cookie or ice cream cone in the evening.)

Given the expansive and plentiful availability of both food and alcohol, it made me wonder if any medical research had been conducted on the correlation between heart attacks and post cruise living.

I decided to banish that morbid thought the next morning when I had my breakfast which included lox and a bagel. (#9)

Stay tuned for our next port, Charlottetown – 721 nautical miles from Quebec City – so we had one full day of just sailing, before we docked at this next city – another one with a rich and interesting history.

External Photo Attribution

#1. Brutopia Brew Pub Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=903734435093709&set=a.485131863620637.

#2. Molson Canadian Facebook Page by Samuel Hurd Photography (https://www.facebook.com/samuelhurdphotography/photos/t.100064389773443/373652893053044/?type=3).

#3. Wikimedia Commons (Château Frontenac city at night – Quebec City – Wikipedia) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Wilfredo Rafael Rodriguez Hernandez – 27 September 2018.

#4. Wikimedia Commons (2016-11 Château Frontenac 06 – Château Frontenac – Wikipedia) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: 0x010C – 8 November 2016.

#5. Wikimedia Commons (File:Basilique-cathédrale de Notre-Dame-de-Québec.JPG – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Sylvainbrousseau 16 September 2012.

#6. Wikimedia Commons (File:Adult Coloring program.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author:
Jenn Gaylor – 22 September 2015.

#7. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Jelly fish in watercolour.png – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Author: Midjourney AI prompted by Netha Hussain – 21 January 2023.

#8. Wikimedia Commons (File:Onion Ring (48075744183).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Ryan Dickey – 16 June 20219.

#9. Wikimedia Commons (File:Lox-and-bagel-02.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Author: Kristina D.C. Hoeppner – 25 July 2012.

Hop on Board with Thebeerchaser – Part I

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

Janet and I recently completed a seven-day Holland America cruise on the Volendam – from Montreal to Boston. We were accompanied by our long-time friends Jeff and Susan Nopper. (External photo attribution at end of the post #1 – 2.)

Our travel history included two prior HA cruises – the first from Anchorage, Alaska to Vancouver, BC in 2014. It included a side trip to Denali National Park before the cruise started and the journey by ship was wonderful way to see Glacier Bay; whales and wildlife; and the Alaska coastline that would be a challenge on another mode of transport.

In 2018, we took a second cruise – this one with the Noppers to the Panama Canal from Fort Lauderdale, Florida – not a full transit – through the canal from east to west – but just through the locks. After a cruise around Lake Gatun we went back through the canal to the Atlantic Ocean and explored the Caribbean.

A massive cargo ship going through the canal

I’ll give more info in a future post, but on the first two cruises, both of our ships accommodated 2,700 passengers and 1,000 crew members. The vessel for the recent trip up the St. Lawrence Seaway and around Nova Scotia was about half that size – 1,432 passengers and 647 crew.

Although we enjoyed the first two cruises, we definitely preferred the smaller ship which still had great amenities – pool, great gym and workout facility, pickleball court, casino, theater and, of course, multiple bars and restaurants.

And I’ll have to state that my wife, Janet, is not the biggest fan of cruises – partly because of a tendency for motion sickness. She gave me this cruise for my birthday although it was much better than she expected and she did not get seasick.

Janet was prepared with patches and medication but did not have to use them – the biggest swells were about three feet around Halifax.

This was a good thing because our cruise package provided fifteen “free” drinks each day. Her pharmacist told her to avoid mixing pills or patches with alcohol….

I might add that if you plan a trip, take Susan Nopper with you. Janet is an excellent planner, but Susan is the epitome of a well-prepared and informed journeyer. She always knew when, where, how what, and why……

I bemoaned the fact that I did not have my college bota bag with me given the drink quota, but there was no way we could consume that much booze. Coffee drinks also counted and one day I had to work off a caffeine high by walking the deck several miles after having four espressos.

And I have to admit that I supplemented my typical martini or microbrew with some new cocktails including a “Smokey Boulevardier.”

It was indeed smokey and one of the ship’s officers jokingly came over to the bartender and asked if he needed to alert the ship about an on-board fire as smoke was wafting over the bar as he prepared my cocktail.

The ingredients in the Boulevardier – credited to Harry McElhone, the founder, and proprietor of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris – include:

1 1/2 ounces bourbon whiskey
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce Apéritif
Orange twist, for garnish

But I have to admit, my favorite drink on the ship was their beautiful Bloody Mary. I also coaxed Jeff Nopper into having his first martini – gin, up with olives.

The food was also superb with multiple eateries – formal and informal available at all times of the day. For example, take a look at the late night menu available at the Lido Cafe below.

It reminded me of my Navy destroyer when we had “Midrats from 8:00 PM to midnight:

“Midrats has been a Naval tradition dating back to 1902, when the Navy decide to make changes to Sailors’ diet by introducing a new meal to the fleet. President Theodore Roosevelt signed the 1902 Navy Ration Act that included a section for additional rations specifically for Sailors who worked the night shift.

Nowadays, Sailors can choose from breakfast items such as eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, and French toast; or dinner items like pork chops, ribs, mashed potatoes,
green beans, steak, and grilled chicken.”

The difference between the Navy and the HA cruise, was after the midnight snack, I didn’t have a watch on the bridge of the ship from midnight to 3:00 AM.

Not to get totally preoccupied with food, but the selection was amazing and and the quality very good from appetizers to desserts as you can see from the selection of cupcakes one evening and decorated cakes the next.

Fortunately, we were disciplined in our walks around the 1/3 of a mile deck just a step away from our stateroom. Surprisingly, we didn’t gain any weight.

Montreal – The City of Mary

We had a night and a morning in Montreal before the ship departed and it is a wonderful city in which one could spend days if not weeks touring this metropolis of 1.8 million people.

Since our time was limited, we took a 90-minute bus tour to see Mount Royal, the underground and the historic buildings:

“Some of the city’s earliest still-standing buildings date back to the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Although most are clustered around the Old Montreal area, such as the Sulpician Seminary adjacent to Notre Dame Basilica that dates back to 1687.” Wikipedia

Of course, even though we were limited to one evening in the city, we set out to find a watering hole or two to quench our thirsts – possibly to build up to the routine on the ship. I will fill you in on the next post, but have to leave you with this one unforgettable memory of Montreal.

We were walking in the late afternoon in the downtown area and came across a middle-aged guy with a baby carriage in which a live rabbit was contentedly riding. He offered to let the rabbit get out and run around.

Of course, I wanted to make a comment that this was not the kind of hops I was seeking for my the Beerchaser blog, but the others told me to hold my tongue and he rolled his cargo away when the light changed.

Not the kind of hops Thebeerchaser was seeking….

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1 – #2. Holland America Website (Cruises Search Award-Winning Cruises – Find Deals & Packages (hollandamerica.com).

May Musings

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

After doing recent posts on two wonderful Portland bars – the historic Huber’s and the iconic Sandy Jug, I’m going to skip around and cover a few miscellaneous topics after a farewell to a Portland landmark for years. (#1.)

Farewell to Quintessential Dive – The Jolly Roger

I visited this Portland eastside landmark in January, 2023 with my friend, Hillary Barbour, knowing that it would be both the first and last time I would raise a mug in this watering hole which has been a prominent feature on the block for about the last sixty years:

The Jolly Roger Will Become Affordable Housing

“After much speculation about what would become of Buckman dive bar the Jolly Roger, WW has confirmed it will become an affordable housing complex helmed by recovery and low-income housing nonprofit Central City Concern. The property was bulldozed this fall and is currently an empty lot.” (Willamette Week – 1/16/2024)

Although there was a smidgeon of hope for a reprieve in 2023, one year later, it was razed and the irreplaceable sign visible for blocks is now relegated to the scrap heap:

“Of the landmark sign—which WW once called ‘a majestic freestanding pylon sign shaped like a ship’s mast at a height no longer sanctioned’ ….it was trashed.

‘It was too large to be used in the building or anywhere else, she says…Efforts were made to see if any signage, restoration companies or collectors were interested in it, to no avail.'”

Farewell to a long and prosperous voyage!

An Informed Perspective

I had lunch recently with a friend of the conservative bent who was bemoaning the current US policy on climate change and energy. He had witnessed the 2017 total solar eclipse when he was at the Oregon coast and took in the same event again on April 8th this year.

Although Oregon was not in the path of totality. His comment:

“Don, this provides additional evidence of the lack of dependability of solar power as a future energy source….” (#2 – #3)

Another Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter Update

The last update was in February when I related the recent award of Portland environmental attorney, Jay Waldron (Rugger, Rafter and Rider and Lawyer).

Well, one of Jay’s Portland lawyerly colleagues – who is also in the esteemed ranks of Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter, Jim Westwood – was involved in another significant victory, although this wasn’t as one of the premier players in the Oregon Appellate Courts.

westwood bow tie 2

Jim, who has accompanied me on more Beerchasing events than either one of us would want to admit in the last thirteen years, is also a fellow Oregon City High School graduate (although several years ahead of me).

As I have stated previously as evidence of my longevity, his mother Catherine, was my Latin teacher for two years in the mid-sixties. The photo gallery below provides evidence of Jim’s affirmation of Beerchasing as a venture although it should be noted that both of us also have an affinity for single malt beverages.

Clockwise: The Tanker Bar – 2013, The Yard House – 2016, The Independent Sports Bar – 2017, The Standard – 2018, The Sandy Jug – 2024, Howell’s Tavern – 2022, Yur’s Bar – 2020, Rose City Book Pub – 2019, TC O”Leary’s Irish Pub – 2017 and Kelly’s Olympian 2015 and The Goose Hollow Inn – 2012.

(You will recognize his mug – so-to-speak – in each of the photos below:

Beerchasing at the Goose Hollow Inn in 2012 with the late Portland Mayor Bud Clark and John Terry of The Oregonian

Below is an excerpt from my 2013 post when I named him as a Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter. I mentioned his extensive civic activities including coaching high school Constitutional teams:

“Jim has volunteered for 11 years as a coach for ‘We the People’ high school Constitutional law teams for Grant High and De la Salle North Catholic High School.

Marilyn Cover, Executive Director of the Classroom Law Project (CLP), stated, ‘He’s a great teacher, a great coach and a great model citizen.’ He was honored last year as the 2012 Legal Citizen of the Year by the CLP.”

The historical figure he most admires is George Washington and when he received an annual award from the Multnomah Bar Association in 2013, they gave him the caricature shown in the photo below.

The Grant High team won the National Championship in the Washington DC competition in 2013 and then repeated in 2015. Westwood fulfilled his promise to get a tattoo if they achieved that victory.

The picture below shows the George Washington theme continued as 1783 was the year Washington bade farewell to his officers at Fraunces Tavern and resigned as Commander-in-Chief.

They won in 2018 and his second tattoo followed although at time of publication I could not ascertain where it’s located or the content. He retired from being a full-time coach in 2019, but as Jim, with his characteristic modesty, stated this month:

“I intended to fade into nothingness, but as has happened with other retiring coaches, Grant Con team is the Hotel California. You can never leave. The best description of me is ‘involved volunteer.”‘

My involvement varies, in 2024 I was involved about twice as much as last year….This year, for the first time since retiring, I went to DC with the team and the coaches. although it was more of a vacation for me than it was for the others.”

