Blank Slate has a two dollar deposit on their bottles in an effort to reduce waste. Janey Wong In the before times, Blank Slate was an intimate and somewhat off the beaten path date spot, but it has since transformed into a one-stop cocktail shop. Depending on how hands-on you’re feeling, they’ve got an option […]
Janey Wong
Janey Wong is the Mercury's food editor and the managing editor at our sibling site, EverOut. She's usually eating, thinking about what she ate, or planning what to eat next. She dislikes drinking milkshakes through paper straws.
Posted inPortland International Film Festival 2021
PIFF Review: Film Shorts Explore Different Facets of Human Connection
La Tienda courtesy of piff [This review is part of the Mercury’s 2021 Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) guide. You can check out all our PIFF reviews here.] Now in its 44th year, this year’s Portland International Film Festival features six different collections—or “blocks”—of short films. Entries from local, national, and international filmmakers give viewers […]
Posted inPortland International Film Festival 2021
PIFF Review: Minari Shows Beautifully Quiet Facets of the Asian Immigrant Experience
Minari courtesy of piff [This review is part of the Mercury’s 2021 Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) guide. You can check out all our PIFF reviews here.] Filled with the ups and downs of everyday life, Minari is a portrait of a Korean family as it grows up, grows old, and grows apart. In a […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Cocktail To-Go Club: Another Round at Short Round
It’s taller than it looks. Janey Wong As with the name of the bar, most of the monikers of Short Round’s cocktails are Indiana Jones references. If you really wanna make a night out of it, fire up Temple of Doom on the ol’ tube while you enjoy your takeout. The Vietnamese street food bar’s […]
Posted inPortland International Film Festival 2021
PIFF Review: Children Bear the Brunt of Yemen’s Ongoing War in Hunger Ward
I’ll be straight up: Hunger Ward was an extremely difficult watch. That’s what makes it all the more essential viewing. Hunger Ward examines the effects that Yemen’s ongoing civil war is having on its most vulnerable population: children. The short but nevertheless impactful documentary provides an inside look into two pediatric feeding centers through the […]
Posted inPortland International Film Festival 2021
PIFF Review: Film Shorts Explore Different Facets of Human Connection
Now in its 44th year, this year’s Portland International Film Festival features six different collections—or “blocks”—of short films. Entries from local, national, and international filmmakers give viewers brief but profound glimpses into their unique worlds and perspectives. I watched a few from Shorts Block 2 to give you a taste of what to expect. La […]
Posted inPortland International Film Festival 2021
PIFF Review: Minari Shows Beautifully Quiet Facets of the Asian Immigrant Experience
Filled with the ups and downs of everyday life, Minari is a portrait of a Korean family as it grows up, grows old, and grows apart. In a media landscape where Asian-Americans are too often invisible, the film is a landmark for American cinema. Despite telling a quintessentially American story at Best Picture caliber, the […]
Posted inPortland International Film Festival 2021
PIFF Review: Climb Mt. Hood From the Comfort of Your Home with LGBTQ+ Documentary Who’s On Top
Who’s On Top follows a small group of LGBTQ Oregonians whose stories of personal struggles are interspersed with their journey towards Mt. Hood’s summit. The documentary triumphantly challenges the stereotypes and archetypes of mountaineers and adventurers, seeking to carve out a safe space for people of all genders and sexualities. In the opening minutes, the […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Cocktail To-Go Club: Nob Hill’s Snob-Free Bantam Tavern
“A Tequila Drink” lets you know exactly what you’re in for. Janey Wong One of my college roommates used to throw in the phrase “it is what it is” with mock seriousness at any opportunity he got. It became the type of (unfunny) inside joke where you roll your eyes but can’t help but smile […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Cocktail To-Go Club: “Get Fixed” With a Car Themed Drink at Shifters
Drinkers, start your engines! Janey Wong Newly opened (like really new… I happened to go in on opening day last Wednesday) Shifters is the sister bar to next door pizzeria Humdinger. The properties are connected by a hallway and an ode to car culture, with all the pizzas and drinks bearing motor inspired names. Humdinger […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Cocktail To-Go Club: Bubblicious Boozy Boba at Buddy’s Lounge
Bartender Katrine Tawfik pours a fresh bubble tea cocktail. Janey Wong Buddies since middle school, Brian Jiang and Neil Chan opened Buddy’s Lounge in 2018, only to spend most of last year shut down. Chan cut his teeth working for his family’s restaurant, the iconic Hung Far Low, and when Jiang grew tired of his […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Cocktail To-Go Club: Keys Lounge and Wilder Provide the Keys to a Wild(er) Time
Keys Lounge bar manager Joel Lee puts the finishing touches on a coffee cocktail. Janey Wong With winter weather refusing to release its grip on Portland*, I’ve been doing my best impression of the heat miser. Working from home means I basically spend 12 hours in a fuzzy robe and have a never-ending mug of […]