Holman’s for History

Posted on February 20, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

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

In a recent post, I used the term “bar revivalists” to describe the Three-on-a-Match Bar Group which totally refurbished the wonderful Holy Ghost Bar after the ignominious 2017 termination of the Pub at the End of the Universe in the same location.

And that group under the leadership of Ezra Ace Caraeff has done an outstanding job resurrecting, if you will, four other Portland dives: The Old Gold, Paydirt, Tough Luck and Hi-Top Tavern.

That said, the Match Group doesn’t match the premier Portland bar revivalists – Warren Boothby and Marcus Archambeault (hereafter B & A), whose efforts have breathed new life into numerous Portland watering holes and which I’ve loved reviewing.

They include the Vern, the Double Barrel, the Sandy Jug, the Bantam Tavern, the Alibi, the Lay Low Tavern, the Elvis Room, Gold Dust Meridian and the infamous Sandy Hut (known to regulars as the “Handy Slut”). You can read Beerchaser reviews on the ones above with the blue links. (Marcus Archambeault confirmed that they no longer operate the Bantam.)

Most of these would be just a memory if it were not for this entrepreneurial pair. The photos below might beckon you and they are all gems. Gold Dust Meridian was a little bland on the exterior, but the artwork, amazing cocktails and outstanding happy hour were a great combination.

Thanks to their foresight and capital the “Slut” celebrated its 100th birthday in August 2023 with a block party including a mechanical bull and purple gorilla. May the taps continue to flow at the Sandy Hut for another 100 years!

Oh the History

Holman’s rich history permeates the expansive quarters and imbues it with great character. As described in an excerpt from their website and a news article:

“Welcome to Holman’s where good food has been served for more than 80 years. Originally a small lunch counter, legend says that during Prohibition was a bootlegger’s saloon. Then, after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, it became the “Hello Inn”.

“Holman’s was first opened by the family behind the Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard funeral home of the same name way back in 1933. Oregon Live 4/21/23 (#1)

The Hello Inn

Now if it weren’t for the bar entrepreneurs (B & A) Holman’s might have met the same fate as many other Portland bars and restaurants after it closed when the pandemic hit.

Rather than a permanent closure, however, a refurbished Holman’s reopened on July 31, 2023, after a three-year closure. The establishment even has its own Wikipedia page.

The categories below will tell you why after three visits checking it out, I would suggest Boothby and Archambeault have scored again.

The Staff

Ordering of both food and drinks at Holman’s is done at the bar, so during rush times, the bartenders can be a bit harried, but my experience at lunch and mid-afternoon echoes this 11/24 Yelp review:

“Fun atmosphere and the staff/service is outstanding. some of the nicest and best bartenders in the whole dang town.”

Both Zoe and Adam, when I presented my blog card and asked them a slew of questions, were friendly and helpful.

The Story

As I’ve related in numerous posts, I love bars and breweries housed in buildings with a history – previous other uses and expansion from the original space. Part of the charm of this watering hole is the partitioning into different sections – each with its own history and ambiance – from the bar itself to the lunchroom, to the game room, to the patio.

Bill and Judy Chase, the owners for many years before the transition in 2023, state on the website:

“When we bought Holman’s in the 70’s, seating was limited to less than a dozen people. Through the years we have expanded by adding the North Dining Room (formerly a part of a Rexall Drug Store), the Game Room (formerly a bicycle and lawnmower repair shop), and our Garden Patio (which was converted from an old used appliance graveyard).”

And where else in Portland (or any city) will you see a mural of the Last Supper in the lone bathroom for the bar – with minimal damage from graffiti.

The Museum Effect

A trip to Holman’s is tantamount to a museum visit. Of course, there is some of the typical dive-bar bric-a-bric which always enhances the environment, but the stuff on the walls at Holman’s transcends that. I would love (when I had about two days) to quiz the owners on the origin of each piece.

Take these two examples of great bars which are now gone, but their legacy, preserved in part at Holman’s will continue their place in the legacy of Portland bar annals. First, the Club 21 (formerly owned by B & A) which was housed in a former orthodox church closed on January 15, 2017.

In spite of the name – not a strip club – just a great dive bar.

One can see the historic Club 21 sign in the game room at Holman’s as well as a number of the mounted wildlife trophies and orthodox church icons which grace the walls. Evidently, some of it is also at the Lay Low Tavern.

I think the old-fashioned pinball machines, now in the game room, as well as picture with the pup eating the clam chowder, may have also emanated from the demise of Club 21.

But two even more dramatic examples came from a wonderful family bar named Sloans Tavern. Sloan’s closed in December, 2022.

