Thebeerchaser’s Year-end Stocking Stuffers

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Thebeerchaser

Well, Beerchasers, I’m going to start the New Year with some unfinished business and with belated Christmas greetings and miscellaneous tidbits I’ve been saving for the year-end. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

I have not succumbed to using ChatGPT or equivalent for any writing and AI conceptually scares the heck out of me, but I figured using it for images like these two was a good compromise.

My wife who had admonished me that if I got on a ladder, she’d leave me, agreed to hire somebody to put Christmas lights on our house this year and they did a great job.

I decided to supplement it with AI and loved the result. Some people even asked me if that was real. I asked Janet if we could send the image as our Christmas card…So much for that idea. (#2)

Greetings from Thebeerchaser!

Revisiting Jerry’s Tavern

In a recent blog post, I told you about a wonderful “new” Portland dive bar I discovered. Jerry’s Tavern – less than two years old, has already established itself as a premier Northwest dive. Even on its entrance, it purports to be “world famous.”

Portland Monthly Magazine asserted that Jerry’s had the best Bloody Mary in Portland.

“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.”

Since I had only consumed a Miller High Life on my first visit, I returned with my former colleague at the Schwabe Williamson law firm, Margaret Hoffmann. After we both downed a Bloody Mary, we agreed that it was pretty good, but the amount of testing to validate that premise at other bars was impractical.

Then in mid-December, Oregon Live food critic Michael Russell, in his column – “The Best Thing I Ate This Week” states emphatically:

“I thought I had a decent handle on Portland’s wing scene…In a single visit, Jerry’s Tavern upended all that.

The friendly Midwestern dive, tucked between the breweries and strip clubs of industrial Northwest Portland, serves the best wings I’ve had in Portland: big but not flabby, fried until the edges go all crispy, coated in a pitch-perfect Buffalo sauce.” (emphasis added)

Although it will be a challenge to pass up another meatloaf sandwich, Margaret and I agreed that we need a return trip – this time to try the wings.

Connections!

As I’ve stated before, I’m an Oregon State University Beaver and my wife, Janet is an Oregon Duck. The tradition of the Civil War Rivalry goes back to 1894 and has been contested 128 times through 2024. So, it’s hard for me to root for the Ducks – especially now that they’re in the Big Ten and the PAC12 is decimated.

That said, I admire former Duck and now Los Angeles Charger quarterback, Justin Herbert. He’s a true competitor and evidently a great teammate and leader. I was therefore interested to see that his current girlfriend is singer, Madison Beer. (#3 -#4)

The name Madison Beer vaguely rang a bell and then I remembered when we first ran into that moniker – the City of Boston in 2024. We had just finished a cruise from Montreal to Boston and had an extra day in Beantown, so we decided to hit Fenway Park where the Red Sox had an afternoon game with the Washington Nationals.

We didn’t want to rent a car and decided to brave mass transit. The hotel maître d’ gave us directions for using public transportation to get to Fenway. First, we had to take a bus to South Station. There are three levels to South Station and for help, we groveled and got a grumpy edict from a Transit Authority Officer:

“Take the Red Line to Park Street then the Green Line to Kenmore. Don’t screw it up or you’ll end up at Boston College.” Then he grinned (a little) and said, “Worst case is you’ll never return and your fate will be unknown….”

Well, after a bus trip and two subway lines, we finally walked about four blocks to Fenway and joined an excited throng about two hours before game time.

When I say, “excited throng”, I have to clarify because I realized that a significant portion of the crowd – lined up for several blocks – was not in line for the baseball game – they were waiting with great anticipation for a concert at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway.

“(It’s) a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose live performance venue that occupies roughly 91,500 square feet on four levels and accommodates 5,005 patrons.” (#5 – #6)

It was somewhat chilly and I wondered why most of the adolescent girls in line were dressed in tutus – in many cases supplemented by capes and tiaras. And most were without coats. I asked a security guard, and he said they were waiting for a Madison Beer concert scheduled to start at 7:30.

I thought Madison Beer was a micro-brewery in Wisconsin. I found out, however, that she’s a twenty-five-year-old singer- songwriter with ties to Justin Bieber. Fenway was one of sixty-three concerts on her 2023-2024 “Spinnin” world tour. These hardy kids had lined up five hours (or more) early for the evening concert for which they paid an average ticket price of $143.

