“Tails” of the Nauti Mermaid Beach Club

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Lincoln City is a great beach community with a number of memorable bars ranging from classic dives such as the Old Oregon Saloon, the Cruise Inn and the Nauti Mermaid Bar and Bistro, to more upscale watering holes such as the Snug Harbor Bar and Grill and Road House 101 Rusty Truck Brewery.  These were covered in several prior posts during a three-day journey on the Central Oregon Coast in which we visited fifteen establishments in three and one-half days in the coastal towns of Pacific City, Depoe Bay and Newport besides the aforementioned Lincoln City.

https://thebeerchaser.com/2014/09/23/thebeerchaser-does-the-central-oregon-coast-part-i/            rusty-truck

https://thebeerchaser.com/2014/10/20/thebeerchaser-does-the-central-oregon-coast-part-ii-lincoln-city-and-pacific-city/

https://thebeerchaser.com/2014/11/13/the-finale-part-iv-of-thebeerchaser-does-the-central-oregon-coast/

p1020711The original Nauti Mermaid Bar and Bistro, opened in 2011, was covered in the third post above and I was pleased to see and then visit the “new” (opened in July, 2016) Nauti Mermaid Beach House – an annex, of sorts only about one-half mile south of the original on Highway 101 – right by the D River – which is purportedly the “shortest river in the world.”

Bartender and owner, Tom Dreiske

Bartender and owner, Tom Dreiske, at the Beach House

Tom Dreiske, the owner and a transplanted Californian who now lives in the Roads End section of Lincoln City, told us when we visited the Beach House on a rainy December weekend that the space, which has a great view of the beach and formerly occupied by Wine 101, was just too good a deal to pass up.  He was pleased that during the winter months he is breaking even.

photo-jan-17-5-14-05-pmAnd there seems to be little question that with the ocean view, a robust tap list, a nice menu, a cool sunroom, and a sand-filled patio (14 yards hauled in) with another good mountain view to the east and which will have games such as cornhole, that his business should prosper — oh that’s right — don’t forget Dave, the canine mascot who keeps customers company.

The spacious sun room

The spacious Beach House sun room

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Now the original Nauti Mermaid is very “quaint” and has an interesting and idiosyncratic décor typical of any dive bar.

For example, the doors to the restroom!

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There are old 33  PM album covers hanging on the wall by the stage on what used to sit an old and valuable grand piano – a possession of the former owner who used to come in on the mornings and play classical nocturnes.2014-08-23-17-33-56

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Artistic Beach House counters

 

But back to The Beach House….It’s a very open and bright (when storms are not saturating the coast) and the counter tops have class, having been handcrafted by local artist and musician, Bryan Nichols who also owns the nearby Zuhg Life Surf Shop, where one can get surfing or guitar lessons and some neat custom apparel.

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Beach House Bar

Tom was very hospitable and offered us several samples to help us choose the right beer which we picked from about ten on tap.

I had a new one for me – a Red Seal Ale (winner of multiple medals in various brew competitions) from North Coast Brewing in Fort Bragg, CA –  an interesting brewery operating since 1988 and whose flagship beer, Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, has garnered its share of awards.  I would like to drink Red Seal again.  Janet tried her favorite – a Breakside IPA.

photo-jan-17-4-58-43-pmHe also was very accommodating and willing to share the story of both the original Nauti Mermaid and the Beach House, besides giving me a tour and explaining his vision for the bar.

Now all of the reviews in social media are for the original bar and confined to Yelp, but one common theme was Dave, the bar’s dog – owned by Tom and who frequents  both bars.

Dave!!!

Dave!!!

When we first saw him, he wandered up to us in a friendly and curious manner.  We asked Tom who owned the dog and with a straight face he stated, “He’s  just a local mutt who wandered in…”  We did a double take and Tom laughed and said that Dave was his companion.

