Tag Archives: Shattuck Hall Portland State University

Gino’s Restaurant and Bar – What’s in a Name?

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Courtesy of Sanslartigue – the Silent Camera (https://sanslartigue.com/)

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

Since the pandemic, it’s been discouraging to see the number of hospitality establishments that have struggled or just closed permanently. Exacerbating the situation, is the hardest hit of these enterprises has been the independent or small business owners.

Not that the corporate chains have been untouched by labor shortages, supply-chain issues or just profitability, but they have far superior reserves.  After having it on my list for years, I had lunch at Gino’s Restaurant and Bar in Sellwood, just south of Portland.

And I’m happy to report that Gino’s appears to be thriving, just as Huber’s, (see my recent Beerchaser review) another iconic Portland establishment that’s served loyal patrons for longer than Gino’s, but has some similarities which make both eateries and bars worth visiting – and I might add – “again and again!”

The photo above shows the name as “Original Leipzig Tavern” and I will explain that apparent discrepancy below.

Oh, the History!

I was thrilled to have a reunion after many years with my Portland State University graduate school professor and advisor, Dr. Walt Ellis and his colleague in PSU’s Hatfield School of Government – Dr. Doug Morgan in mid-June.

I’ll relate more about the outstanding careers and reputation of these two gents below, but first a little about the rich history of this Sellwood-Moreland Neighborhood treasure.

From left: Thebeerchaser, Doug Morgan and Walt Ellis

Our visit was enhanced by our wonderful server, Natalie, who right from the start, showed the same attributes of Gino’s staff as described in this review from Trip Advisor in November, 2023:

“This is a wonderful place to eat. Often busy and you may need a reservation. Staff are very friendly and professional, attentive without being intrusive, fast service, always with a smile. Food is excellent. Cocktails and beer, wine list is extensive, appropriate and connoisseurs won’t be disappointed. Go and enjoy.”

An outstanding server

Followers of this blog might remember the name “Accaurdi family” as they were the original owners of Portland’s Old Town Pizza – opened in 1974.  Adam Milne, the current owner, first visited when he was nine and subsequently purchased it in 2003. 

As the review in my 2019 Thebeerchaser post quoted:

“It was in the historic Merchant Hotel in Old Town and a hub for like-minded people with a radical agenda. It stood as a beacon for the local community; a place to break bread and enjoy your neighbor.” 

You will recognize the same theme in Gino’s history.

What is now Gino’s, actually goes back to 1924, when it was opened as a confectionary. The establishment has had multiple names and been in more than one location since that time. The most comprehensive account is a wonderful article, originally published in 2023 in the Sellwood Bee:

“In the summer of 1924, Peter and Helen Leipzig finally attained their lifetime dream….(they) purchased the well-known confectionery store at East 13th and Spokane from Mr. Brink, and are now in possession….

 ‘The Leipzig’ was seen as the first coffee shop and lunch counter in Sellwood.”  (#2)

The Sellwood Bridge over the Willamette River today

Then came the Accuardis…

According to one apparently knowledgeable writer in a May 2008 Yelp review:

“Within Sellwood itself, stood a bar known as the Leipzig, and for years this was one of many watering holes on the southeast side near the bridge. Years later, the original owner would sell the Leipzig to its current owners, with one caveat, the Leipzig sign was to remain, and so it does to this day.”

There are a number of accounts as to the name issue – Gino’s versus The Leipzig Tavern – according to current owner, Gino Accuardi, in our phone conversation detailed below. He said that one of the senior members (obviously unmarried) of the Leipzig family was the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Portland.

“He was very irate when the confectionary turned into a bar because he was against drinking.”  (#3)

The article in the Sellwood Bee continues:

“Marc and Debby Accuardi bought the Leipzig Tavern in 1996, opening “Gino’s Restaurant and Bar next door”, and using the old Leipzig Tavern as an additional bar for their customers. Much as Peter and Helen believed in back in 1924, they built a place ‘where friends and neighbors could gather to enjoy quality food and wine’”.