Take a look below at the cab of the Freightliner Truck, once at Sloans, (left photo below) which is now on the south exterior wall at Holman’s along with the sign and the original awning. It may be one of the only such displays in the country. From the 2015 Beerchaser review:

“The bar was opened by Bob Sloan and his wife, Shirley in 1979. The Sloans owned and operated a custom auto body and paint shop next door – started in 1954 and still operating – they specialized in Freightliner trucks.

As evidenced by the amazing pictures in the bar, Bob Sloan also did skilled body and restorative work on classic autos. When a café next door to the body shop run by an elderly lady closed, they bought the property and opened the bar. (The entire property was originally a creamery that opened in 1926.)

And in what was described in 2012 by Willamette Week as:

“….the best juke box in Portland… you can watch a Chicago Coin’s Animatronic Big Band Box go into action while one of your favorite oldies is played. It’s one of about ten still working in the US and was manufactured in the 1950’s. As described in the “WW 2008 Bar Guide”

“The true gem of the place is the jukebox—an ancient machine, it’s capped with a glass dome containing a miniature (eight-piece) plastic band (and singer) that moves in time to the music (mostly oldies).” (2008 Willamette Week Bar Guide)

While it may not still work and be synched with the juke box, the classic animatronic band at least is preserved at Holman’s.

Preserved from the ’50’s

“Both businesses (tavern and auto shop) closed for good Dec. 30 following Sloan’s sale of the property to developers—they plan to build a seven-story apartment building on the land, and (Shirley) Sloan will settle into a well-earned retirement.” Willamette Week 1/3/22

One of the treats of frequenting an historic dive is also the old beer signs and Holman’s does not disappoint.

Old Guys at Home in an Old Bar

A favorite Beerchasing group of mine comprises seven male friends I’ve known for years. We first connected as a group in 2023 at the Basement Pub and then a year later at the renovated Sandy Jug (formerly a strip club called Pirates’ Cove).

It seemed appropriate to convene at Holman’s even though none of the group was alive and kicking in 1933 although we’re all at least still breathing in 2025.

At Holman’s in mid-January, two of the group (both retired lawyers) were traveling, but we there were still three attorneys in our group in mid-January. One of the group, Dr. Doug Walta is a retired physician.

Wanting to make my late ninth-grade algebra teacher (Don Gribble) proud, I figured the equation was balanced as one physician is the equivalent of three lawyers.

Another repeat attender was Tom Kelly, who serves as a role model for all of us based on his long career as the President of the Neil Kelly Company and his years of service in public and non-profit causes. Jim Westwood and John Kelly were also there.

A new addition to our group, who I invited after only recently meeting him, was another retired lawyer – Doug Blomgren, who after graduating from the University of Chicago Law School, had a distinguished legal career in the areas of tax, real estate, construction and development and litigation.

For many years in the Midwest and then in Portland, he represented for-profit and non-profit housing developers and housing authorities. Doug was also immersed for years in the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPS) litigation when he worked for the Department of Justice.

The main requirement for admittance to this group, however, is a robust (and perhaps cynical) sense of humor and you can see from the photo below (he’s on the left), the initial reaction was positive.

The caption for the photo above should be “organ recital.” That’s because given our collective longevity, the first thirty minutes is spent updating each other on health and anatomical issues.

When I returned to Holman’s, it was for lunch with one of my favorite people (okay, he’s also a lawyer) who’s a former Intellectual Property partner at the Schwabe firm and now works as an Assistant County Counsel for Washington County.

John Mansfied has Beerchased at numerous public houses ranging from the aforementioned Sandy Hut, to the Slammer, Mock Crest Tavern and the Tabor Tavern (right photo below)

John had a French dip and I had a chicken sandwich. They were okay, but not the highlight of my visits and a bit spendy. although the free parking in their lot mitigated it. That said, I plan to return for one of their excellent breakfasts.

Holman’s has created a community and has live music every Thursday, its patio is always filled to capacity during the good weather and some holdovers from when the Crane’s owned it such as Bloody Mary Sunday’s, a Whiskey Club and the “Holman’s famous ‘Meal Wheel’ ….After enjoying your meal, just give the wheel a spin and if you match up the two Red Arrows… your food is FREE!”

One issue that seems incongruous given the business acumen of B & A, is why the Holman’s website is out-of-date and has some erroneous information – most notably operating hours – which are noon to 2:30 AM on weekdays and 10 to 2:30 on weekends. It’s posted by their front door, but wrong on the website. Their Facebook page is also not very current.

Given how many I still have to explore, Holman’s is one of the few bars to which I will keep returning – if only to say hello to Adam and Zoe and Adam. It’s a Portland treasure. (#2)

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. Holman’s Bar and Grill Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=670812105094710&set=a.454208363421753).

