The A and L Sports Pub — A Sporting Chance?

Posted on October 30, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please click on the title to bring up the post so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

During my thirteen years of Beerchasing where I’ve visited and reviewed over 400 bars and breweries, I’ve presented followers with photos and stories of only four sports bars. I’m just not really enamored with them and they seem somewhat stereotypical.

There are scads of big screen TV’s, trophies and sports memorabilia – a lot of it somewhat tacky – and often boisterous regulars wearing their team jerseys.

I cherish the conversations I’ve had in most of my bar/brewery visits, but sports bar patrons are often immersed in pro or college games and understandably are not eager to engage. Fortunately, I’ve had great Beerchasing companions at the four sports bars shown below – so I didn’t need to meet new people.

Claudia’s Sports Pub and Grill (2012) – a classic that closed in 2023 after sixty-five years. It’s now named Suki’s and unfortunately “…a karaoke bar with sports.” (Yeah right…)

The Marathon Taverna (2014) – a boring pseudo sports bar – our visit was saved by great conversations with Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, Jack Faust and his son, Charlie.

The Independent (2017) – a decent sports bar on SW Broadway in the heart of Portland where we had a robust group including the Faust clan.

The Angry Beaver Bar and Grill in Corvallis (2020) – this great watering hole in the heart of Corvallis was visited before an Oregon State vs. Washington State football game.

Our group included 1967 OSU Giant Killer starters, Billy Main and Steve Preece with his wife, plus the late Dr. Bob Gill along with my fraternity brother and friend of over 50 years, Jud Blakely. (#2)

Why the A and L Sports Pub?

Since I asserted above that I’m not a fan of sports bars, why would I chose the A and L when there are so many other good bars and breweries on my list to visit in the future?

My selection of the bar was based on my recent discovery of classic dive bar, Angelo’s thanks to a connection with Darren Zayman – a part-time bartender.

Both bars are owned by Angelo and Leonor Markantonatos, (thus, the A and L…) who opened Angelo’s in 1996, and before that owned the Vern. Four generations of the family and they have been a fixture in the Portland bar scene for decades.

Darren, first worked at the A and L after talking Angelo into hiring “a guy with absolutely no bar or restaurant experience with a novel sales approach” discussed in my post on Angelo’s. You should visit Angelo’s located in the Barmuda Triangle District on SE Hawthorne.

Darren Zayman (Daz) and Angelo’s regular, Paul

Daz suggested I raise a mug at the A and L, so I did a little research and discovered a peripheral item of interest on the bar in a Willamette Week article dated 2/15/23:

“But the Markantonatoses owe more than $25,000 in property taxes. In a brief phone conversation, Angelo, 91, said he gave the bar to his son, also named Angelo, 57. Angelo the elder says he’s dying, so we didn’t push him for details.

We’d love to talk to Angelo the younger about the tax issue, but he didn’t call us back. Nor did they respond to a message on their hyperactive Facebook page. The bar employee said her boss was ‘scarce’ and ‘hard to pin down.’

Two signs of compliance: The Markantonatos family made a property tax payment of $10,000 on Nov. 15, and another for $4,500 on Feb. 8.”

Beerchasing Companions

Photo Oct 16 2024, 6 15 26 PM

Since I wasn’t focused on meeting new people, I chose two of my favorite Beerchasers to join me – Jim Westwood and Bernie Stea – both lawyers. The last time the three of us had raised a mug together was in 2020 at the Rose City Book Pub. (#3 – #4)

Those who follow this blog, know about Jim Westwood and his amazing background ranging from the Portland State College GE College Bowl, to a stint as a TV weatherman, to service in Navy Intelligence (where he learned Thai) to his distinguished career as an Oregon appellate lawyer.

But Bernie has an incredible background as well.

His Beerchasing exploits besides the Rose City Book Pub were at NEPO 42 and Zarz (gone but not forgotten) both in 2017. We tried for another at the Slow Bar in Portland, but it never happened.

