The Richmond – Its cocktails make a splash on the Portland bar scene in 2014
Ten good draft beers to supplement the cocktail menu
Those who prefer cocktails, but want some good draft beers as well, should check out the Richmond Bar – only about a year old and replacing the Matchbox Lounge– oft praised in the past for its great $5 burgers and good beer. It joins the list of plentiful watering holes on SE Division.
The Oregonianincludes the Richmond in its listing of “Portland’s 10 Best New Bars,”and describes it as, “….. (a)surprisingly handsome and cozy spot with a British-meets-Pacific Northwest vibe decorated with tufted leather booths, imported wall paper and large wooden tables.”
West Coast Dave Hicks – A Beerchaser Regular who quotes the Sage of Baltimore
Nate Tilden(the Portland restaurateur and “cutting edge” guy who takes meat very seriously) (also owner of Clyde Commons andOlympic Provisions – entered another of his partnerships with Portlander, Marty Schwartz.
I was pleased that Beerchaser Regular, “West Coast” (although his sales territory goes east to Chicago) Dave Hicks, was in town from his San Francisco environs to raise a mug and convey pearls of wisdom.
Hicks has been to prior Beerchaser watering holes including Crackerjacks, the Horse Brass Pub and Belmont Station. His Princeton University under-graduate education is evident as he was quick to quote American journalist and satirist, H.L. Menken while drinking an outstanding Fort George Spruce BuddAle – one of nine beers and one cider on tap.
H. L. Mencken – Skeptical about economists and politicians but not beer
“24 hours in a day – 24 beers in a case – Coincidence. I think not.”
Before we tried the menu and imbibed in one of the cocktails, I took Dave’s suggestion – a bottle of Duchesse De Bourgogne – a reddish-brown ale from the West-Flanders region of Belgium. And although he is not fluent in Dutch, he taught me the correct pronunciation to order it.
Duchesse De Bourgogne – easier to drink than pronounce….
The Richmond is cozy and low-key. You order your drinks and food at the bar and even during Happy Hour, it had a nice vibe. We talked to Kelly, the bartender, who has worked there for just a few months and moved from Clyde Commons – which has also supplied chefs.
The bar has a rotating selection of “hand pies” and Dave enjoyed the ham pie, which the Portland Tribune Beef and Brew column described as, “….juicy Olympic Provisions sweetheart ham, smoked cheddar and – instead of predictable root vegetables – roasted cauliflower.” I enthusiastically devoured the wild boar and sweet corn pie. The most recent choices for pies on their website are a roasted venison and a vegetable option.
The robust menu shows mainly pub food with an Old English theme – and you know the OP meat is going to be superb. The offerings include mac & cheese, a number of burgers and sandwiches, salads and some esoteric snacks such as Pickled Eggs and Anchovies, Pork and Pistachio Pate, and Roast Beef and Turnips. Take a dollar off any item during their Happy Hour from 4:00 to 6:00 every day and all day on Sunday.
Kelly – a skilled mixologist
We were pleasantly surprised based on our limited sampling of their twelve original cocktails, and ours deserved the reputation the Richmond has garnered.
I had the Strong Water ($10) – stirred with rye, cardamaro, averna, dry vermouth and bitters – ingredients departing from what you would expect Thebeerchaser to be accustomed to – barley, malt, hops and yeast.
Hicks had a Paloma ($8) – tequila, grapefruit shrub, lime and jalapeno simple. I did not have the courage to ask what was the difference between plain grapefruit and “grapefruit shrub.”
The Strong Water and the Paloma – what in the heck is cardamaro??
A return trip would probably mean trying the Park Life, the Incider or the Mo Betta or the June Bug although that would still only cover one-half of their mixed drink lineup.
Skilled mixologists..
The Richmond has its own nice character, classy décor, the bartenders were skilled and friendly and as Willamette Week concluded in its review, “The cozy, tasteful little bar does absolutely nothing wrong – except perhaps doing nothing wrong.”
Their website is pretty basic, but has their drink and food menu and information on their Happy Hour. However, if you’re searching for “The Richmond Bar,” be specific and expand your search terms or you may end up reading about a bunch of lawyers in the oldest bar association in Virginia (founded in 1856).
And who can impugn the motives of those whose goal is “to promote legal science and the administration of justice…..while meeting the challenges of our rapidly changing profession.”
Bartender Kelly and Thebeerchaser with the logo
Since West Coast Dave Hicks is also a lawyer, he would drink to that mission!
And by the way, if you are still wondering, cardamaro is an Italian herbal wine-based liqueur flavored with a relative of the artichoke and blessed thistle among other herbs and spices.
And grapefruit shrub is a sweet-tart infusion of vinegar and fruit.
A nice ambiance which complements the good food and beverage options
Okay – admit it. When you saw the title of this review was Club 21, you thought I had abandoned the guideline to exclude strip clubs from the venues reviewed on Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs. But that’s not the case. Club 21 is a great NE neighborhood bar in an iconic 1930 building (at one time a Russian Orthodox church) co-owned by Marcus Archambeault and Warren Brophy,who also own two other Portland bars – Gold Dust Meridian(see Thebeerchaser review in October 2012) and TheDouble Barrel.
Ryan, Dan, Leslie and Scott with Thebeerchaser logo
Unlike some multiple bar owners who stay with one theme, they are creative – each bar has its own marketing, menu and ambiance based on the clientele, the building design and the neighborhood history.
Club 21 has great character and lawyers Scott Whipple and Dan Duyck and young O”Neill Electric Project Manager, Ryan Keene and I enjoyed our beer and a dinner there one late weekday afternoon.
Whipple is a Beerchaser regular having accompanied me to Ash Street Saloon and the Dixie Tavern downtown, in the early 2012 days of this “journey,” then to Slab Town and the Skyline Tavern in October 2013.
He and his law partner, Duyck, were along for Gold DustMeridian and Bar of the Gods and Ryan and his girlfriend, Laura, Beerchased at Quimby’s, Sniff Café and most recently, Stammtisch. (If you’re interested in seeing any of these reviews, just use the “Search” feature at the top right of Thebeerchaser logo.)
When we arrived at 5:00, there were few in the building, but a steady stream of regulars quickly filled both the inside and an expansive patio on the sunny afternoon. And the regulars were friendly and talkative when we asked them to tell us about the bar.
Expansive and Dog-friendly Patio
According to our bartender, Leslie – who has worked there 3.5 years, Club 21 has been the name of the bar since 1958. After its time as a place of worship, it became the eastside annex of Jake’s Crawfish.
The owner of Nick’s Coney Island bought the building and named his bar, Shadows. In 1958, it became Club 21 – just because it’s on 21st and NE Glisan. Marcus and Warren purchased it in early 2011.
In the photo below, that’s Dennis in the center – he works at Franz Bakery, and first came to the bar in 1966 – where he met the woman who is still his wife in the early ‘70’s.
Jovial and Helpful Regulars – and good taste in beer!!
Dennis and his friends remember the structure when it was a church and talked about sitting on what used to be the altar when they first started patronizing.
As an undated Portland Mercury review asserted,“Be sure to say hi to the regulars they’ve been drinking there before you were born. No but seriously. They have!” (Unless you are as old as Thebeerchaser….)
And the dark and cozy environment reeks with personality with accoutrements such as old Schlitz lamps and classic Blitz beer signs, three antler heads, a stuffed duck, a classic nude painting, four old-fashioned pin-ball machines, Big Buck World and a small nook in the wall with religious statuettes.
One of three trophies….
In fact, even the men’s bathroom has character – you have to open a door and walk through a small narrow hallway to get to it. (The door on the right is the entrance to the maze in the photo below.)
Even the entrance to the bathroom has character….
—–
The current owners remodeled the infrastructure (kitchen, plumbing and code issues) while being careful to maintain the spirit of the building. They improved the interior and reformed the menu. Subsequent reviews show they accomplished their goal:
“Yes, I think they’ve done a knock-out job bringing this historic building back to life. It still feels like a dive bar, but now it has some much appreciated style going for it”. (Barfly 12/13/11)
“Drool-worthy” old Blitz sign…..
“Club 21 is back in action, following a change in ownership (now in the same capable hands as Gold Dust Meridian), and a lovingly-rendered makeover of the old gal.
Don’t worry – she looks like the best Club 21, ever. And, no more of that embarrassing body odor. These are all good changes – enlarged patio, enclosed and ventilated kitchen, new paneling, everywhere, annoying mini-flat screens, nowhere, a drool-worthy collection of beer signs and booze memorabilia.”
And this from Willamette Week (10/12/11):
Thebeerchaser thinks Schlitz signs are even better than Pabst stuff
“(Club 21) still looks like a little fish tank castle on the outside and feels like a ski lodge on the inside. But the former dive bar, which took only a slight hit in patronage while closed for upgrades this summer, has stepped up its style game considerably.
