Bar Culture – Part II

Posted on May 14, 2021 by Thebeerchaser

(Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. Since this is a long post, if you are seeing it 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.)

In the last post on this blog, I captured one of the five questions posed by Cassie Ruud, Editor of the Portland online newsletter Bridgeliner in a 4/23 article on bar culture.

Check out the link below to see Thebeerchaser post on which it was based, which includes a lot of great pictures illustrating the eclectic elements of bar culture I’ve witnessed in reviewing almost 400 bars and breweries in the last ten years:

https://thebeerchaser.com/2021/05/03/a-petri-dish-bar-culture-part-i/

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This post will address the second question posed by Cassie in the Bridgeliner article entitled “The Foamy Culture of Portland Pubs with Beerchaser Don Williams.”

My major premise, based on personal experience, is that Portland bar culture doesn’t differ significantly from that of bars in Eastern Oregon, on the Oregon Coast, New England, Savannah or Charleston in the Southeastern US, or for that matter, Amsterdam or Venice.

The pictures below illustrate my premise that while each bar has different and interesting external trappings, the overall culture of bars throughout the world – the abstract meld of all the elements ranging from furnishings to music to the unique blend of personalities of the staff and regulars – is shared in these establishments

Ebenezer’s Pub in Lovell, Maine in 2018 where we entered Beer Heaven.

In the ten years I have been Beerchasing, I have been to almost 400 bars and breweries from my home in Portland, Oregon to watering holes throughout the state – the Eastern Oregon desert to the beautiful coast.

I visited bars like Darwin’s Theory in Anchorage, to those in the southeastern US from Charleston to Atlanta to Savannah, where at The Original Pinkie Masters bar shown in the picture below, the 3/4/13 edition of the Savannah Morning News reported:

“As the oldest running watering hole downtown and one made famous when President Jimmy Carter announced his candidacy while standing on the bar…..”

I was welcomed in each and they all felt like home!

There is the dark ambiance of historic Durty Nelly’s in Boston, or the spacious charm of the Horner Pub – surrounded by majestic peaks in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland – where tourists like us rubbed shoulders with the amazing “cliff divers” or the farmers, foresters or innkeepers who live in the village of 2,300 at the foot of 9,744 Mt. Schilthorn, where there is also a Taverne right near the summit.

But I can also experience the vibe by just driving twenty-five minutes to downtown Portland – only about seven blocks from the high-rise office building where I worked for twenty-five years – to the Yamhill Pub – one step below a dive, but a grunge bar that at one time sold more PBR than any watering hole in Oregon.

Staying in Oregon, I can drive across the beautiful Cascade Mountains through the Central Oregon desert and visit one of the cowboy bars in Eastern Oregon such as the Long Branch in LaGrande – “well known for its home style cooking and the most reasonably priced food and drinks in town.”

Cassie’s second question in the Bridgeliner article was:

Has the culture gone through any observable changes from your perspective? If so, what kind?

It goes without saying, we have to separate pre and post pandemic. I’ll base this on the nine years I’ve been Beerchasing prior to the pandemic. During that time, I’ve witnessed minimal change in what we are describing as culture.

That said, if one goes back further, there were some monumental changes affecting the character, operation and economics of bars and taverns.

I’ll defer to my friend, author Matt Love, who for thirty years, studied and wrote about bars on the Oregon Coast. I originally met Matt through his blog – Let it Pour – (Thebeerchaser is modeled after it) where he wrote about his experiences and love for the dive bars up and down the coast.

Matt Love – A talented writer/author, publisher and friend.

Matt is the owner of the Nestucca Spit Press – a small publishing house he formed in 2002, and you should check out its offerings. In 2009, Love won the Oregon Literary Arts’ Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award for his contributions to Oregon history and literature.

He conveys the contrast between contemporary bars and those in the ’60’s – 70’s in the Introduction of his marvelous book-within-a magazine entitled, “Oregon Tavern Age”:

“It was the halcyon days of Oregon tavern life; no liquor, no craft beers, no meth, no video poker or slots, smoke-filled, and the classic cheap Pacific Northwest lagers brewed in the Pacific Northwest by union men reigned supreme….Customers watched Perry Mason on low volume and read mildewed Louis L’Amour titles from the lending libraries tucked away in dark corners.”

