Portland Restaurant: Hey Love (and a quick throwback)

What: Hey Love and Elephants (again) 
Where: E Burnside 
When: 5pm - 2am
Honeys Heart: Decor and cocktails

In between Katie coaching dance, me trying to figure out this whole dating thing, and us kindly inviting Doug to join us when we go places he wants to try too, Katie and I still try to prioritize checking out new bars and restaurants just the two of us. Recently we decided it would be fun to do a "back in time" bar crawl where we started somewhere we might like to go now, as mature 30-something year olds, and travel back in time through the night to places we frequented in our 20's (aka only places in NW).

Our list included Elephants, a toast to The Gypsy (from Muu-Muu's), Vault, and Life of Riley. Disclaimer: we did not make it to all of these places.

Elephants circa 2014- those are the strongest drinks of all time

To begin, we checked out a recently opened restaurant/bar called Hey Love in the newly-built Jupiter Hotel addition. With its tropical vibe and elevated tiki-style drinks, it was a great start to the debauchery to follow.

Hey Love's description of itself: "a community meeting hall, an afternoon study spot, an exceptional cocktail lounge, a hidden garden, and a house party - all wrapped into one." And to be fair, we met there, studied the menu, drank cocktails, commented on the plant-life, and returned at 1am to a wedding party and a DJ playing old-timey jams without a dance floor. We liked the vibe. 

Our bartender, a friendly woman with bright red hair, big earrings, and a colorful top, offered a warm greeting and suggestions of her favorite cocktails. We started with the Companion Fare ($11) and one of two rum slushy options. The one below featured strawberry and some fresh citrus and while both slushies were delicious (obvs we had to try both), they aren't sustainable additions to our daily drink repertoire as they lean a little sweet.

Recognizing that we had plenty of drinking ahead of us, we decided to try some of the tropical-inspired comfort foods. The Macaroni & Cheese Pie ($7) was an obvious choice for us and was made even more satisfying with wagon wheel pasta and the accompanying sauce.

After another round of cocktails, we ordered the pork cheek sliders to be safe. Good, but I don't think about them like I think about the mac. 

We wrapped things up, saying again "oh my gosh, we just love this place" and requested a Lyft to Elephants.

You might remember our first ever Elephant's post in April of 2009 where we raved about their incredibly cheap happy hour, then in October of 2009 when I explained my preference in bartender (sorry bartender Kelly), then in 2010 when Katie and I were SO funny and Kelly and Steve chased us out of the restaurant, then in 2011 when we copied their three citrus margarita recipe (we'd seen it made a few times)... and that's probably not every time they were mentioned. Point is, this stop was a MUST.

On our way there, we debated whether or not we would stay if bartender Kelly wasn't bartending. We decided we'd skip it since it just wouldn't feel the same without his adoration of us. As we walked up to the door, Katie saw him through the glass and immediately goes, "oh shit." We walk in, a bit enthusiastically, and from behind the bar we hear "oh shit." Bartender Kelly shared our sentiment, and probably a little bit of fear, of where this night was going.

We had a couple real strong cocktails and for old times sake, I put the bar stools up.

We left here to have shots at Muu Muu's and toast to The Gypsy's old location, now home to a new building full of retail space and apartments. Then went to Low Brow for lemon drops and went in very drunk search of somewhere to dance. We failed. As you can imagine the night went downhill and we should let the past live fondly in our memories.

Portland Taprooms: Where to Drink with Your Dog Indoors

Portland is a paradise for beer-loving dog owners in the summer - but once winter sets in, it becomes a lot harder to find good spots to enjoy your pup and a pint at the same time.

Doug and I are now into our second winter with our Bernese Mountain Dog Ziggy, and while we’ve been known to tough it out at Saraveza’s uncovered, outdoor tables when nothing but cheese curds will do, we’ve also discovered quite a few breweries and beer bars near us in North Portland that allow us to have a drink indoors with Zig in tow.

