Portland & Oregon Coast: Food, Beverage, Retail
Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Oregon, land of the hirsute and home of a world-class food & beverage culture overshadowed by more obvious metropolitan cities. Specifically in Portland, which has become a national darling of the culinary scene and much of the attention coming in praise of its casual approach to fine dining cuisine with all-season availability to fresh produce (and animals!). If food quality is the driver of the restaurant scene of the region, then restaurant design in PDX almost always sits in the back seat (and does not even think about trying to change the radio station). There are no "jokes", little whimsy and only the most appropriate of kitsch. Almost every restaurant and retail store name sounds like it was chosen from the Hipster Business Name Generator, until you realize that most of them predate that national trend. There is a definite proclivity towards the aesthetic of Reclaimed Everything, but somehow it works in this remote Western city that values inner-beauty of its women and the rugged independence of its Sasquatch-with-firearms men. Rustic here is not a trend, but a strange, preternatural way of life. So without further ado, snapshots of my recent trip to The Beaver State.
Food
Tasty n' Alder - from Chef John Gorham. Try the hush-puppies.
Tilt - very cool blend of casual counter service and minimal industrial-chic vibes. Shop rags for towels; get the key lime pie.
Fireside - NW Portland neighborhood gem. Try the beet chips with harissa. Bathrooms are adorable but the charred-wood bench does rub-off.
Irving Street Kitchen - One of many great spots in The Pearl district. I was disappointed that it was closed when I stopped by (holiday hours) so my photos suck since I had to creep through the window. Many good design elements but the closest to overboard Western-y on this list.
A mix of other recommendations: Caffe Mingo, Hamlet, Henry's 12th Street Tavern, Miss Delta, Meriwether's, Salt & Straw, Jackknife, Dig A Pony, Sizzle Pie
Beverage
New Deal Distillery - On recommendation from our clients Cotton & Reed (the head distiller here at New Deal actually helped them engineer their still), this was definitely the most hospitable distillery visited. The copper still columns are immediately front and center in the massive timber-frame warehouse. The tasting bar was ample with a mulled rum cocktail available to sip on the "tour".
Somehow no code authority in Oregon seems to care about open, wood-buring fireplaces in timber-framed bars and restaurants...the Wild West.
Other recommended visits: Rogue Distillery (in The Pearl), Rolling River (specializing in distilling of Akvavit, a traditional Scandinavian liquor), Fort George Brewery and Public House (Astoria, OR), McMenamin's Cornelius Pass Roadhouse (Hillsboro, OR -- distillery was closed for holiday), Pelican Pub & Brewery (Pacific City, OR), Multnomah Whiskey Library & Green Room, McMenamin's Rock Creek Tavern (Hillsboro, OR), Cider Bite (Portland's First Cider Bar), Stormbreaker Brewing, Ecliptic Brewing
Retail
Boys Fort - My favorite store in Portland has moved out of its original pop-up location (where the aforementioned Jackknife is currently) to a permanent store. What's more, they have a store-within-a-store now, with local botanical retailer Solabee providing an interesting mix of environments inside.
Keen Garage - The national boot and shoe retailer with a mechanical/kinetic spot in a historic warehouse in the Pearl District that combines footwear retail and rent-able event space into a funky, playful, seamless environment. Shoe boxes from the stock room come rolling down a ramp and a spiral shoot; peruse boots on a vertical rack by turning a hand-crank:
Union Way Shopping Arcade - Carved straight through an existing timber-frame building in downtown Portland, this modern designed galleria has mini pop-up retail (fine leather goods) & food shops along a naturally-lit wood-clad spine, and anchored by Danner Boots on the north end. Like a more up-scale DC Union Market but condensed into a warm-modern alley. Some of the shops are no bigger than 8' x 20'.
Lizard Lounge - Take a free (!!!) coffee in a vintage mug around while you shop, because why the heck not. Wasn't much in here for me personally apparel-wise (can't a 34 year-old man go shopping with his mom?) but the vintage furniture and retail display fixtures in the space were worth the visit.
If you've read this far, hopefully you got some enjoyment out of it. Looking forward to seeing more posts from everyone on the Travel Blog.
cheers!