In a three and one-half day tour of bars and breweries on the Central Oregon Coast in 2014, I found that many of the dives Matt reviewed still maintained the atmosphere and character which captivated both of us in these “institutions.”

The pictures below show some of the favorites: The Sportsman Pub and Grub in Pacific City, where Matt was the “Writer in Residence,” the Old Oregon Saloon (“The Old O”) and the Cruise Inn – right in the heart of Lincoln City.

Don’t forget the Bay Haven Inn that goes back to 1908 along the docks in Newport, or the Mad Dog Country Tavern up the Bay about a mile, where you could get some hardboiled eggs or Hot Mama pickled sausages both of which had been “fermenting” in large jars probably since the second FDR Administration…. P1020651

And the unforgettable Tide Pool Pub in Depoe Bay, where Vicki, the owner, claimed (with some credibility) she made the best pizza on the Oregon Coast. She also told us about how her dad took her to one of the first “Take Your Kids to Work Days” when she was in grade school in Chicago and her dad worked in a slaughter house!

Vicki at the Tide Pool with Steve Larson and Dave Booher

One final note on the Tide Pool which will give you an idea of why Matt Love is such a good writer, is his description of the bar’s Tank of Death – a fascinating and bizarre “aquarium” which captures the attention of anyone entering the bar:

“……..a salt-water glass coffin called the Tank of Death. It is packed with all manner of marine creatures caught by local fishermen who bucket in their curious finds and dump them in. Eels, crabs, sea bass, perch, Dick Cheney, octipi and urchins all end up in the mix……….

According to the bartender, aquatic creatures regularly stage a battle royal to the death and the tank serves as a Roman arena of savagery and merciless predation – with bets slapped down and accelerated drinking when the water turns a creamy, cloudy red.”

The Tank of Death – a salt water coffin…

Matt alludes to two monumental shifts altering bar culture – the advent of video poker – in the late 80’s and the end of smoking inside Oregon bars in 1984. Why? Because much of the dialogue and story-telling disappeared.

Instead of thick plumes of nicotine laden smoke from Camels, Winstons or Marlboros circling above the heads of those at the bar or at individual tables where they told tales, the smokers escaped frequently to the front or rear exits – maybe a small patio – where they puffed in solitude.

In fact, one wag stated that he was concerned about the end of smoking at Portland’s legendary Horse Brass Pub, not because of losing the clientele, but “we assumed its billowing, milkshake-thick clouds of cigarette smoke were load-bearing structural elements of the building without which the sprawling pub would collapse.”

The Horse Brass Pub – a Portland classic where secondary smoke still lingers….

The ubiquitous video slots with their Siren Song began beckoning those who rationalize that they are helping to fund a playground or civic center with this “sin tax” on Oregon gamblers. (Twice, I have witnessed patrons frantically go through several hundred dollars while I was having a pint.)

While these two developments forever changed certain elements of bar culture not only in Oregon, but throughout the US and Europe, I am not as pessimistic as Matt Love appeared to be in the final entry to his blog in 2004.

Institutions adapt and while the advent of video poker altered the physical trappings and interpersonal interactions, watering holes acclimated and most survived – just as most will emerge from the pandemic as the familiar gathering place of regulars.

I’m looking forward to discussing this with Matt when we have a beer this summer!

Matt and an illustration from “Oregon Tavern Age.”

Appendix by Matt Love from his blog – “Let it Pour”

“I love these taverns, so much in fact, that six years ago I began writing about the ones on the Oregon Coast where I live.…(in his excellent blog Letitpour.net) After all this exploration, doubtless I am an expert on Oregon taverns. Thus, it is with sadness that I declare the unique cultural institution of the independent Oregon tavern is dead.

The state of Oregon seriously wounded it with video poker, and more recently with the introduction of line games (slots), killed it altogether.….In 1991 when the Oregon Legislature directed the Oregon Lottery to allow video poker in taverns and bars…..it was a frenzy.

Then in 2005, line games were introduced into Oregon’s taverns and bars…..Sure, the pool and darts continue, but these taverns are not the same, and I know because I drank beer in them before they were enlisted by the state to raise revenue from the pockets of vulnerable, occasionally inebriated people. What is especially sad is to have witnessed how video poker slowly transformed taverns from gritty bastions of independence into de-facto tax collectors for the state….Rest in peace Oregon tavern.”

