820 Happy Hour Mon-Sat 5-6:30 pm 820 N Russell 460-0820 I don’t like fancy bars. Strike that. I do like fancy bars, it’s fancy drink prices I don’t like. And fancy customers chortling over their fancy jewelry, and fancy barkeeps who treat you like you just rolled in out of the sewer because you’re not […]
Katie Shimer
Posted inNews
The Real Private Eye
Exploring Portland’s Seamy Underbelly with a Detective for Hire
Private investigator Daron Coates works anywhere from 20 to 40 violent, high- profile, and dangerous cases at a time. He investigates murders, molestations, and stalkings– sometimes going so far as to rent a room in the same house as the suspect, in order to befriend and gather information. As far as Hollywood depictions of private […]
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Sweet, Nice, Reliable
It’s Your Neighborhood Joint
Little Italy’s Cucina 2601 SE Clinton 239-4306 Little Italy’s CucinaÉ sounds cute, doesn’t it? Quaint, even. Low-maintenance and neighborhoody. Mellow, fun. And it is all these things. Plus it serves Italian food, and what could be more desirable in winter? Having scanned the Portland Yellow Pages in a carb-thirsty freakout, I realized there really aren’t […]
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Hit and Miss
Nubian Twist Impresses, Disappoints, and Impresses
Nubian Twist 2719 NE 7th 449-8306 There are two poles of good soul-food eating in Portland: The South Pole–the drink-centric Delta Café–and the North Pole–the low on ambiance/high on taste Yam Yam’s. I prefer the former if I’m out with a fancy lad (known in some circles as a “dandy”), the latter if I just […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Just Chuck
Palahniuk Impresses
Postcards From The Future: The Chuck Palahniuk Documentary Opens Fri Dec 12 Clinton Street Chuck Palahniuk is a cool guy. He sees the world from a unique perspective, he tells great stories, he’s got a sense of humor, and he has a lot of compassion for other human beings. Hearing Chuck speak is engrossing, and […]
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Turkey For You
Cocktails For Me
My first year in Portland, not only did I not have a Thanksgiving turkey, I didn’t have any friends, and I had no idea the level of hibernation this town goes into on holidays. I drove from my apartment in Beaverton looking for a place to eat or drink and found myself circling that block […]
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Flavor Crazy
Surabaya Seduces
Surabaya 4741 SE Hawthorne 236-2845 When you read certain menus, “your” dish unquestionably pops out. When you scan others, you’re forced to settle for something less than perfect. When reading Surabaya’s menu, I felt like the whole thing was catered to me. Each dish is loaded with strong flavors, but the food doesn’t come off […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Bleak House
Elephant Hates People
Elephant dir. Van Sant Opens Fri Nov 7 Fox Tower Frequently I find myself in places–primarily movie theaters, sometimes Fred Meyer–where I look around at the crowd of people and think to myself, “The world wouldn’t be any better or worse if all these people were dead.” Sure, it’s a morbid thought, especially because it’s […]
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Neutered Movie
In the Cut Flops Around
In the Cut dir. Campion Opens Fri Oct 31 Various Theaters If you’re selling a movie as a sexy, suspenseful thriller one would think it would be sexy, suspenseful, and thrilling. In the Cut is none of these things. Starring romantic comedy queen Meg Ryan and indie darling Mark Ruffalo–who charmed the world in 2000’s […]
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Eat Late
Food for the Taking
Most notably, downtown’s new restaurant, The Spirit Room, is open late. Until 4 am most days, and until 5 am on Friday and Saturday nights. So, instead of drunk-driving to the Taco Bell on Interstate, ordering a 7-layer burrito, a double layer taco, Nachos Bell Grande, a cheese quesadilla, and a bean burrito (low in […]
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Tibetan Home Cookin’
Lungta’s Survival Food
Considering the modest décor, small sign, and the tendency for any restaurant to blend in on Sandy Boulevard, I was surprised to find nearly a full house at Lungta on a Thursday night at 8:30 pm. However, then I thought about it for 20 seconds and realized that an authentic Tibetan restaurant in Portland will […]