#2. Holman’s Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=718330103676243&set=pb.100064977793901.-2207520000).

Summer Simmers – Part II

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Thebeerchaser

Sun_(Sol)

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

During the summer months, I’ve decided to address some random items – some having to do with bars and breweries and some captured while sipping a gin martini at the beach (up with olives). As in the first post in this series, I’ll end with three jokes from my files.

Bullshit Will Never be the Same!

It’s psychologically challenging when one knows that a sad event is on the horizon, but the timing is unknown – kind of an ominous foreshadowing, if you will. Now perhaps that’s an exaggeration in this case, but I was saddened when I received an e-mail from former Beerchasing Regular, “West Coast Dave Hicks.”

I say former, because after I retired and he moved for a time to the East Coast, our forays to such great bars as Crackerjacks Pub, the Double Barrel Tavern, the Ranger Station, Sloan’s Tavern and the Richmond Bar were relegated to just memories of great beer and great chats.

Dave sent me the obituary of Princeton Emeritus Professor Dr. Harry Frankfurt, author of the wonderful seventy-four page 1986 essay/book On Bullshit. The good professor died on July 16th at ninety-four. (#2)

When I started this blog in late 2011, I decided that besides reviewing bars and breweries, I would feature an interesting individual or group each quarter. My Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter might not have anything to do with beer or bars, but in my opinion they’ve made a meaningful contribution to society and their story should be told.

In almost every case, I’ve known the individual or group and they’ve ranged from athletes, authors, media personalities, military heroes and even academicians (including my graduate school professor in Public Finance).

One of the few I did not know, but felt compelled to “honor” in 2012 after reading his brilliant essay, was Dr. Frankfurt. As a lark, I looked up his contact info at Princeton and sent him an e-mail describing Thebeerchaser blog and his designation as B-O-Q.

I thought it would get caught in Princeton’s spam filter or that a person with this distinguished Ph.D.’s schedule would just ignore it..

So I was surprised and thrilled to receive the e-mail below several days later. His cryptic reference in the last sentence also indicated that he read my very long blog post in its entirety.

Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 7:36 AM
To: Williams, Donald
Subject: RE: Hello Dr. Frankfurt

Dear Mr. Williams,

First of all, thank you for the honor of naming me the January 12, 2012 Beerchaser of the Quarter.

I have looked at the blog in which you announced my receipt of this distinction, and I was impressed by its wit, its charm, and its erudition. Also, I enjoyed the pictures.

I intend to follow your blog regularly. I am especially interested in keeping up with the debate over whether to remove the letter M from the alphabet. I believe that, with regard to this issue, my mind is still completely open.

Anyhow, thanks very much for writing.

Sincerely, Harry Frankfurt

In 2020 with the prevalence of lies and BS (he makes a distinction) I felt compelled to republish the original post and add some updated commentary: https://thebeerchaser.com/2020/03/12/bs-revisited-if-only-i-had-known-in-2012/ ( #3-#4)

*+* BULLSHIT rubber stamp on the desk of a Street Photographer

I will mourn the passing of Harry Frankfurt, in part, because he won’t be around to comment on the 2024 Presidential Elections.

And as we listen to the forthcoming debates and interviews we can’t say the Professor did not warn us:

“The realms of advertising and of public relations, and the nowadays closely related realm of politics, are replete with instances of bullshit so unmitigated that they can serve among the most indisputable and classic paradigms of the concept.”

As an admonition when a candidate steps over the line, perhaps the moderator of each debate should whip out the poster below: (#5)

Farewell to Another Icon

The world was saddened with the death of Tony Bennett last week at the age of 96. He won twenty Grammy Awards and sold over fifty million records during his career.

The crooner captivated audiences for seven decades with his wonderful tunes and his charismatic personality, philosophy of life and support of humanitarian causes. He was a model for all generations.

Anthony Dominick Benedetto, like Thebeerchaser, was born in Long Island, New York. He struggled with significant personal issues during his life, but overcame them and continued to be a “masterful stylist of American musical standards.”

“(He had) an easy, courtly manner and an uncommonly rich and durable tenor that made him a master of caressing a ballad or brightening an up-tempo number.” (APNews.com)

And who has not whistled or hummed, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in the shower….? (#6)

Tony Bennett and wife, Susan

I wrote about him in a 2020 blog post – one not about entertainers but lawyers. My post was intended to make some observations about my almost forty years working with attorneys.

The opportunity to interact with these professionals during my entire career almost all of whom were ethical, smart, dedicated advocates with amazing work ethics and elevated senses of humor was a real benefit.