Thebeerchasers List of Bars, Taverns and Pubs – the US and Europe

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Thebeerchaser

(For a list of all Portland bars reviewed, see the blog post dated 12/26/2015 immediately below this post.)

Those who follow this blog know that Thebeerchaser’s journey, begun in August 2011, was intended to be a tour of Portland bars, taverns and pubs with observations posted on the blog. Since we had just retired and started traveling with much greater intensity than during working years, the hobby expanded to include watering holes throughout the United State and Europe. You can probably understand how that might happen!!

Beerchasers-of-the Quarter, John Terry and Jim Westwood in our 2012 visit to the historic Goose Hollow Inn

Beerchasers-of-the Quarter, John Terry and Jim Westwood with former Portland Mayor Bud Clark in our 2012 visit to the historic Goose Hollow Inn

The “dedication” to Portland watering holes has not been compromised during the ensuing four and one-half years as evidenced by the list of 69 Portland establishments listed by sector of the City on Thebeerchaser post dated 12/26/15. The list of the bars outside Portland through August 2016 – five years since the “journey” commenced – is at the bottom of this post.

Dave, Steve and animals at the Central Pastime in Burns

A 2013 trip to Central and Eastern Oregon with my brother-in-law, Dave Booher and his good friend, Steve Larson from Pendleton was so enjoyable that it “compelled” me to expand the geography on the bars visited. For example, stories from the Central Pastime Tavern in Burns and the Long Branch Saloon in LaGrande just had to be told.

When my wife and I visited Europe for the first time in 2013 on a Rick Steves’ Best of Europe tour – six countries in twenty-one hectic but glorious days – our experience at the Devil’s Forest Pub in Venice, the Publican Bar in Beaune France, having a brewski at 9,700 near the summit of Mt. Schilthorn, as well as being chased out of the Beer Station in Paris (the only establishment in 53 months that objected to me taking pictures in their bar) also deserved relating.

Bier at the top of Mt. Schilthorn in Switzerland

Bier near the top of Mt. Schilthorn in Switzerland

Well, you understand the story….the next year, Dave, Steve and I repeated our prior three-day journey to Oregon’s desert country in 2013 with a similar sojourn along the Central Oregon Coast.

Aided by studying the wonderful blog of author and journalist, Matt Love, entitled “Let it Pour – An unconventional drinking guide to the north and central oregon coast” – a worthy predecessor to my blog – we hit thirteen taverns in three days in Lincoln City, Newport, Depoe Bay and Pacific City.

The legendary "Death Tank" at the Tide Pool Inn in Depoe Bay

The legendary “Tank of Death” at the Tide Pool Pub in Depoe Bay

We tasted the wonderful pizza and marveled at the Tank of Death at Depoe Bay’s Tide Pool Pub “a salt-water glass coffin….. packed with all manner of marine creatures caught by local fishermen who bucket in their curious finds and dump them in. Eels, crabs, sea bass, perch, Dick Cheney, octipi and urchins all end up in the mix.

We heard stories about Paul Newman’s inebriated exploits during the filming of “Sometimes a Great Notion” in Newport, by Steve the friendly bartender in the historic Bay Haven Inn and we reveled in the great bars along the coast.

Tales of Paul Newman while filming Ken Kesey’s classic

Oh yeah, I forgot the “splendor” of one of the West’s great dive bars – the Sportsman Pub and Grub in Pacific City.

Dave and Steve at the Sportsman Pub and Grub in Pacific City

As I have stated before, I owe much of the “success” of this blog – 17,906 views by 14,179 visitors in 2015, to my wife, Janet’s, (Beerchaser-of-the Year in 2014) willingness to switch from her preferred beverage of wine to beer when we visited breweries.

New Belgium was our favorite in Fort Collins, Colorado. We raised mugs and talked to wonderful people in bars in Alaska (2014), Colorado (2015) and the Southeast U.S. (2015 – Atlanta, Asheville, Charleston and Savannah).

The New Belgium Brewery in Ft. Collins

And the summer of 2015 also included outstanding visits to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks after visiting some great bars and brewpubs in Missoula and Helena, Montana. The narrative was posted in 2016.

Listening to live music in the bar at Jackson Lake Lodge in the Tetons

Some great Montana beer!

