Give A Little, Change A Lot!
Resolve to support local journalism in 2026.

Donate Now
Avatar photo

Blair Stenvick

Blair Stenvick is a former news reporter and culture writer for the Portland Mercury.
Posted inFood and Drink

At Taqueria Los Puñales, Excellent Tacos Are Served With Queer Joy

The name, the menu, and the freshly-made tortillas are all deeply intentional.
Avatar photo Blair Stenvick

For the co-owners of Taqueria Los Puñales, there’s a lot in the name. For starters: It’s not a restaurant, says owner David Madrigal. It’s a taqueria. “When you go to Mexico, to a taqueria off the street, they have tacos only,” says Madrigal, who grew up working at his family’s place, Taqueria Los Rojos, in […]

Posted inQueer Guide 2025

At Taqueria Los Puñales, Excellent Tacos Are Served With Queer Joy

The name, the menu, and the freshly-made tortillas are all deeply intentional.
Avatar photo Blair Stenvick

For the co-owners of Taqueria Los Puñales, there’s a lot in the name. For starters: It’s not a restaurant, says owner David Madrigal. It’s a taqueria. “When you go to Mexico, to a taqueria off the street, they have tacos only,” says Madrigal, who grew up working at his family’s place, Taqueria Los Rojos, in […]

Posted inSpring Arts 2025

Torrey Peters’ Stag Dance Poses the Right Questions About Gender at the Right Time

A new collection from the author of Detransition, Baby blurs the lines between trans and cis.
Avatar photo Blair Stenvick

The Mercury covers culture & art because we think all its various forms are—quite plainly—how people understand one another. Conversations about food, music, performance, and “weird” installation art provide touchstones to deepen friendships, create new connections, and better understand one another. If you appreciate the Mercury’s interesting and useful news & culture reporting, consider making a small monthly contribution […]

Posted inBooks

The Mercury’s Favorite Books of 2024

On this list, revolutionary writings share space with Portland zombies and memories of the Barefoot Contessa
Avatar photoAvatar photoAvatar photoAvatar photoAvatar photo Andrea Damewood, Cameron Crowell, Melissa Locker, Suzette Smith, Blair Stenvick, and Joe Streckert

Portland as ground zero for a zombie plague. Bisexual exes on a romcom food and wine tour. And how pointless it is to try to guess what happens next in a MIranda July novel. It’s the Mercury’s favorite books of 2024!

Posted inFood and Drink

Heck Yes to More Pacific Northwest Non-Alcoholic Beer!

From the founder of Suckerpunch comes a zero-proof craft brewery focused on local hops and flavors.
Avatar photo Blair Stenvick

Zero-proof drink entrepreneur Andy McMillan has a story he tells where, in 2021, he approached several Portland breweries about teaming up on a non-alcoholic craft beer. He got “laughed out of the room,” he says, by brewers who didn’t see NA beer as real beer. A few years later, that seems like shortsightedness on behalf […]

Posted inPortland

SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT PORTLAND: Broken and Beloved

82nd Ave is full of flavor and contradictions. That’s what makes it Portland’s most iconic street.
Avatar photo Blair Stenvick

[Find more of our excellent and good vibes-filled “Say Nice Things About Portland” guide here.—eds.] Portland’s 82nd Avenue is a little busted, and a little brilliant.  It’s a state highway and a main street. It’s a commerce epicenter more varied and useful than downtown Portland, and the site of two recently shuttered Walmarts. It’s home […]

Posted inSay Nice Things About Portland

Broken and Beloved

82nd Ave is full of flavor and contradictions. That’s what makes it Portland’s most iconic street.
Avatar photo Blair Stenvick

[Welcome to our “Say Nice Things About Portland” guide to the city! Did you know that this feature package is also in PRINT?? That’s right, this is our first print product since the start of the pandemic, and we’re psyched to produce a lot more. Find the “Say Nice Things” guide in over 500 locations […]

Posted inOpinion

Guest Editorial: Oregon Is at a Crossroads for Trans Rights

Why it’s important to be an active, vocal supporter of trans rights and gender-affirming care in Oregon.
Avatar photo Blair Stenvick

I can tell you this firsthand: Gender-affirming care changes lives. Since going through puberty, I’ve always felt weird about my chest. Seeing photos or studying myself in the mirror, I would zero in on that area, trying to reconcile it with the version of myself I innately had in my head. During the height of […]

Posted inNews

Good Morning, News: It’s Still Cold Out, Omicron Hits Oregon Hard, and the CDC Says “Get Back to Work!”

Avatar photo Blair Stenvick

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! A Multnomah County winter warming shelter. MOTOYA NAKAMURA / MULTNOMAH COUNTY Good […]

Posted inNews

Good Morning, News: Portland’s COVID Test Shortage, New NASA Telescope, and Our Favorite Books of the Year

Avatar photo Blair Stenvick

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! Drazen Zigic / getty images Good morning, Portland! Looking for a good […]

Gift this article