And with one minor exception, people were positive about Dave, who evidently is a Bernese.  It’s worth noting, that a majority of the Yelp reviews mentioned this well-mannered canine:

“Great pub.  Friendly bartender,  good beer,  tasty nachos and a friendly local crowd.  The bar dog was not aggressive at all, just looking for treats not pets. Overall a good experience.”  (12/28/2016)

“The bartender (and owner, I presume?) was a nice guy with a dry sense of humor and a somewhat gruff personality…… Also, he brings his dog to work with him (the pup gave me a “kiss” on the cheek in exchange for a dog treat–aww)!”   (8/2/2016)

photo-jan-17-5-52-43-pmWe have been here several times and every time is wonderful. The locals are cool. The bartender brings his really cute (super chill) pup.” (6/8/2016)   photo-jan-17-5-52-33-pm

“Upon arrival we noticed the bar dog was part bernese (which is a breed we owened – sic) very aggressive and barked at several patrons plus us (out of towners) we found this to be a turn off along with the fact that the owner/Bar tender seemed to not care so good luck with that, I hope you have a strong local following!” (10/17/2015)

Now it is interesting that the reviewer above asserts that he “owens” a Bernese and that Dave was very aggressive.   Wikipedia describes this breed:  “dogs should not be “aggressive, anxious or distinctly shy”, but rather should be “good-natured”, “self-assured”, “placid towards strangers”, and “docile. “Affectionate, Faithful, Intelligent, Loyal.” 

Well maybe Dave had a bad day that October, but the preponderance of the evidence for an amiable countenance, including our experience, rests with the dog. 

“David, was such a sweet dog and we loved loving on him all weekend.  If you aren’t a fan of dogs, then maybe call ahead to see if it’s going to be there.” (2/28/15)

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The Beach House also has live music periodically and a good juke box.  When you’re in Lincoln City, drop by and then go up the street and visit the Nauti Mermaid Bar and Bistro, go across the street to the Cruise Inn, walk a few short blocks up 101 and have a $1.50 PBR at the Old Oregon Saloon and then take a taxi back to your hotel!

But before you leave the Nauti Mermaid Beach House say “hello” and come forth with a doggie treat for Dave.

 Nauti Mermaid Beach House          220 SE HIghway 101        Lincoln City

 

Thebeerchaser’s 2014 Annual Report

Thebeerchaser on one of the three visits to his favorite 2014 bar - Crackerjacks in NW Portland

Thebeerchaser on one of the three visits to his favorite 2014 bar – Crackerjacks in NW Portland

During the twenty-five years I worked at my favorite law firm (Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt P.C.) the frantic end-of-year financial and compensation activities culminated with preparation for the auditors in the new year.  We had good auditors, but this combat analogy seems fitting: “Auditors are those who arrive after the battle and bayonet the wounded.”

The Original Beerchaser Logo

The Original Beerchaser Logo

Fortunately, there is no similar pressure in the blogging world.  The gurus at WordPress prepared a 2014 Annual report for this blog – replete with graphics and interesting statistics. You can see a summary below which will supplement my own reflections.  But first some context:

Thebeerchaser Tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs commenced in August 2011 – about six months after I retired as the COO of the law firm.  I had a great career working with lawyers at Schwabe, the Oregon State Bar and in local government, but I was ready for new adventures.  And so with great deliberation, I considered many options.   Based on stringent criteria, it was narrowed to two:

Public Domain - National Park Service - 9/14/2009 Wikimedia Commons (http:///en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pacific Crest Trail -logo.jpg)

Public Domain – National Park Service – 9/14/2009 Wikimedia Commons

Either hiking the length of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) or making a tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs and blogging about them.  My due diligence involved reviewing past backpacking trips.  Reflecting on these pictures of a hiking trip with my two brothers and brother-in-law on the Eagle Creek Trail in the late ’70’s added perspective.

Cheryl Strayed would be proud!!

Cheryl Strayed would be proud!!

 

 

 

I then visited the watering hole that was the inspiration for this hobby – a great dive bar in Dundee named Lumpy’s Landing.  There were many similarities to the two options – the 2,663 mile hike or the multi-year bar tour.