Its former duct-taped booths have been replaced by new upholstery; dingy old beer mirrors replaced by…well, even older Pabst paraphernalia; two pinball machines have turned into four; the patio now seats dozens of young blue-collar regulars…”
Double the fun…..
And everybody raves about the food, which once was described as, “….burgers that (came) from a stack in a frozen bag from Sysco.”
Willamette Week continues:
“The obscenely cheap food specials are out, but replaced by still-cheap and altogether more satisfying options, including an epic build-a-burger menu with endless variations (how about a housemade veggie patty on Texas toast with smoked Gouda.”
And we leaped at the chance to try their menu specialty, “Build-a-Burger (BaB)”. (My selections are in bold) and as one City Search reviewer labeled it – “A fat kid’s dream.”
“Build a Burger” and add tater tots or onion rings
BaB is seven-step process commencing with picking your “foundation” – one of five options ranging from Oregon beef or prime rib, to fried or grilled chicken to a veggie burger and then your bread from one five (whole wheat) and selecting one of eight types of cheeses (pepper-jack). Keep going with the sauces (sea and salt peppercorn, smoky pepper, 12 spice BBQ, Cajun, habanaro, Jamaican jerk) and condiments (A-1 sauce, sweet & saucy relish).
Check out the menu below which further illustrates the process.
Build-a-Burger – A construction project….
If you want one of the eight extras for just a buck, add an eighth step (bacon, ham, fried egg, avacodo, caramelized onion, onion straws, sautéed mushrooms, anaheim peppers, pickled habanero, tomato bacon jam and grilled pineapple) – the works for only $8!
however
since it was Happy Hour – every day from 3:00 until 7:00, we got a buck off on the food and $.50 off on our beer. Side orders included fries tater tots, onion rings, green salads or Caesar salad).
A good menu – remade in 2011 with better quality and wider selection
————
All of us chowed down, supplemented by one of only four beers on tap (Rainier, Vaorizer, Boneyard or Kolisch). We were so stuffed, we couldn’t even take advantage of the all-day breakfast special consisting of two eggs, hashbrowns, and toast for $5.
And Club 21 has a great juke box and live music periodically (“We’re not a rock show venue, but feature a few bands a several times each month.”) Also check out some specials such as “Bottomless Mimosas” and “Comedy Brunches.”
They do not have a website but rely on minimal marketing through Facebook.
Don – the cook who is good at his job.
So if you are looking for info on the web about Club 21, be careful to be specific about the name and location. Otherwise, you will end up at the websites of venues with the same name in:
Oakland: “Club 21 is the San Francisco Bay Area’s Hottest Gay & Lesbian Latin and Hip Hop Party Destination, the number #1 Gay Latin and Hip Hop Night Club.”
Galveston Island,Texas: (in the Historical District. Rated #2 out of 13 on Trip Advisorfor nightlife) “Island Chic. Sophisticated. Relaxed. That’s the low-down on 21, Galveston Island’s premier spot for great times, great atmosphere, and great friends.”
Pueblo Colorado: (The only strip club in Pueblo – rated at 2.5 stars out of 5 – mostly because “The dancers were burned out.”)
Or you could end up at the websites for the nightclub on West 52nd Street in New York City or a luxury retail story in Singapore. Nevertheless, it appears that Marcus and Warren are going to stick with the name Club 21 and the history it embodies.
Religious statuettes and old whiskey trinkets – tacky but quant…..
But if you want a no frills, old school environment with exceptional burgers, a charming atmosphere with friendly regulars and helpful staff, no mixed drinks, a diverse juke-box and a good, albeit limited, selection of cheap draft beers, head to Portland’s Club 21.
And Marcus, why not hitchhike on Build-a-Burger (BaB) with BaBS (Build-a-Banana Split). First you select the ice cream flavor, then topping…….then……!
An inanimate regular at the bar
Club 21 2035 NE Glisan
———–
(To view the map with all the bars reviewed by Thebeerchaser, click on the “View Larger Map” link at the bottom of the map below)
This blog has recognized a number of individuals over the last three years as Thebeerchaser-of-the-Quarter or Month. Why? Because they have either distinguished themselves in their profession or for their contribution to society. In the case of the first “honoree,” retired chemist Harold Schlumberg (August 2011) – just because of his approach to life.
Some of those tapped for this laurel include my friends, Jud Blakely(September 2013) and Steve Lawrence, (May 2014) for their military service in Viet Nam – a conflict in which both were awarded the Bronze Star. Three authors, Portland’s Brian Doyle(Feb. 2014); Princeton Professor Emeritus, Harry Frankfurt, (Jan. 2012) the author of the brilliant tome, On Bullshit andcrime novelist, James Crumley (Sept. 21011) were named because I loved their books.
This quarter, we are recognizing one of Oregon’s preeminent appellate lawyers and citizens, John R. Jack Faust.
Jack skipped first grade (either because of his advanced intellect or disciplinary issues) and went on to graduate from Jefferson High School – the alma mater of his future law partners at the law firm of Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt, former Congressman Wendell Wyatt and now a senior judge in U.S. District Court, Ancer Haggerty.
After undergraduate school at U of O, Faust distinguished himself at the University of Oregon School of Law, serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and graduating first in his 1953 class, receving the Phi Delta Phi Award for Outstanding Graduate – Pacific N. W.. ( He has great tales of legendary professor Orlando J. Hollis.) After military service, he first practiced at the law firm of Cake, Butler & McKewan,and in 1979 moved to the Schwabe firm.
Charlie and Jack Faust Beerchasing at Bailey’s Taproom
He practiced corporate, appellate and general law and represented public utilities, insurance companies, baseball teams (see below), public officials and did a lot of pro-bono work.
Jack served as President of both the Multnomah Bar Association and Vice President of the Oregon State Bar and was selected by his peers for listings in Best Lawyers in Portlandand Best Lawyers in America.
Friend, fellow spook and another great Oregon appellate lawyer, Jim Westwood
Like his colleague and friend, Jim Westwood – Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter in March 2013 – our new honoree is a former “spook” (both served in military intelligence) and both are recognized for the legal accomplishments. Westwood’s description of his friend, Faust, is shown below.
And Westwood is qualified to offer an opinion. Jim has handled more than 200 appeals and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, listed in Best Lawyers in America and an Oregon Super Lawyer.
“Like Jack Faust, I’m an appellate lawyer. I am 0-2 against him. In the second one I gave a stemwinder of an opening argument, then Jack got up and said to the judges, ‘I don’t have anything unless you have questions.’ They didn’t, he sat down, and he won. That’s Faust, the lawyer who also represented owner Bing Russell of the Portland Mavericks against Major League Baseball and cleaned MLB’s clock. He is not only the Beerchaser of the Quarter – he is The Man.” (This is a compliment to Faust’s brief, his judgment and his ego.)
We will describe his acclaimed legal career and his civic contributions below, but Jack Faust, also receives this accolade both because of his sense of humor and his furtherance of Beerchasing concepts. The latter was first achieved while in college at the University of Oregon as can be seen this photo of him swimming.
Jack, the recipient – efficiency and multi-tasking are the hallmarks for his achievements
“Faustmaister” (not copyrighted) is the label of his home brewed beer – a hobby he has pursued for many years in his basement – the nadir of which was the production of “Raspberry Red.”
It was digested by his basement drain rather than a human – other than several swallows to test. (The statute of limitations has tolled on violations of environmental regulations and it was not classified as a Superfund site – possibly because “RR” was brewed before the 1980 enactment of the federal legislation.)
A hydraulic lift he installed to lift the five-gallon kegs of beer enabled uninterrupted brewing when he suffered a triple hernia.
Faustmaister production facilities…
Not only does the Schwabe firm, have outstanding lawyers, and great people, but one of the factors that makes it such a great place to work is an organizational sense of humor and team work. Jack Faust is a sterling example, as demonstrated by his e-mail sent to the entire firm in 1999.
Jack sent the missive below shortly after Schwabe joined other law firms in moving to a business-casual dress policy for lawyers. It shows his wry commentary at some of the changes in the legal profession:
“At the risk of the usual barrage of abuse – please spell my name right in your responses – I report the following: This morning dressed in ‘business casual’ per SWW Reg. 1-901A(1)(c)(ii), I had just parked my car in the Pac West Center garage and deposited my keys in the box by the parking attendant’s station.
A fancy car rolled up with a well-dressed woman at the wheel. She asked me, ‘Do I park it myself or will you park it for me?’ I was about to tell her that I am a lawyer, not a parking attendant, but I was afraid my mother would find out. It would kill her!”
