Jan 7, 2011 | Food
What is it?
Casa Naranja serves Mediterranean tapas in the good ol’ Mississippi in Portland. For any one confused by tapas (like I was), these are just small plates of food… tasty, tasty food.
Where is it?
Address: 4205 North Mississippi Avenue, Portland, OR 97217
Phone: 503-459-4049
Hours: Tue-Thu: 4-11pm, Fri-Sat: 4pm-12am, Sun: 4-9pm, Mon: Closed
Website: www.casanaranjapdx.com
How is it?
Casa Naranja was one of those restaurants that I always meant to try, but whenever I walked by, I never got the courage to go inside. Maybe it was the fiery sign that I found intimidating, or maybe it was the single flight of stairs that I would have to walk up in order to go inside. Whatever it was, I have no idea what made me not want to venture in… tapas are tasty (and alliterative)!
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Dec 17, 2010 | Food
What is it?
Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant is a chain of brewery/restaurants … except it’s not a chain. How can this be? Each location has its own brewmaster and own special brews. In addition, they all share a menu with so much variety that it’ll make your mouth drop open (though that could also be from the beer).
Where is it?
Address: 206 Southwest Morrison Street, Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 503-796-2739
Hours: Mon-Sun Open at 11am
Website: www.rockbottom.com
How is it?
You can find Rock Bottom Brewery right in the heart of downtown Portland, conveniently located for those on foot, but it can be a giant pain to find parking. Trust me, it’s worth the frustration.
In the interest of full disclosure, I first heard of Rock Bottom directly from its brewmaster, Van Havig, who, sadly, does not have a handlebar mustache and drive a 1920s Mercedes-Benz as his name made me imagine. What Van lacks in German cliche, however, he more than makes up for in mad brewing skills, having won a gold medal for his Merry Prankster brew at the Great American Brewing Festival.
In addition to a wide selection of beer, Rock Bottom features some of the greatest food I’ve had in Portland, both in terms of taste and scope – their portion sizes are not messing around. Come hungry, and leave packed full.
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Dec 8, 2010 | Food
What is it?
The Hilt Bar, located on NE Alberta, perfectly demonstrates what makes Portland so great; the exterior nearly screams boring and dull while the reality held just inside is astounding. The Hilt is a jewel in the rough with a mind-blowing happy hour menu, a wide selection of tasty beer and a truly laid-back atmosphere.
Where is it?
Address: 1934 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR 97211
Phone: 971-255-1793
Hours: Daily, 4pm-2:30am
Website: www.thehiltbar.com
How is it?
Walking on Alberta St. will introduce you to Portland’s predominate, up-and-coming Northeast neighborhood (aptly named Alberta much in the same way the Mississippi neighborhood is named after its main street, too).
Restaurants and bars dot the street on both sides, and you’ll be bombarded with a variety of wonderful places to shop and eat. You might miss the almost nondescript exterior of The Hilt Bar, and even if you notice it, you’ll probably disregard it as a dive bar.
Doing so would be a huge mistake. Epic, even. Some Portlanders (myself included) feel compelled to describe almost everything as epic (though it really fits here, I promise).
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Dec 1, 2010 | People
You missed the Black Friday sales due to a drunken stupor from your grandmother’s rum cake (not sure what else it had in it, but it definitely had rum) and enough tryptophan to knock out a rampaging herd of drug-immune Reedies who have a developed immunity to sleeping toxins after years of on-campus abuse of all things narcotic; that’s a LOT of tryptophan. Now, you’ve woken up and realized that you forgot to buy a gift for your impossible-to-shop-for relative/friend/other-of-some-significance who also happens to live in Portland.
In Portland, the worst kind of “natives” are the ones who moved here from somewhere else (in Portland, you can be a native by simply claiming to be one). Nothing ensures full development of Epic Portland Snobbery like moving here, acting like you’re the first to discover the city, then proceeding to proclaim that it just isn’t the same since all these people started moving here from elsewhere. For some odd reason, there’s a direct correlation between this attitude and being absolutely impossible to shop for.
Have no fear. Stumped in Stumptown has put together a list of gifts with just enough pretension to entertain and amuse even the most snobbish of Portland natives. In addition, we made sure to include some for every budget to ensure you’ll be able to find something cool for that special Portland person you care about (even if you’d rather not).
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Nov 24, 2010 | Food
What is it?
Like the name implies, Mississippi Pizza serves pizza and is located on Mississippi Avenue. Sometimes, simplicity can be a good thing.
Where is it?
Address: 3552 North Mississippi Avenue, Portland, OR 97227
Phone: 503-288-3231
Hours: Sun-Thu: 11am-12am, Fri-Sat: 11am-1am
Website: www.mississippipizza.com
How is it?
Let’s say you want pizza and you’re walking in Portland’s up-and-coming Mississippi District. Plus, it’d be extra nice if you could get your food quick. Where do you go? Mississippi Pizza’s neon sign pierces the night to provide an electric beacon signifying safe haven to hungry passersby.
Not ostentatious, not pretentious – just pizza, beer and live music in a friendly environment with good people. I know what you’re thinking – what’s this place doing in Portland? It so doesn’t fit in.
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