[Welcome to our second annual "SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT PORTLAND" issue! Read it online here, or if you like physical, paper-y things, you can find it in more than 50 locations all around the city!—eds]

Community over competition is a phrase you hear a lot if you spend time in the Portland restaurant scene. 

For the most part, it seems to be true. Like any industry, there is some hot goss and some seriously spilled tea, but chefs are always willing to gas up their own. We reached out to five of Portland’s premier restaurant and cart owners–Earl Ninsom (Hat Yai, Langbaan, Yaowarat, etc), Gabriel Rucker (Le Pigeon, Canard), Alkebulan Moroski (Dirty Lettuce), Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton (Ox), and Peter Cho (Han Oak, Toki, Jeju)–and asked them who they’d most like to say nice things about. 

Earl Ninsom Loves Kaede

Earl Ninsom has the most impressive collection of restaurants in town (he’s behind Hat Yai, Eem, Langbaan, Yaowarat, Paadee, and Phuket Cafe), so he knows quality. Ninsom was an early ambassador for Kaede (8268 SE 13th), a tiny sushi restaurant in Sellwood that opened in late 2022 and seats only parties of one or two, with husband and wife team Shinji and Izumi Uehara making sushi and izakaya dishes meticulously. 

“Their quality exceeds the size of their restaurant,” says Ninsom, who usually goes alone and dines at the counter. “Dishes from the hot kitchen from Chef Izumi look simple but are very, very well done. I really enjoyed the chilled eggplant, chawanmushi, dessert—and even the miso soup is way above the standard I get elsewhere. The way Chef Shinji treats both rice temperature and flavor, and seasoning the fish is always very thoughtful.” 

[Welcome to our second annual "SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT PORTLAND" issue! Read it online here, or if you like physical, paper-y things, you can find it in more than 50 locations all around the city!—eds]

Fourteen years ago, Corin Tucker was sure her band Sleater-Kinney would never reunite. 

In 2006, the group announced an indefinite hiatus following a tour for their critically-acclaimed album, The Woods. After playing a final, sold-out show at the Crystal Ballroom that year, the trio parted ways.

Tucker spent her time away from the band raising kids, starting another band, working a traditional job, and embarking on side projects. Her bandmates, drummer Janet Weiss and guitarist Carrie Brownstein, also moved on to other music groups and creative endeavors, with Brownstein co-creating what would become the hit TV series Portlandia.

“Certainly when Carrie started Portlandia I was like, ‘Oh my god, we’re not going to be a band again. Forget it,’” Tucker recalls. “She’s amazing and she has this whole other career, you know?”

[Welcome to our second annual "SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT PORTLAND" issue! Read it online here, or if you like physical, paper-y things, you can find it in more than 50 locations all around the city!—eds]

Portland has been a bike city since the 1890s, just after the invention of the modern bicycle. By 1896, the city’s bike culture was strong enough to warrant distribution of a map of cycling routes, which contained advertisements for bike-friendly business establishments, including places to shop for men and women’s cycling apparel. 

When I first saw the 1896 Cyclist’s Road Map to Portland, I felt a sense of reverence and awe. Here I was, a 21st century Portland bicyclist, using streets established in the Gilded Age by people who had never seen cars. A lot has changed over the last 128 years, but we still have the magic that is riding a bicycle in Portland. 

In more recent history, Portland became known as one of America’s top bike capitals in the 1990s and early aughts, with the formation of heavy-hitting advocacy groups (the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, now The Street Trust, was founded in 1990), iconic events like the annual Pedalpalooza Bike Summer festival (2002), and bike scene documentarians, most notably Jonathan Maus of BikePortland (2005). 

Going into the early 2010s, Portland seemed set to become the next Amsterdam, only quirkier— the Netherlands don’t have a Unipiper! Back then, there were bike traffic gridlocks on the Hawthorne bridge, and hundred-person pelotons commuting on North Williams Ave every morning (or so I hear). But things have slowed down since then. 

[Welcome to our second annual "SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT PORTLAND" issue! Read it online here, or if you like physical, paper-y things, you can find it in more than 50 locations all around the city!—eds]

Before I get started, (and piss people off), I should start by saying this: “house keys not handcuffs,” “care not jail,” and “stop the sweeps”—I breathe that. 