I had a very nice phone chat with Gino, who picked up the phone when I called for additional information. Our conversation started like this:

Gino:  “Gino’s Restaurant and Bar. This is Gino.”

Beerchaser: “You mean the Gino?”

Gino: “Yep, my grandfather named this place after me when I was twelve. Since I was from a third – no I guess a fourth-generation restaurant family, I guess I knew I was going to own a restaurant someday.”

“I’ve heard many versions of why the Leipzig sign is still there, but keeping it just made common sense. It has a great legacy.”

The Bar Section

The establishment is divided into two distinct sections.  One walks into the bar which has an older-time ambiance including a beautiful backbar and a number of booths. This is aptly described by Willamette Week in their 2019 review:

“Gino’s survives as a Corleone-fueled fever dream simmering in old country charm. The mahogany-lined restaurant sits underneath signage advertising the long-dead Leipzig Tavern, and serves inspired renditions of defiantly unreconstructed Italian classics…..

Today the attached restaurant is known as Gino’s. The bar inside was salvaged from a Chicago warehouse by the current owner and adds a more authentic old-world touch to the atmosphere of the bar (the brass seal from the manufacturer is still on the bar today).” (emphasis supplied) 

This touch harkened me back to some of the great bars and backbars in both Oregon and the western US where I have Beerchased. 

Take a look at these Portland area all-stars from my past visits – clockwise from left to right: McNaulty and Barry’s – Oregon City, the Double Barrel, Buffalo Bills – Beavercreek, Cassidy’s Restuarant and Bar, Hubers Cafe and Multnomah Whiskey Library

And the western US, most notably Montana and Colorado bars, where taxidermy and weapons often complement the historic ambiance.

Clockwise from left to right:  Blue Moon Saloon – Columbus, Montana; Gold Pan Saloon – Breckenridge, Co.; Montana Bar – Miles City, Montana; Oxford Saloon – Missoula, Montana; Saw Mill Saloon – Darby, Montana; Trapper’s Saloon – Eureka, Montana.

(I have to admit that I’ve only seen one alligator hanging over a bar – at the Blue Moon Saloon in what is purported to be Montana’s longest bar.  It’s not as scary, however, as the polar bear in an adjacent glass enclosed case.)

The Dining Room at Gino’s

Gino’s dining room also has character.  It’s reported to have once been a silent movie theater. There are interesting and colorful murals, antique furniture and scads of knick-knacks and mementoes from years past.

We had great sandwiches at our lunch and the dinner menu beckons for a return visit – it has variety and very reasonable prices.  Read the following account from a 2018 Portland Eater  article with Gino’s mom, Debbi recounting their favorite meal (and as remarkable as it seems these days, it’s still available for only $23 – see “Grandma Jean’s” on the menu).

https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2018/02/we-asked-20-portland-chefs-and-foodies-what-tastes-like-home

“When Marc and I first opened our Italian restaurant in 1996, we lived upstairs, and every Christmas Eve we would have all the Accuardis in for a potluck—that was about 120 people.

And this was the dish: red sauce with pork ribs, stewed beef, and pepperoni (served over penne at Gino’s). The thing was, everyone—every aunt, uncle, and cousin—had their own version, and there would be huge arguments about the right way to make it. It’s all about when the herbs go in, basically.

This is a dish that goes generation to generation.” (#4)

I asked Gino how business was during the pandemic and he stated:

“If I would have known at the beginning, what I know now, I might have thought twice, but we were both lucky and agile as we adjusted some things and tried new ideas that worked. We cooperated with the City and closing part of the street was really helpful.

We have a great clientele from all over the city, but especially our neighborhood. I live six blocks away and my daughter goes to school in the neighborhood. We focus on being a neighborhood establishment and they rallied for us.”

The spacious patio adjacent to the bar affirms Gino’s comment above.

In Closing, I Can’t Forget my Beerchasing Companions and the Hatfield School

I’m happy that my two lunch companions – both Gino regulars – Walt, from the date they opened – suggested Gino’s.  We had great sandwiches and a good bottle of wine for lunch.