A bar with Southern charm in Charleston, South Carolina

Janet has one inviolate rule – “No dive bars for her!” I might add that this is notwithstanding my explanation on the ambiance and hospitable nature of dive bars as asserted by the author of this quote:

“Dive bars can be a wonderful thing — I’m not talking about the type of place where you’re afraid of getting a shiv in the bathroom, but a comfortable, neighborhood establishment where locals go to enjoy each other’s company and a drink or five….It’s like sitting in your own living room – only with a bunch of surly strangers who are on the verge of inebriation.”

The Ship in Multnomah – one of my favorite dive bars

Well, the end result appears below in a chronologic listing of bars visited outside Portland – broken down by state or country – a total of ninety-six during the 53 months of Thebeerchaser’s tour.

—————-

Stay tuned for the posting on this Poulsbo, WA. brewery

How to Use This List of Bars Outside Portland

The month of the posting (not the date we visited it) for each bar or pub on the list below is in the far right column, so if you want to glean some details or see pictures of a particular bar, just click on the link of the applicable month and year shown in columnar form on the right side of your computer screen and you will see each of the bars reviewed in that particular month.

You may also want to do a search in the box at the top right of the blog header although a number of the bars are mentioned in multiple posts and you might not get the most comprehensive review unless you scroll down a bit. And if you want to receive an e-mail with a link each time I do a new Beerchaser post, sign up in the small box labeled “Follow” at the lower right hand side of your screen.

Cheers!

1	2012	Port Townsend, Washington	Pour House	August
2	2012	Astoria	Desdemona	September
3	2012	Astoria	Wet Monkey Cafe	September
4	2012	Joseph	Embers Brew Pub	October

1	2013	Prineville	Solstice Brew Pub	November
2	2013	Prineville	Horseshoe Tavern	November
3	2013	LaGrande	Long Branch Saloon	November
4	2013	LaGrande	Hideout Saloon	November
5	2013	LaGrande	10 Depot Bar	November
6	2013	Baker City	Bull Ridge Brewery	Closed in 2014
7	2013	Baker City	Mt. Emily Ale House	November
8	2013	Burns	Central Pastime Tavern	November
9	2013	Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland	Horner Pub and Tavern	September
10	2013	Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland	Mt. Schilthorn Tavern	September
11	2013	Arnheim, Austria	Bier Brewery	July
12	2013	Rothenburg, Germany	Hell’s Tavern	July
13	2013	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Café Karperschoek	June
14	2013	Vernazza, Italy	Blue Marlin Café	September
15	2013	Beaune, France	Publican Bar	September
16	2013	Rome, Italy	Miscellana Café	September
17	2013	Venice, Italy	Devil’s Forrest Café	July
18	2013	Venice, Italy	Bacaro Jazz Café	July
19	2013	Paris, France	Beer Station	September
20	2013	Paris, France	La Vin Cover Café	September

1	2014	Anchorage	Darwin’s Theory	July
2	2014	Anchorage	Humpy’s Great Alaskan Ale House	July
3	2014	Anchorage	Pioneer Bar	July
4	2014	Anchorage	Glacier Brewery	July
5	2014	Anchorage	Snow Goose Brewery	July
6	2014	Haines	Haines Brewery	July
7	2014	Juneau	Red Dog Saloon	July
8	2014	Lincoln City	Old Oregon Saloon	September
9	2014	Lincoln City	Rusty Truck Brewery – Road House 101	October
10	2014	Pacific City	Sportsman Pub and Grub	October
11	2014	Pacific City	Oar House	October
12	2014	Pacific City	Pelican Pub and Brewery	October
13	2014	Lincoln City	Snug Harbor Bar and Grill	November
14	2014	Lincoln City	Nauti Mermaid	November
15	2014	Lincoln City	Cruise Inn	November
16	2014	Depoe Bay	Tide Pool Inn	November
17	2014	Newport	Hoovers	November
18	2014	Newport	Bay Haven Bar	November
19	2014	Newport	Mad Dog Country Tavern	November
20	2014	Dundee	Lumpy’s Landing	November