While serving as COO at Schwabe, I tapped his humor numerous times for lighter moments at firm retreats as can be seen by the video below. You might also note when viewing, that the co-star is another Beerchaser-of-the-Month (January 2014),Art Vandelay, better known by his colleagues as attorney, Carson Bowler. You will see from the second “blooper video” that Faust’s quest for a flawless product extends beyond his appellate briefs to his acting……
Civic and charitable service is a firm core value at Schwabe and Faust was no exception. They are too extensive to name all, but include, Vice Chair of the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Committee (LCDC), the Oregon Commission on Higher Education, Chair of the Board of Lewis and Clark College and board service for the Portland Opera, Campfire Girls and SEI. Corporate boards ranging from Equitable Savings to Western Savings Bank to Pacific NW Bell are also on his resume.
Son Charlie and Jack with Thebeerchaser logo at the Marathon Taverna
Jack and his son, Charlie, have been Beerchaser regulars. (The Buffalo Gap Saloon, Bailey’s Taproom, the Grand Café and the Marathon Taverna – not yet posted) Jack helped me line up personal tour of the Grand Café(Beechaser review in January 2013) by Frank-The Flake-Peters when Schwabe’s Product Liability Group visited the bar.
Jack and Frank Peters at the Grand Cafe
—————-
He knows Frank well (Frank wrote to him often when Peters served time at the Oregon State Penitentiary) and Faust is a personal friend and represented Bing Russel, the actor and former owner of the Portland Mavericks baseball team when Frank Peters managed.
The escapades of this wonderful minor league team are captured in the recent Net Flix movie “The Battered Bastards of Baseball,” which has drawn rave reviews nationally. In fact, Faust appears in the movie because of role as the lawyer who won the $206,000 arbitration award for Russell from the Pacific Coast League – the League’s final pre-arbitration offer was $5,000!
Jack is also well known for his television work – moderating the award-winning (Iris AwardforOutstanding Local Public Affairs Program in the Nation) “Town Hall,” on KATU for thirteen years. The stories about “Town Hall” – filmed live with a small studio audience – essentially a panel (in-the round) of parties vested in the topic with the moderator in the center – are numerous.
Moderating Town Hall
Faust is a quick study and after playing tennis in the morning, would go to the KATU studio at noon where staffers would have material and brief him on the topic he studied until the live broadcast at 6:00 P.M.
His stories range from the forum on prostitution which included a number of “participants” in the panel who provided an itemized pricing of various services; a fight in the KATU parking lot between two panel members (a female and a male) after the show, and one on professional wrestling where one of the burly participants demonstrated a headlock on the moderator, and gave a twist whereupon Jack exclaimed, “Jesus!” into his mike.
Ghosts in residence?
He also recounts the show on ghosts – broadcast on location from Portland’s White Eagle Café (see Thebeerchaser review from Nov. 2012), a venue reported to have a ghost still living in the basement.
Three shows on the Rajneesh and the Bhagwan concluded with two in Rancho Rajneesh – now, Antelope, Oregon. Ma Anand Sheila was the spokesperson for the Bhagwan. Amy Faust, Jack’s daughter and a local media celebrity, writes a compelling account of these shows in the July, 2014 edition of 1859 Magazine. (The first two shows had not gone well for the Followers and they balked at having the third one):
“Then, just one day before the scheduled taping (of the third show), they reversed their stance, sending my dad an apology and a boxed lunch from Zorba the Budha Deli. While my dad remembers his receptionist, Jeannine Marks, saying, ‘I wouldn’t eat that if I were you,’ like a good, waste-not child of the Great Depression, he wolfed it down. ‘What are they going to do,’ he replied, ‘poison me?’
The next day, his producer, India Simmons, got an odd phone call from Ma Prem Sunshine, asking simply, ‘How’s Jack today?”’Sunshine’s tone of voice prompted Simmons to call my dad, who was in fact at home in bed with a fever of 103, horribly sick for the first time since age 5. Not wanting to miss the show, he recruited my mom to drive him to Antelope, feeling nauseous the whole way.
After a heavy does of Tylenol, he hosted the show, which was indeed more damaging to the Rajneeshee reputation than the previous episodes. In the face of criticism from detractors, the Rajneeshees often broke into loud, disconcerting laughter, and at one point responded to an angry local by bursting into song.” (Faust’s response in ending the chanting was, “This show is not a musical!”)
One clarification: When Amy said that Jack had not been sick since the age of five, she did not include the hangover he suffered while in college after the swim shown in the picture above.
For many years, he was the premier emcee for banquets and events all over the state. He’s also met a number of U.S. Presidents as evidenced by this photo.
At the White House with President Reagan
—————
He introduced Presidents Ford, Reagan, Bush Sr. and Vice President Rockefeller, in addition to numerous US Senators including the late Howard Baker and every Oregon Governor from Tom McCall to Ted Kulongoski (finally a Democrat!!) Add Gloria Steinham to his list of celebrities when she was in Portland for a fundraiser for former Senator Bob Packwood.
Because of his public speaking abilities, Faust was a vital part of the Schwabe firm’s oral communication training for lawyers – including how to introduce speakers. I had attended this same training and knew most of his tips and naively acquiesced to his request to be his “shill” and introduce him at one of these training sessions. Of course, I prepared and practiced knowing that he would shred my effort in front of the approximately fifty colleagues who attended – I was not disappointed.
Army Intelligence duty – notice, he has no insignia on his uniform
—————
Our honoree is a wonderful story-teller, although even with the passage of time, about the only thing he is close-mouthed about – even after a few beers – is his role in Army Intelligence and counterintelligence during the Korean War. From 1953-55 as a Special Agent in the US Army Counterintelligence Corps – detachment Far East Command, he was stationed in Korea, Japan and China. Remembers the interviews and IQ tests.
Faust at a liaison dinner with Japanese counter-intelligence personnel in Japan
—————-
Jack is also a great family man. He and Alice will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in 2016 and they have three great offspring. Barbara, the oldest is a retired customer service representative and Charlie, Thebeerchaser regular and a successful Portland mortgage broker.
Amy – who has inherited her father’s media notoriety and is the Amy of Mike and Amyon99.5 The Wolf– the pair recently returned to air – brought back by listener demand when the station, in 2012, decided to cut corners for on air-personalities after the duo had been together on the station for 13 years. Several years ago, Jack co-hosted with Amy when Mike was gone and did a very credible job – probably feeling as much pressure to perform as when he argued in front of the Oregon Supreme Court…..!
Mike and Amy (Faust) — a triumphant return to the air waves
In fact, Jack tells how when Amy was growing up, she sometimes got a little frustrated because people would always inquire, “Oh, you’re Jack’s daughter?” Jack smiles when he relates that for the last ten years, when people first meet him, the standard question is, “Oh, you’re Amy’s Dad?”
He and Alice have traveled extensively – to 35 countries, the most exotic of which was Bangladesh (Ask him to tell you about the legal case he handled and his adventures wondering around when you have a few minutes for intrigue….)
Jack and Alice in China
And there are many other stories such as the time he sang a duet with actress, Ginger Rogers, when she was staying at a house on the Rogue River. These tend to spill out when he reminisces over a Faustmaister – with the exception of “Raspberry Red.”
Thebeerchaser raises a mug to John R. Jack Faust for his contributions to make Oregon a better place to live and his outstanding legal career, – both of which mitigate his somewhat questionable propensity to wear Oregon Duck gear when we drink beer and in his travels all over the world.
Jack and waitress, Holly Eldridge, at the Buffalo Gap Saloon
Thebeerchaser has seen the vehicle referred to as “Party Bikes” – in various cities ranging from Seattle to Denver to Amsterdam. In each case, the riders were exuberant and obviously having a good time.
Thanks to the generosity of Kenzie Larson, a group of us hopped aboard this mode of transport on a summer Sunday afternoon to hit a few SE Portland watering holes.
Lloyd, our leader (front center in the gray shirt). Owner of this small business.
Lloyd – the erstwhile driver, owner (his company name is “Pedalounge“), cheerleader, safety officer and coxswain – after collecting our liability waivers, (much less onerous than what I signed before zip-lining in Alaska) gave us a brief admonition to be cautious and obey the rules.
One of these was no partaking of alcohol while we were pedaling – something that made sense and is not the case in all cities licensing these vehicles. Another was, “Pedalounge loves good friends, laughs and an ice-cold beer and does not believe that riding a big bike entitles anyone to be rude or annoying.” (emphasis supplied)
Thebeerchaser and Lloyd – an impressive small entrepreneur
Lloyd barked encouragement and a lot of funny lines – some about his native state of Minnesota – he moved to Portland because his watch was two hours slow and he couldn’t fix it. He measured our pace – at one time an impressive 5 mph – and urged us onward – we responded out of a sense of morbid curiosity.
His recitation of the rules was not necessary, because all of us – even though we were not wearing helmets – as if anointed by the Goddess of Two Wheels, became subservient in our attitude toward automobiles, self-righteously obeyed all traffic signals and gratuitously wanted to share the road with autos while refraining from operating on sidewalks.