Janet laughed and said, “Well, that’s one event at which you’d be way out of place even though you are Thebeerchaser!”

While Madison Beer and Canadian singer.Justin Bieber, had been good friends in the past, I would suggest that she picked the correct Justin for a more meaningful relationship! The quarterback is much better at the naked bootleg than the singer. (#7)

“The rain has its beauty, but my heart longs for the clear skies beyond it.”

We Oregonians are used to a wet environment. It’s usually either cloudy or rainy from late October through March. Most Oregonians don’t carry umbrellas – we get used to walking hastily through the drizzle. This year is different, however:

“(Up to) two-thirds of an inch of rain is likely for Portland by 12/5, while the coast could see between 1½ and 3 inches and the Cascades up to 4 inches of rain. Oregonians can handle rain, usually, but wind is another story

….Add the threat of winds up to 30 to 40 miles an hour, and Santa might want to do more than keep his wind surfboard handy. Willamette Week

How rainy was it? (#8 – #10)

Well, the term, “Atmospheric River” became part of the lexicon of Portland first graders.
Elementary school students became more concerned with hearing about landslides than the slides on their playground?
Last week, heavy rains triggered a sewage overflow advisory for the Willamette River because Portland’s Big Pipe hit capacity.

What seems somewhat paradoxical on the meteorological front is that winter temperatures so far have been very mild. But that has been economically catastrophic for Oregon ski resorts:

“Oregon ski areas typically open for the season around Thanksgiving, but here we are in mid-December and the runs on Mounts Hood and Bachelor are still alarmingly snow free.

The multiple atmospheric rivers that swept through the Willamette Valley last week did nothing to help the mountains’ snowpack because it was too warm. It all fell as rain, just like it did down here. Willamette Week 12/15/25 (#11 – #12)

I’m finishing this post still on the topic of weather and relating a story about my late friend, author, Brian Doyle. He passed away from brain cancer, far too young at 60 in 2017. Acclaimed for his essays and novels, he was also Editor of the award-winning Portland Magazine published at the University of Portland.

More importantly, people loved Brian for his humor, compassion and sense of spirituality, family and nature. He also had a unique writing style that made his work captivating.

We became friends and Beerchasing buddies in early 2013 when I wrote to him after reading about the “Brian Doyle Humor Scholarship” at the University of Portland where my younger daughter attended.

“No joke – you could earn one of five $3,333 Brian Doyle Scholarships in Gentle & Sidelong Humor for students who propose a way to bring some laughs to the (UP campus.)

…The application should include a brief but detailed idea for a humorous project, which can be anything — videos, comic books, comedy nights, websites, performances, graphic novels, you name it!”

My letter stated that I was intrigued and impressed with this way to enhance campus life and wanted to “honor” him by naming him my next Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter – an accolade he could put on his resume right below Notary Public.

All it required, was for him to meet for a beer and an interview. Although a very busy guy, he agreed to meet me at the Fulton Pub. Brian drank wine, we had a wonderful conversation and a number of Beerchasing expeditions followed after that.

This talented author was also known as a gifted speaker. One reviewer wrote in 2010, “He’s an insanely intense and achingly vulnerable speaker who laughs and cries at his own stories.”

Brian spoke at a dinner of the Lang Syne Association in Portland in 2015. He gave one of his characteristic lists – things he appreciated about Oregon. Halfway through the inventory was this item: “A thorough patience and even appreciation for rain and mist and mud.” (emphasis supplied)

Brian and Dr. Sam Hollway at the St. John’s Pub

The next time we had a beer – at the St. John’s Pub on a stormy, yucky day, I chided him about paying tribute to our seemingly never-ending precipitation. Early the next day, I received a very short e-mail with only the words:

“Heh, Heh…”,

He attached an essay that was published in The American Scholar and included this excerpt:

“It has been raining so hard and thoroughly that the moss has moss on it. It has rained since last year, which is a remarkable sentence. Even the rain has had enough of the rain and it appears to be pale and weary when it shuffles to the lobby to punch in and out every day…….