1	2015	Boulder	Crystal Springs Brewing	February
2	2015	Boulder	The Sink	February
3	2015	Boulder	Avery Brewing	February
4	2015	Boulder	Gravity Brewing	February
5	2015	Boulder	Post Brewing	February
6	2015	Fort Collins	New Belgium Brewery	May
7	2015	Breckenridge	Gold Pan Saloon	May
8	2015	Fort Collins	Town Pump	May
9	2015	Fort Collins	Mayor of Old Town	May
10	2015	Colorado Springs	Ritz Bar and Grill	May
11	2015	Colorado Springs	Phantom Canyon Brewing	May
12	2015	Breckenridge	Angel Hollow Bar	May
13	2015	Breckenridge	Apres’ Handcrafted Libations	May
14	2015	Breckenridge	Ollie’s Pub and Grub	May
15	2015	Dillon	Dillon Dam Brewery	May
16	2015	Breckenridge	Breckenridge Brewery	May
17	2015	Breckenridge	Broken Compass Brewery	May
18	2015	Atlanta, Georgia	Max’s Wine Dive	July
19	2015	Atlanta, Georgia	Eleventh Street Pub and Bistro	July
20	2015	Atlanta, Georgia	The Nook on Piedmont Park	July
21	2015	Asheville, North Carolina	Wicked Weed Brewery	July
22	2015	Asheville, North Carolina	Lexington Avenue Brewery	July
23	2015	Asheville, North Carolina	Jack of the Woods Public House	July
24	2015	Charleston, South Carolina	Blind Tiger Pub	September
25	2015	Charleston, South Carolina	Charleston Beer Exchange	September
26	2015	Charleston, South Carolina	The Gin Joint	September
27	2015	Charleston, South Carolina	South End Brewery and Smokehouse	September
28	2015	Savannah, Georgia	Pinky’s Master Lounge	September
29	2015	Savannah, Georgia	The Boar’s Head Grill and Tavern	September
30	2015	Savannah, Georgia	JJ Bonerz Sports Bar	September
31	2015	Savannah,Georgia	Moon River Brew Pub	September
1	2016	Missoula, Montana	Tamarack Brewery	February
2	2016	Missoula, Montana	Stockman Bar	February
3	2016	Missoula, Montana	Big Sky Brewing	February
4	2016	Missoula, Montana	Flathead Lake Brewery	February
5	2016	Missoula, Montana	Draught Works Brewery	February
6	2016	Missoula, Montana	Kettle House Brewing	February
7	2016	Missoula, Montana	Charlie B’s Bar	February
8	2016	Missoula, Montana	Oxford Bar	February
9	2016	Missoula, Montana	Plonk Wine Bar	February
10	2016	Helena, Montana	Blackfoot River Brewing	July
11	2016	Helena, Montana	Lewis and Clark Brewery	July
12	2016	Grand Teton Natl. Park	Jackson Lake Lodge Bar	July
13	2016	Jackson, Wyoming	Local Restaurant and Bar	July
14	2016	Jackson, Wyoming	Gather Food and Drink	July
15	2016	Jackson, Wyoming	Million Dollar Cowboy Bar	July
16	2016	Jackson, Wyoming	Melvin Brewing	July
17	2016	West Yellowstone, Wyoming	Wild West Pizzeria and Saloon	July
19	2016	Lihue, Kauai	Kauai Beer Company	May
20	2016	Lihue, Kauai	Dukes Bar and Grill	May
21	2016	Port Allen, Kauai	Kauai Island Brewing Company	May
22	2016	Lihue, Kauai	Nawiliwili Tavern	May

Cheers!

Outside the Horner Pub in Lauderbrauden, Switzerland

Outside the Horner Pub in Lauterbrunnen , Switzerland

Kelly’s Olympian – Old but Still Chipper and What a Great Name!

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Thebeerchaser

Kelly’s – Operating since 1902!

Those of you who have followed Thebeerchaser know that notwithstanding the name, this blog is not a rigorous journalistic or academic study of beer. Although, I love microbrews, I am always pleased and will opt for a $2.50 Happy-hour PBR rather than an esoteric and more expensive craft beer.

: Darwin’s Theory – a wonderful dive bar in Anchorage

Rather, this blog chronicles my journey to what is now over a hundred bars, taverns and pubs in the last four years in Portland and the far reaches of Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, the southeastern US and several countries in Europe.

Dive bars are preferred, but regardless, this investigation involves dissecting the history and character of the watering holes, interviewing the bartenders and regulars and commenting on the distinguishing characteristics of each establishment.

: The taverne at the summit of 9,744 foot Mt. Schilthorn in Switzerland

And one of the most enjoyable parts of these junkets has been the companions with whom I raise a mug. In many cases this has been Janet, my wonderful spouse of 35 years, (one reason she was named 2014 Beerchaser-of-the-Year) but others have included lawyers, investment analysts, academicians, consultants, retired friends and just plain folk (although no animals) to this point.