Regrouping at Wahtum Lake after a day of backpacking in the '70's. The Williams boys - Rick, Garry and Don

Regrouping at Wahtum Lake after a day of backpacking in the ’70’s

First, both require use of a compass or GPS to get to remote and sometimes obscure locations not adequately marked with signs and not generally seen as desirable by others.

Secondly, the subpar menu for each option would not be the diverse and tasty culinary delights one is used to at home.  (Example: Kiskie’s powdered eggs on the trail and Hot Mama sausages or pickled hard-boiled eggs – a staple at most dive bars.

Aged to perfection.... but better than powdered eggs
Aged to perfection…. but better than powdered eggs

 

Darwin's Theory - A magnificent Anchorage Alaska dive bar

Darwin’s Theory – A magnificent Anchorage Alaska dive bar – try the free popcorn

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, it all “boiled down” to liquid.  In order to avoid the gastro-intestinal distress of giardia, purifying all water by filter, tablets or boiling is required on the PCT.  However, only a few dive bars would require this step on a Bar Tour.

The Ship Tavern - might want to try PBR instead of the water

The Ship Tavern – might want to try PBR instead of the water

And when dive bar potability issues are manifest, there is always PBR – usually cold although at other temperatures still a good option.  (This provides a good chance to take umbrage with an Oregonian movie reviewer who used the following inappropriate analogy when panning a 2014 film:  ….But it had all the zing of a can of flat Pabst.”)   

Good at any temperature!

Good at any temperature!

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Necessary admonition in Eastern Oregon bar (Burns, Oregon)

 

 

 

 

 

So the bar option was chosen and initiating Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Portland  Bars, Taverns and Pubs was a wonderful decision.  My initial intent to restrict this journey to just Portland venues was soon discarded.

Thus, followers of this blog have seen reviews of bars in Europe, Alaska, the Oregon Coast, Eastern Oregon, Washington and Colorado (18 visited but not yet posted).

Thebeerchaser enjoying the scenery and a brewski outside the Horner Tavern in laldll Switzerland

Thebeerchaser enjoying the scenery and a brewski outside the Horner Pub in Lauterbrunneen, Switzerland

So three years and five months later, what has been accomplished keeping in mind my forty-years in management were often focused on performance metrics?

In the chart below, the right column is the average number of days between bar reviews for each year although it should be kept in mind that a repeat visit to each bar is generally the case to ensure accurate reporting and not reflected.

Year Days Bar Reviews Avg. Days
2011 146 8 18.3
2012 366 24 15.3
2013 365 29 12.6
2014 365 34 10.7
1242 95 13.1
Stay tuned in 2015 for the Colorado beer tour details

Stay tuned in 2015 for the Colorado beer tour details

Thus you can see that intensity has increased each year and while I do not want to regress to GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles), the statistics are not accrual-based i.e. there are 18 bars and micro-breweries we visited in a wonderful fall 2014 trip to Colorado that aren’t included in the count and will be posted in early 2015.  This is also a good time to multi-task with both a bar and accountant joke:

A guy in a bar leans over to the guy next to him and says, ‘Want to hear an accountant joke?  The guy next to him replies, ‘Well, before you tell that joke, you should know that I’m 6 feet tall, 200 pounds, and make me living as an accountant. And the guy sitting next to me is 6’2″ tall, 225 pounds, and he’s an accountant too. Now, do you still want to tell that joke?’

The first guy says, ‘No, I don’t want to have to explain it two times.’

That said, those who are interested in statistics (like the drunk using a lamppost – more for support than illumination…) may be interested that the standard deviation from the mean during those four years is 3.27 days demonstrating reasonable volatility and thus stability in frequency of visits.

Beerchasing on the Central Oregon Coast

Beerchasing on the Central Oregon Coast at the Tide Pool Inn in Depoe Bay

So before I conclude by briefing you on the venues visited during 2014, take a look at Thebeerchaser’s Annual Report compiled by WordPress.  I am most proud that in December, the blog surpassed the 40,000 views threshold – from those searching the internet in 115 countries – even those where a limb or appendage might be cut off if you are caught drinking my favorite beverage.