Now, once you get past mantras, there’s some real life outside that we all have to acknowledge about the mounds of policy failure that has become Portland, and now Oregon’s massive homeless problem: our streets are wild. 

The endless needles, pipes as common as the rain, the undiagnosed person throwing a chair into a grocery store window, the trash tumbleweeding every which way—it’s a lot. 

Even when we recognize the scourge on the streets has been created by decades of government terror and disinvestment, as well as over-fidelity to the most deep-pocketed by those in power—those failures have turned into a more materially unstable and unsafe place for all of us if we’re telling the truth. 

Which, speaking of disinvestment—did you know that in Oregon, which is just 2  percent Black, the most racially diverse county in the state, Multnomah, is just 7 percent Black? Despite that fact, we Black people make up almost a quarter of the growing thousands of homeless people in Multnomah County. 

And this ironically, is where the good stuff starts to happen—at least in this story. The good stuff is in the brain and heart of LaQuida “Q” Landford, a Portland-by-way of Belize activist who embodies “the work.” She’s the founder and Executive Director of AfroVillage PDX, a non-profit on the frontlines of tackling Black homelessness in Oregon. All the aforementioned issues with our homeless problem, be it the cause or the consequence, LaQuida is well aware of and more. 

[Welcome to our second annual "SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT PORTLAND" issue! Read it online here, or if you like physical, paper-y things, you can find it in more than 50 locations all around the city!—eds]

As someone who briefly braved the trenches of bookstore work (I was a “generalist” at Powell’s during the pandemic), my appreciation for our city’s bookstores is unshakable. Luckily for me (and for all of us), Portland takes its bookstores seriously, and the city’s book-digging options have expanded in recent years to include genre-driven stores and rare book haunts. Here are five shops that deserve a second browse.

Parallel Worlds Bookshop

Parallel Worlds, a sweet, turquoise-walled shop with a kaleidoscopic quilted banner by local artist Biz Miller draped above the cash register, is also a sprawling cosmos of books to get lost in—the science fiction- and fantasy-themed store, which celebrates its second anniversary at the end of April, is thronged with spacey reads. One wall showcases covers of vintage mass-market paperbacks, complete with unicorns, martians, and breastplated women framed by chunky typefaces. Although my reading taste trends toward the earthbound end of the spectrum, I’m still a disciple of Octavia Butler and Ursula K. Le Guin, so copies of Kindred and The Lathe of Heaven stood out. (The shop is planning another Ursula birthday celebration this year, too.) Owner Sam Jones is jazzed about Parallel Worlds’s new horror writing section, which includes titles by women and LGBTQ+ authors. The store’s book club, run by shop hand Shayna Hodge, is also a hit—it’s expanded to include trivia nights, book swaps, and offshoot clubs for specific book series.

2639 NE Alberta. Open Weds-Sun 12-6 pm

[Welcome to our second annual "SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT PORTLAND" issue! Read it online here, or if you like physical, paper-y things, you can find it in more than 50 locations all around the city!—eds]

What better cheerleaders could Portland ask for than drag artists? They gossip, they make out with guys in letterman jackets behind dumpsters, and they amp everyone up with their pep, musicality, and choreography, right when the home team looks down for the count. 

These artists show up night after night, as many have for the past decade or longer. Some will be remembered for their looks, for the ways they interpret music, for their comedy, or their consistently fresh routines. It’s tempting to say “and some will be remembered for none of these things,” but the honest truth is they work toward and realize this city’s dream: to be such a self-actualized weirdo that one can walk in the door and get handed money by strangers.

This article could easily turn into a book, considering how many high caliber drag talents Portland has, but we have to start somewhere. If you don’t already know these performers, get familiar:  

Alexis Campbell Starr

Alexis Campbell Starr’s voice is rich with the diction and conviction of a saved woman–who might eat from the offering plate. But this reigning Rose Empress doesn’t reach for easy Christian jokes, instead using proper church vocabulary to humorously address the congregated apostles and apostates. Campbell Starr regularly advocates and fundraises for HIV research and patient support. A resident cast member of Darcelle XV Showplace, Campbell Starr often performs stirring gospel hymns in her repertoire of secular pop and R&B songs—but her reads will get you right with Jesus. Campbell Starr is so charismatic, it’s a wonder RuPaul hasn’t found her yet. 