Dog-Friendly Taprooms in North Portland: 

Chill n Fill  - 5215 N Lombard St

Last year, Chill n Fill become our dedicated Thursday night, post-basketball game hangout. Their recent reconfiguration of tables has made it a little more tricky to find a spot to sit where our 120-pound dog can lie down without being in the way, and Zig is still a little traumatized after an unfortunate incident at Chill n Fill in July involving local hooligans and fire crackers, but the beer selection is good, most other patrons seem cool with a giant Berner invading their space, and it is so cute to hear our favorite bartender yell “fluffyhead!” every time we walk in with Zig. 

Hoplandia - 8600 N Ivanhoe St

Since it’s walkable from our house, Hoplandia was a godsend during last winter’s Snowpocalypse (so fun living in a neighborhood at the bottom of Portland’s "To Plow" list). Pizza Nostra is also right next door and there’s always lots of other dogs there for Zig to make friends with. 

Tap Haus - 7636 N Lombard St. 

Tap Haus bills itself as the smallest bar in Portland and believe me, you can’t get much smaller. There’s barely enough room for more than 6 people in this tiny beer cart, let alone our big boy Zig, but it’s always an adventure when we visit because the quarters are so close that you’re thrown into conversation with whoever else happens to be there that night.

Up North Surf Club -1229 N Killingsworth St

Up North is part beer bar, part surf shop.Yes, it leans a little hipster, but it’s a great place to hang out with Zig when we’re looking to have a chill night. It also gets the most ambiance points of any spot on this list. 

LABrewatory - 670 N Russell St

I’m not a huge fan of LABrewatory, but Doug is, so it’s making the list. LABrewatory specializes in inventive beers (think Squid Ink Gose), Tamale Boy is right next door, and with the exception of Up North, it’s got the most going on design-wise. 

Dog-Friendly Covered Patios Outside of North Portland:

With the exception of Velo Cult Bicycle Shop, we have yet to discover any beer spots outside of North Portland that allow dogs inside. However, there are a few covered patios that we're willing to make the drive for:

Base Camp Brewing - 930 SE Oak St
Base Camp encloses their patio every winter and I'm a sucker for their S'more Stout. The only downside is that the patio is covered in wood chips, so Zig is always a mess after we visit. 

Lardo SE - 1212 SE Hawthorne Blvd

Doug will never not say yes to Lardo, and while they don’t have any heaters on their patio that I remember, at least it's enclosed!

Level Beer - 5211 NE 148th Ave

Level opened this summer and they have a huge tented and enclosed outdoor patio with heat lamps. It’s way out by the airport, so a bit of a drive for us, but the beer is good, they have a few sets of cornhole, and the food carts are decent. Plus, little dogs and dads love Level too!

Gigantic Brewing Company - 5224 SE 26th Ave

Gigantic is also quite a drive for us and their patio is tented but not enclosed. That’s okay though, because they love dogs there and their hoppy beers are some of our favorite in the city.

5 in 5: Victoria Bar, Eb & Bean, The Green Room, Pollo Norte, and Broth Bar

I really, really want to devote a full post to each of these spots, but its been summer and work is busy and we just moved into our new house and blah blah, you understand.

Here's the drill: 5 spots, described in 5 words. (Plus a bit of info about the occasion because obvs you want more details.)


Victoria Bar (Not to be confused with Victory Bar)

The Occasion: Laid back dinner and drinks with the Bowlsby's.
The Five: Decent Southern dishes and cocktails.


Eb & Bean

The Occasion: I finally decided to give this place a try after rolling my eyes at the menu and the high prices.
The Five: Move over, Salt & Straw.


The Green Room

 
The Occasion: The second stop on a recent downtown pub crawl (Shift Drinks coverage coming soon).
The Five: Don't expect MWL's outstanding service.


Pollo Norte

The Occasion: Double date with some old college friends.
The Five: Cheap, tasty family-style dinner.


Broth Bar 

The Occasion: Blogger preview.
The Five: I just don't get it.*

*Neither did Portland Monthly or Portland Mercury. Check out Pomo's Q&A with Broth Bar's owner here and The Merc's snarky review here. 

