The holiday season is nearly upon us (again? already?!) and restaurants are changing their tunes accordingly… from light, seasonal specials to rich flavors, indulgent entrees, anything that makes our mouths water on a primal level and makes our waistbands expand accordingly. And bars are following suit—warm spices, liqeuers, and (literally) drink temperatures to sooth and […]
Clare Gordon
Posted inFood and Drink
Izakaya Festival Coming to the Jupiter Hotel
In some instances you have to hope an event lives up to the effort and comprehension gone into the event’s website—this is the standard to which I can reasonable expect Friday’s (11/16) Celebrate Izakaya Festival to aspire, especially considering the names attached. From 5:30 to 9 pm at the Jupiter Hotel, this celebration of Japanese […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Fish Sauce Grand Opening Party
Tuesday, November 13, at 6 pm will see Fish Sauce‘s long overdue Grand Opening party, which will also benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy. Free snacks, $5 cocktails, the works. I liked this joint when they first opened and have been back regularly since, as they’re one of my neighborhoods best dining options for a classed-up […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Smokehouse 21 Turns 1 with Fun, Food, and Games
Smokehouse 21, the best barbecue joint on the West side of the river (I feel safe in claiming this), has made it through their first year without any major disasters, and to celebrate on Sunday, November 11, they will be offering all-day food and drink specials and cowboy bingo. Which, I guess, is what you […]
Posted inHealth
Free Laughs and Exercise Classes in the Pearl
Every once in a while, the universe conspires to bring us something that is so absurd but that takes itself so seriously that you can’t help but be impressed when you finally stop laughing. The new Firebrand Sports, opening soon on NW 14th, hit that on the nose. I stopped in to their open house […]
Posted inDrunk
Cocktail of the Week: Make it Work
It’s sad to me when a concept that should stand out in a town like Portland remains such a well-kept secret that I fear for its survival. Many features of NW Portland’s The Bent Brick should make it a destination—it’s gorgeous, for one, with its namesake red building matter the primary element of an open […]
Posted inDrunk
Drinking to Fix Flood Damage: Deliciously Appropriate
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, one of the most closely-knit national industries is pulling together to raise funds to get their distant friends back on their feet – a series of boozy promotions to benefit victim bars through the New York chapter of the US Bar Guild kicks off this evening, featuring cocktail specials […]
Posted inEvents
PDXCW Recap and Endorsement
Portland Cocktail Week 2012 has officially come to a close. Bartenders from across the country will be fleeing the city back to their home bars as quickly as their hangovers will allow, leaving only the lingering smell of Chartreuse and an excess of JÄgermeister swag behind. It was a good time, to say the least. […]
Posted inEvents
Monday’s Great Match Sounds Good
This Monday, October 29, will see the 19th Annual Spanish Great Match event arrive at the Leftbank Annex (for the first time in Portland). A comprehensive Spanish wine and food promotion, the Great Match will be hosting trade seminars with featured winemakers throughout the day leading up to a consumer tasting from 6 pm to […]
Posted inEvents
NE Portland Benefits for the Nest
When I first lived in Northeast Portland, I spent more time than I’m proud of at the Nest—a charmingly decrepit dive on 18th and Alberta that offered cheap drinks, plenty of attitude, and a giant smoking patio replete with ping-pong tables and a flat wall for showing movies in fair weather. The number of regulars […]
Posted inDrunk
Cocktail of the Week: The Gardenia Club
Rum Club is, without a doubt, my favorite bar in town. And while I don’t take advantage of their excellent cocktail program as often as I should (it’s often beer and straight spirits with friends for me and my budget), bar manager Adam Robinson has never made me a bad drink—and the Gardenia Club is […]
Posted inDrunk
American Distillers Fest Warms Up Downtown
The Eighth Annual Great American Distillers Festival will grace the Tiffany Center downtown today from 5 to 10 pm and tomorrow from 1 to 10 pm, meaning over forty bartenders and sponsoring distillers will be warming you up for Portland Cocktail Week with shots of knowledge about more obscure brands of liquor. Domestic spirits have […]