Perhaps we were reflecting on HG Wells statement,“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race,” although I assume he might amend that assertion if he saw the Pedalounge that day. Lloyd asked us what bars we wanted to visit and helped us formulate a route, which both started and ended at the Green Dragon in Southeast Portland.
The Lucky Lab – first stop….
We then pedaled – drawing waves and cheers from envious passersby – to our first stop, The Lucky Lab Brew Pub on SE Hawthorne. We spent about 30 minutes there and each bar thereafter. The collaborative effort to develop enough thrust to push our conveyance generated a team spirit which was celebrated at Lucky Lab.
Rejuvenated, we mounted up and spurred on by Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty,” attained an impressive velocity.
We arrived at The Baerlic Brewery and Taproom– a new micro-brewery, like many, started by two gents (Ben Parsons and Richard Hall) who for years brewed our favorite beverage in their basement and opened this enterprise in 2013.
Kenzie Larson adding new meaning to the term, “of barley.”
“Baerlic” is an old-english adjective meaning “of barley.” The selection is somewhat limited with only three of their beers on tap – and it is a small and sparsely furnished space, but the beer was good – most notably the Invincible IPA.
By this time, we all were thoroughly enamored with Lloyd and his enterprise and since we thought it might be imprudent to nominate him for elective office, we brainstormed ideas to support him.
One was to bring the Pedalounge to the Pendleton Roundup this fall. Another was for a cross-country Pedalounge trip.
Sampling Baerlic’s Invincible IPA
Jamie Magnusson, my son-n-law and an engineer with advanced math skills, started calculating. It was like the old SAT math problem: “If one Pedalounge started a cross-country trek from Portland and another simultaneously headed West from Virginia Beach, when and where would they meet.”
Jamie figured, if the East Coast group, first headed south, they would meet in Salina, Kansas on Interstate 70 at the appropriately named Rendezvous Bar on Santa Fe Avenue. There could be ceremony reminiscent of the Golden Spike in 1869 at Promontory Summit in Utah when the Union and Central Pacific Railroad tracks met to complete the first US transcontinental railroad. Unfortunately, the only review of this bar was a 2010 Yelp one-star and this excerpt does not portend a good result. “Reviews are obviously subjective. Some people clearly enjoy this bar. Due to my preferences, I simply don’t, and would never step in it again.” (The references to the condition of the bathroom is omitted in the interest of prudence.)
The Rocky Mountains and bathroom stops – insurmountable??
We discarded the idea when he revealed that even assuming we averaged 3 miles per hour (probably not going to happen over the Rocky Mountains) and pedaled 12 hours per day with minimal bathroom breaks, it would take each Pedalounge 42 days to reach Salinas. Although, based on one bike that caught my attention at the Portland Art Museum’s Cyclepedia Exhibit in 2013, one of us could make the trip solo on this bike shown below:
Solo cross-country trip??
Lloyd, rounded us up and we headed for our third stop – Apexon SE Division. He resisted the temptation to play some Gaelic tunes to increase our velocity.
Apex, like the Green Dragon, has an impressive selection of beer (50 on tap) -my favorite was an innovative and very spicy Diablo Rojo En Fuego from Bend’s Boneyard Brewing (“ Poured deep amber/red with a thin head. Great chili pepper flavor without being too heavy on the spice and heat…” – “ratebeer” blog)
“Whether you’re inside the sleek aluminum bar eyeing the real-time digital tap menu or out front tipping back pints on the fleet of picnic tables, Apex’s hoppy list of 50 brews is the perfect intro to the IBU-centric taste of the Pacific Northwest.”
Over 50 beers on tap.
While the beer selection is memorable, Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Portland’s Bars, Pubs and Taverns primary focus is the environment and character of the watering holes. And Apex, like Bailey’s Taproom (Beerchaser review in April 2014) another one of Draft Magazine’s finest, doesn’t have a lot of ambiance and serves no food.
No need to have a Coors Light here…..
With heavy hearts and full bladders, we headed towards our final stop – the Green Dragon with thoughts about the Circle of Life. The Green Dragon is a neat pub with a robust selection of beers. After making the 2011-12 Draft Magazine 100 Best lists, it fell off the last two years, but this 2012 description still holds:
“……the urbanesque Green Dragon tempts patrons through its garage door entrance, and keeps them hanging around with more than 50 ever-rotating taps—probably none fresher than offerings from Buckman Botanical Brewery, a small-batch brewery set up inside the Dragon. From regular meet-the-brewer nights to the annual Great American Nano Fest, this bar is one of the most craftbeer-centric venues you’ll ever find.”
The Green Dragon
A robust selection of beers at the Green Dragon.
While the Pendleton Round-up still might be a possibility for the Pedalounge, the cross-country trip is not, so help us support Lloyd – the epitome of humility – “I owe everything to my parents – especially my mother and father…”
Check out his website below and get a group of friends and reserve the Pedalounge. The website shows a calendar with available dates, informs you how to sign up and everything you will need. And bring some of your own music to play on the journey. Although avoid certain artists. For example, Lloyd told me, “I kind of wondered over the years why none of my patrons ever wanted John Tesh numbers. And then I realized it was because John Tesh sucks….!”
You can pick the bars in Southeast Portland you want to visit although Lloyd’s recommendations were very good. Thebeerchaser has also found after reviewing over 70 Portland bars and pubs in the last three years, that the SE area served by Pedalounge houses some of the premier establishments in our city. The Pedalounge price is a great bargain, the camaraderie is memorable and you will want to pay Lloyd a return visit to explore new watering holes.
Dan Hart and Chris Navarra are the co-owners of two North Portland bars – Prost and Interurban – see Thebeerchaser reviews in November 2011 and May 2012, respectively. Prost was an early favorite on Thebeerchaser Tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs. Interurban, relatively new when we visited, was okay, but had none of the character of its counterpart a few blocks north on Mississippi Ave.
Memories – Prost in 2011
Laura, Ryan and Kenzie – some of University of Portland’s great alums
They have now opened a third Portland bar – Stammtisch on NE 28th Avenue – in the Kerns Neighborhood. Early reviews are very good and we had a great experience.
Stammtisch replaces a bar named Spints Ale House, which based on numerous largely critical comments, was not a loss because of mediocre food, expensive beer and marginal to terrible customer service. One Yelp review concluded, “Spints is ultimately an exercise in unmet potential,” consistent with another stating, “As mentioned in other reviews, the ambience in this joint is non-existent, the music loud and dreadful, and the staff a tad less than gracious (& I’m being polite there!).” (Yelp 1/2011)
Before that the site had Café 401 – closed only a few months after opening to big breakfast crowds. An April 2009 review in the blog “Breakfast in Bridgetown” summarized as “Simple, but above average”– not a rousing endorsement. So Stammtisch does not have an insurmountable legacy to uphold……
Community tables…
Stammtisch is a German term for “an informal friendly get-together held regularly and also the usually large, often round table, around which the group meets.”
Based on the lively crowd on a weekday night, the name is appropriate because community seating is encouraged – and appeared to be working well. “My boyfriend and I shared a table with some strangers when we first sat down and we were clinking our steins with them by the time the bier arrived at our table.”
According to Oregon Live (4/30) “(Hart plans to)transform it into a sister bar to Prost with more German taps, more schnapps and more food.” Our experience and the majority of the early comments viewed indicate that predecessors food quality issues won’t be an issue: “Stammtisch has now become our go-to German restaurant in Portland ..and it’s a drive since we live about 30 miles out-of-town.”(5/6/14 Yelp John B)
Expansive menu and food quality creates a nice dilemma….
Willamette Week published a restaurant review on June 25th and went into great detail on the expansive selection of German food on the menu. The four of us shared just a few of the selections ranging from the Fiorelle (Riesling braised trout) to the Bretzel to the Brites to the Bratwurstwith sauerkraut. A return trip would pose the dilemma of whether to repeat what was outstanding or try something new.
This ambivalence would also occur on the German bier selection. The 18 taps – six rotating – helped to reinforce Ernest Hemingway’s assertion: “It was as natural as eating, and to me, as necessary. I would not have thought of eating a meal without drinking a beer.”
Affirmed at Stammtisch
Our selection included:
Professor Fitz Briem 1899 Berliner Weisse
Kostritzer Schwarzbier Ayinger Celebrator
Veltins Pilsner
A Beerchaser tradition is to visit my bars with interesting people and this was no exception – three young professionals, all of whom make me an ardent fan of The University of Portland, their alma mater. Brian Doyle, Editor of UP’s wonderful magazine Portland, award-winning author, and most impressively,Thebeerchaser of the Quarterin February 2014summed it up best.
Author Brian Doyle
He was chronicling the amazing success of the Rise Campaign at the University which concludes this summer and has raised $180 million over the last four years. He reflects on UP: “I cannot count the number of students I have met in 23 years here who became riveting and creative and devout and admirable men and women.”