This August 2023 Trip Advisor review shows why Janet and I will return there for dinner:

“Wonderful experience. This is a magnificent restaurant. Great atmosphere, lovely Italian food, attentive staff. Not too noisy. Seasonal Caprese on the menu just now, is superb. Good bar, excellent and extensive wine list. The wines by the glass are first class and reasonably priced. Beers varied to suit all tastes.”

But let me tell you about the Hatfield School and the Master’s of Public Administration program at Portland State University.  It’s dear to my heart and was a great help to both Janet and me during our careers in both the public and private sectors.

In the mid-seventies, I was working for Clackamas County and enjoying my work in local government. Based on the reputation of the MPA program at PSU, I applied and was admitted:  

“The Mark O. Hatfield School’s degree, certificate, and continuing education programs are shaped by three overarching values: the importance of public service, the pursuit of social justice, and the quest for effective innovation in service delivery.” (#5)

I had a demanding job (and a bachelor’s social life) and grad school began a long journey of taking one class per quarter for the next five years – usually on a weeknight from 6:00 until 9:00, if I remember correctly.   

There were numerous papers occupying many weekends, but I was often able to integrate them into my job for the County Commissioners. The professors were first-rate and the classes practical and interesting.

Walt Ellis was my advisor and not only a great professor, but a wonderful and caring human being. His “Organizational Theory” class was of considerable use to me not only while I was in the public sector, but for the next twenty-five years in legal management. 

Because of work demands (or at least that’s what I maintain now…) I took an incomplete with one major paper to complete to get credit. At that time, there were not personal computers and I typed some of the papers and hired a typist as well.  There is a time limit on incompletes and that was tolling. 

I had the paper completed, but only 50% typed on the last day to submit it. I knew where Walt lived so I drove to his house, knocked on his door with my paper in the late afternoon. Walt answered the door and I was prepared to beg for mercy – but I didn’t have to. He took the paper and said to his wonderful wife:

“Rosemary, don’t we have enough spaghetti for Don to join us for dinner?”

(It was a wonderful meal and I ended up with an A in the course.) You won’t believe it, but I still have two papers from Walt’s classes in 1978 – from the “Organizational Theory” and “Administrative Theory and Behavior” courses.

Walt also informed me that if I didn’t finish my two remaining courses in the next two terms, PSU was going to start deducting credits.  This was right when I had started dating my future wife – Janet Dancer, who was working as the Assistant City Manager at Oregon City. (We met at a Planning Commission meeting.)

On our first date to a Portland Trailblazer game, I successfully lobbied her into enrolling in the MPA program. Janet had majored in Public Administration at the University of Oregon and, interestingly enough, had taken a course from Walt Ellis when he taught there.

(Her dad, the late Joe Dancer, was the City Manager of McMinnville, Oregon for twenty-seven years and has a park named after him in the city.) (#6)

Following a legacy in Public Administration

We married shortly afterwards and Janet and I took two terms of Data Analysis together – which came close to ruining our marriage and not just because she got a much higher grade on the first linear regression exam then I did. (#7)

(She had a better grasp of linear regression.)

walt ellis

Does the guy in the pew look familiar?

We used to flip a coin to see who would drive to the now century-old Shattuck Hall on campus and stand in line to have the punch cards run through the mainframe and who would clean the bathrooms. (The winner got to clean the bathrooms.)

Our forty-four-year marriage survived Data Analysis and other challenges and we both got our MPA’s – although Janet in a much shorter period.

The Morgan – Ellis Family Endowment

I will conclude with a final accolade to these two outstanding academicians with an excerpt from the Spring Newsletter of the Hatfield School with a quote from Masami Nishishiba, Ph.D, Director.

“We were thrilled to announce the establishment of the ‘Morgan Ellis Family Endowment for Community-Centered Education, Scholarship, and Governance.’

This incredible initiative was kickstarted by two Emeriti Professors, Dr. Doug Morgan, Former Chair of the Department of Public Administration and the Founding Director of the Center for Public Service and Dr. Walt Ellis, Former Associate Dean of the College of Urban and Public Affairs. Their generous donation of $100,000 set the foundation for this endowment.” (#8)

Director Nishishiba, Walt and Doug

These two guys definitely walk their talk!