Alexis performs regularly at Darcelle XV Showplace, 208 NW 3rd

[Welcome to our second annual "SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT PORTLAND" issue! Read it online here, or if you like physical, paper-y things, you can find it in more than 50 locations all around the city!—eds]

Tired: Portland is weird. Wired: Portland is sexy! Inspired: Portland is CUTE! 

Sure, we’re a messy collection of normies, snobs, and freaks, but you better believe we’re adorable, too. Every last one of us. And some special citizens are cuter than most. They are the venerated… the squee-worthy… the very reason that the heart-eyes emoji exists. Friends, I present to you: Portland’s Cutest Creatures.*

Tamu the Baby Rhino

Tamu—whose name means sweetness—has been mostly out of public view since his birth at the zoo last December, but on the day I visited, they opened a gate to allow him space to frolic. Alas, he and his mom were afraid of the smell of their new scale used to weigh Tamu, so they stayed hidden. (Did you know rhinos are highly particular creatures? Now you do!) Zoo officials will keep letting him explore his habitat, and visitors can expect to see more and more of him as the weather warms up!

[Welcome to our second annual "SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT PORTLAND" issue! Read it online here, or if you like physical, paper-y things, you can find it in more than 50 locations all around the city!—eds]

Expand by clicking the pic or this link!

Aerosmith will walk this way on their Farewell tour and you won’t want to miss a thing! California-based regional Mexican quintet Fuerza Regida have also dropped dates for their Pero No Te Enamores tour. Plus, comedy longtimer Wanda Sykes will bring the laughs on her Please & Thank You tour, but expect more cutting cynicism than politeness. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events, plus some news you can use.

Tickets go on sale at 10 am unless otherwise noted.

ON SALE FRIDAY, APRIL 12

MUSIC

2024 Americana Harvest Fest: Rayland Baxter 
Topaz Farm (Fri July 26)

Aerosmith: PEACE OUT The Farewell Tour 
Moda Center (Thurs Nov 21)

The Airborne Toxic Event 
Crystal Ballroom (Sun Oct 13)

Who's ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and events—our way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst... if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin'!) And oh boy, do we have some fun events coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT!

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Imani Winds + Bodyvox on April 2 at The Reser! 

A wildly entertaining fusion of music and motion awaits! BEAUTIFUL EVERYTHING is an evening of inspiring music, audacious dance, jaw-dropping costumes, and rich video environments... a fully immersive and utterly unforgettable experience. Featuring the dynamic Imani Winds with Portland's dance darlings BodyVox for a co-production with Chamber Music Northwest April 19-21 at The Reser. Get your tickets now, or enter to win here!

Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, 12625 SW Crescent, Beaverton, April 19-21, various times, $14-$71, all-ages

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Two Evils with Arlo & Kate on April 24 at the Siren Theater!

Looking for a hilarious, live comedy show where YOU can walk away with a fabulous PRIZE (or two)? You're in luck, because comedians Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy are your hosts for the most diabolical, hilarious, and EVIL live game show in town: TWO EVILS! Join Arlo and Kate as they ask a series of truly evil questions, and it’s up to our special guest contestant (ZAK TOSCANI 😍) and the audience (who will vote on their phones) to decide between TWO VERY EVIL ANSWERS. Are there prizes? You bet your butt! Is there comedy? Oh, absolutely! Get your tickets now, or enter to win free tix here!

Siren Theater, 3913 N Mississippi, Wed April 24, $15, 18+

GOOD LUCK! Winners will be notified on Monday. Check back next week for more FREE TIX from the Mercury!

HOLA, BRAINIAC! It's time once again to put your brainy-brain to the test with this week's edition of POP QUIZ PDX—our weekly, local, sassy-ass trivia quiz. And this week, your brain will be tested on spoiled rich locals, how Pioneer Courthouse Square came to be, and the fate of the greatest restaurant in the history of Portland (and winner of 27 James Beard awards)... BUFFALO WILD WINGS! 😁

But first, how did you do on the previous quiz? Pretty dang good! And let's hear it for the Oregon Zoo's Eddie the Slam-Dunking Otter who the majority of you rightly identified as the greatest animal athlete of ALLLLLL TIIIIIME! (Twiggy the Water-Skiing Squirrel is pissed.) 🐿

OKAY, TIME FOR A NEW QUIZ! Take this week's quiz below, take our previous pop quizzes here, and come back next week for a brand spankin' new quiz! (Having a tough time answering this quiz? It's probably because you aren't getting Mercury newsletters! HINT! HINT!) Now crank up that cerebellum, because it's time to get BRAINY!

