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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Nov 12, 2010 | Food
What is it?
The Rogue Distillery and Public House can best be described as the mothership for anyone who enjoys Rogue beer. Conveniently located on the corner of NW Flanders St and NW 14th Ave., Rogue serves a variety of food including pizza and excellent sandwiches. You shouldn’t be coming for that. You should come for the sheer bliss of 36 varieties of award-winning beer on tap.
Where is it?
Address: 1339 NW Flanders Street, Portland, OR 97209
Phone: 503-222-5910
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11am-12am; Friday-Saturday 11am-1am
Website: www.rogue.com
How is it?
My first Rogue beer was the Hazelnut Brown Nectar, and I drank it over 2500 miles away on the east coast. Naming a beer as nectar might sound pretentious, but, despite the fact that Rogue has a significant presence in Portland, the name actually accurately describes the wonder of the beautiful, brown brew.
Granted, the very fact that I was able to get the beer all the way across the country sealed Rogue’s fate, making it oddly difficult to find residents who will admit they enjoy the beer. You see, if something a Portlander enjoys becomes popular anywhere else, s/he will no longer like it. In Portland, success is a sign of failure.
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Oct 29, 2010 | Food
What is it?
Kenny and Zuke’s Delicatessen lives up to everything you would dream a deli would be — a huge selection of fresh meats, sweet desserts, amazing sandwiches and a wonderful atmosphere.
Where is it?
Address: 1038 SW Stark St, Portland, OR 97205-2610
Phone: 503-221-1195
Hours: Monday-Thursday 7am-8pm; Friday 7am-9pm; Saturday 8am-9pm; Sunday 8am-8pm
Website: www.kennyandzukes.com
How is it?
I first heard of Kenny and Zuke’s Deli from a Serious Eats review of their pastrami cheese fries sent to me by a friend of mine who lives, quite literally, on the other side of the country. Being a huge fan of cheese, meat and french fries, I knew that I had to take a look at this restaurant that could only live in my dreams.
My first attempt was totally denied. I showed up to the deli on a Sunday evening around 7pm, and the place was empty. I sat down, ordered the pastrami cheese fries and a sandwich, and was dismayed when the waiter returned to my table and politely apologized explaining that they had experienced a huge rush that day and had run out of fries.
I took a final swig of my root beer (which was supposed to be a diet cola) and left. Lesson learned: be sure to call Kenny and Zuke’s in advance to make sure they’re not out of their signature dish.
My second trip (and subsequent third and fourth trips) fared much, much better.
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