I tried to identify some general traits of lawyers that kept me on my toes in communicating. The last one I mentioned and the relevance to the preceding narrative is described below in this excerpt from the August 2020 post of Thebeerchaser:

Need to Have the LAST Word

Over my forty years working with lawyers, I learned that one way to garner their respect was to respond emphatically and with confidence in any (or every) kind of debate whether it was in conversation or electronically.

I learned, however, that even if I prevailed in substance, I should expect, and to some extent, encourage the lawyer to have the last word. It was a good method to save further time deliberating and allow a win–win result.

My favorite example of the lawyer insisting on the last word, occurred with one of Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt’s very good lawyers from our Vancouver Office who was on a sabbatical in Italy with his wife.

This counselor was very active in professional and civic activities and served on the Washington State Bar Board of Governors.

They were walking up to the entrance of an exclusive restaurant in Rome and out comes a group of several people led by a distinguished looking gentleman in an impeccably-tailored suit.

Obviously, I wasn’t a witness, but I was told that the conversation went essentially like this as the lawyer and his wife approached the group and he addressed the guy in the lead:

Lawyer: Hi. I know I’ve seen you before. Are you from the Pacific Northwest?

Stranger: No.

Lawyer: Wow! I know I’ve seen you before… Are you involved with the Vancouver, Washington Chamber of Commerce?

Stranger: No.

Lawyer: This is just puzzling to me because I’m positive I’ve seen you before. Did you have any dealings with the Washington State Bar Association?

Stranger: No……. I’m Tony Bennett

Lawyer: Oh my God. You’re right!! (emphasis added) (#7–#8)

(And “I didn’t leave my heart in Vancouver, Washington!”)

In Closing…

I mentioned in my most recent blog post Summer Simmers – Part 1, that since we will be moving later this year, I’ve been mandated by my wife, Janet, to go through the stacks of files scattered at various places in our house including my office and the garage.

In my diligent efforts to help Oregon’s recycling efforts, I’ve found that I’m most inclined to keep files entitled “Bar Jokes,” “Lawyer Jokes” and “Quotations.”

So, unless I hear vehement objections from Beerchaser followers, I will periodically continue to include an example from each of these categories:

Lawyer Joke

A trial lawyer known for his aggressive personality sat in his car in the immense courthouse parking lot during a lunch recess. He saw an old guy who obviously could not remember where he parked. So every time the guy held the remote in the air, the lawyer honked his horn.

Bar Joke

A skeleton walks into a bar and the bartender says, “What’ll it be?” The skeleton replies, “I’ll have a beer and a mop.” (#9-#10)

(Next time, why don’t you try a dry martini?)

Quotation

“When I die, I want to go peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather – not terrified like all the passengers in his car.” (Anonymous)

Cheers!

External Photo Attribution

#1. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Sun (Sol).gif – Wikimedia Commons) This file is in the public domain in the United States because it was solely created by NASA. Author: NASA – 22 April 2008.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harry_Frankfurt_at_2017_ACLS_Annual_Meeting.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author:
American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) – 29 October 2018.

#3. Princeton University (https://philosophy.princeton.edu/people/harry-frankfurt)

#4. Wikimedia Commons (File:BULLSHIT rubber stamp on the desk of a Street Photographer.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Lupus in Saxonia 25 March 2022.

#5. Wikimedia Commons (File:Bullshit.svg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: This W3C-unspecified vector image was created with Inkscape by Anynobody, composing work: Mabdul . Source: Own work using Bsahead.svg: and No sign.svg: 7 November 2011.

#6. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tony_Bennett_and_Susan_Crow.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Jeremiah Garcia 9 February 2008.

#7. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tony_Bennett_in_2003.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Tom Beetz – 11 July 2003.

#8. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SF_From_Marin_Highlands3.jpg) This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Paul.h at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide.)

#9. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human-Skeleton.jpg) The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law. You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Author: Skimsta – March 2010.

#10. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mop.svg) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author:
Mop.png: AwOc – 25 March 2010.

I (We) could do that!!

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Thebeerchaser

(External photo attribution at end of the post #1)

Although, after a diminished effort the last three years, I’ve resumed Beerchasing with a vengeance in 2023. And my last three Portland water-hole discoveries have been awesome and deserve affirmation.

The Basement Public House, the Jolly Roger at John’s Landing and the Tabor Tavern – all in Portland, helped to validate why I started this hobby in 2011 – although I really didn’t need a lot of reinforcement….

They were great visits and I had wonderful Beerchasing companions to enjoy the ambiance with me. (Click on the links above to see the reviews.)

But All is Not Well in the Rose City!

Hospitality industry businesses, most notably at least for me – bars and breweries – have had extreme challenges surviving. The pandemic starting in 2020 and the next three years was the death blow for many Oregon establishments although a lot of them had been struggling prior to that time given the vagaries of the NW economy.