Portland – the UP magazine
So let’s briefly look at my companions that night. Laura Williams – who I am immensely proud to say, is my youngest daughter, a 2008 UP alum and a dedicated pediatric oncology nurse, first at Randall Children’s Hospital and now at Doernbecher.
Ryan Keene – UP 2011 – a skilled project manager at O’Neil Electric, who also helps coach the cross-country team at Clackamas High School, and even works weekends helping in the Arleta Library Bakery and Café – a great SE venue especially for breakfast and featured on the Food Networks“Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” (Ryan and Laura were along for Thebeerchaser visit toQuimby’s in NW Portland earlier this year in March.)
And Kenzie Larson – UP 2010 – a very successful senior account representative at the amazing young company, Jama Software– recognized on the Forbes’ Most Promising Companies in America list the past two years.
Our waitress, Leslie, with Thebeerchaser logo and Ryan, Laura and Kenzie
All of them are good citizens and great athletes – with the emphasis on running. For example, last summer Ryan, who ran two years of cross-country at Gonzaga before transferring to UP, ran a 50K – that’s 31.1 miles – ultra-marathon in Bend on the Flagline Trail. He finished 3rd overall with a time of 4:15. – that’s essentially an eight minute mile for the distance! In fact, the only negative thing I can say about Ryan harkens back to his college days when his favorite beer was warmBusch Light.
Fortunately, his discernment in girl friends surpasses his beer selection…
Kenzie, besides having played basketball at UP, recently ran the Rainier-to-Ruston Relay, with a team of 4 ladies – it’s like a mini Hood-to-Coast (51.9 miles – so each ran about 12 or 13 miles over the 3 legs) from a starting point on Mt. Rainier to the Tacoma waterfront finish line. They were the top female team, finishing in 7 hours and 20 minutes.
Laura, Ryan and Kenzie lend credence to the complaint: “The only problem with beer is that you have to be stationary to drink it.” They also motivated me to at least sprint from the bar to my car when we left….
Laura and Kenzie – stationary for the moment
Now there were complaints about the service at Stammtisch’s predecessors, but the reviews so far are very good. Our waitress, Leslie – a Louisiana gal who moved to Portland based on the recommendation of her friend who works at Prost – was knowledgeable about the bier, friendly and efficient.
She’s worked there for a month and one-half and said, “We’re having fun here.”
Adrian and his wife – neighborhood fans….
And Dan Hart is smart. One of Ryan’s co-workers at O’Neil (Adrian) and his wife live in the neighborhood. They said that Dan met with the neighbors as they were planning the layout and operation – he was a good listener and responsive to their concerns. As you can see by the picture of the parade of bikes which filed past while we ate, the neighborhood is interesting!
An interesting neighborhood
He had an impressive response to a complaint by one patron on Yelp that the beer was too expensive:
“We are glad that you enjoyed Stammtisch. A little note in regards to the price of bier. Our biers that we sell are all premium imported biers shipped from Germany that are sold in .5L glassware. These glasses hold approximately 20 oz, but are filled to the .5L (16.9oz) mark, then the rest with head.
This means that you are getting about 25% more bier then you would if you were at most any other brewery or bar in town…. From my experience that is cheaper than most any other brewery….that makes their beer on site and doesn’t need to be shipped half way across the world. Just trying to ensure you know exactly what you are getting for your dollar. Thanks again for checking us out and we hope to see you at the Pub again soon.” 6/9/2014 Yelp
We thoroughly enjoyed Stammtisch and plan to return. The comment from another happy repeat customer, who gave a five-star review in Trip Advisor, echoes our experience:
“I’ve been to Stammtisch several times since it opened a few months ago and I highly recommend it. It’s a casual place, but the staff is friendly and attentive, and the food and beer are excellent. Pretty much all the food I’ve had has been delicious.” (July 8, 2014)
Alaska is not the only place in the United States where one can still find pristine wilderness, but the magnitude of the expansive unspoiled forest, glacial fiords, diverse wildlife AND good bars make it a worthy trip – one which Thebeerchaser and his spouse experienced for eleven days in late June.
Boarding the Statendam in Seward
Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Old and young, we are all on our last cruise,” and since we had never been on a cruise, we decided to take the Holland-America Inside Passage cruise on the Statendam – a wonderful decision.
We flew into Anchorage and had a day in this picturesque city, before a day train trip to Denali National Park for two days.
The bar in the Glacier BrewHouse
Of course, it was important to get a feel for the bars in Anchorage – not that I could deduct the trip, but Thebeerchaser has a reputation to uphold. So for lunch in the city, we stopped at a brewery recommended by the hotel – The Glacier BrewHouse – for a good salad and split a Glacier Brewery Imperial Blonde – it was good and rejuvenated us after the flight. The Brewery produces more than 4,500 barrels per year.
Adventurous spirit was not required to find the next bar – since it was a half block from our hotel, but Darwin’s Theory will go down as one of my favorite bars on this trip and on the three-year Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs. After dinner, while Janet rested, I walked to this wonderful institution – one that had NO draft beer, wine or hard liquor, but free popcorn, a great jukebox and an outstanding environment. Read two Yelp reviews which were spot on!
Survival of the Fittest embodied…..
“When you step inside, you’ll realize that this is no hipster dive bar. No sir! This has been a dive bar since inception and doesn’t appear to have changed. Beer in the bottle, great service, and interesting patrons round out the perfect dive-bar experience.” Yelp – 11/13 by Eric from Nevada City, CA
On a Friday night, the place was jammed and I sat next to a guy named Bill – in his fifties and an oil field worker, in addition to having fished in the Bering Sea and running marijuana from Mexico to the East coast in the ’70’s. “I had an old Lincoln with really big fenders….” I asked him about bars in Anchorage and he said to be careful because in the last few years there had been a few shootings at bars close by.
The “patio” outside Darwin’s
I thought he was exaggerating, but checked out stories on the internet and he was correct. To wit:
At J.J.’s Lounge on Oct. 10, 2011 – two people killed.
Three men shot and injured outside a downtown Anchorage nightclub – the Anchor Pub in June 2013 – three blocks from Darwin’s.
November 11, 2013 – A shooting wounded a woman and left a man in critical condition outside of the Office Lounge, a Midtown Anchorage bar.
One of the reasons, I felt safe in Darwin’s was the bartender – Barbara Jean – who told me that the bar was 30 years old and she had worked there 29 of them. She was friendly and her patrons loved her, but she was tough and would not tolerate rowdiness. She put me on the Darwin’s mailing list and didn’t hesitate when I asked to take her picture with Thebeerchaser logo. (Darwin, the last name of the owner celebrated his 70th birthday that Saturday – and there was going to be a big celebration.)
Barbara Jean with Thebeerchaser logo
Another review from a Portland guy who visited Darwin’s in November, 2013 is worth quoting from Yelp. Ryan P. said:
“ABSOLUTELY the the best bar I’ve been to in Anchorage! The ladies tending the bar were amazingly nice and welcoming and made me feel right at home. Coming from a local bar town like Portland, it was very nice to have the same type of feel in this place.
From the moment I walked in I felt completely comfortable and welcomed. I LOVE THIS BAR. I’ve heard it can be crowded at times, which is reasonable considering how small the space is, but the service is THE BEST. PLEASE VISIT THIS PLACE! They are amazing!”
I paid $4 for my bottle of PBR and the same amount for a Silver Gulch Brewery’s Silver Gulch’s Northern Light (Bill’s recommendation from a good Anchorage brewery) and paid in cash based on the sign on the bar: “We accept no out-of-town checks and damn few local ones!”
We did not partake at any other Anchorage watering holes, but embarked on a walking tour and took some pictures – it showed a number of interesting options:
The Pioneer Bar – “As a connoisseur of dive bars this one ranks up there. To start off, despite what opinion you have of PBR, any place that serves 24 oz. cans of PBR has a lot of class. Not to mention all the Alaskan beers on tap and knowledgeable bartenders . (Colin from Anchorage on Yelp 7/2011
In case you need directions to The Pioneer Bar….
——————-
Humpy’s Great Alaskan Ale House– presumably named after the whale and not a patron – looked interesting and had “more beers than all the other bars in Anchorage combined,” on tap. It has a sister pub in Kona, Hawaii and got mixed reviews, in part, based on slow service and mediocre food, but does have live music. It will have to wait for another visit, but had a lively crowd, expansive menu and looked intriguing.
—————–
The Gaslight Lounge – This is one that you might want to avoid based on violence reported above at other bars. Four of the five reviews on CitySearch did not recommend this bar and two mentioned fights
Not recommended…..