Slugs have congregated in the basement and established a new religion complete with tithing expectations and plans for expansion into Latin American markets. Mold is now listed in the stock exchange.” (#13)

My tribute to Brian written in 2017 can be found here Brian Doyle – Beerchaser Eternal. It’s gloomy in Oregon today, but just remembering Brian, brightens up this and any day.

Happy New Year

External Photo Attribution

#1. – #2 AI Picsart

#3. Wikimedia Commons (File:Justin Herbert presnap against the Washington Commanders.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: All-Pro Reels – 16 October 2025.

#4. Wikimedia Commons (File:Madison Beer @ Grammy Museum 01 17 2024 (53835126344) (cropped).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Justin Higuchi 17 January 2024.

#5. Wikimedia Commons (File:MGM Music Hall at Fenway (54924676699).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Author: ajay_suresh – 8 November 2025.

#6. Wikimedia Commons (File:Madison Beer @ The Wiltern 11 28 2021 (51783561891).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Justin Higuchi – 28 November 2001.

#7. Justin Herbert Nation (https://www.facebook.com/groups/justinherbert/posts/1461114941857787/).

#8. Expedia.com (ski lift)

#9. Wikimedia Commons (File:Timberline Lodge – 226 (8409305012).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Mt. Hood Territory – 5 July 2005.

#10. Wikimedia Commons (File:February 4th Atmospheric River.png – Wikimedia Commons) This media file is in the public domain in the United States. Author: GOES-West satellite – 4 February 2024.

#11. City of Portland Government (https://www.portland.gov/bes/about-big-pipe).

#12. Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Downpour_in_Accra.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Fquasie – 22 March 2023.

#13. Wikimedia Commons (File:Nacktschnecke auf Steinen.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Perennis – 10 September 2019.

The Holy Ghost Bar – A Spiritual Progression

Posted on January 8, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome 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. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1 – #2)

I’ve been to a slew of bars and breweries in fourteen years of Beerchasing in which the establishment had a previous life – something distinctly different from a watering hole.

These have included automotive shops and garages, drycleaners and laundromats, printing shops and even lawyer offices and houses of ill repute (in one case, reportedly in the same quarters…) In many cases, the bar or brewery was initially another drinking establishment that went out of business or changed ownership.

Such is the case of The Holy Ghost – opened in November 2022 in Southeast Portland at the busy intersection of 28th and Gladstone. For decades, it was a funky dive bar – Pub at the End of the Universe – operated by the McCormick family – notable Portland restauranters. It closed in 2017.

“(The developer) has been researching the building and says it seems to have been built in the 1920s or earlier and played home to four or so tenants over the years. It was once a pharmacy with a tavern alongside, and before it was named Pub at the End of the Universe…” Portland Eater 12/15/17 (#3)

“A haven for all vibration”

“Pub at the End of the Universe has been established for over 30 years by the McCormick family. A haven for all vibration that liked to chill out and be treated like family. The Pub has a unique atmosphere with multi levels and full bar, pool and darts.

The music scene dates back to late 80’s with rock and roll and metal bands opening up the ears and eyes of the Pub….We were creating a place where folks can get together and be creative with the Universe.” Reverbnation.com

Why the Holy Ghost?

In 2024, I had two informal gatherings with colleagues involved with the Abbey Foundation of Oregon (I serve as VP of the Board). I was looking for a new Beerchasing venue and thought a religious theme would be appropriate.

Having already been to the wonderful Church Bar in 2013, I ruled that one out – maybe a good choice because in November, a patron was stabbed to death in the bar (The Oregonian.) https://thebeerchaser.com/2013/12/11/church-eat-drink-pray-repent/so

I also thought that the venerable Bar of the Gods – one of the first bars I visited early in 2012 – only six months after I started this hobby – would be inappropriate so I narrowed it down. (Notice the prices on the BOG menu….)

The Bible Club and The Holy Ghost both get great reviews and had convenient locations, but the latter got the edge because of its martinis. I met my former law firm colleague, Margaret Hoffman there and it was a good choice.

Marget is now retired and besides being honored in her profession as a top product liability litigator (Oregon Super Lawyer and named as one of the Best Lawyers in America), Margaret is an outstanding human being. She is also skilled at fly fishing and in her “spare time” spends additional court-time playing pickle-ball and traveling the world.