The report below also does not mention the distinguished individuals I have tried to recognize with the designation “Beerchaser of the Quarter”  – an eclectic group ranging from war heroes I know personally to authors to academicians to coaches and even the crew of the USS Constitution based on its famous albeit fictitious voyage in 1798.  A summary of these “honorees” for 2014 follows and to see the others, check out the blog.

 

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 18,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

 2014 Establishments Visited and Reveiwed

Beerchasing at Saraveza

Beerchasing at Saraveza

Now remember, the thirty-four venues visited in 2014 do not include the eighteen varied and wonderful bars and micro-breweries we had the privilege of frequenting on our Colorado trip this fall, but here’s the breakdown:

Dive Bars (9) – Club 21 and Sandy Hut in Portland, Nauti Mermaid, Old Oregon Saloon, Sportsman Pub and Grub on the Central Oregon Coast and Lumpy’s Landing in Dundee (a revisit from 2011). 

Club 21 - Would you believe a former Greek Orthodox Church?

Club 21 – Would you believe a former Greek Orthodox Church?

Neighborhood Bars (9) Stamtisch, Lost and Found, Bazi Bier Brasserie, Crackerjacks, Quimbys, Saraveza, Richmond and Nest in Portland and the Mad Dog Tavern in Newport on the coast.     

Outside Stamtisch - a great new NE bar - Laura Williams, Ryan Keen and Kenzie Larson
Outside Stamtisch – a great new NE bar – Laura Williams, Ryan Keen and Kenzie Larson

 

———————

Historic Bars (4) – Skyline Tavern in Portland, Bay Haven Inn and Snug Harbor on the Central Oregon Coast and Red Dog Saloon in Juneau, Alaska.

An Historic Newport  Oregon Bar

An Historic Newport Oregon Bar

——————

Sports  Bars (2) – Cheerful Bullpen and Marathon Taverna in Portland

—————–

Owner Amy, Denny Ferguson and Jessica at the Cheerful Bullpen

Owner Amy, Denny Ferguson and Jessica at the Cheerful Bullpen

Miscellaneous (4) – Sniff Café and Peda-lounge (not a bar per se’) in Portland, Oar House and Hoover’s on the Central Oregon Coast    

Multiple bars visited on the Pedaloung tour

Multiple bars visited on the Peda-lounge tour

———-

P1020604                 Brew Pubs (5)Roadhouse 101/Rusty Truck Brewery and the Pelican Brew Pub on the Central Oregon Coast and Haines Brewery, Glacier Brewhouse and Snow Goose Bar/Sleeping Lady Brewery in Alaska.

Bottle Shops (1) – BeerMongers in Portland

The BeerMongers - an excellent bottle shop

The BeerMongers – an excellent bottle shop

————————

Beerchasers of the Quarter – I am pleased to have spent time and chronicled the remarkable careers, contributions and charismatic personalities of the following individuals in 2014:

Art Vandelay, President and CEO of Vandelay Enterprises
Art Vandelay, President and CEO of Vandelay Enterprises

 Art Vandelay – Entrepreneur, lawyer, philanthropist and voted “Most Likely” at his high school alma mater.

————————–

Brian Doyle – Award-winning Northwest author and editor of Portland, the University of Portland’s outstanding and lauded quarterly publication.

Author and Editor, Brian Doyle, at The Fulsom Brew Pub

Author and Editor, Brian Doyle, at The Fulton Brew Pub

——————————-

Steve Lawrence – Attorney and now Mayor of The Dalles.  Awarded two bronze stars for service in the Viet Nam conflict.

Two Viet Nam heroes - Beerchaser of the Quarter 2014 Steve Lawrence and 2013 BoQ Jud Blakely
Two Viet Nam heroes – Beerchaser of the Quarter 2014 Steve Lawrence and 2013 BoQ Jud Blakely

 

Jack Faust – Attorney, award-winning Portland media personality and former military intelligence officer during the Korean conflict.