Want to read more half-assed posts? Here's some other 5 in 5's:

• Trifecta Tavern, Lincoln, Paley's Place, Tilt, and Bibi2go 
• Uno Mas, Two Tarts, Cafe Castagna, Dove Vivi, and Basa Basa
• Pix/Bar Vivant, Luce, Horse Brass, Casa Naranja, Clarklewis

Portland Restaurant: Donnie Vegas

What: Donnie Vegas
Where: 1203 NE Alberta 
When: Daily 4pm - Close
Honeys Heart: Roll the Dice!

Adam and I got bikes for my birthday and decided to put them to good use right away. I know, Adam got a bike for my birthday too, but don't worry, I'll be getting something for his birthday now that I know this is a thing. I'm a fan of riding to a rewarding destination so we biked to Donnie Vegas on NE Alberta for a drink and a hot dog.

Isn't my bike cute? Adam says I'm too matchy matchy with my white and teal bike, and black and teal helmet, but I'm okay with it. 

Lucky for us sweaty bikers, Donnie Vegas has an awesome back patio area where we started with a couple cocktails. Moscow Mule ($7) for me and a whiskey tea cocktail for Adam.

After settling in with our cocktails, we decided to try their $5 hot dogs. Adam chose the Dirty Hawaiian with teriyaki, pineapple, and scallions. The hot dogs aren't particularly special on their own, just a simple beef dog, but the toppings, price, and patio make it a nice, low key place mid-bike adventure.

I chose the Banh Mi Dog with hoisin, pickles, and cilantro. I preferred mine to Adam's but they were both good!

So you may be wondering how we ended up with four drinks on our table...

Well, a fun drink option at Donnie Vegas is to roll the dice for a $4 drink. I can't remember all six options but they included a tequila shot, pickle back, featured cocktails, and a few other options. Each is associated with a number and you get whatever it lands on. Risky, but for only $4 we were in. We both happened to get featured cocktails and ended up with another bourbon tea cocktail and a mojito. 

This would definitely be a great spot for a drink and hanging out with a group. Everyday they have happy hour including a drink special, $1 off drafts, and $2 plain dogs. Oh and they give fair warning on the site, that "Donnie changes the menu whenever he wants, ya dig", so don't be surprised if none of this is relevant.

Portland Bar: Angel Face

What: Angel Face
Where: 14 NE 28th Ave
When: 5pm-midnight Sun-Thurs, 5 pm-1am Fri-Sat
Honeys Heart: Fish Board

Kel and I have been on a kick of hitting up new-to-both of us bars on Monday nights. While perhaps not the ideal night of the week (read about last week's debacle here), its fun to have a standing HHH date night again.

This week, we headed off to Angel Face, sister bar to Navarre. I've heard good things about Navarre (they serve small and large plates with Italian, French, and Spanish influences), so I was excited to see what Angel Face had to offer. Also, check out these walls:

Not wallpaper, fyi. All those flowers were hand-painted. But seriously, how fun is that? Plus, Kel and I had read that there is no cocktail menu at Angel Face. Instead, you just explain to the bartenders what you like- and you know that's like Kel's and my favorite thing to do (sorry, annoying like that).

Kel and I first grabbed a seat at the slightly awkward lower bar in the back before making the switch to the horseshoe-shaped main bar as soon as a spot become available. When the bartender asked what kind of cocktails we were looking for, we gave her the usual requirements: "gin, citrus, not too sweet." I threw in "floral" too, for good measure.

We ended up with a Jasmine made with gin, Cointreau, Campari and lemon for Kel and a Pegu Club made with gin, Cointreau, Angostura bitters, and lime juice for me. Classic and tasty.

For our next round, we told our bartender we wanted to try some cocktails with a little something more going on. Don't get me wrong, the Jasmine and Pegu Club were very good, but Kel and I do like to be a bit more experimental when we're out.

The bartender suggested a Last Word for Kel. It's made with gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino, and lime, which seemed perfect since Kel chose Chartreuse as her SALEP topic back in July. I got a Chamomile Sour. Couldn't tell you what was in it, but I did like how the strong chamomile flavor paired so nicely with the citrus.

We also tried Angel Face's Fish Board ($12/$18) which, as far as I can tell, features a rotating selection of seafood deliciousness. Our board included pickled mussels, smoked trout, pickled shrimp, a cod spread, and capers.

