Tag Archives: Dave Booher

You’ll Want to Tarry at Jerry’s

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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 and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.(External photo attribution at the end of the post) 

The above photo shows what one sees walking in the front door of Jerry’s Tavern and gives a good idea of what to expect inside. Those who haven’t experienced this great dive bar in the Northwest Industrial District of Portland, might wonder how a bar that’s been opened for only about eighteen months became “World Famous.”

But those who know owner Jared “Jerry” Benedetto and his wife, Lauren, and followed him when he opened Jerry’s Pizza (as a hobby) and talked about his future dream would not be surprised.  Besides, the description on the door about global notability doesn’t mention a timeline. (#1)

Jerry – a guy who pursues his dreams

One of my good friends who follows Thebeerchaser wondered about my tendency to write about a lot of stuff besides just bars and breweries. He asked if I had toned down my quest to visit new watering holes.

I pointed out my recent post about my newest discovery – Top of the Hill Tavern and my list of favorite dives in that post and assured him that my journey would continue. I then responded that after writing boring memos on legal management for 40+ years, the opportunity to address a broad spectrum of topics was compelling.

As an aside, my brother-in-law, Dave Booher, who has been a frequent Beerchasing companion, just sent me an article entitled, “The Best Dive in Every State.” Having been to about 435 watering holes in the last fourteen years including about 200 throughout the US, I devoured the piece with enthusiasm.

I then sheepishly told him that I’d only been to one on the list – Portland’s Reel M Inn Tavern – a unique spot known primarily for its roasted chicken and jo jo’s, but not for its dive bar trappings. (I then asked Dave if was ready for a road trip….)

Why Jerry’s?

Well, let’s start with just the ambiance of this small (approximately 750 square feet) space, which is filled with Green Bay Packer (Jerry), Chicago Bears (Lauren), Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Blackhawk, Milwaukee Brewer and Wisconsin Badger (where Lauren got both her BA and MBA) pennants and gear. And it’s not store-bought stuff – most of it is from Jerry’s personal collection.

You’ll see photos of regulars, old beer signs (especially Hamm’s and Miller), an iced bucket of Miller High Life in bottles, untapped kegs sitting on a table and multiple TVs with games (generally not being watched except for Packer and Bear contests), Christmas lights which stay up all year and ……well, you get the picture. (#2 – #3)

In fact, Jerry’s brought back memories of one of my top-five dives in Portland I visited in 2012 – the Ship Tavern. (The Ship is about the same size, a Chicago Bears and Cubs bar, has sawdust on the floor and the front exterior is unforgettable.)

I learned about Jerry’s from my son-in-law, Ryan Keene and his dad, Ron, who both have offices nearby. Since the last time the three of us had Beerchased was in 2017 at the Labrewatory, we were long past due. (This creative enterprise was one of the casualties of the pandemic and closed permanently in 2020.)

We decided to meet for lunch which allows me to talk about another great feature of the bar – the food – a limited menu because of the small kitchen, but we loved it and it gets great reviews.

The prices are also surprisingly low – where can you get a cheeseburger for only $8, a hot dog with grilled onions for $5 or three tacos for $10? The sides are also dive bargains – chips ($1), fries ($2), chili ($3) or cheese curds ($4).

Ron and I had an outstanding meatloaf sandwich for only $10. Ryan dug in on the wings (6 for $11) and we shared their cheese curds with ranch dressing – a Midwestern tradition. (#4)

Great in a sandwich
A Midwest tradition

I’d never seen a meatloaf sandwich in a dive bar, but given Jerry’s Midwest focus, I assumed the inclusion of meatloaf in the menu was because some guy in Racine, Wisconsin created it in the 19th century.

But, in an effort to enlighten you, here’s what I discovered:

“The concept of meatloaf dates back to ancient times, with evidence of similar dishes found in various cultures around the world. One of the earliest recorded recipes for a meatloaf-like dish comes from ancient Rome, where a dish called ‘patina’ was served. Patina was a mixture of ground meat, vegetables, and spices, baked in a pie crust.” (Tastefood.com)

The Drinks

I had a sample of the Stevens Point Lager – a great midwestern beer and they have a reasonable tap list, but the flagship beer at Jerry’s is my favorite – Miller High Life in a bottle – the Champagne of Bottled Beer – born in Milwaukee in 1903 and flavored with Pacific Northwest hops. (See this article from Vinepair.com for the interesting story on the slogan.)

According to the personable Bar Manager, Ranessa Williamson-Callen – a Wisconsin native – they went through forty cases during the previous weekend.