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Hope you loved yesterday's sun, because the clouds (and possible showers) return today with a high of 64. So stay inside and dream of the Mercury's PIZZA WEEK which begins this coming Monday, and will make you forget all about terrible weather with those delicious $3 slices! And now here's yet another seamless segue... into today's NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Portland City Council has voted in favor of paying nearly $167,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging that Mayor Wheeler and city officials wrongly withheld tens of thousands of communications between each other in violation of public records laws. Turns out these texts were delivered via iMessage which were unable to be archived by the city's current public records system, and this is important: "Despite signing a city agreement pledging not to use iMessage, Wheeler and others used the program for years, effectively shielding his communications from the public eye." And worse still, the city was able to settle this case without admitting any wrongdoing. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

About 90% of all public testimony at today’s first budget hearing has been asking @tedwheeler @CommMapps @CommRubio @DanRyanPDX @CommissionerRG to keep their promise to fully fund and expand PSR, not cut it 80%. #SavePSR

Watch anytime on YouTube: https://t.co/ccywK5fYbs

— Friends of Portland Street Response (@FriendsofPSR) April 11, 2024

• Earlier this week, a Cowlitz County judge in Washington state overturned a ban on high capacity gun magazines, and in the 90 minutes before the state's Supreme Court could temporarily revive the ban, a Kelso gun store owner sold HUNDREDS of these deadly magazines to hundreds of customers. The ban is expected to get another hearing on April 17, and could be finally decided by the Washington Supremes. Naturally the gun shop owner is complaining that the state's ban is hurting his deadly weapon business—HOW DARE THEY??—and vows that if the ban holds, he'll take it to the Trump-friendly US Supreme Court (which could ensure that millions more innocent people and children are murdered for the enjoyment of an insecure person's hobby).

It’s starting to feel a lot like spring, and we’re basking in all the projects blossoming in our music scene. We recently had the pleasure of celebrating Jonny Cool’s contribution to Ella Mai’s single “DMFU,” which reached certified gold status last year. We're bumping Mat Randol’s new EP, The World Keeps Spinning, and also looking ahead to a 4/20 show at Jack London Revue featuring Julia Logue and BrandonLee Cierley. Let’s get into all of it Hear in Portland.

MUST SEE: 

Upcoming local event(s) featuring local artist(s). 

Julia Logue + BrandonLee Cierley

In early 2024, we applauded Welcome to Your Sunrise, the debut album from Portland-based soul singer-songwriter Julia Logue. This week we’re stoked to also recommend an upcoming show: Soul'd Out Presents Julia Logue + BrandonLee Cierley at Jack London Revue. At the heart of Logue’s jazz-inspired nine-track project is an breathtaking collection of songs where she asks a slew of introspective questions, working through things like self-doubt, her place in the world, her connection to others, and how to trust herself. Impressive vocal flourishes and guitar-led songwriting abound, and we’re obsessed with the ethereal and expansive album opener “Roam,” as well as the cheeky “See You Smile,” and the R&B-infused vocals on the poignant “Fort.” The show also co-headlines Tacoma-to-Portland saxophonist BrandonLee Cierley, who will no-doubt be performing tracks from his two-pack EP Thank You For Waiting. (Jack London Revue, 529 SW 4th, Sat April 20, 8 pm,. $20-180, tickets here, 21+) 

For a film that begins in 1910 during the Great Flood of Paris, The Beast feels achingly alive with the anxiety of existing in 2024. 

Based in part on Henry James’s 1903 novella, The Beast in the Jungle, about a man who believes his whole life is steered toward an impending catastrophe, the latest and tenth film by Bertrand Bonello finds that same “deep-seated feeling that something terrible will occur” in the heart of a woman named Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux), and bends eternity around it. Across three lifetimes, Seydoux plays a lovelorn woman who waits for doom. Whatever that doom is, it doesn’t matter; it might as well be the apocalypse. 

If that seems like the stuff of a great, sappy cinematic romance, it is, but the work of Bonello tends to refuse simple categories. The French multi-hyphenate (director-writer-composer) makes destabilizing films, ever-shifting emulsions of form and genre.