“Trashlight Lounge – I worked next door for years and every time I regrettably went in, there was an absence of friendliness. Staff were mostly arguing with drunk customers. It became a joke to look out our back window and watch the fights roll out of the bar every night….it seems to revel in it’s low class reputation among downtown.(ja4vlink – pre 2014)
McGinley’s Pub – While one might be suspicious of a bar that advertises itself as “A touch of Old Ireland in the heart of downtown Anchorage,”they have a great website. We ran out of time and just took a picture of the entrance – which looked a little boring – but they have a bunch of dark beers and ciders on tap, serve corned beef and cabbage , sheppards pie, and bangers and mash in addition to standard pub faire.
Some questioned whether it was really an “Irish experience.”
It got mixed reviews on Trip Advisor, which had them rated 161 of 674 restaurants in Anchorage based on the 67 reviews submitted – 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Glacier Bay Brewery and Darwin’s were definitely hits in Anchorage.
We embarked on the train the next morning for the seven to eight hour trip to Denali National Park through some wonderful scenery. The bald eagles were magnificent and as we saw one dive successfully for a salmon out the window, I reflected on the observation of one Alaskan resident:
“Alaska in the summer, is a great place to be a bird.”
While there are some Portland bars which have more types of draft and bottled beers and ciders than you could drink during a seven-year college education (approximately four for matriculating and the other three for drinking…) The Lost and Found Bar is not one of these.
Similarly, there are many taverns and pubs with expansive seating, game rooms, big-screen television viewing areas and lavish furnishings. The picture above and immediately below are evidence that the intent of owners Amai Hart and Leah Erickson is not to dazzle you with extravagant and opulent surroundings when you patronize their establishment. But stay tuned as to why you should check out the Lost and Found!
One might suggest that Portland’s version of this bar be considered “The Little Engine that Could,”compared to its counterparts of the same name in cities such as Los Angeles, Washington DC, Miami, Chicago and Oakland and even Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
It is a small and recent addition (May 2013) to the Portland bar scene and is attracting a loyal following – it’s is a charming neighborhood bistro in the Overlook Neighborhood in North Portland just off Killingsworth. There’s a great list of original specialty cocktails – all with fresh ingredients and served in Mason jars. Four of the ten reasonably priced between $7 to $8 are:
The Ron Burgundy Buffalo – Trace bourbon, mint, lemon, orange, and bitters
The Sweet Dee – Monopolowa vodka, blueberries, lemon, and iced tea
The Bill Murricane – Myers and Bacardi rum, pineapple, cranberry, and orange
The Bernie Lomax – Bacardi rum, blueberries, lime, and mint
The menu is pretty limited, but adequate for pub faire with a Mexican focus – i.e. tacos, several types of quesadillas, frito pie and nachos. There are only four draft beers, but their rotating taps of Northwest beers were great.
* My favorite — And, since one of my visits was on a Tall Boy Tuesday, I had a Miller High Life TB for $1. (The same price as the daily Oregonianand a lot more substance…….)
Not available from The Good Humor Man….
And for a change of pace, why not try a Boozicle – something the Good Humor Man from your childhood wouldn’t carry. As one patron stated: “It was a delicate mixture of vodka and juice. Well made. Some sort of Guava concoction.”
And while the retractable garage doors as the entrance are a bit austere, the interior has some nice custom art work and two old-fashioned pin ball machines which enhance the ambiance.
Interesting “suit case” art from Upper Case Studios adorns the walls.
For example, there are a number of small suitcase lamps with various designs hung on the wall from Upper Case Studios..
“The bunker-brick walls are painted the colors of ocean and sky, and sport cheery lamps made of suitcases, with shapes cut out for deer, bears and inadvisable airplane procedures. Other lampshades are made of cymbals.
A brightly painted, 3-foot-wide cross section of a tree stump—hanging precariously over the broad selection of booze—turns out to be Styrofoam. The bar’s lovely art is made by UpperCase Studios’ Mich Conklin, who started her business shortly after making the art for her daughter’s bar.”
Todd Walberg photos
——————–
Also photos of rock bands from Todd Walberg – ” (he) will go to shows, take electric, high energy photos of bands and give the music world free range of them. He’s taken photos for practically every up-and-coming musical act in the area.”) Rip City Review – “The Ten Coolest People in Portland Music.” (8/10/13)
So while the Lost and Found is not a unique venue from the standpoint of drink or food menu, furnishings or otherwise, why is it recommended? Very simple:
Classic pinball machines
It is another example of one of the many establishments founded by young, eager entrepreneurs who invest their capital for a labor of love – also having no experience in the restaurant or bar industry. In this case, Amai Hart and Lea Erickson who bought the establishment which was previously the Palace of Industry – a vintage store that served wine and beer.
They completely remodeled the interior and immersed themselves in developing a neighborhood gathering place with a caring and friendly staff – we can attest to that.
Amai’s background was of interest to me since she is also a full-time legal assistant – still working at a Portland employment law firm for about seven years – after graduating from St. Mary’s Academy and the U of O – the wonderful female-only high school in downtown Portland with a sterling academic program.
Julia the bartender with Sharon Robbins and Thebeerchaser logo.
I was pleased to be joined by a good friend, Sharon VanSickle-Robbins, herself a successful entrepreneur in multiple endeavors and one of Portland’s most dedicated civic/charitable activists including past President of the City Club of Portland.
She also accompanied me to the Twilight Room – in 2011 on only the fifth of what is now 66 taverns reviewed on Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Portland bars, taverns and pubs.
So visit the Lost and Found – the expansive patio as described by one neighborhood regular on Yelp offers all the motivation needed:
“An inviting space with friendly service and great drinks is very refreshing. I plan to spend a good portion of my summer out on that patio.”
Former Portland Mayor, Sam Adams, was hired as Executive Director of the City Club of Portland in February 2013. Shortly thereafter, Sam and I had a few beers at The Tugboat Brewery in downtown Portland to talk about the challenge ahead at City Club – I have been a member of that great organization for 43 years…..
The Tugboat Brewery on SW Ankenny Street
I thought it was time for us to have another chat, so I invited Sam for a Beerchaser Event at the Commons Brewery in SE Portland. We headed there late in the afternoon, but it was closed, so we started a search in the nearby blocks.
We encountered one of Portland’s nice dilemmas – and one which reaffirms the premise of this blog – Thebeerchaser’s Tour of Portland Bars, Taverns and Pubs – a corner in SE Portland with three great bars facing us:
The guy with the cell phone is on the left edge of the picture!
I somewhat arbitrarily chose The BeerMongers and I could tell it was a good choice when we walked up to the entrance. A guy was standing immediately outside talking on his cell phone and exclaimed, “Sam Adams. Wow! Will you say hello to my girlfriend?” Sam obliged and we went into this combination bottle shop and taproom that has great ambiance.
We had just ordered a beer when a young woman came up to our table and said, “Sam Adams, we really miss you. I want to buy you guys a pizza!” The woman was the owner of Portobello a vegan trattoria in the same building as the bar and in between Beer Mongers and a tattoo shop!
The owner of Portobello
Besides having some great beer that day, I had my first vegan pizza – an arugula pesto with toasted walnuts and smoked Portobello mushrooms – it was excellent.
The Arugula Pesto Pizza was a winner.
While BeerMongers is small, it was lively on both visits and has a group of regulars and oozes character. The following two reviews from Yelp give apt descriptions:
“Man oh man, I love this place. First time I came, it was with my father and step-mother on a hot, long summer day. The exceedingly kind bartender (slash…beer curator?) handed us glasses of Radler, and I fell in love instantly. Not with the bartender – with Beermongers itself…….
While they do their most business as a bottle shop, I always come here for the small but well-selected tap list. These folks really know their stuff, and they love to both introduce people to new experiences and provide bottles of old favorites.” (12/13)
——-
“This isn’t the best bottle shop in the city; it isn’t the best bar in the city, but for doing both, it’s pretty awesome.” 8/13
One of the best features of this bar was Jim, the bartender – and he definitely did know his stuff. I was also impressed, because when I went back for my second visit about two weeks later, he pointed to Thebeerchaser logo he had pinned to the wall and addressed me by name.
Jim the Bartender – friendly, helpful and knowledgable
I also got to meet Sean Campbell, the manager, who opened the bar four years ago, after 18 months looking for leased space and researching the concept – to offer a small group of well thought out and select beers on tap, in addition to a wide selection of very reasonably priced bottled beers (about 600 including 100 ciders).
——————-
——
BeerMongers introduces about 20 new bottled beers per week and is a destination for Portland beer tours — understandably, with three bars on the corner of 12th and Division (Double Dragon and Apex)
The eight taps on our first visit were:
1. Cider Riot! Burncider 2. Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale 3. Baerlic U.S.A. 4. Heater Allen Pils 5. Hair of the Dog/De Proef Flanders Fred ’12 6. Uinta Sea Legs Baltic Porter 7. Widmer 30 For 30 Festbier 8. Crux Outcast IPA
They keep the overhead and prices low, in part, by not having a kitchen, but you can bring in food – like from Portobello!! Sean learned a lot by working for McMenamins for 15 years.