An April 2023 article in Portland Eater – a credible website – was headlined:

“At Least 1,000 Oregon Restaurants Have Closed During the COVID-19 Pandemic, According to an Industry Group”

It went on to assert that:

“Factoring in the closures and openings in 2021, the ORLA estimates the net loss to be 600 to 800 permanent closures of restaurants across Oregon.”

So I looked back in my Beerchasing files – filled with clippings on bars and breweries – many that have opened since I started this hobby in 2011. I was shocked at the number of closures. Some, including Bridgeport Brewing, Sloan’s Tavern and the Ash Street Saloon to name a few, had thrived for years.

The photos below are just several of the establishments that no longer pour draft beers, canceled leases (or defaulted), painfully disposed of the old beers signs and memorabilia, and made their final “last call” – this time for the bar itself.

(Clockwise – The Lost and Found, Cruise Inn – Lincoln City, Lompoc Tavern, Black Squid – Lincoln City, Slabtown, Hair of the Dog Brewery, Oregon Public House, The Tanker, Ash Street Saloon, Burnside Brewing.)

Now a major factor in the closure of many was the pandemic – it challenged the fortitude, entrepreneurial creativity and perseverance of even the most well-managed hospitality establishments.

As stated above, but worth emphasizing, a number of those were already perched on that sudsy precipice and toppled quickly in 2020 and shortly thereafter..

While there were many “old-line” watering holes on the list, the problem with some of the newer short-lived venues – the owners and management didn’t “learn the ropes” before they ventured out on their own.

Two good Portland examples of how current successful bar owners worked their way up and were fully aware of the commitment and grit required before opening their own taverns are: (Photos #2 – Jackson Family and #3 – Zig and Wife, Kristen)

The Jackson family – owners of the Sports Page in Beaverton and the Jolly Roger bars – the most recent reviews on this blog.
Ken “Zig” Naffziger and his wife, Kristen Siefkin, co-owners of the Tabor Tavern and Swift and Union.

How many of the now defunct watering holes started off on a shoestring, by partners who had a passion for cooking, brewing beer (often in their basement) and who frequented their favorite bar or brewery and said to themselves or their partner after too many beers:

“I (we) could do that!”

I was struck by this quote from a John Sandford novel (Bad Blood) when protagonist Virgil Flowers, asks a watering hole owner:

“‘ Do you like owning the pub? ‘I used to,’ she says simply. ‘Not any more. I’m tired of it. The grease, the stench, the drunks. You see a lot. Sometimes early in the evening, when people stop in for a beer on their way home and there’s the companionable feeling in the room.

But then it gets edgier. More sour. And the work never ends. Cooking and cleaning, purchase orders, deliveries messed up, the staff drinking up all your profits, the breakage. It’s a hard business.’

All right he says, but neither of them moves and they sense the dense yellow light filling the little kitchen, glinting off the pots and pans, the grill, the steel sink, the stack of empty steel barrels, the racks of mugs, the towers of plates and saucers, the mound of freshly washed silverware, the cracked wall that had once been white, the scrawl of penciled phone numbers on the wall by the phone, the battered old yellow phone, the battered dish washer……..'” (Photos #4 and #5 above)

I’ve been waiting for months to use that excerpt and it may be overly dramatic, but perhaps it serves as at least a reasonable contrast to the romanticized version of owning a bar held by some naïve, but now past owners.

That said, pandemic factors, including the often well-intentioned but inept attempts by Governor Brown of Oregon on access (and closings) to bars and restaurants, landlords’ inflexibility on leases, lack of available staff and inflationary wages all contributed to operational nightmare’s for even the most well-managed and capitalized establishments.

Although they were trying to react in uncharted territory, the Portland City Council and Mayor Ted Wheeler were not much better in handling the pandemic and concurrent protests and civil disorder. Michael Schmidt, the Multnomah County District Attorney wasn’t much help.

According to an article in the April 4th 2023 Portland Business Journal:

In a survey of restaurant owners, hiring software maker Poached found that 97% of the more than 100 respondents don’t think the City is headed in the right direction to have a thriving food industry.
Eighty-three percent said their businesses had been broken into, and 90% of that group said they had break-ins in the past year.

In the next post, I’ll share a case study of one upscale Portland bar that opened at the end of 2016 with much fanfare – only to quietly close about eighteen months later. And the establishment which replaced it immediately afterwards is thriving. Why?

Stay Tuned!

Photo May 02 2023, 10 12 23 AM (2)

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (File:Gordmans – Three Rivers -CLOSED- (50383975587).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Kzoo Cowboy – 24 September 2020.