Most dive bar aficionados would not hit their favorite establishment for a cocktail, but that’s again where Jerry’s breaks the mold. You can get a quality margarita, old fashioned, seven & seven, white Russian or Tom Collins. 

What will bring me back, however, is the chance to have one of Ranessa’s Bloody Mary’s – also to meet Jerry in person. I’m relying on a Spring 2025 article in Portland Monthly Magazine (I would suggest this quality magazine has probably not written up a dive bar previously.)

“But the can’t-miss star here is Williamson-Callen’s impressive Bloody Mary: a 20-ingredient mix, lager back, and a skewer of summer sausage, Muenster, pickled onions, olives, and a whole pepperoncini. It’s the best Bloody Mary I’ve ever personally consumed in Portland, full stop, and an emblem of the perfected-classics ethos that guides Jerry’s Tavern.”  (#5)

Fully loaded – best in Portland

Now besides beer and great cocktails, those looking for a mellow option can choose from several Jello-shots ($2) including strawberry, lemon or Malort.- a Chicago favorite.  And Ranessa, spent most of the time during our lunch working on preparing pudding shots ($5) (pumpkin spice) from scratch for the rest of October.

She has a delightful personality and we chatted while she worked on making the pudding.  (Fortunately, the television you see below with Stephen A. Smith pontificating was muted.) (#6)

The Other Stuff

Jerry’s has a great “juke box” with mostly country-western tunes on the “most played” list although it included numbers by Creed, 3 Doors Down and Sean Kingston (who will have time to write more songs while serving his three-year prison sentence). Surprisingly there were no selections by Meat Loaf.

There is an expansive patio immediately adjacent which also sees a lot of Miller downed on good weather days.

In short, Jerry’s Tavern is a wonderful dive bar and I will definitely return to meet Jerry and Lauren personally as well as downing one of Ranessa’s Bloody Mary’s. The following two reviews (and they are almost all positive) may help convince you that Jerry’s will, in fact, become “World Famous.”

“Jerry’s isn’t just a bar. It’s a cathedral of character…The man himself, Jerry, is behind the bar, slinging drinks like he was born for this. He’s part bartender, part therapist, part shaman. He could be my dad if he wanted to, but this morning he feels like my brother–the kind who’d bail you out of jail without asking questions.” (Yelp 12/1/24)

“This place looks like it’s been plucked directly from the Midwest and dropped in Portland’s NW Industrial area. It also looks like it’s been here for years, not days. It feels cozy and familiar without trying too hard. I have been following Jerry’s journey for the past few years.”  (Restaurant Guru – 2024) (#7)

Jerry’s dream was to not just to open a bar:

“…but a community space in the tradition of a great Midwestern bar. Or, as Benedetto puts it, ‘a place to gather when times are good, when times are bad, or any time for that matter.’ ”   (Oregon Live)  (Photo courtesy of Michael Novak/Portland Monthly magazine.)

He’s a dreamer.

So far, so good, Jerry and Lauren!

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. Linked in logo – (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-jerry-benedetto-5a69a4180/).

#2. Yelp Reviews (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/jerry-s-tavern-portland?select=snWOH0M6WDbb9sp0dsHFhg)  miller lite

#3. Yelp Reviews (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/jerry-s-tavern-portland?select=Ngyf0LVcTCzgPXlREDj8hg).

#4. #Wikimedia Commons (File:Meatloaf on white plate.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Author: Roundhere44 – 7 March 2016. 

#5. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bloody_Mary_2.jpg) L licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.  Author: goblinbox https://www.flickr.com/people/25977089@N00) – 15 March 2014.

#6. Yelp Reviews ((https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/jerry-s-tavern-portland?select=h_PosqSFpag7lxZ7-JANZQ).

#7. Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10105147031135361&set=pb.22016580.-2207520000&type=3).

#8.  Portland Monthly (https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2025/01/jerrys-tavern-restaurant-bar-review). Courtesy of Michael Novak/Portland Monthly magazine.

Road Trip Hot Spots…..Part I

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(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 so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.)

I smiled as we rolled south on Interstate-5 through Grants Pass, Oregon, heading for our first night’s stay in Redding, California – only 285 more miles for what would be a total of 472 or about nine hours from our home in a Portland burb.  (#1- #2 – external photo attributions at end of the  post.)

My heightened spirits harkened back to the great memories from our last road trip – a long one – clear back in in the summer of 2019.  