He thus shared in the incredible accomplishment of 2024 Grant High’s Constitutional Team when they again won the National Championship in April. As reported by the Center for Civic Education on April 16th:

“Students from Grant High School of Portland, Oregon, placed first in the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution National Finals, an annual competition that brings together high school students from across the nation to answer difficult questions about the U.S. Constitution...

More than 1,000 students participated….The competition results were announced at an awards ceremony Monday evening before an in-person and online audience of more than 3,400 people…A total of 48 high school teams from 28 states and the District of Columbia participated in this year’s events.”. (#4 – #5)

2015 Winners – Westwood in back row with bowtie

In a time where civics is almost a forgotten course offering in high schools across the United States, teacher advisor, David Lickey; coaches including Andrea Short, Tim Volpert, Shelley Larkins and Westwood (many of whom are lawyers) and the parental volunteers deserve accolades for their commitment to preserving democratic institutions.

When I asked about a third inking, he responded:

“I’ve been in contact with Ximena, my personal tattoo artist, about the tattoo for this year’s win. The ink will flow later this month.”

There’s speculation whether it will be a cherry tree, the words “Valley Forge” or “1791” – the year when the Bill of Rights was ratified which Washington called for in his first inaugural address. Stay tuned…..

There’s a Crisis, However.

Even back in 2021, an article in Harvard Magazine showed evidence of the Crisis in Civic Education:

“…..The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s survey on civic knowledge found that barely half of American adults can name all three branches of government, and 20 percent cannot name any rights protected by the First Amendment.

This state of affairs follows prolonged disinvestment in the fields of history and civics: today, a new report reveals, federal spending per pupil in these subjects averages $0.05, whereas STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) per pupil averages $50—a thousandfold difference in funding allocation.” (#6)

A document needing more attention

But Have Some Moderation…!

While efforts to enhance civic education are to be encouraged and applauded, one Oregon Circuit Court Judge in Clackamas County – just south of Portland – went a step too far when in a criminal trial for hit-and-run (State v. Varvara) last week:

“….(she) decided to give a hands-on civics lesson to a class of visiting second graders, inviting eight of them to serve as jurors in a hit-and-run trial, swearing them in, allowing them to sit in the jury box and giving them supplies to take notes.”

Now this was a bench trial – meaning the judge, not a jury – makes the final decision. The Presiding Judge, however, was evidently not impressed with the judgment of Circuit Judge Ulanda Watkins. He intervened and the second-graders were ushered out of the courtroom.

Judge Watkins was appointed to the bench in 2017. She is, at least up until this point, running unopposed in the 2024 Oregon Primary Election. (#7)

“In the end, Watkins delivered an acquittal without consulting the students — the 7- and 8-year-olds left before the trial concluded. But the judge’s off-the-cuff overture to the school children became the talk of the courthouse in downtown Oregon City.” (#8 – #9)

The Clackamas County Courthouse in Oregon City.

There have been no reports on whether the eight second graders selected for the jury have requested the $10 daily juror pay or whether the school district has submitted the 20 cents per mile reimbursement for the school bus.

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. Sandy Jug Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=122100957092143158&set=pb.61554294744173.-2207520000&type=3).

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:Christmas Eve Sun (31460091150).png – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Paul Stewart from Timaru, New Zealand – 24 December 2016.

#3. Wikimedia Commons (File:Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, from Hot Springs, Arkansas.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license. Author: Kevin Payravi – 8 April 2024.

#4. Oregon Live (Grant High’s U.S. Constitution Team represents Oregon in national tournament – oregonlive.com).

#5. Center for Civic Education (Release: Portland’s Grant High School Places First in Center for Civic Education’s Nationwide Competition on the Constitution – civiced.org).

#6. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:United States Constitution Bicentenial Commemorative Dollar Obverse.jpg – Wikimedia Commons. This image is a work of the United States Department of the Treasury, taken or made as part of an employee’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain in the United States.Source: US Mint 19 May 2022.

#7. Oregon State Bar (Judge Ulanda Watkins (osbar.org).

#8. Wikimedia Commons (File:Scale of justice 2 new.jpeg – Wikimedia Commons). This work is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or any later version. Source: Scale_of_justice_2.svg: DTR – 28 July 2009.

#9. Wikimedia Commons (File:Clackamas County Courthouse, Oregon City – DPLA – 13cd2d986b77594222b11d38c0491c08.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This file was contributed to Wikimedia Commons by Oregon State Archives as part of a cooperation project. The donation was facilitated by the Digital Public Library of America, via its partner Northwest Digital Heritage. Source: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives – 6 August 2013.

Brawlers and Mockers – The Distinction

Posted on April 28, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

A Terminology Issue – Was it the Beer?

In a recent entry in my daily devotional, the author illustrated his point by quoting Proverbs 20:1:

“Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.”

Reading this led me on one of my typical internet research projects which my wife says occupy far too much of my free time, although it was prompted by a recent NBC.com article entitled:

” Morgan Wallen arrested after throwing chair from rooftop of Nashville bar, police say.” (#2)

Is an encounter with a chair, a brawl?

And while this incident was not a brawl per se’, it was not his first encounter with police because of scuffles with others:

“Wallen was arrested around 11 p.m. Sunday night outside Chief’s on Broadway, a Nashville honky-tonk bar that his fellow country musician Eric Church opened in March.

Per a police report, officers were standing outside the bar when a chair landed intact on the ground several feet from them. Staff members reportedly told the officers Wallen had thrown the chair from six stories above…” (emphasis added)

Since it involved a bar, I obviously was curious. Chief’s on Broadway, opened just in April, evidently celebrates the career of Eirc Church and has about 4,000 posters from his country-western singing career.

It may well be the tallest bar in the United States:

“Chief’s is a six-story bar, restaurant, event space, and live music venue designed to celebrate Eric Church’s ever-expanding musical legacy.

Located in historic downtown Nashville, Chief’s will feature a ticketed music venue, inspirational interiors, and a thoughtful focus on unique live performances, offering fans an unparalleled entertainment experience in Music City.” MusicCity.com (#3 – #4)

Given the short duration since opening, there are only three Yelp reviews so far, but it’s obvious, the rooftop incident will play for some time:

“Super nice bar and good drinks. Almost gave it 4 stars (rather than five) because the chairs are so light and tossable.” Yelp – April 8, 2024

Before leaving this thread, a few more comments on the distinction between beer and wine as illustrated by quotes:

“Beer is made by men, wine by God.” – Martin Luther

“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” – Benjamin Franklin

And my favorite which is unattributed except I located it in an ad on the website of the Sherlock Holmes British Pub in Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

“Beer, because one doesn’t solve the world’s problems over white wine.”

Of course, we shouldn’t give short shrift to whiskey and Irish playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw, no stranger to controversy, who opined: (#5)

“Whisky is liquid sunshine.”

Who better than an Irishman to know….

Not many dives I’ve been to have served wine. If it were available and could lead to “mocking” as the scripture asserts, it might result in a brawl with those consuming quantities of beer. (#6)

Here’s to Solving World Problems

I was also struck that an internet search reveals a number of athletic teams named “Brawlers.” I assume that their post-game libation is beer.

The Boston Brawlers – a football team based in Harvard Stadium – a charter member of the Fall Experimental Football League (FXFL) – a professional football minor league that played just two seasons in 2014 and 2015.

The Bricktown Brawlers – a professional indoor football team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They were a member of the Lonestar Division of the Intense Conference in the Indoor Football League (IFL).

And one I don’t really understand:

The Philadelphia Brawlers a team that plays in Division III of Blitz: The League II – an American football video game. (#7)

In contrast, I didn’t find any athletic team named “Mockers” – only two bands – one a pop band from New Zealand that performed from 1979 to 1988 and Los Mockers – a 1960 rock band from Uruguay.

The latter, pictured below, do not look like they could hold their own in a brawl… (#8)

I won’t mention The Mocker – comic book character

Moving on to Another Legendary Country Singer

I have rather eclectic taste in the music I listen to – ranging from Big Band, Classical (especially with beautiful oboe solos, Christian instrumental, 1960’s rock-n-roll and last but not least, old-time country western.

This is not the contemporary western pop, but renowned vocalists like the four shown clockwise below:

George Jones, Alan Jackson, Hank Williams and Don Williams. (And no, I can’t sing a decent version of either Amanda or Tulsa Time.…) (#9- #12)

Well, one of these crooners recently passed away. The legendary Toby Keith died in February 2024 of stomach cancer. Although not an ardent fan of his songs, I was captivated by his songs, “Beer for My Horses” as well as the 2003 single “I Love This Bar” – it reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks.

Keith released nineteen studio albums, two Christmas albums, and five compilation albums, totaling worldwide sales of over forty-million albums.

He charted sixty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including twenty number-one hits and twenty-two additional Top-Ten hits. (Wikipedia) (#13)

Country Music Hall of Fame

I love this bar
It’s my kind of place
Just walkin’ through the front door
Puts a big smile on my face
It ain’t too far
Come as you are
Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love this bar

The song captures perfectly the sentiments I felt when I decided to start my Beerchasing hobby in 2011, as stated in an article entitled:

“The Meaning Behind The Song: I Love This Bar,” in the blog Oldtimemusic.com (#14)

“Just walking through the front door puts a big smile on my face.”

“The song is about finding a sense of belonging and comfort in a local bar. Keith sings about all the different types of people that frequent the bar, from bikers to college kids, and how they all come together to have a good time.

The chorus of the song proclaims Keith’s love for the bar, stating that it has everything he needs, from cold beer to good company. The lyrics paint a picture of a place where everyone can let loose and forget about their troubles.

I became more interested after I started a data base on bar articles. It caught my attention that Toby Keith’s bars were having some problems other than what might be caused by unruly patrons.

I kept seeing headlines such as those below:

Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar abruptly closes Bring Me The News – June 25, 2015

Rascal Flatts restaurants failed nationwide. Did a Mafia soldier pull the strings? The Republic March 13, 2029

Former crime boss, owner of defunct Toby Keith restaurant in Foxboro pleads guilty to fraud Arizona Sun Chronicle – August 13, 2021

Toby Keith’s Restaurant Chain Was Once Involved in a Wire Fraud Scheme by an Ex-Crime Boss Distractify – MSN 2024 (#15 – #16)

Fans of the late singer will be happy to know that Keith was not the owner. Rather his song was the inspiration for the bar and his name licensed by Boomtown Entertainment. Toby Keith evidently did make surprise visits to franchises, where he performed and socialized with fans. (Wikiepedia)

The ownership by Boomtown was under the control of one Frank Capri. (see below).

The story is too complex to convey here, but you might check out the links above and it can be summarized by stating that after his death and a series of closures and scads of lawsuits, only two locations of “I Love this Bar” remain open – both in Oklahoma and neither of which is now owned by Boomtown Entertainment.

“Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill offered mall owners a special recipe. Equal parts eatery, roadhouse and concert hall, it promised steady foot traffic during the day and an after-hours bonanza of drinking and dancing. It proved to be a recipe for financial disaster.

Combined, four Arizona developers won $13.1 million in judgments against Capri and his companies. Greenville joined a list of 19 other cities from coast to coast where Boomtown said it would build Toby Keith restaurants that never opened.