#2. Jolly Restaurants Facebook Page (https://www.jollyrestaurants.com/jolly-history)

#3. Swift and Union Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/swiftandunion/photos/pb.100033225804742.-

2207520000./1656 436864569501/?type=3)

#4. Wikimedia Commons (File:New Phone is an Old Phone.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Billy Brown – 6 September 2010.

#5. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Dirty dishes.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: User-Mysid – 26 November 2004.

#6. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Governor_Kate_Brown_(27497566614).jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Source: Oregon Department of Transportation – 30 June 2016.

#7. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ted_Speech.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Hcraddock – 5 December 2015.

Should Old Acquaintances be Forgot?

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Thebeerchaser

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

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

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

“And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!

and surely I’ll buy mine!

And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,

for Auld Lang Syne.”

The Jolly Roger

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

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

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

For twenty years, an eastside landmark!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Buried Treasure Disappears

Photo Nov 15, 5 08 29 PM (2)

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

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

Photo Nov 15, 5 48 26 PM

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

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

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

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

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

Photo Nov 15, 5 22 12 PM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sloan’s Tavern – Goodbye and Keep on Truckin’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Bridgetown Bites blog conveys the décor aptly:

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

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

P1040022

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

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

P1040014

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

Cheers!

External Photo Attribution

#1 Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ramses_I_Mummy.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Alyssa Bivins 8 July 2016.

A Petri Dish — Bar Culture Part I

Posted on May 3, 2021 by Thebeerchaser

Public Domain – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Petri_dish_at_the_Pacific_Northwest_National_Laboratory.jpg

(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 the narrative is not clipped or shortened.)

Books, articles and watering hole patrons often talk about “Bar Culture.” But how does one define this abstract concept and how does one find it? Recently, Bridgeliner, a Portland, Oregon online newsletter edited by Cassie Ruud (I’m proud to say – an Oregon State University grad) featured two interviews with yours truly – The Beerchaser.

The link below will take you to the first interview – how the Beerchaser started and how it has changed during the pandemic. https://bridgeliner.com/%f0%9f%8d%bb-portlander-don-williams-takes-us-beer-chasing/

And the following narrative is an expanded version of the second article entitled “The Foamy Culture.” The narrative below is my response to the first question Cassie asked with a lot of photos added from bars I’ve been to over the last ten years to illustrate the elements of bar culture.

Most are from Portland watering holes and It saddens me to add that a number of bars are from some of my favorites which are no longer open. Future posts will address the other four questions on bar culture because it is a complex topic and needs a lot of photos to convey.

I’m saddened that the photos below are from a number including Club 21, Zarz, Crackerjacks, Mad Son’s, The Tanker – all permanently closed – a loss to not only their patrons but Portland’s bar culture. And those are just ones represented in some of the photos in this blog post. There are many more on the list.

Regardless of where you live, when it is again safe, get back out and support these small business people whose livelihoods have been decimated in the last eighteen months. Try Kelly’s Olympian or……….

Kelly’s Olympian in downtown Portland – a bar with great culture

What are some key elements of pub and tavern culture (particularly in Portland) you’ve observed in your years of beerchasing?

That begs the question, “What is culture?” Let’s assume it’s a set of intangible aspects of social life – in this case in an individual bar or tavern – as contrasted to a brewpub or taproom – because there are some real differences. One way I describe this is a watering hole’s “character.” It’s really no different in Portland than elsewhere.

It can include more global items such as its location and the exterior, the regulars, the personality of the bartender and staff such as Phoebe, the charismatic bartender at the Brooklyn Park Pub – the first bar I hit in 2011.

Consider the style of the furniture (tables and/or booths) and how they’re set up. Take, for example, the unique Captains’ chairs at Claudia’s Sports Pub.

But it’s also a conglomeration of more mundane factors ranging from the lighting, the art (often nicotine-stained murals) or knickknacks such as old beer cans, bottles of MD 20-20, hats and mugs, and team pictures and trophies from bar-sponsored teams,.

Don’t forget the signs/posters with trite sayings such as “The consumption of alcohol may actually cause pregnancy. ”

The music (jukebox or live-streamed or live music) is also a factor and the number and types of beer on tap and the prices.

The atmosphere is influenced by whether there are games such as pool and shuffleboard or pinball and Skee-ball Don’t forget a favorite – Big Buck Hunter. Are there TV’s and if so, how many and how big? Is video poker pervasive? Is there a smoking patio?

Do they have weekly events or gatherings and are these karaoke or Naughty Bingo Nights?

Are there animals present. Not just service animals that are required under Oregon law, but are pets (and kids) welcome in the bar and on the patio.

Are the critters alive or dead?! Consider the skilled work of taxidermists with their product hung on the walls with glassy stares? And are these mounted trophies, deer and elk or more exotic critters such as the albino goat at the New Atlas Bar in Columbus, Montana or the ferocious stuffed alligator hanging over the bar at the Blue Moon Saloon near Kalispell.