Portland Appellate Lawyer and Media Personality Jack Faust

Portland Appellate Lawyer and Media Personality Jack Faust

——

In a self-critique, I noted that during the last three years there have been no female recipients of Thebeerchaser-of-the-Quarter award.  Along with working on lowering the average days between bar visits, that will be a goal in 2015.  Stay tuned!!

While it’s not the Pacific Crest Trail, we will continue to blaze trails in the bar scene.  And for those who have discovered and frequent their own favorite Portland bars – ones that are not included in the 57 reviewed so far by Thebeerchaser, please let me know.  With some perseverance and effort, it may not take 10.7 days for me to get there.

Happy New Year

Lumpy's Landing on Highway 18 in Dundee - an inspiration!

Lumpy’s Landing on Highway 18 in Dundee – an inspiration!

Thebeerchaser Does the Central Oregon Coast – Part II – Lincoln City and Pacific City

2011-05-08 08.57.16Having hit Lumpy’s Landing in Dundee that late August afternoon, we cruised to Lincoln City for a brewski at the wonderful Old Oregon Saloon (see previous post), the three Beerchasers (Dave, Don and Steve) then drove a few miles down Highway 101 to the Rusty Truck Brewery in what used to be the City of Taft. The brewery is ensconced in a nice pub called Road House 101 for obvious reasons.

Road House 101

Road House 101

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They brew a number of good beers – although no Pilsners – and we each tried a different one of their ten brews – Moonlight Ride Blackberry Ale, Fender Bender Amber Ale and the Rusty Truck Beach Blond Ale.   Since each was very good, in retrospect, perhaps we should have gone with the sampler and added three more for only $8.

Road House 101 with __ Rusty Truck beers on tap

Road House 101 with – 16Rusty Truck beers brewed here

Support for a good cause

Support for a good cause

 

 

 

 

 

One is struck by the scads of dollar bills on the ceiling through the entire place. Our bartender told us that Brian Whitehead, the owner, since 2005, has supported theTaft High School Booster Club programs with $300 to $500 per year with this upward bound currency.

We ate some delicious onion rings, burgers and fish and chips and ended our first day.

P1020602The next morning, we headed out early, driving North to Pacific City to the Pelican Pub and Brewery.

You can see by the picture below that this August morning was foggy – even the surfers would not venture into the Pacific.  Dave, having taught some high school English Literature before becoming a principal, quoted Kipling: “A thin grey fog hung over the city, and the streets were very cold; for summer was in England.”   

The smell of the salty ocean air mixed with malt, barley and hops from the brewery reminded Steve of the aroma of the county fair in Elbert County, Georgia (home of the Blue Devils) on the Atlantic coast even though he had never been there.

It was so foggy that -----

It was so foggy that —–

Public Domain - Wikimedia Commonshttp://commons.wikmedia.org/wiki/File:Elbert_County_Georgia_Courthouse) Calvin Beale photographer

The Elbert County Courthouse in Georgia

—-

———

We had adopted a general rule that we would not drink beer before 11:00 A.M.   At least by then we rationalized, it was 5:00 P.M. at both the Abacos Bar in Amadora, Portugal and at the Naesti Bar in Reykjavik, Iceland.  People were hoisting mugs of beer (or Aquavit) after work. We were supporting them in the same endeavor on the Oregon coast…..”Skal!”

Heres to the brothers in Iceland and Portugal

Heres to the brothers in Iceland and Portugal

But sitting at the bar talking to Rachael, the Assistant Manager, we found out that they had run out of syrup for their Winema Wit Beer.  We decided not to take a chance on other brews, so at 10:50, Steve ordered a Surfer Summer Ale,  Dave, a Tsunami Stout and I toasted them with a MacPelican’s Scottish Ale.  The Pelican Pub also has excellent food and brews six different “core” beers and a number of specialty brews including the award-winning Stormwatcher’s Winterfest.

On the beach in Pacific City
On the beach in Pacific City

Now Pacific City is a small burg with quite a history in the Oregon fishing and timber industries, both of which generated patrons for its watering holes.