Those cities included Anaheim, Colorado Springs, Jacksonville, Boise, New Orleans, Lansing, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, San Antonio and Portland, Oregon.” Greenville News – 11/1/2027 (#17)

Toby_Keith's_in_Las_Vegas

“Capri’s Phoenix companies built 20 Toby Keith restaurants beginning in 2009 and announced plans to build 20 more that never opened. By 2015, all but one had closed. Allegations of fraud and theft followed.

In lawsuits, developers claimed he stiffed contractors, broke lease agreements and took millions of dollars meant to pay for construction.” (Arizona Republic – 3/13/2019)

As has happened many times when celebrities collaborate with entrepreneurs (and mobsters…) the result is not positive.

The story essentially ends as reported March 2022 in City Beat – a Cincinnati publication:

“Frank Capri, a former mobster turned government witness turned developer who scammed The Banks with a Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill-branded restaurant, was sentenced last week to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and tax evasion.”

I guess as one of the verses in the song goes, a lot of investors and contractors came out on the short end:

We got winners
We got losers
Chain-smokers and boozers
We got yuppies
We got bikers
We got thirsty hitchhikers
And the girls next door dress up like movie stars
Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love this bar (#18)

“We got losers….

Cheers

Internal Photo Attribution

#1. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Aaron Burden 2016-05-02 (Unsplash 1EbsMYrAu-s).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Author: Aaron Burden aaronburden – 2 May 2016.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:Morgan Wallen Concert November 13 landscape.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Paul to my Linda – 13 November 2021

#3. Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083809501460).

#4. Music City.com (Chief’s on Broadway | Visit Nashville TN (visitmusiccity.com).

#5. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Bernard_Shaw_1936.jpg) This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired and its author is anonymous. Author: Anonymous – 1936.

#6. Image courtesy of Pam Williams

#7. Flickr’s Common (File:Brawl.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This image was taken from Flickr‘s The Commons. The uploading organization may have various reasons for determining that no known copyright restrictions exist. Author: British Library 7 December 2013.

#8. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (Los Mockers by Olga Masa, 1965 – Los Mockers – Wikipedia) This image is in the public domain because the copyright of this photograph, registered in Argentina, has expired. Author: Olga Masa – 1965.

#9. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:George Jones.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Secisek at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide. Author: Secisek at English Wikipedia – June 2002.

#10. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Alan jackson at pentagon.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This image is a work of a U.S. military or Department of Defense employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain in the United States.

#11. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Hank Williams publicity.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1929 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Author: MGM Records – 1952

#12. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (By DJParker39 at English Wikipedia. – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14549573) DJParker39 at English Wikipedia – 5 November 2006.

#13. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Toby Keith in concert.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). This file is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States. Author: Lenny Francioni – 31 August 2005.

#14. Wikimedia Commons (File:Saloon San Francisco 2014 (15278844981).jpg – Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license). Author: Mobilus In Mobili – 14 May 2014.

#15. Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar – Bricktown Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/TobyKeithsBar).

#16. Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar – Bricktown Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/LowerBricktown/photos/t.100064824877178/10156417149528039/?type=3).

#17. Wikimedia Commons (File:Toby Keith’s in Las Vegas.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: David Shane – 11 July 2018.

#18. Wikimedia Commons – Public Domain (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michigan-exterior-toby.JPG) The copyright holder of this file allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder is properly attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other use is permitted. Author: ArizonaLincoln – 3 March 2010.

Jug or Not???!!!

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

The number of iconic Portland bars along Sandy Boulevard on Portland’s east side is notable. The recently renovated Sandy Jug at 74th and Sandy rejoins two classics I’ve reviewed – the Sandy Hut, (“Handy Slut”) and the Slammer.

The Jug, until mid-2023, was known as Pirate’s Cove – a well-known Portland strip club!

In addition, there are some lesser known, but great watering holes from the Rum Club, Sheridan’s, Park City Pub, Lift-off Lounge, Ace’s Tavern, Katie O’Brien’s, Wedgehead, My-O-My to the Escape Bar and Grill.

The Sandy Blvd. bars are not quite as concentrated as the dives in the infamous Barmuda Triangle in Southeast Portland. (The Urban Dictionary – pinpoints the BT as “an area of bars that collectively saturate the SE Hawthorne Arts District at the base of Mt Tabor.”).

However, one can have his or her own focused and lengthy Beerchasing journey just along the 4 miles of Sandy Boulevard from the Slammer to the Escape.

The Auspicious History

The Jug because of its history and distinctive structure is known not only in Oregon, but throughout the US as a place to see. As stated in a 2013 post of RoadsideAmerica.com:

“Pirate’s Cove — built in 1928 as a tire shop and auto repair garage (the Orange Blossom Jug service station – Waymarking.com) has been a bar, strip joint, soda shop… a jug with so many uses.”

Pirates’ Cove closed in 2023, but two Portland entrepreneurs, who have been labeled “bar revivalists”, Marcus Archambeault and Warren Boothby, resurrected it and The Sandy Jug reopened in January 2024.

The pair has transformed other failing Portland older bars and failing dives into thriving establishments in the last ten years, including the Alibi, the Double Barrel, the Vern, the Sandy Hut, Holman’s, the Bantam Tavern and Gold Dust Meridian.

Cheers to Portland’s Bar Saviors – Some of Their Resurrections (#2- #4)

Stripped to the Bone…

Now this is a blog about bars and breweries and not nudie bars, but Pirates’ Cove is integral to the history of the Sandy Jug. For context, a little over ten years ago, an urban myth circulated about the Portland’s ranking in the US strip club hit parade. Willamette Week’s 2013 article gave insight:

Does Portland Really Have the Most Strip Clubs of Any City in the US? (#5)

Bus_Paradise (1)

As one can see from the excerpt below, the answer is “yes” with a disclaimer:

“Turns out Portland, with one strip club for every 9,578 residents, is indeed the leader among the 50 largest U.S. cities, narrowly edging Tampa at 10,813 and blowing Las Vegas’ 33,002 out of the water. Myth confirmed.” (per capita and not total number)

And Pirate’s Cove, evidently had a good reputation, if you use the term loosely, among its peers as documented by this article in Here Magazine – an online international travel guide to cities:

Your Guide to Portland’s 6 Friendliest—and Punkest—Strip Clubs (#6 – #7)

Pirate’s Cove was listed first with this description:

“Pirate’s Cove is kind of a staple in Portland,” says Cloud, a dancer here. ‘It’s not very popular in that it doesn’t get all of the attention, but it’s been in town for a long time. It’s one of those places where locals really dig it.’

Not convinced? The giant sign outside the establishment has been known to say ‘We Care A Lot.’ Who doesn’t love a neighborhood dive with heart?”

It was also listed in a 2023 Time.com article as one of the “10 Strangest Strip Clubs in America”:

“Jack Sparrow himself would love – the outside of the club is shaped as a large jug of rum.” (#8)

Aargh!!! Rum….

Grading the Transformation

The physical transformation is not remarkable, but positive:

“Inside, Boothby and Archambeault have opened up the ceiling, revealing the impressive woodwork inside the jug….the tavern isn’t very large inside, but a new patio will add additional seating, especially once warmer weather returns.” Oregon Live 1/25/24

The only remnants of the strip club are a chandelier outside the woman’s restroom and a wall filled with pictures of the former dancers in the men’s restroom.

But the most “tangible” (so to speak) change is in the atmosphere. From the stereotypical strip club “ambiance” of dim lighting, cheap perfume, worn carpet and lonely desperation, it has evolved into a wonderful neighborhood bar pervaded by a welcome and energetic vibe.

I visited twice – both within six weeks of the January opening. The first time I was accompanied by my long-time friend, Hillary Barbour, a Reed College alum, who now works at the Oregon Beverage and Recycling Cooperative as Director of Business Development.

This follows six years as Director of Strategic Development for Burgerville LLC and many years as a Director on the staff of Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer. (#9)

Hillary is no stranger to Beerchasing, including a trip to the Vern – another of the Boothby -Archambeault retrofits. She declined my suggestion to change her name for this trip since the bar has a clever offer – valid every day: patrons with the first name Sandy get their first drink on the house.

Some might question the aura generated by my drinking buddies on the next trip since four of the six are or were lawyers. (clockwise starting second from left in teal jacket Steve Schell, Jim Westwood, Larry Frank and John Kelly). Lawyers have a tendency to school….

On the left is Tom Kelly, retired owner of the Neil Kelly Co. and on the right is Dr. Doug Walta, founder of the Oregon Clinic and retired CEO of Clinical Services for Providence Health and Services in Oregon.

Besides being smart, personable and good at drinking beer, I’m proud to say that each of these guys (and Hillary) have contributed untold hours to civic and charitable activities which have made Portland a better community.

Tom Kelly, Steve Schell, Jim Westwood, John Kelly, Larry Frank and Doug Walta

The Staff and the Trappings

Both of my visits were on weekday afternoons and the place was hopping. The weather precluded the patio being opened, but most tables and the bar were filled by the time we left and it was an amiable and enthusiastic crowd.

Jenna, the Manager and our bartender, was personable and excited about the future of the bar and her staff was efficient and friendly. Take a look at this message from Management on Facebook.

Jenna

“Not sure how it’s been 2 and1/2 months since we opened our doors, but one thing is for sure…we are so happy to be here. Thanks so much for all the love and support during the last few months. We couldn’t have done it without you.

And a heartfelt thanks to our staff for being just delightful, hardworking people that make it all worthwhile. We appreciate each and every one of you.”

The walls are filled with good stuff and great mementos and bar relics fill the idiosyncratic space – there are some neat nooks and crannies and hanging lights brighten up the place..

Economical?

Both of my visits were during Happy Hour which is 2:00 to 6:00 every day and what a deal! You can get a domestic draft for $3 and micro-draft for $5 and a well drink for $4 plus some limited food offerings.

During regular hours, prices are also very reasonable with the standard burger at $11.99 and sandwiches from $10 to $12. I considered a shot of a Blueberry Kamikaze for $8, but feared going down in flames on the way home. (#10 – #12)

Happy Hour Prices

We didn’t eat either time, but the Yelp reviews on both the food and the overall experience are overwhelmingly positive. The only negative features mentioned were a sound system that needed some work and making it more clear to patrons that they have to order from the bar:

“Went tonight to check it out and had a chopped cheese sandwich, fries and a couple of beers. Everything was literally cooked perfectly, seasoned perfectly and tasted amazing!! Friendly service and a great laid back vibe definitely make this a place to check out!! Will definitely be back!” Mar 19, 2024 (and this from a guy from Peoria so as the old saying goes….).

and

“I’ve been driving by this place for years. It used to be a strip club and recently new owners have transformed it into a pretty cool neighborhood bar. Decor is funky and eclectic. Music is mostly 70s/80s. Drinks and food are tasty and affordable. Staff is friendly. I’m giving 5 stars because I’m rooting for this place to succeed”. Feb 14, 2024

You should pay a visit to this historic Portland watering hole and support the continuing efforts of Boothby and Archambeault. I’ll be looking forward to their next project. (#13)

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. Sandy Jug Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=122100957092143158&set=pb.61554294744173.-2207520000&type=3).