The rotating taps on the second visit
I chuckled when he told me that his first employee – a guy named, Sam – was a lawyer who graduated from Dayton University Law School. One of Sean’s principles is to hire well – as evidenced by Jim, but I got the impression that lawyer Sam did not work out……
A small sample of the 600 beers/ciders available.
Another one of Sean’s operating guidelines is, “Don’t BS and know your product well.” He didn’t remember how they selected the name, Beer Mongers, but it is appropriate since a fish monger is defined, in part, as:
“One trained at selecting and purchasing, handling, gutting, boning, fileting, displaying, merchandising and selling their product.” (Well – okay, not even Hog HeavenAle requires gutting, boning and fileting, but one could assert that Steelhead Extra Stout and Trout Slayer might…?)
Fish mongering – presumed to be followed by brewskis….
———–
While Sam and I enjoyed our drafts, we talked about City Club. I told him that I was one of a number of people who had questions about how good a “fit” he was for the Exec. Director slot; however, his performance and energy has converted the skeptics.
Sam and Jim with Thebeerchaser logo
City Club membership has increased by 25% to 1,800 and the membership is much more diverse as is the Board of Governors – a long-term City Club goal.
Corporate sponsorships have doubled, the Club has a new communications strategy, website and logo. In addition, under Sam’s leadership, there are now new and innovative programs including Civic Drinks and Friday Night Forums and the proposed Civic Scholars Initiative.
Finally, the City Club Research program – nationally recognized – has grown from two studies to eleven – the most since 1987 and eight of the eleven research committees are chaired by minorities.
We also discussed Sam’s work for the last several years with Christian evangelist, Kevin Palau, President of the Luis Palau Association and his organization – working to connect the evangelical church with political leaders and to collaborate for positive change. This includes aiding in charitable activities from city park renovation to counseling people in need.
They recently returned from meeting with leaders in New York City – as they have done previously in Atlanta, Nashville and the Bay Area. They are promoting the Season of Service concept initiated six years ago in Portland with great success.
The BeerMongers is worth a visit both to sample one of their drafts and to take home a beer or cider you have never tried before. And while you’re at it, bring in one of the Portobello entree’s – it’s a great combination. They’re vegan so they don’t have to be gutted, boned or fileted.
The BeerMonger’s website doesn’t do justice to what this venue has going for it, but you can learn a lot about beer by checking out the Beeriodic Table(shown above) and clicking on one of the types of beer which brings up interesting details.
They also have a Facebook Page and are even advertising as of June 4th for an Assistant Manager/Beer Buyer:
“Full time position starting at 30-35 hours a week. Duties include: Curation of bottle and draft selection, event planning, brewery relations, beverage service, inventory management/stocking, payroll, staff management/scheduling, cleaning, social media coordination, website maintenance… and more! You will be busy!”
The Dalles, with a current population just under 15,000 people, incorporated in 1857 (as The Dalles City) is one of Oregon’s most historic cities on the Columbia River. It was known earlier in its history as the town at the end of the Oregon Trail. Archeological evidence suggests the area has been inhabited more or less continuously for more than 10,000 years.
Steve Lawrence is now the Mayor of The Dalles and fits the ideal profile as a chief elected official – one you would expect of any of the towns listed in Small Town Gems of America which to illustrate, include Red Wing and Stillwater, Minnesota; Guthrie, Oklahoma and Cody, Wyoming.
Steve Lawrence with 2014 Beerchaser of the Quarter and his good friend Jud Blakely
He and his twin brother were born in 1945 and graduated from high school in The Dalles, where the future lawyer was a three-sport athlete – wrestling, track (held his high school’s pole-vault record twice) and football (he was a 146 pound starting center.)
Steve went to Boise Jr. College and ended up enlisting in the Army in 1967, which of course, meant a trip to the Republic of Viet Nam. He was selected for Officer Candidate School and because of his linguistic skills, was promised Russian Language School, and in a series of events that remind one of JosephHeller’s Catch 22 –after training at Ft. Benning he ended up commanding an infantry platoon in Viet Nam where he was decorated for heroism in combat.
2nd Lt. Steve Lawrence
We were joined that day by another Viet Nam hero – Jud Blakely, awarded the Bronze Star (with Combat V) and recipient of the Purple Heart in 1967 as a Marine Corps 1st Lt. – described in Thebeerchaser’s post from October 2013.
While a Second Lieutenant, Steve recalls several “serious helicopter events” including two crashes nearby during fire-fights, and an Army pilot who made three passes firing on Steve’s troops and wounding half of his squad before the chopper was called off by radio.
His Silver Star was awarded for action in combat in July 1968 and Bronze Star (with Combat V) for “his display of personal bravery and devotion to duty” in February 1969. His Bronze Star has an Oak Leaf Cluster because he received a second one for meritorious service while still in Viet Nam. Excerpts from the text of the citations for these two medals is shown below:
Steve’s Bronze and Silver Stars for Gallantry
Silver Star – “For gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force….2nd Lt. Lawrence distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader……When his unit became heavily engaged with a large enemy force, (he) exposed himself to hostile fire as he moved to a forward fighting position to direct the fire of his men. When two men were wounded, and lying in an exposed area (he) maneuvered his men into position enabling the injured personnel to be recovered.” 14 October, 1968
Bronze Star with Combat V – “During an intense mortar and rocket attack, one of the billits in (his) unit took a direct rocket hit. With total disregard for his own safety (he)…moved through the rocket and mortar fire to the damaged building….and assisted in applying first aid and evacuating severely wounded men. Although the attack continued….,he repeatedly returned…in search of other missing individuals. 3 June 1969
A moment of “relaxation” in Quang Tri Province.
After the Army, Steve attended Portland State College where he first met Jud Blakely – then a Marine Corps Officer Recruiter – while Steve was involved in student government and trying to mediate in the dispute with students, who tried to throw the Marines off campus after the Kent State University tragedy.
At Jud’s suggestion, both were going to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), but after Jud purchased two of the massive prep manuals, he decided otherwise, although he still justifies the decision by quoting comedian, John Wing:
“And God said, ‘Let there be Satan, so people don’t blame everything on Me. And let there by lawyers, so people don’t blame everything on Satan…'”
Steve was admitted to Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College at night and Jud went on to work as the Asst. to General Manager Tom King at TriMet (newly formed in 1969 to replace five private bus companies in the Tri-County area). The two were reunited after Steve was selected as the Asst. Director of Marketing and then as Asst. Personnel Director. (Jud told him about the job opening) A major project was developing Tri-Met’s first handicap accessible policy.
Mementos of his military service.
During this time Blakely, Thebeerchaser and Lawrence (as a 146 pound center…) played basketball on Friday nights in the gym at Catlin-Gabel School with a group of Nike execs, and then Mayor Neil Goldschmidt with some of his key staff including Alan Webber (now an entrepreneur and candidate for Governor of New Mexico)
The two offered Steve a chance to write and manage a federal demonstration grant for the LIFT Project through the City of Portland. The LIFT became a permanent TriMet special transportation program and still exists.
After admission to the Oregon State Bar, he had a long legal career and established a reputation as a tough litigator first at the Hampson Bayless & Stiner labor law firm (Lon Stiner is the son of legendary Oregon State Football coach, Alonzo Stinerfrom 1933 to 1948), in his own practice in The Dalles, at the Williams &Troutwine firm and then as in-house counsel for both North Pacific Insurance Co. and Liberty Mutual.
The hometown boy retired in 2007 and returned to The Dalles where in 2008, he married the widow of the quarterback on his team. Donna, his new wife, was his high-school sweetheart and they had lost contact when Steve went to junior college. His civic work in the Dalles and beyond is notable including 25 years on the Board of United Cerebral Palsy of Oregon and SW Washington (3 terms as President).
His initial novel, First Light, based on his experience in Viet Nam, will be published on-line in the near future and his second novel, Amaton Field– an historical novel of The Dalles is about 3/4 finished.
He ran successfully for Mayor in 2012 and will be on the General Election ballot this November. One can see his energy, enthusiasm and leadership by reading one of his monthly reports. They chronicle his efforts to bring new industry, capitalize on recreational opportunities including cycling and promote the City’s agricultural legacy:
“In the movie, “Lincoln,” I witnessed three skills which Abraham Lincoln possessed. The first, was to listen more and blame less. The second, was to relax now and then and the third was not to hold grudges. He had a vision and he was persistent. If we exercise these skills, we can all help move The Dalles forward.”
——————-
Beerchasing in the Dalles
Steve, Jud and Danny at Clocktower Ale House – great food and beer and no salmonella!