The Holy Ghost has a bright and attractive interior that has been totally refurbished since the Pub at the End of the Universe days. The only reference to elements of the trinity in the former were vodka, wine and beer.

Sid Chi, the friendly Bar Manager, since it opened in 2022, said the bar was named “after some song the owners liked.” Subsequent research revealed that it emanated from The Bar- Kays:

“The Bar-Kays is an American funk band formed in 1964. The band had dozens of charting singles from the 1960s to the 1980s, including ‘Soul Finger’ (US Billboard Hot 100 number 17, R&B number 3) in 1967, ‘Son of Shaft’ (R&B number 10) in 1972, and ‘Boogie Body Land’ (R&B number 7) in 1980.” (Wikipedia) (#4)

The_Bar-Kays_1968_press_photo

(In 1978, they had a hit single “The Holy Ghost” that rose to #9 on the US Rhythm and Blue Chart.)

“Your love is like the Holy Ghostshakin’ all in my bonesI never felt such a feelin’In all the days I been round, yeahWhenever I feel the pressure(Jah!) I can’t seem to hypnotize my mind(Well!) Your love is like the Holy GhostAnd I feel like I’ve been born a second time.” (Genius.com)

Margaret and I are both martini drinkers (me with gin and her with vodka) so we didn’t take advantage of their extensive cocktail/mocktail selection which draws rave reviews. And the Holy Ghost Gin Fizz may be worth returning:

“We’re really into the idea of the gin fizz. It’s a great drink but no one wants to make it because it takes so long to shake,” Caraeff says, describing the five-minute shaking process it takes to mix a proper version of the New Orleans classic.

So, the team purchased a number of bubble tea shaking machines to do the work for them. It still takes a solid five minutes to make, a fact that is outlined on the menu, but that’s just part of the charm.” (Portland Eater)

Cocktail “Heaven”

But the gin fizz is not the only innovative concoction as evidenced by this excerpt from Wikipedia:

“Among cocktails on the mezcal and tequila-focused drink menu is a ranch water with infused tequila, a mezcal old fashioned with Cazadores Reposado, and an Altos Plata Aperol spritz. Holy Ghost also serves a drink with bubblegum-infused vodka.

The bar has a 400-bottle agave collection and also serves beer, wine (including sparkling varieties), and low-ABV and non-alcoholic drinks made with drinking vinegars, Seedlip, and syrups. One mocktail has gin, ginger, hibiscus, and raspberry, and another is a whiskey chai.”

Quite often in these posts, I go into a detailed description of the bar, but in this case the photos below convey it better than a narrative. Evidently, the total refurbishing of the bar was done through a collaboration between Three-on-a-Match Bar Group and Guerilla Development Co. both of which are very innovative firms.

A principal in the Match Group is Ezra Ace Caraeff – a well-known figure in Portland and former Music Editor for the Portland Mercury.

I always try to visit an establishment twice before doing my review and in November, I returned – again with Abbey Foundation Board members, John Meek, John Limb and Gene Dieringer.

Both Meek and Limb are recent Board Presidents and we affectionately refer to them as First and Second John, although I avoided my inclination of an initial toast of:

“In the beginning was the Word…..”

While the Holy Ghost doesn’t serve food, it shares part of the building with The Electric – a pizzeria and 28 Tigers – a dumpling and noodle shop. There is a nice patio with a fire pit that is very popular with patrons and the social media reviews of the offerings are quite positive.

There’s good street parking available and the only real complaint is that the acoustics aren’t great and carrying a conversation can be a problem, although we didn’t experience that. It’s also sometimes challenging to find a seat.

Portland is fortunate to have the Three on a Match Bar Group which appears to have the same mission as Portland entrepreneurs and “bar revivalists” Marcus Archambeault and Warren Boothby.

The other Three on a Match bars are

Another good Portland watering hole

Cheers and Happy New Year

External Photo Attribution

#1. – #2. Holy Ghost Bar Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/holyghostbar/photos).

#3. Pub at the End of the Universe Facebook Page (PUB at the END of the Universe | Portland, OR | Shows, Schedules, and Directions | ReverbNation).

#4. Public Domain – Wikipedia Commons (File:The Bar-Kays 1968 press photo.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: Distributed by Stax Records. The Bar-Kays in a press photo from the late 1960s. – 1968.