#2. Alibi Bar Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=267450742058020&set=a.225413996261695).

#3. Trip Advisor (Double Barrel on Division – Picture of Double Barrel Tavern, Portland – Tripadvisor).

#4. Wikimedia Commons (Holman’s Restaurant – Holman’s Bar and Grill – Wikipedia) By Visitor7 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30214577.

#5. Wikimedia Commons (File:Bus Paradise.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author:
Pomdadam20222

#6. Pirates Cove | Portland, Oregon (tuscl.net).

#7. New Life at the Sandy Jug From Roseway Rambler – Bridgetown Bites

#8. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Jack Sparrow wax.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)
This work has been released into the public domain by its author, DearCatastropheWaitress at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide. 4 May 2007.

#9. Linked-in Hillary Barbour (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-barbour/overlay/photo/).

#10 – #12. Sandy Jug Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122123293574143158&set=pb.61554294744173.-2207520000).

#13. Sandy Jug Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=122097280952143158&set=pb.61554294744173.-2207520000&type=3).

Let’s Talk Turkey – at Hubers

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

Many people in Portland, say a visit to Huber’s Cafe – the City’s oldest bar – should be scheduled during Thanksgiving week. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

Huber’s, famous for its turkey, however, is a great place to have a drink or combine that with a lunch or dinner any time during the year.

“Established in 1879, Huber’s is Portland’s oldest restaurant. If you visited us in the 1890s, you’d have seen patrons conversing with a drink in one hand and a turkey sandwich in the other. Over 100 years later, we’re still known for our turkey. Along with our traditional turkey dinner, you can expect majestic decor that’s reminiscent of another time.” (Huber’s website)

And that was the case in late January when our walking group had drinks and a wonderful dinner at this historic Portland bistro. Our walking group consists of nine of us who periodically take a several-mile “hike” and then hit a bar or brewery to eat and drink afterwards.

During the bad weather, we still call it “our walking group” but skip the stroll. Since this was a fowl weather day…we decided that Hubers was a good option.

Oh, the History….

I stated “oldest bar“ above because it was founded as the Bureau Saloon in 1879.

Entering Huber’s is an historic encounter, in itself:

“Located in Portland’s historic Pioneer Building, Huber’s contains arched stained-glass skylights, mahogany paneling and terrazzo flooring. Original fixtures such as spittoons, overhead lights, a pewter wine stand, and cash registers, fans, and operable clocks made of brass still remain, reminders of its rich history.” Wikipedia (#2)

Although Huber’s has operated in four different Portland locations, it’s occupied the present space since 1910. Notwithstanding its loyal clientele, the pandemic hit Huber’s with the same intensity that competitor establishments faced.

Take this excerpt from a November 2020 story in the Oregonian entitled, “Huber’s Cafe – Portland’s oldest restaurant imperiled by COVID 19 freeze“. It ends with a quote from James Louie, the co-owner:

“Founded in 1879, the city’s oldest restaurant has survived WWI, the Spanish Flu pandemic, the Great Depression, WWII, the Great Recession and the months of protests that have shuttered many of the surrounding businesses….

‘Huber’s could be history in six months or so. Our lease is up in July 2021. We’ll have to decide by this spring whether to renew it.'”

Jim and David Louie, co-owners (Kerry Eggers.com) (#3)

Fortunately, it weathered the storm and appears to be doing well. We were there on a late Tuesday afternoon and by the time we left, the spacious dining room and bar were packed. That said, the hospitality sector still struggles after the pandemic, especially in Portland.

“‘Sales are improving,’ James says. ‘We’re still not profitable. Even though sales are higher, so are our costs. Products have gone way up. Labor prices have gone up. It is harder to get staffing. We had to raise wages in order to attract employees.’ ” (Kerryeggers.com)

Given it’s long and captivating history with the same family, there are numerous news and related media accounts about Huber’s, however, I would suggest that the most comprehensive and interesting is by Kerry Eggers.

Kerry is a wonderful writer and also one of my favorite Oregon State Beavers – graduating with honors in 1975 after serving as sports editor, managing editor and editor of the school newspaper, The Daily Barometer.

The column is engrossing and you should read it:

“Huber’s is more than just a restaurant — it’s a Portland institution.”

Before I continue with Huber’s, a few more words about Kerry and why you should follow his column – not only for insightful sport stories, but the human-interest narratives.

Don’t overlook his ten print books including my favorite: Civil War Rivalry – Oregon vs. Oregon State. (#4 – #5)

“Kerry Eggers has been writing sports for Portland newspapers since 1975. He worked for the Oregon Journal from 1975-82, at The Oregonian from 1982-2000 and at the Portland Tribune from 2001-2020.

Eggers is a six-time National Sports Media Association’s Oregon Sportswriter of the Year, winning in 1981, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2011 and 2018.” (Kerry.eggers.com)

Below are just a few tidbits from Kerry’s column that I found fascinating. It’s a compelling story not only about a family institution, but Portland’s history.

Co-owners Jim and David are the great nephews of Jim Louie who Frank Huber hired in 1891. Jim Louie had arrived in Portland ten years, earlier, at age eleven as a stowaway on a clipper ship from China.

“When Prohibition hit in 1920, Huber’s nearly closed its doors. But a delegation of Portland citizens urged Jim and Augusta to stay in business by selling the slices of turkey it had previously been serving for free, and the landlord offered easement on rent.

The establishment was converted to a restaurant, with roast turkey as the house specialty, but also expanding the menu to include ham, steaks, veal, lamb chops, pork chops and seafood. During Prohibition, it also operated as a speakeasy, covertly serving Manhattans in coffee cups.”

Spanish Coffee – The Signature Drink (#6)

84139256_3004219106297358_401361154758148096_n

“Since 1975, the signature item at Huber’s has been the Spanish coffee. For several years, the waiter theatrically pouring the drinks to customers was James Louie. The Huber’s name is now synonymous with the Spanish coffee flaming drink and James’ name is synonymous with its popularity.

…That’s giving me too much glory,” says James, who got the idea when eating dinner with wife Helen — they were dating at the time — at the Fernwood Inn in Milwaukie. They were served a Spanish coffee tableside, featuring rum and Kahlua and topped off with whipping cream.”

“Before long, Huber’s was being called the ‘Buena Vista of the North,’ referencing San Francisco’s Buena Vista Cafe, the birthplace of Irish coffee in the U.S.”

“James says Huber’s has sold as many as 600 Spanish coffees in one day. The average, he says, is about 250 daily….Because of the Spanish coffee’s popularity, Huber’s is the largest user of Kahlua in the state of Oregon, and one of the largest in the U.S.”

And don’t forget to check out the photo of a 1941 menu in Kerry’s column. The “$1.25 Dinner Special” included:

Oyster, shrimp, crab or fruit cocktail salad
Soup or Salad
A choice of five entree’s
Vegetables and potatoes
Dessert
Coffee, tea or buttermilk

I assume although it wasn’t customary at the time, you would want to do a 20% tip which would be a quarter!

Our Experience

Connor, (photo above) orchestrated the Spanish Coffee ritual at our table. He was excellent and the drink was well worth the $14.50 cost (+ a tip for Connor, of course…)

This description from Willamette Week may be a bit hyperbolic, but it still scrupulously portrays the experience:

“As blue flames swirl in the bottom of each glass, rising to lick its lip, the vested bartender rotates the glasses around each other with a sort of belly dancer’s shimmy. It’s impossible to look away from the flame—pepped up by nutmeg and unaffected by the Kahlua and coffee poured from great heights.

The coffee snakes its way into the glass from as high as three feet above its rim—never spilling even a drop, and never dousing the eternal flame—while the bartender turns, sways and swirls.

By the time the fresh-whipped cream finally blankets the fire, you already feel a little drunk. And that’s before tasting the smoothest, most satisfying Spanish coffee in town.”

And Don’t Forget

While Hubers is known for its turkey, it has other menu items – all worth trying, most notably ham and coleslaw, but you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu from hamburgers to its Reuben or clam chowder or the Shrimp Louie. And the prices are very reasonable. (#7- #8)

After eating an outstanding barbecue turkey sandwich and coleslaw for just under $20, I was well pleased. And why not stick to one of their turkey dishes such as the hot-turkey sandwich, turkey enchiladas, turkey pot pie or just a drumstick with mashed potatoes (and gravy…) (#9)

Support our Portland Restaurants and Bars

I mentioned above that Huber’s, is recovering, although not abounding in earnings, however, one needs only to travel 1.1 miles away to see a long-term and signature Portland waterfront restaurant – opened in the early 1990’s – now closing permanently.

Portland’s economy is still racking up casualties. According to a March 29th Oregon Live article:

“Neighbors and regulars first heard the news Wednesday, learning from longtime employees that they had been given five-days notice before (McCormick and Schmick’s Harborside at the Marina) imminent closure.” (It’s the last M & S establishment in Portland) (#10 – #11)

And this is not just a typical hospitality sector closure we’ve come to expect – especially in Portland. This one is noteworthy for those who follow Portland’s rich beer history.

As noted by Jeff Alworth’s well-known and respected blog Beervana:

“We learned today that a Portland institution was closing down: McCormick and Schmick’s RiverPlace restaurant. It was once the toast of the town, featuring the best view in the city. It was also the home of Full Sail’s Portland outpost, an important formative location in creating Portland’s beer scene.

The closure of McCormick and Schmick’s is melancholy on its own terms—it was once a piece of Portland’s culinary character. Full Sail was no less a part of the city’s beer character. It was a great place, and John really helped elevate Portland beer. RIP”

Cheers and Happy April

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (File:Turkey dinner.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Mark Miller – 1 January 2014.

#2. Huber’s Facebook page (Huber’s Cafe | Facebook).

#3. Kerry Egger’s.com (Huber’s is more than just a restaurant — it’s a Portland institution — Kerry Eggers).

#4. National Sports Media Association (2019 Awards Banquet | National Sports Media Association).

#5. Annie Bloom’s Bookstore Website (Kerry Eggers presents Jail Blazers | Annie Bloom’s Books (annieblooms.com).

#6. Spanish Coffee ((2) Huber’s Cafe | Facebook).

#7 – #9. Huber’s Café Website (Huber’s – Downtown Portland, Portland, OR (hubers.com).

#10 – #11. McCormick and Smick’s Harborside Restaurant (McCormick & Schmick’s Harborside at the Marina | Facebook).

March Gladness

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

Since I periodically swerve from this blog’s main focus – review of a particular bar or brewery – you might expect a few comments about both the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four Basketball spectacle, but that’s not the case except for a minor observation or two below.

No, my title is because notwithstanding many regional, national and international concerns and challenges which are vexing and depressing, I’m going to end the month chiefly focusing on the positive.

A primary factor is that on March 29th, I celebrate our 44th anniversary with my wonderful spouse, Janet. From the time I first laid eyes on her at a 1979 meeting of the Oregon City Planning Commission. I chaired that body, she served as the City’s Neighborhood Involvement Coordinator, and ever since, I’ve been blessed by her companionship, patience and affection.

Busier than a Urologist in March

A slight alternation of the term for the annual March tournament was coined several years ago. “Vas Madness” refers to the demand for appointments for vasectomies right before the Final Four so the male patient can cite doctor’s orders that:

“During the (recovery period) patients are under strict medical orders to rest and avoid strenuous activity while periodically icing the groin area. With all that free time to lounge around, men are likely to want to have something planned.”