I think it was the Fish Board that really made our night. While the cocktails and service were good, there just seemed to be something missing at Angel Face, like it wasn't fully finished yet. But with the arrival of our food, I suddenly felt much happier with our choice of bar. Each item on the board was well-crafted, delicious and, equally important for us, interesting.

Angel Face opened recently, so it's certainly understandable that the best part of our experience came from the seasoned restaurant next door. I don't think Kel and I would be opposed to checking back in a few months from now to see if Angel Face has grown into its skin a bit more.

Portland Bar: The Richmond Bar

What: The Richmond Bar 

Where: 3203 SE Division St

When: 4pm - 2am every day, 4-6pm HH ($1 off every item)

Honeys Heart: Justin, our bartender

Lesson learned: Monday night is not the best night to explore new bars. Katie and I planned a date night to Expatriate for cocktails. We double-checked that they would be open and after reading their assertion on their website that they're "open 8 days a week", we thought we were good to go. We stopped at Life of Pie to share a Margherita pizza ($10) and then headed to Expatriate. Upon arrival we discovered a "Closed for a Private Event" sign. Shit. 

Back in the car we did some quick searches and settled on Oso Market and Bar, open until 11pm. As we drove by Oso 10 minutes later we were again confronted with a "Closed" sign. Feeling a little defeated we headed to SE Division determined to find an open bar that we hadn't tried. Katie suggested The American Local, but of course it was also closed. Don't worry though, Katie's knowledge of the Portland bar scene is vast and she suddenly remembered wanting to try The Richmond Bar. It might have been our fourth stop in a driving night tour of Portland's eastside, but our rocky road lead us there and we were thankful. 

We sat at the bar and started with cocktails off the menu. I went for the Beet Down ($9) with gin, beet, lime, simple syrup, and bitters while Katie chose the Juice Box ($9) with vodka, grapefruit juice, orange juice, cherry heering, and grapefruit bitters. So far we were off to a good start.

 

With our empty glasses on the bar, Justin, our trusty bartender, asked if we wanted to stay on menu or go off. We declared that off menu sounded like more fun...for us. Some bartenders act inconvenienced when you say things like "I like boozy drinks with gin and savory flavors" and then expect them to craft the most delicious drink ever. Luckily for us Justin had the opposite opinion. With abundant enthusiasm he encouraged us to go off menu because it's more fun for him too! 

He stayed on the grapefruit route with Katie's next cocktail but took it a little more bitter and used gin versus vodka. We preferred this variation to the first. For my cocktail we went more boozy and he made a Martinez. Predecessor to the martini, it's made with gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur and angostura bitters. Justin used Old Tom gin which is aged in barrels and that definitely gave the drink a deeper flavor, more reminiscent of a whiskey cocktail. Garnished with an orange twist and a giant ice cube, I was feeling pretty fancy. My tendency would be to order a cocktail more like Katie's so I appreciated the nudge to try something classic.

Following our libations Katie had to pick up Doug at the airport so we accompanied our cocktails with a snack. Though the Cheese and Toast ($5) with white cheddar cheese spread, toast, and red onion marmalade came highly recommended, we opted for the Nº2 Hand Pie ($7) with butternut squash and goat cheese.

The hand pie was definitely sharable and was served with pickled veggies and two sauces: spicy mustard and a homemade malt sauce. The sauces were good, but we concluded they probably go better with the meat hand pies. 

Cool ambiance, great cocktails, and a totally affordable and (from our minimal experience) tasty food menu. Plus, The Richmond has a great happy hour too. $1 off all items from 4-6pm everyday. We'll definitely be back!

Portland Bar: Pepe Le Moko

What: Pepe Le Moko
Where: 407 SW 10th Ave
Honeys Heart: Bocadillos 

Pepe Le Moko has been in the works for a over a year and a half now, so when Kel and I read that it was finally opening on Valentine's Day, we made plans to try it ASAP.

Most media coverage had referred to PLM as a speakeasy, which was the main reason we were so excited to try it. But a speakeasy, it is not. See, even they agree:

Pepe Le Moko actually is an underground bar serving, as Portland Monthly puts it, elevated "cocktail pariahs" and bar snacks like Hawaiian Peanuts and bocadillos.