Should Old Acquaintances be Forgot?

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Thebeerchaser

Besides Wayfinder Brewing, which I reviewed in my last Beerchaser post, I’ve been back on the trail the last two months and had first-time visits to a number of breweries and bars that I’ll be sharing with you in future posts.

These include Binary, Von Ebert, and Pono breweries, the Wildwood Saloon and the Basement Pub – the latter a wonderful neighborhood bar on Portland’s SE side. Stay tuned and here’s a preview with some photos below:

That said and without trying to be maudlin at the start of a new year, I feel compelled to recognize three great Portland establishments – two that recently closed and one that will in the next few months. No glitzy brewery with shiny taps and sleek modern furniture can replace them.

“And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!

and surely I’ll buy mine!

And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,

for Auld Lang Syne.”

The Jolly Roger

A June, 2022 Willamette Week article entitled, “Beloved Southeast Portland Dive the Jolly Roger Is on Its Final Voyage,” relates how co-owners for the last twenty years, Rob and Starr Jackson, negotiated with their landlord for an early exit on their lease.

“Admittedly, civic preservationists may have reason to worry about the Jolly’s truly irreplaceable feature.

Jackson admits there’s no clear plan on what will become of the bar’s justly treasured signage—a majestic freestanding pylon sign shaped like a ship’s mast at a height no longer sanctioned—but it’s evaded the wrecking ball before.”

For twenty years, an eastside landmark!

“….the property was bought by developers whose plans are for a five-story, 100-plus-unit residential complex……’We got destroyed during all the conflicts,’ (Portland protests and riots) Jackson tells WW.

‘No matter how much we tried to fix the building, people kept hurting it, and the police were unavailable to help.’ “ (emphasis added)

(Another sad commentary on the City of Portland’s disastrous inability to protect its streets and businesses during the pandemic.)

Portland’s permitting process is notoriously slow – a blessing for regulars at the JR because the original closing was supposed to be on Super Bowl Sunday. A bartender told me in a phone call today, however, that it has been extended to April or until the developers get the final go-ahead for their project.

I hit the Jolly Roger with my friend and Beerchasing Regular, Hillary Barbour, whose other Beerchasing exploits have included The Verne and Mad Hanna – a Reed College alum who appreciates dive bars….

And the Jolly Roger certainly fits the definition of a classic dive as you can see from the photos below – the cheap beer, video machines, dark and windowless rooms, historic beer signs and the restrooms which are consistent with dive bar standards. It is memorable and Portlanders will be sorry to see it set sail.

While the SE location will be missed, fortunately the Jackson’s have two other locations – the Jolly Roger at John’s Landing and the Sports Page in Beaverton.

Perhaps the historic ship’s mast should be placed at the top of Portland City Hall. Then all the City would need is a rudder……..!

A Buried Treasure Disappears

Photo Nov 15, 5 08 29 PM (2)

One of the establishments I reviewed in 2016, was one I visited for lunch many times while I was working at the law firm before retirement in 2011. The Schwabe firm was only two short blocks away from Mummy’s – an iconic Egyptian Lounge and Restaurant in the basement of another building.

It was owned by two unforgettable Egyptian brothers, Ghobvial and Phillip Mounir. They bartended, cooked and served the food – they were the only “employees.” They opened Mummy’s in about 1986.

Photo Nov 15, 5 48 26 PM

I used to take some of our Summer Associates (law school clerks) there for lunch. Since we were competing with other law firms to recruit them, these top students were typically wined and dined at Portland’s finest restaurants – Higgins, the Heathman Grille, Jake’s, etc.

To our Recruiting Director’s initial horror, I would usually take them to Mummy’s – that is until without exception, they would tell her that they loved the “tomb experience,” – the ambiance, Pyramid Beer, the brothers’ hospitality and the good Egyptian cuisine:

And the Schwabe managers and my family surprised me after hosting my 2011 retirement dinner at nearby Nel Centro, with an after-dinner reception at Mummy’s – it was memorable – in fact, there is a video someplace in the Ethernet of me reluctantly sharing the floor with a belly dancer, who was performing that night.

The last time I was there was for late afternoon drinks with two of my favorite Schwabe lawyers, Brian (Brain) King and Margaret Hoffman – both skilled litigators who have since retired. We met at the firm at 5:00 and headed on our two-block journey – like a reverse exodus of the Children of Israel.