It’s explained very well in a USA Today article “Vasectomies and March Madness: How marketing led the ‘vas madness’ myth to become reality.” And it’s fascinating to do a Google search on “vas madness.” Numerous urological clinics cheerfully (and aggressively) advertise. Look at this one by the Central Indiana Urological Group:

“Ready for some exciting basketball? We’ve got your assist: Vas Madness”

And the Oregon Urology Institute, in my own state, helpfully offers:

“5 Reasons to Plan Your Vasectomy During March Madness”

The most gripping – “Score a free T-shirt” – with a slogan “Lower your seed…Snip City 2024” (#1 – #2)

Permanent birth control is a slam dunk…..

If you are a Bloody Mary fan, you might also want to stock up on ice as it becomes a “groin concern” and might be in limited supply.

And Just in Case

Those who might need it, but understandably are somewhat reluctant to have the procedure, could well take the admonition of this sign recently posted on the wonderful Facebook page of the group American Saloons, Bars & Taverns: (#3)

Reaffirming Optimism in Portland’s Old Town

In my last blog post entitled Optimism in Old Town, I enthusiastically set forth the positive steps that owner, Adam Milne has recently taken to demonstrate his commitment to a Portland recovery.

His “Believe in Portland” campaign has gained traction and there are more indications that Portland businesses and leaders are working to regain the City’s reputation as a wonderful place to both live and visit.

I was therefore glad (remember the theme of this post) to see a headline in yesterday’s local news: “$2 million to go to transforming Portland’s Old Town vacant buildings into fashion manufacturing facility.” KGW.com

“If approved by the governor, the money will go to the Old Town Community Association, part of a group that wants to bring manufacturing, housing, and office and retail space to the district on the northern edge of downtown.” Oregon Live (#4 – #6)

There are multiple issues for Portland to overcome, however, as an article just today, in the Oregonian reports:

“Portland’s central city had the highest office vacancy rate of the 50 largest downtown office markets in the country by the end of last year, according to a report by real estate firm Colliers.” (#7)

The Pacwest Center where I spent twenty-five years.

And the homeless quandary seems staggering although Portland voters and the various levels of government have approved substantial financial resources to address the problem.

Why Can’t We Just Get Along and Get Something Done??

The City of Portland, after a successful ballot measure, is restructuring its governing and management organization. It’s a massive transition that would be a challenge for any entity, but the efforts have not been smooth to date.

And notwithstanding the available funds, the homeless plight continues with improvements at what many consider to be a glacial pace.

We watch the City of Portland and the Multnomah County fighting over policy and jurisdiction with a multitude of non-profits gumming up the works and adding to the acrimony. (#8 – #9)

Voters have approved money and changes to restore Portland, but that sinking feeling of despair returns when reviewing the recent announcement of the Joint City of Portland – Multnomah Homeless Response Action Plan – chronicled as a major step forward.

An Astute Reaction

Jack Bogdanski, is a professor of tax law at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland. He graduated from Stanford Law School as a member of the distinguished Order of the Coif.

“He is a five-time winner of Lewis & Clark’s Leo Levenson Award for excellence in law teaching. He supervises the school’s tax moot court team, which has won national honors, and he founded and runs a volunteer clinic to assist international students with U.S. tax issues.” (#10)

Now taxation may sound rather boring, but the erstwhile academician is also an inveterate blogger and one of the most prolific and entertaining in the Northwest.

Check out the insightful excerpt from his post “It’s Hopeless,” below and you’ll understand why the announcement from the City/County group should be met with disdain.

“I see that the lame duck mayor of Portland and the queen of the Multnomah County commission held another one of their bizarre press conferences about the city’s street crisis yesterday. They’re very big on the media photo ops. They had an almost identical one in December.

At that point, they were bragging about a framework for a draft of a plan for some programs. Yesterday they had moved from the framework to the draft. So now we’ve made it all the way to the draft of the plan for some programs. It took only three months. You wonder how many junkies, and small businesses, died in that span of time.

And if you think the wait was bad, you probably don’t want to look at what we were waiting for. Forty-seven pages of bureaucratic word salad. The content is so bad, it’s almost a parody. Turn any page and you find stuff like: (#11)

“Word Salad” is too genteel to describe this BS….

‘The Homelessness Response Action Plan creates new governance and accountability structures to allow decision-makers to set goals, objectives and the budgets needed to achieve outcomes. It creates a co-governance model in the Steering and Oversight Committee to identify responsibilities, coordination and goals.

Under that committee, it calls for an Implementation Sub-Committee to track progress, identify challenges, collaborate and hold one another accountable to solutions.

And it assembles a robust Community Advisory Sub-Committee to elevate the issues of those across the spectrum of providers, partners and impacted stakeholders to offer their input on goals and solutions and other kinds of feedback…..”

Edwin Newman and Schu Would be Appalled.

The last two years of my seven-year tenure for Clackamas County, I was an Administrative Analyst for the three-member County Commission. My job was to write memos, press releases and various missives as well as financial analysis.

And the late Commissioner Robert Schumacher, as Chair of the Commission, was my primary boss. Schu, went out on a political limb to hire two young guys to help formulate budgets and perform a variety of organizational tasks for a county that was sorely lacking in best practices.

Mike Bateson and I promptly became known as “The Whiz Kids” – I like to think with a certain amount of bemused affection from our colleagues in County Counsel and various Departments.

Bob “Schu” Schumacher graduated from Lewis and Clark Law School and had a better grasp of the Oregon land-use system implemented in 1973 with passage of Senate Bill 100, than almost any elected official in Oregon. Having served several terms as Clackamas County Clerk, he was also an expert at Oregon Election Law.

Besides that, Schu had a remarkable and acerbic sense of humor that helped mitigate the stress of local government work. He was a superb and gifted elected official.

Although he was my boss, we became good friends and he served as an usher in our 1980 wedding. After several terms on the Commission, he left to work on the Oregon Governor’s staff. He passed away far too young.

Now before you think I’m straying too far afield, the preceding narrative is appropriate because consistent with the theme of this post, I will be forever glad that I spent two years working for this consummate elected official.

Schu was also a student of the language and we used to have shots of bourbon in his office after hours and laugh at the brilliant books of Edwin Newman, American newscaster, journalist, and author. He wrote both Strictly Speaking: Will America be the Death of English? and a Civil Tongue. (#12)

Journalist, author and newscaster

I still remember during budget hearings averting my gaze from Schu to avoid laughing when a Department Head would use a redundancy such as “free gratis” or state in a subdued tone, “Just between you and I,” use the term “hopefully” or end a sentence with a preposition.

And Newman would go nuts if he saw the quote from the Homeless Action Plan release above. As he once asked rhetorically:

“Is the design and implementation of pragmatic interfaces’ something we want to happen? I’m not sure.” Washington Post

(I should note that I’m leaving myself as a target, because I’m sure I’ve committed some linguistic or grammatical gaffes in this post. My friend, lawyer and legal consultant, R.W.(Hap) Ziegler, who scrutinizes (nitpicks?) each one for errors and will e-mail me within ten minutes after it is published. Since I don’t want to be a hypocrite, I also welcome his inspection.)

And Finally – Don’t Forget Dr. Harry Frankfurt

I have written several posts including “BS Revisited – If Only I had Known in 2012!” about the brilliant book On Bullshit by the late Harry Frankfurt, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Princeton University. (#13)

The good professor would use the “BS” label to describe both the written and the spoken word and this excerpt seems fitting to describe the author of the above press release:

“When we characterize talk as hot air, we mean that what comes out of the speaker’s mouth is only that. It is mere vapor. His speech is empty, without substance or content. His use of language accordingly does not contribute to the purpose it purports to serve.

No more information is communicated than if the speaker had merely exhaled. There are similarities between hot air and excrement, incidentally, which make hot air seem an especially suitable equivalent for bullshit.

Just as hot air is speech that has been emptied of all informative content, so excrement is matter from which everything nutritive has been removed.”

Enough said!

Farewell Malachy McCourt

I wrote about Malachy’s Bar in New York City in my February post “Don’t Jump When You Can Dive – Part III”. I had also recently featured former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, Jay Waldron who after he saw the post commented:

“Was Malachy’s named after Malachy McCourt? He was a full-of-shit Irishman who played rugby and drank with me in NYC in the late 60’s and I also had a pint with his more famous author/brother Frank in McSorleys , my then favorite NYC bar. Jay”

The answer to Jay’s question was affirmative. McCourt was, indeed, a rugby player who owned Malachy’s Irish Pub on West 72nd Street. (#14 – #15)

Well, thirty-one days after I wrote about McCourt and Malachy’s Irish Pub, Jay sent me this link to the Washington Post obituaries:

“Malachy McCourt, raconteur of the Irish experience in America, dies at 92”

Cheers! (#16)

Pam 13

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (File:Kansas Jayhawks Open Practice at the 2016 March Madness Opening Rounds (25817826036).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Phil Roeder from Des Moines, IA – 16 March 2016.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:Rtu.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: Ramonduran – 28 June 2001.

#3. Facebook Page of Amercian Saloon, Bars and Taverns (https://www.facebook.com/groups/AmericanSaloons).

$4 #5. Old Town Brewing Web Site (https://www.otbrewing.com/shop)

#6. Wikimedia Commons (File:Portland, Oregon sign + Old Town tower, 2012.JPG – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Another_Believer – 8 January 2012.

#7. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons – PacWest Center (icensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: Cacophony 18 June 2006.

#8. Wikimedia Commons (File:Ted Speech.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Hcraddock – 5 December 2015.

#9. Wikimedia Commons (File:Jessica Vega Pederson.png – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: MetroEast Community Media – 30 October 2017.

#10. Lewis and Clark Law School Website (https://law.lclark.edu/live/profiles/295-john-bogdanski).

#11. City of Portland Website (Portland, Multnomah County announce Homelessness Response Action Plan | Portland.gov).

#12. Wikimedia Commons (File:Edwin Newman in 1975.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1929 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Author: NBC -12 December 1975.

#13. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harry_Frankfurt_at_2017_ACLS_Annual_Meeting.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) 20 October 2018.

#14. Wikimedia Commons (Malachy_McCourt_3_by_David_Shankbone.jpg (2265×1913) (wikimedia.org) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: David Shankbone – 30 March 2007.

#15. Malachy Irish Pub Website Photo Gallery (https://www.malachysirishpub.com/gallery).

#16. Illustration courtesy of Pam Williams.

Optimism in Old Town

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post. #1 – #2)

Adam Milne is an optimist. He had a vision as a youngster. And now he has another vision.

As I’ve related in two previous posts about Old Town Brewing and Old Town Pizza, Adam first became enamored with Old Town Pizza when he visited at the age of nine in 1979 when it was owned by the Accaurdi family. They originally opened it in 1974. He then purchased it when he was thirty-three in 2003.

I’ve mentioned how Adam’s unceasing optimism kept his business going after some significant challenges in the early years, during his trademark fight with the City of Portland and as the global pandemic raged in the last few years shuttering many business – especially those in the hospitality sector permanently.