It’s important not to overlook the bathrooms or heads. Are they unisex and are there locks on the door (or doors at all)? Do the sanitary conditions (for example vomit-stained toilet seats) motivate you to drink your beer slowly so you can wait until you get home?

And where but in Whitefish, Montana, can you see a life-size image of former NBA star Kevin McHale say farewell as you exit the men’s head at the Bull Dog Saloon?

Is there food and what type (usually plentiful) and whether it’s cooked on site or prepackaged? Some of the cooks at dives and neighborhood bars are really quite accomplished at their profession.

I guess, however, it does not take a trained chef to prepare the fried ravioli – available for $5 at The Standard or the Chicken Gizards (only $2.75 when they are the special-of-the-day) at the Yukon Tavern. And oh the Burgers!!!

Are the trappings dive bar vinyl booths and card tables or more refined dark wood with fire places (often in dive bars too) with volumes of books (real not decorative).

Two more factors that are important are the bar counter and back bar. Is your beer served on a Formica stand or a dark, classy wood counter with an attractive backbar filled with a multitude of attractive liquor bottles or knickknacks which evoke stories?

The Gold Pan Saloon , an historic dive bar we visited on a road trip to Colorado that dates back to 1879, had an impressive long, rich mahogany bar in Breckenridge.

In talking to the bartender, she told us that the bar and the beautiful backbar were shipped around Cape Horn to its’ destination in Colorado during gold mining days. I couldn’t verify the story, but it would not surprise me.

You throw all these elements – abstract, tangible and then add the people and the staff together and the result is a “Community” – and each bar or tavern is its own unique community or cultural institution.

Stay tuned to Thebeerchaser.com for future posts with the remaining four questions in the Bridgeliner interview about Bar culture.

Cheers

Sloan’s (Tavern) – It’s a Lot Like Home

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Thebeerchaser

Sloans – Like walking into a living room…….

Having visited seventy watering holes in Portland during the last fifty-four months, Thebeerchaser can assert that there are really no bad establishments in this group of bars, taverns and pubs. While some may be a little bit drab, the service may be less than stellar or the atmosphere has little charm or ambiance, all can be equated to a bull market – “When it is good, it is fantastic and even when it is bad, it is still pretty good!”

It can also be stated, however, that a few of the saloons I’ve visited have a charisma or charm that registers as soon as one enters. Those gems which I’ve reviewed and come to mind are Crackerjacks Pub in NW Portland, the Old Oregon Saloon in Lincoln City, Darwin’s Theory in Anchorage, Alaska and The Sink in Boulder, Colorado.

Thebeerchaser outside Sloan’s

Well, I am adding another Portland bar to that group – Sloan’s Tavern in NE Portland – right near Legacy Emmanuel Hospital. In an era where many new bars have sleek corporate-type environments with more taps than you could sample in a lifetime, it is refreshing to discover a family-run operation that epitomizes a charming old-fashioned gathering place.

The bar was opened by Bob Sloan and his wife, Shirley in 1979. The Sloans owned and operated a custom auto body and paint shop next door – started in 1954 and still operating – they specialized in Freightliner trucks. As evidenced by the amazing pictures in the bar, Bob Sloan also did skilled body and restorative work on classic autos. When a café next door to the body shop run by an elderly lady closed, they bought the property and opened the bar. (The entire property was originally a creamery that opened in 1926.)

Evidence of the Freightliner legacy on the west wall of Sloans

A charming aspect of Sloans is the décor, and Shirley, a beautiful and personable lady of 80, who graciously answered all my questions, pointed out that none of the furnishings were purchased new.

The bar stools – described affectionately by one reviewer as “adult high-chairs” – acquired from a diner, are classic as is the supplemental horseshoe bar near the west end of the establishment. Bob Sloan died in 2013, and Shirley still is owner, manager and does the cooking – and she is an excellent cook.

I might add, that one of the factors in making the evening one to remember was being accompanied by two friends:

Beerchaser Regular, West Coast Dave Hicks, a San Francisco-based legal consultant who has been on more Beerchasing expeditions than anyone except yours truly.

First-time Beerchaser, John Horvick, with West Coast Dave Hicks and Thebeerchaser logo

Portlander, John Horvick, Vice President and Political Director at DHM Research – Oregon’s premier survey research and polling firm, also joined us. Unless you have been living in a cave or alternatively blocked all broadcast and print media to escape the 2016 political races, you have undoubtedly heard John speak or seen one of his quotes in the papers or media.