While I was patiently waiting for him while downing an IPA, he called asking where I was, to which I replied, the Slow Bar (on Portland’s east side). He then somewhat sheepishly informed me that he was sitting in the Low Bar (permanently closed after the pandemic) in downtown Vancouver.

In order to salvage his pride, I didn’t remind him that I sent him a link to Slow Bar the day before confirming our lunch appointment. (#5)

My first encounter with Bernie was in 1980, when as the Oregon State Bar’s Financial Manager, I had to question him as the Director of Continuing Legal Education about his CLE department budget. He showed up for the interrogation with his Osborne laptop computer with the budget laid out on a SuperCalc spreadsheet. (Even then, he was an early-adopter of technology.)

As I “attacked” his figures we started a friendly rivalry which entertained Bar staff when we “replicated” the dialogue at all-staff meetings. It became a well-received staged production in the tradition of Jane Curtain and Dan Akroyd on Saturday Night Live.

After Bernie would make a mock eloquent plea as to why his budget should be increased, my reply was:

“Bernie, you ignorant slut!” (#6 – #7)

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=jane+you+ignorant+slut&mid=5ACAC950C589B99D5F685ACAC950C589B99D5F68&FO

In 2017 when he didn’t show up at Slow Bar, I commented to Bernie that he must have used the “Maps Application” on his Osborne. Bernie, however, is one of the smartest and most versatile people I’ve had the privilege to call a friend.

His undergrad days were at the University of Maryland, where he had a double major in Journalism and Engineering (who’s ever heard of that combination….) and then graduation at Maryland’s Francis King Carey School of Law.

He was a member of the distinguished scholastic society Order of the Coif and Law Review, and then worked as a law clerk at the Maryland Court of Appeals. Bernie has repeatedly distinguished himself (other than with his misguided budget presentations)

After jobs at the Oregon State Bar and Portland State University, Bernie has spent the last twenty-five years as a technology guru – helping law firms, start-ups and corporate clients on all facets of electronically stored information, particularly in the context of litigation and investigatory matters and on the legal responsibilities associated with electronic evidence collection, review and production.

And concurrently – for about twelve years – he and his wife – former Portland radio newswoman and anchor, Debb Janes – were managing real estate brokers specializing in family estates on acreage, and multi-generational homes in SW Washington. (#8)

Perhaps that education and experience should give me pause when labeling Bernie an “ignorant slut…” (But probably not….)

But I Digress – Back to the A and L

Now it’s a little bit perplexing why Willamette Week labeled the A and L as a “beloved sports bar,” since they have never featured it in their Annual Best Bar Guide. I guess, however, that a watering hole that for the 2023 Super Bowl offered an “all-you-eat spaghetti and meat sauce with French bread and salad for $15” and is a Pittsburgh Steelers bar will attract a fond following.

And although the exterior is somewhat off-putting, the social media reviews are consistently positive. These three are typical:

“The A&L Burger was de-lish and the fries were on point. Friendly service and great food! We’ll be back soon.” Yelp 3/16/24

“Great people, great service, great drinks, great prices, and 6-10 dart boards set up at a time! What more could you ask for. Also have pool and video lotto.” Yelp 12/26/22

“…..The inside is like night and day from the outside. The place is roomy, has more than a dozen TVs, a whole darts room that is legit, Oregon Lottery, and one of the best cheesesteaks I’ve had in Portland (I’m from Jersey and my wife is from N Philly). The staff has always been nice to me even though I’m not a regular.” Yelp 2/11/23

Photo Oct 16 2024, 4 58 49 PM

The A and L, with its very expansive space, seemed a bit sterile, although it has a great juke box. But to be fair, that’s probably because there were just a handful of patrons on a Wednesday afternoon.