And when I say optimist, it’s not a frivolous compliment. From my previous encounters with Adam, given his buoyant spirit, I would not be surprised to see him start a new diet the week before Thanksgiving.

He’s so positive about the future, he’s probably committed to stay in Portland during the NBA Western Division Playoffs to see the Trailblazers – 14th out of 15th in the West with a current record of 19 – 49.

Okay, you get the idea, but possibly the following quote from one of Oscar Wilde’s plays is most appropriate to explain his new vision:

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” (#4)

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Looking to the Stars….

Take a look at some of the articles about Portland’s downward spiral in the last few years – not only Oregon publications, but in major papers throughout the country. They single Portland out among major cities for lingering pandemic related issues.

“Downtown in distress: Portland’s core is unsafe and uninviting, residents say in new poll, threatening city’s recovery.” Oregon Live 5/24/21

“What’s the matter with Portland? Shootings, theft and other crime test city’s progressive strain.” Los Angeles Times 2/10/23

“Fighting for Anthony – The Struggle to Save Portland Oregon.” New York Times 7/29/23 (#5)

But That’s Not Adam’s Mentality

The pandemic decimated many breweries who either closed permanently or shuttered to comply with State mandates or just because there were few, if any, patrons. Old Town Pizza was no exception:

“At one point in late 2021, his receipts in the original location for the day were $17 and he made the difficult decision to temporarily close that location. After eighteen months, it reopened five days per week in 2022. The NE Pub continued to operate during that hiatus.”

Thebeerchaser https://thebeerchaser.com/2024/01/13/head-downtown-to-old-town-pizza-and-brewing/ (#6 – #8)

Old Town Pizza located in the historic Merchant Hotel Building in Old Town

Carson Bowler, a Sigma Nu fraternity brother of Adam’s at the University of Oregon and a Portland lawyer and I joined Adam for a beer in Old Town in July 2023 to hear about Adam’s new vision.

Carson was almost giddy – not just at seeing his old friend – but at the opportunity to down a Shanghai’d IPA – one of their most popular seasonals and consistent with the historical ambiance in which we raised mugs:

“A Toast to Portland – Portland’s Shanghai Tunnels, an eerie section of which lie beneath our Old Town Taproom. (about 14,000 square feet of it – see photos below)

Lore of unsuspecting laborers being kidnapped via these secret tunnels and sold to ship captains for a crew in the late 1800’s lives on today.”

I quaffed an Old Town Red Ale – one of their flagship brews:

An impeccably balanced malt-driven ale with notes of sweetbread and caramel partnered with a medium hop bite and finish. (#9 – #10)

Adam told us at that one point during COVID he thought that his dream and his enterprise might not come back. “Can I recreate a career at 50?” But he restarted incrementally and continued to rely both on his marketing talent and his positive outlook.

The Old Town location had been down 60% from pre-pandemic sales numbers; however, the pub and brewery in NE Portland had done better.

But as pointed out in several articles, Adam was not going to join the chorus of those essentially viewing Portland as a lost cause. One of the articles by The Oregonian’s Beer Columnist and Editor, Andre Meunier, entitled “A New Look for Old Town Brewing Shines a Positive Light on Portland and its Icons,” provides an apt description:

“But Milne is a self-described and unapologetic optimist, and where some see a reason to turn out the lights, he sees motivation to add wattage.

I wanted to come out of the pandemic and really be a part of the solution to making Portland better,’ Milne said. ‘So we started with that. How can we be a positive voice for Portland?’” The Oregonian 2/22/23

Unlike many of the elected officials and non-profit managers who seem to offer more bombast than action, however, the article sets forth concrete steps he’s taken to help not only his own business, but fellow merchants and the entire City.

He extended his lease in Old Town by at least seven and up to twelve years.
He reopened the underground tunnel tours in the basement space below his building which gives an amazing historic portrayal of Portland’s rich past – especially in Old Town.

He gave us a tour of the chambers below which required some careful navigation of old staircases, (the ancient elevator is not in working order at the present) but was fascinating including an old bar and drinking area.

For those who have any interest in authentic historical settings, the Haunted Shanghai Tunnel Tour is a must. And for $38 you get a ninety-minute tour plus some extras – what a deal:

“Learn about Portland’s dark history and hear stories about our resident ghost, Nina. Finish up with a special tasting and 1 pint of our internationally award-winning beer.”

Adams recovery actions continue:

He initiated a re-branding campaign for Old Town Brewing

“…that focuses on Portland and the images and symbols that have won the city and region affection for decades.

A new line of beer cans will prominently display the leaping stag of the widely recognizable ‘Portland Oregon’ sign along the Willamette River and each of Old Town’s five core beers will highlight recognizable images and symbols and present a unique toast to each.”

beer cans

Milne stated, “We believe in our city, and want to be a part of the solution in making Portland even better. That’s why our new cans celebrate the city we love, capturing some of our favorite aspects of the city.”

Pilsner and the Fremont Bridge

IPA and the “zoo-bombers” down the West Hills roadways

NW IPA and the Columbia River Gorge

Hazy IPA – Pillowfist and Mount Hood

Red Ale and the Lone Fir Cemetery

The Stag is still on the front of the cans as Adam views that as a symbol of unity and pride in the City. (#11)

The Brewery is now working with area non-profits, most notably Word is Bond, an organization helping young Black men with citizenship and leadership training.

Adam will host fundraisers and provide food for their programs and is working with visionary Founder and Executive Director Lakayana Drury..

Drury came up with the slogan “Believe in Portland,” which graces the shirts available on the Old Town website and in stores. $10 of every shirt sale will go to a local nonprofit, with a different one getting the money every month.

Next up was Central City Concern, a neighbor of the restaurant in Old Town. (#12 – #13)

And last but not least, Willamette Week in its story captioned: “Nine Portland Breweries Are Reviving Their Own Version of Portland Dining Month,” relates how Old Town and eight fellow breweries are figuratively “joining kegs” to create the second consecutive Portland Brewery Dining Month.

Patrons can partake of customized three-course meals throughout March, the traditional period when Portland Dining Month took place:

“Better yet: The breweries are sweetening the deal by throwing in one beer, house wine or non-alcoholic beverage and a $10 voucher for use between April 1 and June 30—a perk you didn’t find at Portland Dining Week.” (#14)

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And after wandering through the Old Town’s downtown space and marveling at the alcoves, historic pictures, I checked their website and also discovered that Old Town:

“…. has a beautiful, open lofted level with several semi-private spaces for groups of between 10 and 60 people. Book an event with us and enjoy a full service, buffet-style dinner in the historic Merchant Hotel, plus even more space available at our NE brewery.”

Their Facebook page shows some great pictures of weddings and receptions held recently.

So I decided to take advantage of that for a Beerchasing Event. I invited former and current members of the Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt Environmental and Natural Resources Group to meet in the late afternoon last January for beer and pizza.

There was no room charge, the space was well-suited for our group and the pizza and beer were a hit with all nine of us there.

schwabe

So what can those of us who love Portland do to support Adam and his compatriots’ vision for restoring Portland to its beauty, vitality and reputation as a prime vacation spot?

Well, you can pay a visit to either the Downtown or NE Portland location, order some beer on-line, buy a t-shirt from the Old Town website, take a Shanghai Tunnel Tour, book an event or just send this Portland leader an e-mail reinforcing what he is trying to accomplish. https://www.otbrewing.com/contact-1

And to End this Tome on a Note of Positivity

Speaking of major career decisions, here’s an ending toast to Carson Bowler. My former colleague and friend for many years is not only a superb lawyer, but a wonderful human being.

A leading Portland mediator, several years ago who moderated an all-day session in which CBo (as we affectionately called him) represented one of the parties told me the next day:

“Don, that Carson Bowler is the real deal!

Congratulations to him for leaving the large-firm environment at the beginning of 2024 and starting his own firm – Law Office of Carson Bowler. (#15 – #16)

https://bowler-law.com/

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (File:Portland, Oregon sign + Old Town tower, 2012.JPG – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Another_Believer – 8 January 2012.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thanksgiving_Turkey_2021_(cropped).jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Freshman 404 – 23 November 2021.

#3 – #4. Old Town Brewing Website (Old Town Brewing (otbrewing.com)).

#5. Wikimedia Commons (File:Northeast Portland homeless camp tents.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Graywalls 1 March 2020.

#6. Wikimedia Commons (File:Merchant Hotel building – Portland, Oregon (2016).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Steve Morgan 23 October 2016.

#7 – #8. Old Town Brewing Website (Old Town Brewing (otbrewing.com).

#9 – #11 Old Town Brewing Website (BEERS — Old Town Brewing (otbrewing.com)).

#12 – #13. Word is Bond Website (WordIsBond (mywordisbond.org)).

#14. Old Town Brewing Facebook Page ((2) old town brewing – Search Results | Facebook)

#15 – #16. Law Office of Carson Bowler Website (https://bowler-law.com/).

The Gold Medal of Dives

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

John Runkle – former owner of The Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak, Montana

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and the video at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post # 1)

In this, my fourth and final post on this series on dive bars, I finish with my Gold Medal. My favorite dive in the US is the “former” Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak, Montana – about seventy-five miles from the Canadian border.

The fact that I’ve devoted four different posts on this blog to the Shame, which I visited on a road trip in 2019, attests to this.

I say “former” because the prior owner, John Runkle, sold it at the end of 2022 and it is not the same iconic watering hole that originally opened its doors in 1951. For example, if you check out their current website, it states only:

“We’re currently open for drinks only Friday & Saturday 4:30 pm – Close”

Their “unofficial” Facebook page hasn’t posted since last August.

And this is unfortunate because if one reads author, Joan Melcher’s two books on Montana Watering Holes, you will learn that there are at least three and possibly four incredible stories strictly on how the Shame was originally named:

One involves fighter, Joe Lewis and a second relates the saga of seven dead cows – shot by a guy named Jimmy who left them on the road in front of the bar. Don’t forget the other about a mother-in-law of one of the original owners who would sit in the corner of the bar and admonish him “What a ‘dirty shame’ it was that you bought this bar.” (#2)

This watering hole reeks history

Context…

Having reviewed almost 400 bars and breweries before the pandemic struck, I can honestly say that only a handful have not been enjoyable and positive. (The worst was the Yard House in Portland https://thebeerchaser.com/2016/04/14/the-yard-house-does-it-measure-up/))

I’ve found that the character of some notable bars cannot be differentiated from the personality of their owners – the bar embodies the persona of the proprietor.

Such is the case with former Army Paratrooper, Runkle. (Graduated from the French Commando School, earned his Spanish Jump Wings. The big guy made a total of 53 jumps and ended up as an instructor at Ft. Benning) (#3 – #5)

The following other four bars I’ve reviewed also fit this characterization:

The Goose Hollow Inn – Portland, Oregon – the late Bud Clark

Pinkie Master’s – Savannah, Georgia – the late Pinkie Master *

Smitty’s Green Light – Pueblo Colorado – Greg “Smitty” Smith

Buffalo Bill’s Saloon – Beavercreek, Oregon – Patrick Whitmore

* I never met Pinkie, but there is ample evidence of my assertion

Clockwise – Bud Clark, Smitty, Pinkie Master’s, John Runkle and Patrick Whitmore.