Steve invited Jud and me to hit a few of watering holes and it was interesting to see the affection of the townsfolk to their elected leader. (It was also part of the effort to “relax now and then…”
We kidded him about the safety of these eateries, harkening back to 1984, when 750 people were victims of the Rajneesh bio-terror attack through the deliberate contamination of salad bars at ten local restaurants with salmonella. This bizarre plot, according to some sources, was one of only two confirmed bio-terrorist attacks on humans in the US since 1945.
Clock Tower Ales and Brew Pub, where Steve had his election victory party, “is located in the second Wasco County Courthouse built in 1883 and home to the last public hanging in 1905….. Join us in Historic Downtown for fine pub grub, live entertainment and over 30 craft beers on tap (cider, local wines and a full bar also).”
Danny mixes a cocktail at the Clocktower bar.
Ourwaitress, Danny, from Wamic, was a wonderful server, the beer and food was excellent and they have a great patio.
The Clocktower patio on Union Street.
We then trekked a short distance to River Tap – owned by Tom Wood, who has a similar bar in Hood River – in one of first new buildings in downtown, The Dalles, in about 20 years. We toasted over Braeval single-malt scotch shots.
Happy Hour — All Day!
Steve is a Renaissance guy, and he had mentioned to us that he reads poetry at “Open Microphone Night” at Zim’s Brau Haus – another bar with great ambiance just up the street. So we set out again – but it was closed since it was late on a Sunday afternoon. However, in deference to the Mayor, the owners, Bill and Connie Ford, readily answered his knock and gave us a walk-through of their establishment.
Zims
Zims is noted for its $2.50 breakfast and two steak nights – Tuesday and Friday “yum! The steak is cooked just as ordered…..better than Delicious!! They have Spatzel!! it’s absolutely wonderful! (Yelp review)
Besides the Mayor reading poetry, there’s also some good entertainment: “Total forty-something and over place. Lively on a Tuesday night. Old guys with acoustic guitars crooning old country favorites–and giving a pretty professional performance to boot. (Trip Advisor)
The owners of Zims with Thebeerchaser logo.
As an aside, Steve is also a great fan and collector of Hemingway’s works as evidenced by the view of his home den below.
This summer beckons for a return trip to The Dalles. In one of his monthly Mayor’s report he states,“If interested in serving on a city committee or commission, please let me know….. My phone number is 503-807-0724 and my email is SeLawrence1963@yahoo.com.”
A fan of Hemingway.
Even if you don’t reside in The Dalles, but are visiting, you should take him up on that offer. He might even buy you a micro-brew at Clock Tower, a shot of scotch at River Tap or read a poem at Zim’s!
And if you talk to him, thank him for his service to his country and community.
Another one of Draft Magazine’s 100 Best Beer Bars
Bazi Bierbrasserie (Bazi) is another one of the select five Portland taverns which made Draft Magazine’s 100 Best Beer Bars in the USA for 2014. And Thebeerchaser has done reviews of two of the others in this list – Bailey’s Taproom (reviewed 4/13 – somewhat of a disappointment) and Saraveza (reviewed 3/14).
Bazi was a definite favorite with our group, which included Roy Lambert, Mary Maxwell, David and Kate Dickson and Janet, Thebeerchaser’s spouse. We typically take a walk before eating and drinking – a great way to get exercise and mitigate the guilt from partaking in pub faire.
And Mary, who prior to retirement in 2009 was the Director of Aviation for the Port of Portland, demonstrated her superior planning skills by charting a superb 2.5 mile walk through the Lone Fir Cemetery and Laurelhurst Park on a rare, beautiful spring day.
Perhaps this should be labeled “The Beer Walk”….
Strolling through the Lone Fir was very interesting and we learned about the ties with Portland’s Russian community – as evidenced by many of the family plots with pictures engraved in the stone monuments.
” ….Russian immigrant graves which are distinguished by colorful plantings of genuine, live flowers, creating a patchwork of color among the somber greens. The Russians are particularly fond of a kind of black granite which they have laser-etched with their likeness and, usually, a highly romantic scene. (Flickr – “Dead Man Talking”)
Laser-etched likeness….
For those interested in Portland history, Lone Fir Cemetery “….reads like a good book, telling the story of the many eras of settlement and development that have transformed the Portland area since the cemetery was founded in 1855. This 30-acre property is the resting place for more than 25,000 people, including famous Portlanders with names like Lovejoy and Hawthorne. Visitors will also find notable trees and shrubs, giving Lone Fir the feel of an arboretum.” (Metro website)
We then walked through Laurelhurst Park, which on one of the first nice days in many moons, teemed with people and activity. The 27 acre park was purchased by the City of Portland in 2011, and in 1919, the Pacific Coast Parks Association named it the “most beautiful park”on the West Coast. It was also the first city park ever to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
A Portland Gem!
Although the walk was great, the biggest treat was still to come – drinks and great food at Bazi. And it was evident by the total experience why this bar made Draft’s Top 100 list.
The beer selection is extensive, the staff is knowledgeable and the food really good. “Bazi is a Dutch word for lovable crook or scoundrel….Bierbrasserie is a noun used in Flemish Belgian to describe establishments that have great food and a killer beer and beverage selection.” (Bazi website)
The Portland Barfly summary is apt:
A great place to watch Timber (or Blazer games.
“Suds snobs rejoice! This friendly Hawthorne neighborhood hang has more than 15 Belgian-style brews on tap, including locals like Double Mountain, Pfriem, and Commons. It’s a dandy spot to watch Portland Timbers games on the 119″ big screen, and the food is surprisingly awesome….”
An extensive selection of Belgian beers.
One of the distinguishing features for Bazi is its management – Hilda Stevens is the owner. I was surprised to find while researching before my visit that she responded to many comments from sites such as Yelp and Trip Advisor – most notably, the critical ones – which often times are really trite and unwarranted.
Hilda, the owner, (holding the logo) with our group.
——-
An example was a complaint on Yelp, by a customer who thought the food service was too slow:
“Thanks for taking the time to write. Can you let me know when you visited recently that you experienced slow service?….
I’ve also been monitoring our food tickets and they’ve been in the 5-25 minute range. Considering we make everything from scratch that’s within industry standards. The more information you can send me as to your recent visit the more valuable it will as I investigate the situation. Thank you again for being a return customer. I value everyone’s feedback, but specially those who continue to support us.” Hilda
I have to admit, given the ongoing success of the bar, which opened in May, 2011, and was an immediate hit and the moniker, “Hilda,” I was expecting the proprietor to be a much older person. When we chatted with her, however, we met a delightful, young entrepreneur, who was raised and went to college in Texas. She traveled extensively in Europe and did a bunch of research – most notably on Belgian beers. She completed her Masters’ Degree at Oregon’s George Fox University and developed a smart business plan – to specialize in Belgian beers – and capitalize on service and quality – this was evident.
The bar at Bazi 1906 reclaimed wood from the Jim Beam distillery in Lexington, Kentucky!
Our server, Sydney, was also very knowledgeable and offered specific and detailed comments on several of the seventeen beers on tap, which helped in our selection – we tried a few including Oakshire Frederic’s Lost Arm Farmhouse Ale and the Bavik Premium Pilsner – all very good.
In retrospect, given the superb selection, we should have done a flight of four 5oz. pours ($10 Domestic and $15 Imported.)
Given the outstanding line-up of handcrafted cocktails, Thebeerchaser also tried the $5 Happy Hour Cocktail which that day was “Sleepless in Oostende” (Jim Beam, lemon and orange juice and orange bitters.) The cocktails are named after Belgian cities.
Oostende is a Belgian city located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The “sleepless” reference might result from worry that the series of the dikes that keep the North Sea from flooding this town would fail. Or perhapsit is in recognition of the City’s guards during The Siege of Oostende (1601 -1604) of which it was said that “the Spanish assailed the unassailable and the Dutch defended the indefensible” (Wikipedia). The siege resulted in 80,000 combined casualties – the single bloodiest battle of the Eighty Years’ War.
Bazi also has an extensive list of bottled beers and ciders, a nice wine selection, a bunch of hard liquor selections you can get by the shot, and you can also fill your growler.
Impressive Happy Hour menu.
You can see from the picture that they have a robust Happy Hour menu. The Baon burger, fried chick peas, brussels sprouts, veggie burger and most notably, the Stoemp (Yukon mashed-potatoes and veggies) were all scrumptious.
Great food – made from scratch….
The patio was full that day and it was obvious that it was both dog and family friendly.
The Patio
As stated in the most recent Beerchaser post, I have conceptual difficulties with rankings; however, having visited five of the eight Portland bars making the Draft Magazine Top 100 Beer Bars in the last five years, Bazi is my favorite so far. (The Horse Brass Pub (reviewed in 5/13), Concordia Ale House, the Green Dragon and Imperial Bottle Shop have also made the list in prior years.)
And when you visit Bazi, try a walk in the park and a stroll through the burial grounds – it’s a hike with a plot!
Thebeerchaser 