Contrast that with the description on a Sunday morning in 2018 – typical, I assume, during any NFL Sunday:

“First and foremost, they open early on Steeler Sundays, due to the time difference….so we thought we would ‘arrive early’ by getting to the bar at 9:30 am. It was PACKED with Steeler fans already at that point. More than half of this very large sports bar is dedicated to the Steelers and their fans.” Yelp 10/9/18

As a non-lawyer, but one who worked with them for almost forty years, I could share stories with these two counselors who both worked at large competitor firms (Miller Nash and Stoel Rives with my Schwabe Williamson.

It was only when these two intellectual behemoths started waxing eloquent about the rule against perpetuities and how complexity theory understands law as an emergent, self-organizing system that I focused on my $3.50 pint of draft PBR and began thinking of my next dive bar to explore….

Elevated intellects, but still personable!

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. A and L Sports Pub Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=482321133382404&set=a.482321090049075).

#2. Angry Beaver Bar Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=556247892702280&set=a.556247869368949).

#3. Linked-in – Bernie Stea (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardstea/).

#4. Linked-in – Jim Westwood (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-westwood-60881a2b6/).

#5. USArestuarants.info. (Low Bar | 809 Washington St, Vancouver, WA 98660, USA).

#6. Oregon State Bar Twitter ((1) Oregon State Bar (@OregonStateBar) / X)

#7. Wikimedia Commons (File:Osborne 1 open.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: Bilby – 8 August 2010.

#8 Debb Janes Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10226418497269717&set=pb.1262110102.-2207520000&type=3).

Pythagoras and the Bard at Angelo’s

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

There are still a lot of dive bars in Portland – certainly not as many as when I started my Beerchasing trek in 2011 – but Angelo’s (not Saloon or Bar – just Angelo’s) which I hadn’t discovered until last week, is a classic.

And I was quite surprised, given my hobby, that Angelo’s – located on SE 46^th and Hawthorne, had never appeared on my radar, nor had its “sister bar” A & L Sports Pub – also owned by Angelo Markantonatos. I never found it listed in Willamette Week’s annual best bars publication which has been a primary research source.

It was even more surprising since it’s in the heart of Portland’s Bar-muda Triangle – a phenomenon that I haven’t really addressed in this blog for at least twelve years, since discovering it on one of my first Beerchasing visits in 2012 at the notable Bar of the Gods.

That was followed less than a half-year later when I raised a mug with Beerchaser notable, Jim Westwood, at the Tanker Bar – on the same block as Bar of the Gods. Alas, the Tanker’s armor was insufficient to withstand the pandemic’ mortars and it’s no longer with us. (Note the prices on the BOG’s blackboard below.)

As you will see below, I loved Angelo’s and the description from Portland Monthly is spot on:

“Looking for a bar with a relaxed atmosphere, laid-back feel, with friendly service and ‘real’ people? If so, visit Angelo’s and enjoy some cheap beer, play some tunes on the juke box, or challenge your friend to a game of pool.”

The Urban Dictionary describes Portland’s Bar-muda Triangle as:

“…an area of bars that collectively saturate the SE Hawthorne Arts District at the base of Mt Tabor.”

That said, the same source also describes similar watering-hole saturated areas as being in Eugene, Oregon (the intersection of Olive and West Broadway) and in Lawrence near the University of Kansas.

Then there’s the Beer-muda Triangle in Missoula, Montana. And at one time in the late ‘60’s, before the SAE House at Oregon State went alcohol free, it could easily have referenced a group of rooms on the first floor of the house study wing. (I graduated in 1970,)

Not that the topic is debated frequently, but in a Willamette Week article from May 11^th entitled Douchebags Not Allowed in Car Free Zone..” the paper asserts that Portland’s Bar-muda is located in the Old Town neighborhood on the west side, near Voodoo Donuts.” (That’s the first time in thirteen years, I’ve used the term “douchebag” in this blog.)

Regardless of the location, it is appropriate to label any Bar-muda Triangle as a “Stumble Zone.” (#3)

The Stumble Zone?