Patrick Whitmore and partner, Barb

Transition to Texas

John and his wife, Dallas, now live in Texas with their three wonderful young children. Dallas, got her undergrad degree at Arizona State University and earned her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Development from Grand Canyon University.

John met Dallas when she bartended for him in 2013 and they married in 2016. They jointly worked to again integrate the Dirty Shame into the community of 250 people.

Dallas taught elementary school for a year in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho and then transferred to an elementary school in western Washington. (#6)

She now teaches in Texas where John says, “I’m just a full-time house frau…” And make no mistake, John, who is now 62, loves his kids, stating “I’m the oldest and proudest dad in the world with three kids under seven!” (His son is 2 and daughters are 4 and 6.)

His competitive and over-achieving tendencies were evident, however, when he added:

“Pacino and Robert Deniro make me look bad, they are around 80 and just had a child last year. Makes the bar pretty high for me.”

John sold the Dirty Shame nine years after purchasing it in 2013. Given the hours he worked as owner of both the Dirty Shame and the Yaak River Lodge – about two miles down the road from the bar. Add that the rugged Montana winters and John has certainly earned a respite and as he told me when I was in Yaak:

“At 57, I’m no spring chicken and I don’t have much of a bucket list left. I’m usually at the bar until 2:30 AM on Friday nights and then Saturday morning, I’m up cooking breakfast at 5:30. On Monday morning, it’s tough to get going.”

Is he happy with their decision to relocate? As he stated in a recent Facebook post:

“It’s 91 degrees here today in South Texas…Gotta love this February weather in Texas – I have the air conditioner on!” (#7 – #9)

I became aware of the Dirty Shame while having a beer at the Moose Saloon in Couer d’Alene, Idaho in 2016, when Tara, the bartender asked me if I’d ever been to the bar. She had bartended there and after I researched it, I was fascinated with the story.

Tara at the Moose Saloon

A phone call to John Runkle resulted in an invitation to come to Yaak, stay at the Yaak River Lodge and raise a mug at the Dirty Shame.

John had a very successful career in real estate in Orange County. He also had successful stints in mining equipment and banking including time in Queensland, Australia for several years after he bought Yaak River Lodge in 2004 and before ownership of the Dirty Shame.

The Lodge sits on a beautiful site of 7.5 acres on the Yaak River with llamas and horses about two miles from the Shame. I stayed two nights in the Moose Room ($115 nightly) in 2019 and had John’s home-cooked blue-berry pancakes for breakfast.

That’s when I learned first-hand about Runkle’s work ethic and the hours it took to manage both enterprises.

Acquiring the Dirty Shame – “A Matter of Self-Preservation”

Author, Melcher describes it perfectly in her first book when she talks about her return to the bar:

s-l1600

“….the same wood-planked front porch, the same deer rack used as a door handle, the battered pool table, the loose bathroom door, the grotesque graffiti inside, the loggers, ranchers receptionists, Forest Service people using the bar like a third leg….

The Dirty Shame is the fresh, sharp smell of pine, and the dank odor of dirt-laden, beer-splashed floors, wild nights of revelry and mornings of shared pain.” (Page 88)

In her second book, she lamented the “deterioration” of this historic and iconic bar after a female – a former Wall Street stockbroker and her husband – moved from Maryland and bought the bar in 2006.

They tried to eliminate the “dirty” and “clean it up.”

“What I learn is the that the Dirty Shame died a typically raucous death and has been reborn as a law-abiding establishment, that is really more coffeehouse then bar. Sacrilege!…

Besides a piano and set-up for musicians….she also has book readings and draws many people who aren’t close enough to Yaak to be miffed about what happened to its legendary bar.

The Dirty Shame is dead. Long live the Dirty Shame.” (Pages 54-7,9)

Well, their plans to “civilize” the Shame came to a quick end in 2011 when the former broker’s 82-year-old husband was taken out of the bar in handcuffs and extradited to Maryland after he pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of two female minors according to a story in the Montana newspaper The Ravelli Republic.

The bar went into foreclosure ultimately forcing Runkle to act in 2013:

“It was a matter of self-preservation. I started getting cancellations (at the Lodge) because hunters and bikers wanted to hit the Dirty Shame when they stayed in Yaak.

I was the only one who showed up at the foreclosure sale. I paid cash and was now the owner of another business that I didn’t know anything about how to operate.”

A Community Fixture

John’s creativity and marketing prowess took over and the bar sponsored or participated in the following:

The Sasquatch Festival, the Adult Easter Egg Hunt, the Yaak Attack, Miss Sasquatch Pageant, the Sasquatch Screeching Contest, the Big Foot Run and, of course, the Crawfish Festival each September.

It started with a ceremonial leg shaving and had events including male strippers, female cream wrestlers and mechanical bull riding.

Across the road from the Shame is a nice family-owned bar – the Yaak River Tavern. But it’s ambiance is miles away from its neighbor. John described the difference to me:

“The Yaak River Tavern has an annual Ugly Sweater event. We have a Wet T-shirt Competition!”

The Stories Will Live On….

In my two days in Yaak talking to John and from reading Melcher’s book, I was amazed at the stories and why it gained the moniker, “The World Famous Dirty Shame Saloon.”

It took me four blog posts (see links below) to relate all the stories – most of them from my conversations with John over the two days I was there. You should check them out.

These ranged from John’s efforts after he first bought the bar to plaster up the bullet holes in the walls, to visits from “celebrities” such as the aforementioned Joe Lewis, Howie Long and OJ Simpson detective, Mark Furman among others.

The Kehoe Gang was a notorious gang who committed crimes across the US in the mid-to-late 90’s. Chevie Kehoe was the leader and he and his brother Cheyne, after fleeing across the country, settled in Utah where they were arrested for murder in 1997.

After a trial in which his mother and Cheyne (who had turned himself in) served as star witnesses for the prosecution, he was convicted of murder and several other felonies.

Chevie is now serving three life sentences in Florence Prison in Colorado – known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies”. Also described as the “clean version of hell”. (#14 – #16)

My second afternoon at the Dirty Shame, I noticed two men who were talking to Darilyn, the bartender. One of them stated in a soft-spoken voice:

“Dar, I think I owe you for the meal I had last week and didn’t want to let that slide by before I forget.”

She checked and said that another regular had already paid it.

John introduced me and they were both nice, personable guys. He stated that they do periodic maintenance and electrical work for him at the bar. After they left, John told me that the older guy was Chevie Kehoe’s, brother Noah and the other was Axel his son – the one who wanted to make sure his bill was paid. Noah lives in Yaak and Axel in Spokane.

The Automatic Rifle attack on John and the Bar (#17)

Right before I left on the road trip to Yaak, I got the following e-mail from John:

“Don, you will see an article where a guy went nuts in the Dirty Shame with an AR-15 and you will also see the video of me bear spraying him and his brother trying to fight their way back into the bar and another video embedded in that article showing him running around the parking lot trying to shoot me through the window and then almost shooting his brother in the head.

It was a crazy night. The Dirty Shame is truly still the Wild Wild West.”

“Troy Man Charged Following Saturday Night Incident at Yaak’s Dirty Shame Saloon.

Visit by the Yaak River Road Murderers

In 2017, two strangers walked into the Dirty Shame:

“Both the woman and the man seemed pretty nervous and were not friendly. They just shrugged when a regular asked them what they were doing in Yaak.”

On television, the next day was a story about a murder committed at Milepost 48 of the Yaak River Road (The Dirty Shame is at Milepost 29).

A woman and her boy friend allegedly shot and killed the woman’s husband and after dumping his body by the Yaak River, escaped in his car. They were considered fugitives and law enforcement throughout the state was looking for them.

John and his staff thought the description matched the couple and alerted law enforcement. He later told a news reporter:

“They acted really unfriendly. I still remembered what they ordered. She ordered a double shot of Jack Daniels. He ordered a double shot of Sailor Jerry’s and they toasted each other, which I didn’t think was weird until two days later,”

This article about the pair entitled, “Guilty Verdict in Yaak Murder Trial” from the Western News tells the story including the result of the trial and the sordid details.

The Crack Pillow and Hatchet Lady

A disheveled woman – apparently high on something and wearing camo-gear, walked in with the pillow seen in the photo above a hatchet stating, “You never know when you’re going to need firewood.”

Check the link to see her behavior at the bar and in leaving. The “crack pillow,” which she gave John as barter for a Mike’s Hard Lemonade, became a permanent fixture in the bar.

The Theft of the Bar’s Life-size Cardboard Trump (#18 – #19)

Numerous Other Tales Including the Search for the Missing Person (#20)

The links to the aforementioned posts are below:

https://thebeerchaser.com/2019/10/01/the-dirty-shame-saloon-continued-stories/

https://thebeerchaser.com/2019/09/11/the-dirty-shame-saloon-in-yaak-part-ii/

https://thebeerchaser.com/2019/08/13/john-runkle-beerchaser-of-the-quarter-and-the-dirty-shame-saloon-part-1/

https://thebeerchaser.com/2019/10/16/thebeerchasers-final-thoughts-on-the-dirty-shame-saloon/

In Conclusion…

My visit to the Dirty Shame in Yaak left me feeling better about the possibility of civility in times of polarization.

John and I have distinctly different political beliefs and yet one of the conversations I enjoyed the most was at a table drinking beer with John and his good friend, Todd Berget, who unfortunately passed away of a stroke about a month after my visit at the young age of 54.

Todd was a dedicated teacher and coach for many years, but also a gifted artist and craftsman who formed his own company to produce metal sculptures (Custom Iron Eagles.)

He gifted the Dirty Shame with his collection of metal motorcycles that he started collecting when he was a kid. They are intricate and reflect an artistic talent for capturing detail which is intriguing and the displays add to the spirit of the saloon.

John Runkle is a staunch conservative and Trump supporter. And John told me, “Todd is a liberal whose ideology would be left of Stalin’s!” Yet the three of us had a wonderful and far-ranging conversation, much of it about the rich friendship they had for many years.

Regardless of their political persuasion, John loved his patrons and staff and they reciprocated.

Unfortunately, I did not get to return to the Dirty Shame before its sale. But before I left, I presented John with two bottles of Benedictine Beer from the Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon.

A gift from the Benedictine monks

John Runkle is still a relatively young man although when I e-mailed him to verify his age, he replied, “I remember when I was young, I thought somebody 62 would be in a nursing home with a walker!”

When his three kids are old enough to be in school full time, who knows what endeavors he will pursue in Texas. It might be in hospitality, politics, non-profits or some other business, but you better believe he will not be spending his days sitting on his couch and watching Fox News. (That would – pardon the expression – be “a dirty shame.”)

And perhaps he’ll open a dive bar in Texas. After all, he has a gold medal to defend…….

And the stories and the legacy of the World Famous Dirty Shame Saloon will live on even though the bar will never be the same. (#21 – 24)

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (2012_Olympic_Gold_Medal.jpg (1536×2048) (wikimedia.org)) This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Author: Carlinmack – 16 September 2012.

#2. (https://yaakrealestate.com/29253-yaak-river-road-yaak-mt.html) Sharin Lamp, Realtor.

#3 – #6. Courtesy of John Runkle.

#7 – #9. John Runkle Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/john.runkle.).

#10 – #13. Courtesy of John Runkle.