From left: Thebeerchaser; Jack, Amy and Charlie Faust, Jim Westwood and Jennifer Johnson

The most recent Beerchaser event was at Kelly’s Olympian – a unique (and I use that word with mindfulness of hyperbole) dive bar right in the heart of downtown Portland. Fortunately, my five companions that day were as fascinating as the bar in which we gathered.

Let’s begin with the bar. Kelly’s, opened in 1902, is the third oldest bar/restaurant in continuous operation in Portland and per the Kelly’s website:

The name was derived from the name of one of the original owners, “Kelly”, and the Olympia Brewing Company, which was involved in the inaugural opening so that it could sell its product, Olympia Beer. It was originally called “The Olympian Saloon”. The name “Kelly’s” was added a few years later…..

In the early days, it was a popular gathering spot for locals as well as visiting timbermen, sailors, shipyard workers, longshoremen and others passing through. In addition to being a popular bar, it had the reputation for having one of the most well known card rooms in all of Portland…and was truly a landmark.

Downtown on 4th and Washington

Legend has it that there used to be several secret entrances to the Shangai Tunnels, where Chinese immigrants and dockworkers lived and made their way about the underground of Portland.

……In one section of the basement is a peculiar patching of the wall and remnants of an old tile floor, from a rumored “speakeasy” that existed during the Prohibition years of the 1930′s.

The Bar at Kelly’s

So what’s changed from the early 1900’s and is Kelly’s still imbued with the personality chronicled in its archives? Or is it just another old bar struggling to survive given the advent of shiny brewpubs and corporate establishments proclaiming the 99 beers on tap available to patrons.

This excerpt from Barfly provides evidence (and I believe our group would concur) that it is the former:

There’s no longer a piss-trough down the foot of the bar……. After more than a century, adjustments have to be made to any establishment. Women can come and go these days, the cellar tunnels to the port have been sealed, and, a few years back, once three generations of family ownership changed hands, a dozen vintage motorcycles were hung from the ceiling.

Weird, that – sorta awful, sorta crazy – but, beyond niggling details (HD screens, paint job, more-than-edible food), it’s the same old bar. Servers still descend the trapdoor behind the bar to get ice. (Verified with Lucia, the Manager, that this is still the case and that’s where their kegs are also stored – see the picture below.)

Mary Kate opened the trap door and shows the steps descending to the cellar

Elderly regulars maintain their presence. The shoeshine stand disappeared, tragically, but a decent sound system lures rising bands and tastemaker DJ’s…… (the music started in 2008)…..(Barfly)

Faust (right) Beerchasing at the U of O

Before some additional comments about the bar, let’s talk a bit about my companions that day. Two of them (Portland lawyers Jack Faust and Jim Westwood) are former “honorees” as Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter by this blog. (Check the links on their names.) In fact, Westwood is the one who suggested we congregate at Kelly’s).

Westwood with caricature of his hero – George Washington

After having worked at a law firm (Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt) with over 100 attorneys for twenty-five years, my concern that at least three lawyers are really essential for meaningful dialogue, was allayed when Jennifer Johnson, Dean of Lewis and Clark Law School joined the group.

Jennifer’s career is impressive and besides, she is a great drinking companion! After law school, she was awarded a prestigious clerkship for Judge Alfred Goodwin in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

She then worked at the Davies Bigg firm (now Stoel Rives) specializing in real estate finance and land use, before joining the law school faculty in 1980, where her teaching awards are numerous and impressive including the Leo Levenson and Burlington Northern Foundation awards for excellence in teaching.

In 2008, Dean Johnson was named Jeffrey Bain Faculty Scholar in recognition of her exemplary teaching and scholarship in business law and was installed as the Erskine Wood Sr. Professor of Law. She became Dean of the Law School in 2014.

An award-winning professor before becoming Dean

I enjoyed talking to her when we first met at the Rookery, but heard from a friend – one of the 2015 graduating law students – how she distinguished herself at their graduation ceremony.

US Senator and Lewis and Clark Law School alumnus, Heidi Hietkamp, was scheduled to deliver the commencement address. But thanks to the dysfunctional body which may be mislabeled as the “Upper Chamber,” she was detained in Washington D.C. because of a Rand Paul’s filibuster on the National Security Agency’s controversial bulk collection of Americans’ phone records.