Perhaps the dilemma is resolved based on info gleaned at the “wisegeek” website stating:

“ A Bar-muda Triangle is an area where the concentration of bars is especially high. The number of bars located within an area known as a bar-muda triangle may be greater than three, of course, and sometimes an area with only two bars may be colloquially termed a bar-muda triangle. You may also hear a bar-muda triangle referred to as a beer-muda triangle.”

Pardon the digression, but before we get back to Angelo’s just a few more references which would make Pythagoras smile. (#4)

Try Triangle Theory beer from Lighthouse Brewery in Victoria BC or Emerald Triangle IPA from Eel River Brewery in Fortuna California or for a different slant on things try Hypotenuse IPA from Napa Smith Brewery in Vallejo, CA. Perhaps Triangle Brewing in Durham, North Carolina has all of them on tap. (Okay, I’ll stop…)

The good news is that should you get pulled over in any of the Bar-muda Triangles, the officer, rather than putting you through sobriety tests, will just ask you to state the formula for the area of an isosceles triangle which everyone know is 1/2 × Base × Height…(#5 – #7)

Now Back to Angelo’s

In late May, I got an e-mail from Darren Zayman (Daz) who saw the blog and told me that for a long time, he’d wanted to own or operate a bar. He thought it might be fun and interesting to meet and chat at the bar where he was working – Angelo’s.

I’ve met some wonderful people while Beerchasing and jumped at the opportunity to both meet another one and visit a new bar, although with scheduling issues, we didn’t accomplish that until September 25th. I assumed from our e-mail exchanges that Darren would be an interesting and engaging personality, and I was correct. (#8)

As I walked in, Darren gave a hearty “Hey Don,” greeting. He was off-duty and sitting at the end of the bar and introduced me to Paul, an Angelo’s regular and, Lena, the part-time bartender. For the next forty-five minutes the four of us shared stories and we reflected on Angelo’s and the bars – present and past – in the Bar-muda Triangle.

Daz has an artistic background and has worked for years as a self-employed technical illustrator. At one time he thought of doing illustrations of every bar in Portland – one reason he came across Thebeerchaser.com. (#9 – #12)

“I’ve lived in Shanghai, China and Washington, but I consider ‘Hawthorne’as home. I attended nearby Mount Tabor Middle School and grew up here.”

He stated that to fulfill his goal of working (and eventually owning a bar) last year he sent out at least forty resumes for bartending jobs. As one might expect, with zero experience, he got zero callbacks. But Daz was not to be deterred, and you will see how this guy is motivated and has a great sales personality.

Darren always “liked the vibe” at the A and L Sports Pub at 59th and NE Glisan, so about a year ago, he hand-delivered a letter addressed to the owner. (The A and L is also owned by Angelo.) The substance of the letter was as follows:

“I want to work for you, and I think you should hire me as I would be a great employee. Since I have no experience, I will pay you $50 daily for the first week and work for free the second week. Then you can judge whether you want to retain me.”

Angelo, who Darren described as somewhat of a gruff Greek guy, responded, “Come in. I’m busy and on the move, but I want to meet you and find out what’s your deal!” (#13 – #15)

So, Darren got the job and started working – barbacking and no bartending – with absolutely no instructions. “I was hustling,” he laughed. After less than a month, Angelo came to him and said, “I’ve got a job at another bar I own on Hawthorne. If you want it, it’s yours.”

He started working Monday and Tuesday nights and a lot of Saturdays because the female bartender usually didn’t show up. And he learned bartending the hard way.

His first order was for a “tequila and pineapple juice.” Darren poured them together and the guy, after gulping it down said, “I meant a shot of each separately, now you have to give me a free one.” Darren diplomatically refused as Angelo, sitting at the end of the bar observed laughing.

Lena – a personable bartender

Lena, the personable part-time bartender has worked for fifteen years at a number of Portland bars and attended Oregon State before graduating from the University of Oregon. Graduation was followed by three months of travel to multiple countries. She loves working at Angelo’s and remembers when there was a stage and they had great live music.