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Sanslartigue 2 – Sanslartigue 2: The silent camera continued.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:New Sellwood Bridge in September 2016.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author: September 2016

#3.  Ginos Restaurant and Bar Website (Gino’s Restaurant & Bar (ginossellwood.com)).

#4.  Gino’s Restaurant and Bar Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/ginossellwood/photos_by).

#5.  Wikimedia Commons (File:Sign at entry to Portland State University (2004).jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  Author:  Kkmd at English Wikipedia – 20 October 2004.

#6. All Trails website (Photos of Joe Dancer Park – Oregon | AllTrails)  Author: Paul Turchan.

#7.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Linear Regression – it.svg – Wikimedia Commons). This work has been released into the public domain by its author, I, Berland. This applies worldwide. 28 October 2008.

#8. Portland State University website (What’s New in the Hatfield School of Government | Portland State University (pdx.edu). 

Analysis Paralysis and Efforts to “Be Better”

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Well Beerchasers, you will have to excuse the lack of news about bars and breweries in this post.   And the image above (thanks to my sister-in-law, Pam Williams) and the pre-pandemic photo below from the gone but not forgotten Club 21 in Portland are the only pictures related to beer reminding us of what we are missing,. 

Chatting with a fascinating group of Club 21 regulars in 2014

My rationalization is that I still cannot really follow my protocol of going inside to new establishments and interviewing bartenders and regulars.   In addition, this platform is one where I can fret about annoyances and pet peeves and get them off my chest – even if I’m the only one who reads them…..So be forewarned, however, some of you may have the same frustration with the issue below.

The pandemic and events leading up to it, have made me a lot more conscious about statistics.   And it’s not that I was oblivious to numbers and trends previously.   In my twenty-five years in management at the Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt law firm in Portland – first as Business Manager and then for the last twelve as  COO – analyzing and interpreting data and trends on collections, billings, hours worked and expenses were an ongoing priority.

Originator of the lamppost analogy…

In fact, Dave Bartz, our Co-managing Partner and now Chair – Emeritus at the firm, loved to quote Scottish poet and literary critic Andrew Lang who asserted:  “Most people use statistics like a drunk man uses a lamppost; more for support than illumination” 

And when we were trying to motivate lawyers to pay more attention to the business of law so both attorneys and the staff could get paid, we didn’t hesitate to use that maxim – especially at year-end!

Of course, lawyers were aware of efforts to frame the key statistics to enhance our position and one of them would inevitably respond with Mark Twain’s assertion:  “Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are pliable.”

“Don’t bullshit me with figures…..”

Now – to digress – and  speaking of drawing a conclusion after analyzing, let’s use the example from Wikipedia when citing the source of the photo of Lang above.

The disclaimer states, “The copyright situation of this work is theoretically uncertain, because in the country of origin, copyright lasts 70 years after the death of the author, and the date of the author’s death is unknown.”

Then in an incredibly dry and understated manner it adds:

However, the date of creation of this work was over 120 years ago, and it is thus a reasonable assumption that the copyright has expired.”   Since it also stated that Lang died in 1914, I felt reasonably reassured that I could use this photo with the public domain attribution.

In 1980, I also had the experience of taking two terms of Data Analysis in graduate school with my new wife – her first two courses in the MPA Program at Portland State University – and my last two.

There was no on-line personal computer capability then and it was a real strain on our new marriage.  We’d negotiate on who got to go down and stand in line at Shattuck Hall on Saturday morning to run the punch-cards to get the report we had to analyze and who got to clean the bathrooms at our house. (The loser had to drive to Portland State!)

But over those months, we grudgingly learned Regression Analysis and stat concepts such as Hypothesis Testing and Statistical Significance, and Central Tendency.

Shattuck Hall – It looks so welcoming now, but in 1980??

The last year makes us realize more than ever before that data can be manipulated, interpreted differently or even blatantly distorted to promote a position.   It seems that ethical and rational conclusions have been discarded at will – and it’s bipartisan practice.