Young Portland leader, Horvick. Still throws a mean strike…

He is a young leader in Portland as evidenced by his recent term as President of the City Club of Portland. John was born in Nebraska and graduated from the University of Minnesota after first spending most of his college years at University of Nebraska on a bowling scholarship…..!

In fact, his dad was a professional bowler and even though John wore loafers rather than bowling shoes while we drank, he was animated when discussing bowling hall-of-famers such as Don Carter, Dick Weber and Earl Anthony (1938 – 2001) who he reminded us was from Cornelius, Oregon.

Hall of Fame Bowler, Earl Anthony – he would love Sloans!

When asked about his time in the fast lane(s) – so to speak – John replied, “My bowling days were at Nebraska. I bowled for three years, and also taught the University bowling class. My students included NFL players and a first round pick pick in the WNBA. I had a great run bowling in college, but ……as my coach would remind us, no one ever retired on their bowling winnings.”

John hung up his bowling shoes in his senior year and graduated at Minnesota where he got in-state tuition and funding for a research project.

Distinguishing Characteristics of Sloan’s

The Food – Consistent with the family-owned orientation, the bar closes at 10:00 PM each night and is not open on weekends. When Shirley stops cooking in the afternoon, there is only a minimal menu of nachos, burgers, etc. available. But this former North Dakota girl stated, “Lunch is our prize!” She makes all the sauces and soups and puts together a great sandwich and lunch specials such as fish and chips with slaw ($6.25) In fact, try the Emanuel Special (ham, turkey and jack and cheddar cheese on a French roll – $6.25) named for the regular lunch customers from nearby Legacy-Emanuel Hospital.

Reg, the night bartender talking to some patrons

And the prices are very reasonable, for example, a great Reuben and fries for $8.25 or a 1/3 pound burger with fries for $7.25. Although they only have seven beers on tap and a slew of bottled beers, the environment to consume it is certainly far superior to some of the “beer shops” with 50 to 100 taps and the ambiance of a dental reception area. Besides, you can get a $1.50 draft PBR – all the time!

The Décor – The individual lamps and bar lighting, wall hangings, carpet, booths and bar stools, the mirror on the ceiling by the bar along with an old time rotating Schlitz beer globe all give a very comfortable neighborhood bar vibe as do the photos of classic cars on the wall.

Shirley describes it as “My living room,” and based on the amount of time she spends at the bar, the description is apt. While the Freightliner truck cab jutting out the side of the building is notable, the truck grill built into the bar itself, is also pretty cool.

A grill in the bar separate from that in the kitchen…..

And in what was described in 2012 by Willamette Week as “the best juke box in Portland”, you can watch a Chicago Coin’s Animatronic Big Band Box go into action while one of your favorite oldies is played. It’s one of about ten still working in the US and was manufactured in the 1950’s. As described in the “WW 2008 Bar Guide”:

A classic and outstanding juke box

———–

There were some comments on social media that referenced Sloans as a dive bar. From one who has great affection for such establishments (see Thebeerchaser post “Analyzing Dive Bars Head First” – September, 2011), these reviewers don’t have a clue as to what constitutes this category and the mislabel is the equivalent in this wacked-out 2016 political scene of describing Donald Trump as an intellectual….

I’ll close by quoting excerpts from two authoritative sources – Portland Barfly and Willamette Weeks Annual Bar Guide for an apt picture of what you will encounter at Sloan’s Tavern and why you should visit it:

Portland Barfly: The absolute cutest bar in North Portland, by far! A retro-lover’s paradise – everything is vintage, down to the 50s diner coffee-maker. A former greasy spoon, this spot cleaned up into a perfect date destination with its deep booths, and fantastic mirrored ceiling. Command the bar in the really fun swiveling captain’s chairs! Beautiful wall hangings, combined with kitschy relics of bars past – it’s like the ultimate estate sale you hope desperately to stumble upon (though, sadly, everything is NFS).

Willamette Week 2013 Bar Guide: Throughout a vibrant but never cluttered ’70s interior, the high art of low culture has been lovingly assembled to breathtaking effect utterly shorn of irony or, strange as this may sound, excess….The blend of fashion-forward cocktails with time-swept food (our visit, the food special was beef stroganoff; the drink special, house-infused cucumber gin) reflects a clientele with both neighborhood holdovers and gay and lesbian transplants.

It’s the sort of hard-earned integration of clientele easily spoiled by nightlife tourists, but Sloan’s schedule and locale just far enough from several beaten paths have thus far prevented the wholesale invasion. There’s no better way to avoid weekenders than to avoid weekends.

Sloan’s Tavern 36 North Russell Street

dafdsfsa

Thebeerchaser

Bars, Breweries and Watering Holes – An Exploration

Tag Archives: Sloans Tavern