Even though it had been five years since I had been to their establishment, when I walked in, Ghobvial immediately exclaimed, “Schwabe!” and pointed towards what had been my favorite booth.

Photo Nov 15, 5 22 12 PM

Whether it was the pandemic or the brothers deciding to forsake the daily grind, Mummy’s closed permanently in 2022.

Another possible theory was one I came across today in the Morning Brew newsletter – the ubiquitous arbiters of political correctness conceptually assigned the establishment to the same fate as one of Egypt’s most famous mummies Ramesses the Great, who was evidently ready to depart at the age of 90 after reigning for almost sixty years:

“Because of the many battles he fought, Ramesses’ body showed evidence of healed injuries and arthritis; his arteries were hardened; and he had a large dental infection that might have killed him.” (Photo attribution #1)

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ramses_i_mummy.jpg

You see, the word “mummy” itself has now been banished or exiled to the toxic waste dump of no-longer acceptable terms.

Examples include “manhole” – now “maintenance hole” ; “unemployed” – now “involuntarily leisured”; “master bedroom” – now “primary suite”; or “wrong” – now “differentially logical”; etc. etc. etc.

And don’t forget elimination of “The Civil War” for the annual Oregon State vs. U of Oregon football game.

“Some museums want you to remember that mummies were once—a really long time ago—people, too. A trio of British museum organizations said they will avoid using the word “mummy” whenever possible, and swap it out with “mummified remains of” or “mummified person.”

Well Mummy’s may be gone, but it will not be forgotten – neither the name, the brothers, the food nor the ambiance and charm.

Sloan’s Tavern – Goodbye and Keep on Truckin’

One of Portland’s most iconic neighborhood bars closed on December 30, 2022 as reported by Willamette Week in an article: “Sloan’s Tavern is Remember by Regulars and Former Employees Following Its Closure“:

“(Sloan’s) closed for good Dec. 30 following Sloan’s sale of the property to developers— they plan to build a seven-story apartment building on the land, and (Shirley) Sloan will settle into a well-earned retirement.

Nostalgic well-wishers spent the last few weeks of 2022 coming by for one last visit and often to learn just how little they really knew about the establishment.”

And why do I describe this establishment as “iconic”? Well, just check the photo of the exterior wall on its west side in the photos I took when I reviewed the bar in 2016 – you can also view a younger Beerchaser from that visit….

Co-owner Bob Sloan also owned a body shop (Sloan’s Custom Body and Paint) next door and did skilled body and restorative work on classic autos. His specialty, however, was working on Freightliner Trucks which is evident from the exterior wall and a Freightliner grill built right into the bar.

When a café next door to the body shop run by an elderly lady closed, they bought the property and opened the bar in 1979. (The entire property was originally a creamery that opened in 1926.) Some reviews labeled it a “dive bar,” but it is no such thing.

When I interviewed this charming and classy lady in 2016, Shirley described Sloan’s as “My living room.”

The Bridgetown Bites blog conveys the décor aptly:

“Notable elements of the décor there at Sloan’s is the ‘frozen in time’ 1970s look inside; the semi-truck cab jutting out from the building; and the Chicago Coin Band-Box jukebox, a rare thing to find anywhere in the U.S. (it’s estimated there are only about 10 of them operating around the country).

Put in a quarter and you’ll see the figurines at the top dancing and playing the musical instruments in their hands, in time to whatever tune you picked (mostly Country music).”

P1040022

I was joined on my visit to Sloan’s by friends “West Coast” Dave Hicks, a San Francisco consultant with whom I worked in law firm days and John Horvick. People in the NW will recognize< John as an oft-quote political and polling consultant at the respected firm DHM Research and with whom I served on the Board of the City Club of Portland.

The three of us enjoyed the ambiance and the food (essentially home-cooked since it’s Shirley’s living room….). I’m sure they join me and other Portlanders who said farewell to this Albina area neighborhood institution. It’s one of a number of bars that will now exist only in our good memories.

P1040014

May Shirley Sloan have a wonderful retirement and let’s hope the Oregon Historical Society or some other protector of historical artifacts gains possession of the Chicago Coin Band-Box jukebox.