Lewis and Clark Law School Alum – Senator Heidi Hietkamp

Jennifer found out on Friday that the North Dakota Senator would not be able to make it to Oregon by Saturday afternoon. So Jennifer, pinch hit after writing her remarks on what turned out to be a long Friday night.

When I attended a graduation party for the law graduate the next evening, he and his parents both raved about how Jennifer “hit it out of the park,” with her remarks. They opined that it was the highlight of the ceremony.

: Beerchasing at the Rookery – no Charlie Faust but add Schwabe attorney, Jennifer Woodhouse (left)

And before discussing Amy and Charlie Faust who rounded out on contingent, we should digress and mention that the same group we had at Kelly’s had Beerchased about six months earlier at The Rookery – at that time a fairly new and classy bar on SW Broadway.

The contrast in environment at the Rookery is described in one September 2014 Yelp review as:

“….really charming, I have a fondness for restoration projects and they did a wonderful job. We were eager to sample local brews and dig into taste bites….We ordered the charcuterie plate, mac & cheese and corned beef stuffed Yorkshire pudding.…….The mac & cheese was one of the best I can recall in ages and I never thought about stuffing a reuben into Yorkshire pudding, but …….it was a wonderful blend of Irish and British.”

Entertainment more genteel than rock bands at Kelly’s

It’s a suave and sophisticated bar on the second floor of SW Portland restaurant Raven and Rose. The dark wood panels, the clientele (mostly downtown professionals) and the menu are all good, but perhaps a little bit stuffy.

At Kelly’s, our group’s personality adapted to our environment. We were rowdier, drank cheaper beers and were less attentive to Jack Faust’s stories even though they are always captivating – but more so in a “dignified and staid” environment than in a dive bar with classic motorcycles hanging from the ceiling and tatted patrons.

What about Jack Faust’s two offspring – Amy and Charlie? Given their engaging personalities and interesting backgrounds, I knew that it did not take three members of the Faust family to ensure riveting conversation.

Charlie Faust with his Dad at Bailey’s

Charlie is a Portland mortgage broker. After graduation from U of O, he traveled for a year in Europe and SE Asia, then worked as a staffer for Senator Bob Packwood.

That prepared him to weather the storms when he worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration including the experience of being on the crew of a NOAA hurricane research plane during Hurricane Gloria in 1985 – peak winds of 155 mph. He has Beerchased previously at Marathon Taverna and Bailey’s Tap Room.

Charlie flew through Hurricane Gloria

Amy is a talented writer and popular Portland radio personality and the female half of the Mike and Amy Show on KWJJ The Wolf.

She has an interesting background and after graduating from Scripps College – one of the five prestigious Claremont Colleges in Southern California, she moved to New York where she both met her husband and even sang in an all-female alternative country band (negotiations to get tapes are underway at time of publication…).

The Mike and Amy Show, after thirteen years of great ratings, was unceremoniously canceled by station management in September of 2012. This was ironic because their show was one of five nominees for that year’s County Music Association Media Personality of the Year in the major markets.

Amy and Mike – the dynamic morning duo at KWJJ – The Wolf

Although it is unusual to hear management in any industry admit that it erred, in June 2014, based on listener demand and the poor ratings since the action, the duo returned to the airwaves and KWJJ Program Director, Mike Moore, announced:

“I want to speak to you about a mistake that ‘The Wolf’ made back on Aug. 6, 2012”

Mike Moore’s description on Linked In states, in part:

Tenacious program director with 15+ years of experience in providing strategy, vision…..developing and executing on-air and online strategies that provide cost-effective programming that positively impact bottom line without compromising quality.

He is still with KWJJ and perhaps his ability to reverse course is one reason. Typical of the responses to the return of the show was this one:

I am so very thrilled to have them back. It’s nice to listen to the radio again. (Yes, I haven’t been a listener since they were fired — I was brought up on KWJJ and have listened to that station since about 1972).

Former colleagues – Amy and Mary Kate

Amy also validated the cliché about Portland being a “small city” when she discovered that our friendly and competent bartender was Mary Kate, a former colleague from the Entercom who Amy ran into when Mary Kate was a bartender at Dukes – a bar on Division and then at another bar on N. Mississippi Avenue.