And was that a road trip!  Fifteen-Days – a 3,700-mile journey through six western states going as far east as the Dakotas. Those who follow Thebeerchaser blog know that besides touring a number of fantastic National Parks and Monuments as well as the impressive Custer State Park, we visited scads of wonderful bars and breweries. 

2019-07-06 18.12.02

While on my own – the first six days driving solo – I visited twenty-three bars and seven breweries including my favorite bar since I started Beerchasing – The Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak, Montana.  (Don’t worry, at most of the bars I visited those six days, I had a 7-Up while talking to the owner or bartender).

Janet flew into Billings where I picked her up for the rest of the trip.  We subsequently stopped at ten bars and nine breweries for a total of forty-nine memorable establishments where we met wonderful people, had outstanding beer and good food. 

It reaffirmed our appreciation for the National Park Service.  The scenery was varied and stunning.  The complete list can be found at the end of the post below:

https://thebeerchaser.com/2019/07/05/big-sky-beerchasing-the-preface/

Then a Three-year Pause….

We had no idea that a global pandemic would stifle not only road trips for the next few years, but essentially curtail all travel other than occasional trips to the beach and to Seattle.   

One doesn’t fully appreciate these journeys until their absence.  To use a Beerchasing analogy:  Schlitz Beer was always my favorite beer, but I didn’t fully appreciate it until they stopped producing it in 1981 when I learned the meaning of “When you’re out of Schlitz, you’re out of Beer!” (#3)

And while major back surgery this June made us reject extending our trip for several nights in San Francisco, this 2022 journey was still about 1,200 miles.  We reveled in the scenery of Northern California and the Oregon Coast and while also visiting and revisiting some excellent watering holes.

Redding

Since we felt finally felt comfortable dining inside without a mask, we chose Final Draft Brewing for dinner and beer after a walk across Redding’s impressive Sundial Bridge.   

I had some trepidation the name of the brewery evoked based on repressed memories of graduate school which bubbled to the surface.  Both my sister and her husband were high school English teachers at one point in their careers and were kind enough to edit all of my graduate school papers.

When I often submitted what I thought was my “final draft,” it would be returned with a sea of red ink and no smiley faces drawn at the top. It clearly redefined the meaning of “final.”  Dave Booher, seen in the photo below taken recently in Wales, looks like a kind and gentle soul sipping his IPA. 

However, the image on the left shows the volume of red pens he used just to “correct” one paper.  He was merciless (but I guess, in retrospect, he did teach me how to write and perhaps his actions were based on the quality of my narrative……He is also a quality human being. #4)

Dave is a patriot and served in the US Navy Submarine Service –  five deterrent patrols on two Fleet Ballistic Missile nuclear subs and one tour on a diesel boat, USS Dogfish,  launched in the late ’40’s and used as test platform for secret sonar experiments.

He also advised me – a guy who served on Destroyers – that: 

“There are only two types of naval vessels: submarines and targets.”

He still has a sign in their bedroom he altered from the 1950’s.  His version:

 “Better Red than Dead!”  (#5 – #6)

He’s so into scarlet that even though he’s an ardent U of Oregon Duck fan, he wears a University of Alabama Crimson Tide jersey to the games at Autzen Stadium…….you get the idea! (#5 -#6)

Note:  Dave informed me after reading this post that ironically, the photo of him was taken at a pub called “The Scholar’s Bar” in Aberystwyth, Wales.   He also added, “Please note that in these perilous times my current favorite colors are sky blue and sunflower yellow.”

 But I Digress…..

Final Draft Brewing was a great choice and even on a Monday night, this establishment, opened in 2017 by owner, Adam Ward, was hopping with 34 rotating taps including hard cider and seltzer and with an expansive food menu.  There was also a nice outdoor patio and as accurately portrayed on their website:

“Big Screen Tv’s, Exposed HVAC & An Open Area Brewhouse Located Directly Behind The Bar Are All The Unique Elements That Make Final Draft Brewing The “Go-To” Hangout In Downtown Redding!”

Our server, Isaiah, was a nice and helpful chap who had worked there for three years and explained the beers and gave us some samples before we decided to get (4) four ounce samplers – each for $2.  All were the Brewery’s own beers (Passive Aggressive IPA, True Blood Orange Kolsch, Attention Deficit IPA and Miso Blonde – the Kolsch was my favorite although all were good.

We shared the Filet Mignon Steak Salad ($17.99) and three Cod Tacos for only $12.99 and both were excellent as was the service.

Another Great National Park!

