OT: Portland brewpubs -- mandarin2j or others?

[mandarin2j]

aggie94-

Oops--now I get to show what a sad homebody I am! Hmmmmm. Well, we went to a place on Fremont that was pretty cool about a month ago. I'll go through my receipts at home and let you know the name tonight. There's always McMenamin's, but they're pretty much all about typical fare. I don't care for Rock Bottom, which is downtown--to meat market-y for the couples set, IMHO.

Of course, one fantastic thing about Portland is that you don't necessarily need to visit a brewpub to have good beer. Almost anywhere will have Widmer and Deschutes Brewery beer (ever tried Mirror Pond Pale Ale--nectar of the gods brewed by Deschutes?). If it doesn't necessarily have to be a brewpub, I have some other ideas. Just let me know what the other considerations are, if any (ie, price, etc.).

-Amanda

[aggie94]

Unfortunately, I think the men are set on a brewpub. And I don't drink, which is why I at least want good food! If you come up with the name of the place on Fremont, that would be great. I'm hoping our friends that we're meeting in Portland will have suggestions too. I've been to Rock Bottom and had a bad experience. I was incredibly offended and insulted by the waiter when he stared incredulously and commented that he couldn't believe I had finished the entire chicken fried steak I ordered. I was hungry!

[KValley]

Hi aggie94 and Amanda,


The March '01 issue of Sunset magazine has a great article on the Pearl District in Portland (the area between 9th and 14th avenues- they specifically cite Glisan and Hoyt Streets). There is a collection of shops, galleries, and restaurants that range from funky to classy. I'd be happy to list off the restaurants they recommend if you're interested, but none appear to be brew pubs.

I also love the area around Portland State University- really lively and the architecture and landscaping is so lovely. Pubs abound....

[mandarin2j]

Aggie-

It's the Alameda Brew Pub at 4765 NE Fremont. We didn't eat when we were there, but the menu looked more interesting than typical pub fare. It's kind of like B.Mullochs before the Heathman changed it to that wine bar.

Have fun!

BTW, I saw from your water post that you work in Salem. Do you work in connection with the legislature? Just wondering, as I have lots of friends in state politics, and it never surprises me how very tiny this state is!

[aggie94]

I directed this at mandarin2j since I know you live in Portland, but others are welcome to chime in as well. I am headed up to Portland this weekend with friends and we're planning to meet other friends for dinner at a brewpub. Any suggestions on a place that has good beer AND good food? Preferably a varied menu -- I get tired of sandwiches, pizza, and salads.

Thanks!

[aggie94]

It's true -- Oregon really is a small community! I work for the Oregon Department of Justice as an Assistant Attorney General.

Thanks for passing on the brewpub info. I'll let you know after the weekend where we ended up going and how it was!

[RobinC]

Another Portland resident here.

Rock Bottom is probably not worth your time. It is much more of a singles hang out with average food and average drink.

Portland Brewing Company - 2730 NW 31st - A pretty good menu, not the standard bar/pub food of sandwiches and pizza. I think they have good food, good beer, and a nice atmosphere.

Rose and Thistle Pub - 2314 NE Broadway. This is a Scottish Pub with Scottish food that is pretty good. I think is serves most traditional pub food.

Horse Brass Pub - 4534 SE Belmont They feature "artery clogging food" and 40-some beers on tap. This is another Brittish style pub with traditional pub food.

[aggie94]

Thanks RobinC! Our friends live in NW, so maybe I'll suggest Portland Brewing. Plus, my hubby likes their beer.

[RobinC]

I used to go to Portland Brewing for lunch when I worked in NW Portland. They had really good rosemary fries and lemonade. Yummmmmmmm

Now you have me thinking that I need to take my DB there this weekend...hmmmmm maybe even tonight when I get back into town. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

[aggie94]

I don't suppose any of you guys are golfers? My husband is looking for a good course to play while we're in town -- reasonable (under $40) and well-drained.

[RobinC]

I haven't hit the links in quite a while, but here are a few ideas.

Eastmoreland is a nice course. My sources tell me 18 holes is under $30. It is in SE Portland.

Heron Lakes in North Portland has 2 18-hole courses. I think 18 holes is somewhere around $30.

These are the only two I can come up with off the top of my head.

[aggie94]

How spooky! I emailed a friend of mine who lives in Portland, and those were the two courses she suggested as well! I passed on the info, and hubby and his friend are interested in Eastmoreland, so I'll try to get a tee time there. Thanks for second-ing the opinion!

[mandarin2j]

aggie94-

Good thing someone else knows the scoop on golf; I'm hopeless where golf is concerned! Our friends live near Rose City Golf Course and it's pretty, but I don't know anything about it apart from that! I don't know if you're familiar with it, but Forest Park is really nice for a run if you're looking for something to do while hubby hits the links. It's in NW, so you're friends should know how to get there.

Oregon is so small…not that that's necessarily a bad thing…but it's especially small if you've lived here all your life. I'm always running into someone who knows a high school friend or something!

Anyway, happy visiting!

-Amanda

[This message has been edited by mandarin2j (edited 03-29-2001).]

[RobinC]

Just checking up on how your weekend was? Did you end up going to Portland Brewing Co?

Hope you had a great weekend.

Robin http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[aggie94]

The day in Portland was a blast. My friend & I dropped our hubbies off at Heron Lakes for golfing, and crossed our fingers that they wouldn't get rained out. We then trekked over to the Expo Center for a rubber stamp convention and had a great time. We finished up there and went and lulled around Nordstrom's (at Lloyd Center) until the boys called to say they were done. We met our friends at Portland Brewing for dinner and had a great time there as well. I was a little disappointed with the menu there -- it had more than most brewpubs, but still not a great selection. I really wanted PASTA. I ended up getting the fish & chips (I know, standard brewpub fare), but they were really good, especially the rosemary-garlic fries. I do have to complain about the tartar sauce, though -- it wasn't very good, and I pretty much only eat fish & chips for the tartar sauce! Good trip to Portland. Thanks for all the suggestions!