Sitting next to DAZ, drinking a Rainier Tall Boy, was a guy named Paul. He offered his left hand to shake and said that he was a carpenter but injured his right hand and was recuperating. I detected a slight accent and inquired to which he responded, “I’m from Belfast.”

Darren said, “Paul has been an Angelo’s regular for decades”, and he had stories from many of the dive bars in Portland and was a great conversationalist.

Darren and Paul (from Belfast!)

One of the bars we discussed was the Cheerful Tortoise – near the Portland State campus and which I first reviewed in 2012. DAZ remembered going there as a little kid because his stepdad, who was the Chair of the Geography Department at Portland State, (his mom also worked for the Department) would have meetings there. Lena also mentioned that it was the first bar she ever frequented.

Angelo’s has a good selection of draft and bottled beers and DAZ or Lena will make you a great cocktail. It has had a history of great food with a restaurant in the adjacent and connected space – first a Portuguese restaurant named Fado Portuguese Kitchen and then a Greek bistro named Kouzina at Angelo’s – first opened in 2017.

Since February, however, the space is occupied by Michael’s Italian Beef and Sausage Company – a treasured Portland eatery that’s been around for almost fifty years and lost its lease on Sandy Blvd. Portland Monthly offered this description:

“…But that’s just part of the charm at this very un-Portland sandwich shop, where hot hoagie rolls are stuffed with Chicago-style Italian roast beef sliced thin, marinated in its own juicy gravy, and covered in sautéed peppers and onions; or with home-baked meatballs served ‘pizza-style’ in tomato sauce; or with deliciously gut-busting Italian sausages.”

Photo Sep 25 2024, 5 06 47 PM

And in Closing

Two final stories which are evidence that Angelo’s has both the ambiance and character of the dives I love.

Typical classic dive bar fixtures are pool tables, foosball, Big Buck Hunter, classic pinball machines and a great juke box. Angelo’s has all of them – even two foosball machines. As Paul described it:

“One is the ‘People’s’ table and one is the ‘Elite machine. People know which one they should play and which one to avoid.”

While we were reminiscing about Bar-muda dives, a guy named Jeff, who identified himself as an out-of-town regular, told us that he overheard our stories and needed to add a tale:

“One time my friend and I were here and playing at the Elite foosball machine. A one-armed guy came up and challenged my friend. Unbelievably, he used his foot in lieu of his other hand and proceeded to decimate my friend in a game.”

The Bard

Dive bars and Shakespeare? Are you kidding? Well, think again and take a look at Willamette Weeks, January 2024 article:

“How can a theater company make a 400-plus-year-old play feel fresh? Speculative Drama’s answer is to perform Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, under the direction of Myrrh Larsen, not on a stage but in a dive bar—specifically Angelo’s on Southeast Hawthorne.”

As Angelo’s customers sit or stand amid a buzz of conversation, recorded music and clinking ice, the voice of Orsino, Duke of Illyria begins the show by rising over the din, saying, ‘If music be the food of love, play on…’

So what if there’s a Big Buck Hunter arcade game behind him and the red and blue lights of a Pabst sign in the next room? Orsino looks as if he belongs in Angelo’s as he strides through the crowd, drinking from a tall glass with a green straw. In this environment, even his iambic pentameter sounds as natural as water rippling over rocks.

…..The show ends with the joyful spectacle of the entire cast cutting loose and singing karaoke.” (#15 – #17)

Darren said that each of the ten nights it played, “Twelfth Night” sold out. The actors were integrated with the bar patrons – it was immersive – one never knew when the guy next to you would become part of the play.

Cheers

To the four generations of Angelo Markantonatos family, who opened Angelo’s in 1996, and before that owned the Vern and who have been a fixture in the Portland bar scene for decades.
To Angelo II who had the foresight to give a motivated young man (DAZ) with no experience, an opportunity to become a valued employee in his organization.
To Darren, for his optimism and spirit and reaching out to Thebeerchaser.
To the one-armed foosball player.