Now the current owner of Kelly’s is not without some celebrity. According to Willamette Week in its 2013 article on “Portland Hydro Hogs,” Benjamin Stutz is a lawyer and besides being co-owner of Kelly’s he develops condos and also owns a drive-thru pizza joint in Hillsboro (Motopizza). His wife Dr.Cynthia Gulick, is an osteopathic physician working in medical bariatrics.

They were “featured” as the top Portland “Water Hogs” in 2013, with residential consumption of 1,006,060 gallons. “(Their) apple tree-lined driveway (enters) a 3.3-acre property’s tennis court, swimming pool and a small vineyard of pinot noir grapes and also averaged 1.02 million gallons in the prior two years.” (Willamette Week 4/21/13)

For those who enjoy an occasional cold beer, this 2013 consumption would equate to 64,907 kegs of PBR – a small fortune even at Happy-hour prices.

Enough water in 2013 to fill almost 65,000 of these puppies!

Stutz was also on the Top Ten list of Hydro Hogs for 2011-12, but to his credit, has not “resurfaced” on the list since 2013.

And as for Body Art…..

As one might expect, the clientele at Kelly’s is diverse as described in a Zagat review: ….”a mix of punks, business types and ‘street urchins’ gathers for Pabst and ‘strong’ pours of Jack Daniels…..”

And, of course, with the bike theme, you would be correct in assuming that bikers – a group known for sporting body art, comprise a portion of the regulars.

In addition, a January 2014 Trip Advisor review after mentioning the biker contingent, also stated: “Of course, everyone working there sports multiple tattoos and piercings. No wimps allowed.”

P1030758 The make-up of our group did not consist of professions known for their ferociousness or intimidation, (in fact Westwood before his legal career was a TV weatherman at KGW). We did not exhibit traits that allow you to drink without trepidation in a dive bar.

Based on that fact, I asked Jim if he had considered our vulnerability when suggesting Kelly’s.

He casually lifted his left sleeve to show me his recent tattoo, and assured me that this decoration – the numerals “1783” – while not typical of the more graphic tats displayed by the bikers, ensured our acceptance and respect. (Besides I was prepared to tell them that we knew Schwabe partner, Jay Waldron – no tattoos, but a former rugby player, biker and one who has kicked back more than a few beers with whiskey chasers at Kelly’s.)

Westwood – comfortable in his own skin – Still!

Westwood, who has served for fourteen years as coach of the Grant High School “We the People” Constitution Team, endured the pain from the needle after he delivered on a promise to his team members. He told them that if they won the 2013 National Championship, he would get a tattoo to recognize the victory.

Grant High National Championship Team including Coach Westwood

Grant High National Championship Team in D.C. including Coach Westwood

Westwood’s most admired historical figure is President George Washington and 1783 is the year of two of the most significant events in our first President’s storied career as a military and political leader. We have to admire Westwood’s motivational skills and commitment as a coach.

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The Kelly Motorcyles

The classic motorcycles are a distinguishing feature at Kelly’s. The description in their website does a good job conveying the effect:

The crowning glory is the collection of a dozen vintage motorcycles hanging from the ceiling and about, each restored to perfection. One of the owners is a motorcycle enthusiast and finally found a home for his impressive motorcycle collection.

Complementing the motor cycles are other motorcycle accessories, combined with museum quality neon signs, antique gas pumps and historic photos of Portland and motor cycles.

The inventory of the classic cycles at Kelly’s

We had a great time at Kelly’s and you should try it taking into consideration this closing description by the Portland Mercury:

The neon, the road signs, the decorative motorcycles all scream “theme bar,” but Kelly’s Olympian manages to avoid the inauthenticity the décor would imply….. Kelly’s has the gravitas of a place that’s been around for over a century.

The food is… well… bar food, but the drinks are on the deep side, the tap list is long, and much of the clientele could probably tell you a thing or two about motorcycles. It’s not quite a grim and gritty biker bar—but it’s not faking anything, either.

Due to the length of this post, we have not covered the quality bands which make Kelly’s a destination in the evenings. Check these out on the link to their website shown below. And check out the over 20 beers and one cider they have on tap at their Happy Hour from 4:00 to 7:00 each day and 11:00 to 1:00 on Thursday through Sunday.

(If you run into Jay Waldron, buy him a beer!)