Lassen Volcanic National Park was only an hour from Redding, so we were able to spend a full day in this geologically splendid example of the sixty-three areas of discovery and beauty maintained by the National Park Service.

Photo Oct 03 2022, 2 52 43 PM (2)

Notwithstanding my consumption of the Attention Deficit IPA the night before, I learned from a film in the Visitor Center that  Lassen Peak is the largest plug dome volcano in the world.  Lassen Volcanic National Park is also one of the few areas in the world where all four types of volcano can be found – plug dome, shield, cinder cone, and stratovolcano.

Another striking feature of the Lassen National Park and on our subsequent trip from I-5 to Highway 101 on the Coast through the beautiful Trinity Alps Wilderness (the second largest in California) was the devastation caused by wildfires. 

Much of the Park was closed last year because of fire and the lodge where we stayed was evacuated although fortunately not destroyed.

Photo Oct 03 2022, 2 49 56 PM

At times, one could drive down the main road through the Park and on Highway 299 to Eureka on the Coast and on one side would be lush green forests while the view on the other side was blackened stumps, spindly remains of once lofty firs and no undergrowth.

Fortunately, the beauty of Lassen Peak itself and the marvelous story of the modern-day eruption in 1915 and the movement of massive rocks to end points miles away transcended what one hopes is the temporary devastation by the fires. (The Hot Rock in the picture below weighs 30 tons!)

“At rest for over 100 years in this location, the larger boulder here was once in the vent of Lassen Peak. A violent lahar, or mudflow, carried this 30-ton rock speeding down the slopes of Lassen Peak in a slurry of mud, earth, and rock. 

Visitors to the altered landscape reported that Hot Rock was hot to the touch even months after the eruption. The rock’s internal temperature is estimated to have been 1000°F when it came tumbling down Lassen Peak.”  (National Park Service)

And lest one become too complacent about the past and present volcanic history of the Cascade Range, take a look at these photos in what is appropriately called the “Sulphur Works.”  These can be viewed (and smelled……) right by the highway.  Others require some walking.

“The remarkable hydrothermal features in Lassen Volcanic National Park include roaring fumaroles (steam and volcanic-gas vents), thumping mud pots, boiling pools, and steaming ground.

Water from rain and snow that falls on the highlands of the park feed the hydrothermal system. Once deep underground, the water is heated by a body of hot or molten rock beneath Lassen Peak. Rising hot water boils to form boiling pools and mud pots.”   (National Park Service)

Highlands Ranch Resort

We had reservations that were canceled last year when the Lodge had to be evacuated because of the destructive Dixie Fire, and on this trip couldn’t get into one of the seven multi-room cabins of this magnificent lodging option on 175 acres only fifteen minutes from the Park. 

Fortunately, a nineteen unit motel (The Village at Highlands Ranch) – right across the highway – also operated by the Lodge owners, proved to be very comfortable. 

and

All the amenities of the Lodge were available including the expansive patio with unforgettable views of the meadow and mountain forest,  a rustic dining room and spectacular walnut bar and fire pits to enjoy our after-dinner drinks. 

It was one of the most relaxing and pleasant afternoon and evenings we spent since 2019.  The staff for the Lodge and the dining room and bar were outstanding and friendly.   

Onward to Additional “Hot” Spots….

So ended our first two days on the road trip and we then headed west to Red Bluff through the Trinity Alps to our next nightly destination – the Historic Arcata Hotel in Arcata, CA on 101 – a nice jaunt of 190 miles.   We left volcanic and geothermal country, but now searched for Beerchasing Hot Spots!

Cheers!

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons: By Chad K – Sundial Bridge, from the south, CC BY 2.0, (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=108094668)   Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

#2.  Wikimedia Commons:  File:Flag of Redding, California (pre-2018).png – Wikimedia Commons).

#3. Wikimedia Commons: (File:Old Schlitz Beer advertisement in Milwaukee Wisconsin.JPG – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Victorgrigas   4 January 2014.

#4.  Wikimedia Commons: (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Several_empty_red_pens.jpg)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: DigitDiva   16 May 2014.

#5. Amazon.com  (https://www.amazon.com/Better-Dead-Than-Communism-Slogan/dp/B07PYXSHXH).

#6.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alabama_Crimson_Tide_logo.svg)  This logo image consists only of simple geometric shapes or text. It does not meet the threshold of originality needed for copyright protection, and is therefore in the public domain.  Source: University of Alabama – (https://rolltide.com/documents/2018/6/28//Alabama201819LogosCopy.pdf?id=12116)