Whether it was Donald Trump’s infamous assertion on February 26, 2020 about COVID 19:  “You have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero,”

Signing the Congressional Funding Bill for Coronavirus Response on March 2020 – it didn’t work……..

Andrew Cuomo

But the Dems reinforce the practice whether it be New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo’s manipulation of nursing home deaths due to COVID

or

Kate Brown

Oregon’s own Kate Brown’s (D) administration’s alleged “massage” of COVID statistics to reinforce the rationale for Oregon’s policy.  The Oregon Health Authority – up until a KGW television reporter pointed out the flaw – also skewed the data on the number of Oregon COVID cases:

“OHA counted only ‘new’ people who got tested. If someone got a test in June and was negative, then returned for another test in July and was negative, that second test would not be counted as part of that July day’s total of tests given…..Not counting all the return people getting tested increased the positivity rate because it created a smaller denominator in the equation.”

While this approach may have been an honest mistake in uncharted territory, some would assert that it was a deliberate and nefarious attempt to increase case data to justify Oregon’s stricter lockdown policies.  And it was statistically significant……

The State has also exhibited it’s abhorrence to data transparency until objections by the media and constituents forced a turnaround on work-place outbreaks in May, 2020.

So what can each of us do in these times where mutual trust is as scarce as a glass of fine Pinot in a dive bar.  As rare as an NFL lineman who has never undergone concussion protocol or as infrequent as….. – sorry, I got carried away.

Statistics – not very attractive as a course offering

Broadcast and print news media now often have a political slant and newspapers struggle to provide investigative reporting staff.

Statistical Analysis tends to be a course  avoided in both high school and college – especially when one can, as an example, get three hours of credit at Michigan State University for “Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse—Disasters, Catastrophes, and Human Behavior.”  Go Figure – so to speak…

And, of course, social media (like this blog….) is not exactly the most appropriate repository of veracity.

Some tips on how to mitigate this issue.

Read your paper – be informed and support it!

  • Support your local newspaper to help promote independent journalism in the future.
  • Employ some journalistic standards on your own e.g. checking multiple sources to verify what is stated as fact in articles – especially those on social media.

A timely (2/28) letter from Editor, Therese Bottomly, in The Oregonian entitled  “Yes, you should read us but please read lots of other sources, too,”  eloquently affirms my advice:

“Pew’s new analysis is a reminder that we should all broaden our media diet…..I encourage you to read widely. It’s worthwhile for those on the left and on the right to consume news from a broad spectrum….And it is wise to keep in mind the differences between fact-based news and straight-up opinion writing.” 

  • Challenge – through letters-to-the-editor and ongoing dialogue – baseless assertions made by those who are not well informed or conversely, those who are well informed and deliberately offer falsehoods.

Yes Virginia, there are THREE branches in the US Government and the Judicial Branch is one

  • Promote civic education in your local high school.  These courses are increasingly absent from curricula.   A 6/4/20 Brookings Institute report quoted a 2016 survey led by Annenberg Public Policy Center citing the “limited civic knowledge of the American public, 1 in 4 of whom, are unable to name the three branches of government. 
  • And for those with students in the house, engage in dinner-table discussion (also becoming more infrequent) about current events and what they garner from school and the internet on the issues.

Perhaps working with lawyers for over thirty years, taught me (the hard way….) the discipline to question rather than blithely accept claims without examining underlying assumptions for validity or context.  Let’s take one example.

Be Better – A Case Study??!!

For the last few years, the NBA Portland Trailblazers and Moda Health Systems, as part of their partnership, have had a program entitled Moda Assist Program.  Television announcers at every game describe with exuberance the arrangement.

As stated in the Moda Website:

“For every Trail Blazers assist on the court during the regular season, Moda Health and the Blazers each donate $10 dollars (that’s a total of $20 per assist!) to the Trail Blazers Foundation.

At the end of each season, the money goes towards building a new all-abilities playground in a deserving Oregon community.”  The Blazer website states, the amount per assist was doubled from last year.