#14. Southern Poverty Law Center (Two Members of Notorious Kehoe Family Arrested Again | Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org).

#15. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Florence ADMAX.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This image is a work of a United States Department of Justice employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain (17 U.S.C. § 101 and 105). Federal Bureau of Prisons – 2010.

#16. (Chevie Kehoe – Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia).

#17. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:DPMS AR-15 less frame.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. 18 May 2009.

#18 – #24. Courtesy of John Runkle.

BOTQ – Who are Those “Guys”?

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter (BOTQ) Update

Followers of Thebeerchaser blog know that I periodically do a post about an individual or group that may or may not have anything to do with bars or beers but has an interesting story and made contributions to society.

Admittedly, I have not related these stories with the frequency I’d have liked in the last two years but hope to remedy that in 2024. I’ve known the majority of the individual “honorees” personally.

The lineup includes war heroes, athletes, media personalities, authors, academicians, civic activists and of course, lawyers. Some are pictured below, and their stories are related in the link over their name – and they are impressive.

Clockwise: The 1967 Oregon State Giant Killer Football Team; former NFL defensive tackle, mountaineer and executive, Craig Hanneman; Portland attorney and television personality, Jack Faust; writer and media personality, Amy Faust; the late author Brian Doyle;

Professional oboist (and my oboe instructor) Kelly Gronli; the late Princeton Professor Emeritus and author, Harry Frankfurt; Jan and Jack McGowan – founders of SOLV; developer and civic activist, Mark Edlen; the late Terry “Spike McKinsey, USMC-retired; Jud Blakely USMC. (#1 – #5)

To see a list of the thirty-five “honorees” from 2011 to 2020, check out the following link:https://thebeerchaser.com/2020/12/13/beerchasers-of-the-quarter-who-what-why/

And Then There’s Jay Waldron

One BOTQ – a colleague of mine for twenty-five years when I worked as the COO at the Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt law firm – is Jay Waldron. As stated in the original 2016 blog post featuring him as Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, he graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law – one of the Nations’s top five at twenty-nine.

The older than average age was partly because he first completed a master’s degree at the school – but also because of his extracurricular activities which included boxing, playing rugby, teaching 7th-grade English in Appalachia and coaching basketball. (#6 – #8)

Counselor Waldron has contributed his time and served in leadership capacities in many civic and charitable activities, in addition to having a thriving Environmental and Natural Resources law practice.

At age thirty-seven he argued a case at the US Supreme Court and he’s also appeared at the Oregon Supreme Court and the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

His legal work has earned him recognition multiple times in the “Best Lawyers in America” and as an Oregon Super Lawyer and by the Oregon State Bar for pro bono service.

And he just received another accolade from his peers with the Oregon State Bar’s Environmental and Natural Resources Section 2024 Award. It recognizes an Oregon lawyer for leadership, service and outstanding contributions to environmental and natural resources law.

Carson Bowler, who was Jay’s partner for many years eloquently summed up why Jay was selected:

“For more than 40 years, Jay has been in the middle of some of the most important and consequential environmental matters and cases in Oregon and the Northwest. His superpower has always been to identify the core of a complicated case, and then to communicate that core to whatever audience was listening, be they legislators, judges or clients.

His career resume is astonishing; he’s been (aptly) called a grandfather of environmental law in Oregon, a title that finally befits his life season. But I think his lasting legacy will be the quiet influence he’s had on so many young lawyers who over the years have had the privilege of learning their craft from him.”

In his acceptance speech, Jay spent most of his time thanking his partners, his wife, Karen (see below) and others. Emphasizing the importance of being a well-rounded person, he stated:

“I’m probably the only environmental lawyer in Oregon who wrote a master’s thesis on “The Poetry of Emily Dickinson.”

(His favorite poem is “Because I Could Not Stop For Death.” – a poem that explores the themes of death, time and eternity.) (#9)

Black-white_photograph_of_Emily_Dickinson2

One of Jay’s attributes emphasized at the reception was his dedication to mentoring. And to further elaborate on Jay’s contribution to his own firm, take a look at this summary from his partner, Brien Flanagan, Chair of Schwabe’s Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group:

“Jay was a guide and an advocate for young lawyers. A genius on developing the theme to win a case or the politics that wins approval from bureaucratic regulators. And Jay was always happy to tell a tale while sharing a brew.” (#10)

Thebeerchaser joins Bowler and Flanagan on his birthday for a brewski

Brien’s reference to Jay’s story telling fits into this narrative quite well, because Jay has a vast storehouse of tales – and a preponderance of them, upon further research, appear to be true.

He is a frequent commenter on the bars and breweries I feature in my blog posts including the Ship Tavern, Jake’s Place, Jake’s Famous Crawfish bar, the Horse Brass Pub and most recently Malachy’s Irish Pub in downtown New York City.

I wrote about Malachy’s in my most recent post “Don’t Jump When You Can Dive – Part III”. Jay’s comment was:

After researching, my response was:

“You never disappoint me, Counselor. Malachy’s in New York City, was in fact, opened by Malachy McCourt, who was indeed, a rugby player. See this video interview on the 50th anniversary of Fairfield Rugby Club. (#11 – #12)

Since the Topic of Rugby Arose….

I’ll start winding down this post by further exploring Jay’s athletic and related “activities” – chief among these being rugby. In 2017, he was admitted to the US Rugby Hall of Fame.

A 2017 article in the Providence College News (his undergrad alma mater) stated:

“(His contributions span) nearly five decades as a player, coach, TV broadcaster, and ambassador of the sport. He began his rugby career in 1968 as a University of Virginia graduate student, where he received his master’s degree, worked on his Ph.D., and then received his juris doctorate while serving as a player, president, and captain. Waldron played on numerous rugby representative teams and won the university boxing championship.”

Fortunately, when Jay was in the office, he chewed gum instead of glass, but his rugby gigs also included coaching the Portland Pig’s Rugby Club for five years. He announced rugby matches aired on Fox and ESPN in a four-year stint. (13 – #14)

You will have to check out the original blog post for the details, but Jay’s other pursuits give credence to Emily Dickinson’s theme of death:

River Rafting – three trips down the Colorado River and in 1996, he became the first Caucasian to row a “cataraft” through all the rapids of the Great Bend of the Yangtze River in China. Other trips included South America and Canada.

Motorcycle Trips and Racing – Twenty-one different road trips throughout the US have been supplemented by a journey around both South Africa and New Zealand and a trek from Chile to the southern tip of South America. He was also once clocked at 155 mph on his Ducati.

Wild Horse Riding – After a long and serious discussion at a bar with two rugby buddies, they decided to compete in the wild-horse ride competition at the Pendleton Roundup. (#15 – #17)

Death Wish?

Could Jay’s instincts and perhaps latent death wish be tamed? The answer to that question is in the affirmative. In 1966, Jay met his now wife of fifty-five years, Karen, while he was serving as a bouncer at a bar at Horseback Beach in Westport, Mass on the Atlantic Ocean.

“It was a Sunday night and she was not 21, but with that blonde hair and tan, there was no way, I wasn’t going to let her in.” (#18 – #19)

The Next Generation

Karen is also an athlete – both she and Jay have won Multnomah Athletic Club Decathlons in their age groups. And their son, Shane inherited their athletic talent and interest. He played college football at Tufts University as a tight end and long snapper from 1999 through 2002.

Starting as an operations intern in 2002 for the New England Patriots under Coach Bill Belichick, he then began what has become a very impressive coaching resume in college football – Notre Dame and UMass – eventually followed by the NFL including the Patriots, Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams and as Offensive Coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks from 2021 to 2023.

Early in 2024, he was named Offensive Coordinator for the Chicago Bears and as stated in an article on ESPN.com: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39368486/what-hiring-oc-shane-waldron-mean-bears

“The Chicago Bears know who will be calling offensive plays in 2024, and now they have to figure out which quarterback will be executing them.”

Chicago, with the first draft pick in 2024, is expected to draft former USC quarterback, Caleb Williams and Waldron will be a key figure in deciding whether he or current starter, Justin Fields will be calling signals when the season starts.

Based on the comments of sports commentators and media, don’t be surprised to see the younger Waldron as an NFL head coach in his next job.

Regardless, Karen and Jay Waldron will be making a lot of trips back to Chicago with good tickets at Soldier Field in addition to seeing their two grandchildren.

Odds are that Jay also knows some good Windy City bars which ruggers frequent and they can share stories – many of which will be in accordance with reality. (#20 – #22)

Karen told me that Jay doesn’t like small talk with strangers so I would tell him “Ask if they have a connection with rugby, rafting or motorcycles and the conversation always explodes.”

Well, that will not be necessary on his Chicago visits because one of his best long-term rugby buddies happens to be one Donald H. Haider – another member of the US Rugby Hall of Fame. (And looking at both of these guys made me wonder if the term Renaissance Man and Rugger is really a contradiction in terms.)

Haider, was on the rugby team during undergraduate school at Stanford. He played and coached rugby throughout his adulthood and earned his MA and PhD at Columbia University. He is now a business professor at Northwestern University‘s Kellogg School of Management. The professor has had an amazing career in government, business and academia. (#23)

And does he have ties to the Windy City! According to Wikipedia:

“Haider had worked as an advisor to Richard J. Daley during his mayoralty. Haider also worked as the Chicago city budget director (chief financial officer for the City of Chicago) under Jane Byrne from 1979 until 1980.[1][4][6][10]

In 1987, Haider won the Republican mayoral primary…During the campaign, in a desperate bid for press, Haider rode an elephant (an animal often used to symbolize the Republican Party) down State Street.”

The Weather Mark Tavern is a great rugby sports bar within walking distance of Soldier Field. I can see Waldron and Haider pre-function and post-function at this watering hole and telling tales of past scrums. (Fans cannot leave the Stadium during halftime…..)

Go Bears!

External Photo Attribution

#1 – #2. Oregon State University Athletic Department (https://osubeavers.com/news/2017/11/27/football-giant-killers-the-legend-50-years-later)

#3. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jack_faust.jpg) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: Timlyman.

#4. University of Portland Magazine (https://sites.up.edu/portlandmagazine/brian-doyle/).

#5. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harry_Frankfurt_at_2017_ACLS_Annual_Meeting.jpg ) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) 29 October 2018.

#6 – #8. Courtesy Jay Waldron

#9. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (Black-white photograph of Emily Dickinson2 – Emily Dickinson – Wikipedia) By Unknown author – https://s3.amazonaws.com/amherst-wsg/ED-dag-case-720dpi_big.jpg, This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or fewer. (1846-47).

#10. Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt (https://www.schwabe.com/professional/brien-flanagan/).

#11 – #12. Malachy Irish Pub Website Photo Gallery (https://www.malachysirishpub.com/gallery).

#13. Portland Rugby Club (https://www.portlandrugby.org/about).

#14 – #18. Jay Waldron

#19 – #22. Karen Waldron Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/karen.waldron.12).

#23. Kellog School of Management (Donald Haider – Faculty – Kellogg School of Management (northwestern.edu).

#24. Weather Mark Tavern Facebook Page ()https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=510230207773421&set=a.510230187773423).

#25. Wikimedia Commons (Soldier_Field_S.jpg (4000×2250) (wikimedia.org) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Sea Cow – 2 July 2022.