With bartender, Matt and Thebeerchaser logo at Pelican Brew Pub
With bartender, Matt and Thebeerchaser logo at Pelican Brew Pub

 

Matt Love – a high school teacher, author and columnist – who now lives in Astoria – for two decades, reviewed coastal bars in his wonderful blog, Letitpour.net.  Although he discontinued the endeavor in the mid 1990’s he reviewed one old Pacific City establishment  – the Tidewater Lounge – overlooking the Nestucca River.

He described this bar – gone and replaced by a bland disappointment now called the Oar House – as follows:

The video poker sign above the name may be one reason this venue is now mediocre and lacks character
The video poker sign above the name may be one reason this venue is now mediocre and lacks character

“Thank you for the tables near the windows that look out to the Nestucca where I can check out the drift boats and incoming tides rushing up from Nestucca Bay. When a big winter storm coincides with a big minus tide, I love to take in these exciting physics lessons with a black beer and a brown shot. Thank you for the loyal clientele that loves to party and can sweep a visitor away in a cheap vodka wake.”   

We had one quick beer at the Oar House and then found a bar that emphatically retains its historical character – The Sportsman Pub and Grub.

The Sportsman - A piece of coast  history...

The Sportsman – A piece of coast history…

We got there about 1:00 in the afternoon and the six tables were filled so we sat at the bar.   We chatted with “June Bug,” our bartender (she got the moniker because “I ‘bugged’ my mom when I was a kid.”)  It could have been worse and her mom could have addressed her as “Phyllophaga.”

And we talked to a woman working on an i-Pad at the bar who told us she had previously been a bouncer in Bozeman, drove semis for a living, has a graduate degree in math at Oregon State and whose drink-of-choice is Pendleton Whiskey. None of this could be verified, but she typified the mix of Sportsman patrons.

——————–

Dave, Steve and a math major....

Dave, Steve and a math major….

No one could capture the essence of the Sportsman better than Matt, who at one time was the “Resident Writer of the Sportsman,” and wrote:

“Located near the only traffic signal in Pacific City, the Sportsman is the sort of American hangout that must make effete Frenchmen shudder: pool, video poker, darts, ESPN, ESPN 2, an ATM machine, cheap Midwest lagers, cheaper Pacific Northwest lagers,…..expensive micro-brews, and hearty, delicious menu items, including some rugged pizzas that undoubtedly fuel bodies for launching the local dory fleet or clear-cutting the nearby hills…….   

The bar at the Sportsman

The bar at the Sportsman

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——-

 

Once I heard a loud banging on the front door, as if someone struggled to gain entrance. What?  Immediately several burly guys jumped up, went outside, pulled a man from a wheelchair, and deposited him in a booth. With his buddies, the man proceeded to pound several pitchers of beer in 30 minutes.  His buddies then picked him up, took him outside, seposited him in the wheelchair, and he rolled on down the road in total darkness as it rained sideways—with a can of beer in his lap.”

And Matt didn’t even mention the model bi-plane – made out of Coors Light cans which rivaled the real items in the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville that we visited on the way to the coast.

A model bi-plane made out of Coors Light can adds to the environment
A model bi-plane made out of Coors Light can adds to the environment

 Matt’s review of the Sportsman concludes:

“So the story goes, a veteran patron requested that upon his death, he wanted his wake held in the tavern. Well, the old timer dies, he was cremated, and of course the management obliged him. 

 

So his drinking buddies crowded in the men’s bathroom, hoisted their pints for a second…and flushed his ashes down the toilet.  Top that drug testing, antiseptic, bottom line, unfunky, God fearing, screaming baby, corporate brewpubs!”     

Sportsman Philosophy
Sportsman Philosophy

 

 

We headed back to Lincoln City for our final bar visit that day – The Cruise Inn – a Lincoln City dive bar.  But that was after a stop at the Lincoln City Cold Stone and our mid-afternoon dessert.

Complements the beer...

Complements the beer…