Naming Rights — $40 million over ten years……

My instincts compelled me to analyze this program.   For background, it was reported by an article in a 2013 Lund Report entitled,  “Moda’s Vast Pool of Resources Makes the Rose Garden Affordable:”

“Moda expects to pay out $40 million for those naming rights.  Moda paid the Blazers approximately $40 million over a ten-year period for the naming rights” to the former Portland Rose Garden.

While the exact terms were not disclosed, Moda did not challenge the above estimate and it was similar to other stadium or arena naming deals in the NFL and NBA. Also see 8/13/2013 Blazer’sEdge.com.  Note:  Moda is classified by the IRS as a non-profit service provider.

Some Moda subscribers, at a time when premiums were rising and claims receiving additional scrutiny (and rejection) were also not happy as set forth in this 8/23/13 Oregonian article:  Moda Health Subscribers Express Frustration With Rose Garden Naming Rights Deal

“I am a terminal cancer patient. My insurance company, formerly ODS, is now Moda. Last week I received notice that Moda would no longer pay for one of my prescriptions on the same day I read that it reportedly paid $40 million to have its name on the Rose Garden. I just hope the company doesn’t decide it needs more advertising.”

Let’s analyze what this means for the sponsoring organizations and Oregon communities.  The program sets out the metric – “for every assist on the court” which could just mean the home court, but let’s be generous and assume it’s on the basketball court – home or away.  So they pony up $20 collectively.   Remember, it’s just during the regular season and not during playoffs.

A normal season would mean eighty total games.  The Blazers, according to teamrankings.com for the 2020 season, ranked last among all NBA teams in assists per game with 19.9. (They were also last in 2019 with 20.4 – maybe this is why Moda selected this performance metric…..)

Both of the last two years have had abbreviated schedules, but for the sake of discussion let’s assume the typical 80-game regular NBA season.  With the 2020-21 season about half over, the Blazer website states that the number of assists to this point is 636.

So this means for a normal NBA season, Moda would shell out about $16,000 and the Blazers about the same amount – it will again be less this year since the regular season is only 70 games because of the pandemic.

Now to provide some context, it is intuitively believed that health insurers (as contrasted to hospitals) did pretty well financially during COVID 19 last year because so many elective surgeries were postponed and people shied away from trips to the ERs or hospitals for non-COVID issues because of fear of contracting the virus.

The Kaiser Family Foundation newsletter on 12/16/20 on “Health Insurer Financial Performance Through September 2020” stated, in part:

“By the end of September, average (profit) margins across these four markets (Medicare, Medicaid, group and individual private insurance) remained relatively high and loss ratios relatively low or flat compared to the same point in recent years.

These findings suggest that many insurers have remained profitable even as both COVID-related and non-COVID care increased in the third quarter of 2020.”

There has been no slide in health insurer profits…..

To conclude, I’ll leave you with what kind of playground $32,000 would provide.  According to Gametime.com which designs and manufactures commercial playground equipment for schools and communities and why the Moda website in some subtle wordsmithing states “towards building” rather than buying and installing the entire structure(s).

“You should budget around $1,000 per child. That makes the average cost of playground equipment between $15,000 and $50,000. If you are looking for a larger play structure with inclusive (accessible) features or a custom design, set a budget closer to $150,000.”  (Emphasis provided – Mar 12, 2020)

So when I hear Blazer players and announcers enthusiastically proclaim the Moda slogan “Be Better” and look at an excerpt from Moda’s mission statement: “Be outstanding community citizens through gifts of our time and resources,”  I ask for a little corporate introspection.  Not to be a wet blanket and admitting the program conceptually is to be lauded       

BUT

Given the need to promote outdoor recreation at schools as the pandemic continues and given the number of Oregon communities decimated by wildfires, ice storms (and in Portland) vandalism to public facilities, could both Moda and the Blazers be better in this program without causing much internal organizational distress?  Rather than have three communities vie for the funds with one “winning”  how about awarding all three or more?

Cheers and Be Better by Getting Your Vaccination!