Now, make no mistake, I enjoy a good cocktail pariah now and again (can't go to the T-room and not order a round of Tic Tacs), but if I have to pay upwards of $10 for that pariah, it better be pretty damn elevated. 

This is Pepe's Long Island Iced Tea. It costs $13 and is made with vodka, gin, rum, cointreau, lemon, Coke, and lots of crushed ice.

Is it definitely more restrained and more visually appealing than your average Long Island? Of course. It is worth $13? We aren't so sure.

When Kel and I try a new bar, we like to order cocktails off the menu. With a short, curated list and accomplished bartenders, we assume they're telling us, "this is what we're proud of and you really should try it." Looking over the menu at Pepe, the high prices of all the cocktails certainly gave us pause. $10 for a punch, $14 for an amaretto sour, and $11 for an espresso martini? Kel and I have no problem paying $10+ for a well-crafted cocktail, but it is awfully hard to rake out that kind of cash for such basic-sounding drinks. True, we only tried the Long Island and the punch, and perhaps the other options make the expense feel more justified... but given our limited budgets, we're not sure we care to take a such a pricey gamble again.

In the end, it seemed like Adam and Doug made a much better choice by ordering classics that weren't on the menu. Their Manhattan and Old Fashioned were $9 and $10 respectively and were just as good, if not better, than the cocktails Kel and I ordered off the menu. We both decided that we'd probably be better off ordering something like a gin martini or negroni if we visited again, and somehow that just ruins the fun a bit.

On the other hand, we absolutely loved the $5 bocadillos. We sampled the Chorizo Rioja and Mahon Cheese, Sweetheart Ham and Zucchini Pickles, and Nutella and Jacobsen Sea Salt. These little sandwiches are truly the perfect bar snack- simple, yet delicious.

So, will we be returning to Pepe Le Moko? I don't think it will be first on our list, especially with Clyde Common, Kask, and Multnomah Whiskey Library so close by.

Portland Bar: Ambonnay Champagne Bar

Portland Bar: Ambonnay
Where: 107 SE Washington Street
When: Mon-Thurs 5-10pm, Fri-Sat 5-11pm, Sun 1-7pm

Ambonnay takes up a small corner in an industrial office building in Southeast that is also home to Olympic Provisions east side location. The small bar feels grander with tall ceilings, concrete walls, copper accents, mirrors and dim lighting. Unfortunately my horrible phone photos in the dark bar aren't doing it justice. I promise, I will stop doing this! 

I love me a glass of champagne, so when Dana suggested we try Portland's first champagne bar that serves nothing but bubbly I thought it would be a great opportunity to have some girl time while expanding my palette. Cooks Brut for $5.99 at Fred Meyer might get me by for some casual mimosas or a French 75, but in general I don't have a lot of experience with champagne or other sparkling wines - with exception of some tasty Prosecco I have had with Rachel.

We went back and forth between splitting a bottle, of which they offer over 50 options, or just going for a glass and finally opted to each try a different type so we could explore more of the menu. At $12-14 a pop we were only going to be having one glass each.

We enjoyed all three that we tried. Dana's rose was a bit sweet for us, but still tasty, and the other two were crisp and light. Though we only had drinks this visit they do offer a cheese plate ($12), truffle popcorn ($4) and olives ($4) and on their website you can find information about events at Ambonnay and their sister business Red Slate Wine Co.

This would be a great place to kick off a celebratory night, but not a bar I could afford to frequent. If I had some extra bubbly money in my budget I would really love to spend some time sampling and learning about many more of these sparkling wines!

5 in 5: Pix/Bar Vivant, Luce, Horse Brass, Casa Naranja, Clarklewis

Hey guys, remember when I lived in Boston for a while and was like "wah I miss dance so much." Then remember when I moved back to Portland and I got back into dance in like a pretty major way and now I don't have time for anything else? Including blogging?

But it's okay because I have a solution. It's a new blog thing called 5 in 5 (so good at naming!). The idea is that I'll post about 5 restaurants/bars/happy hours in one post and describe each of them in only 5 words (or less!). Maybe. We'll see what happens.

Wait guys, I also decided to tell you why I was at each of these places because you're really interested in my personal life (obvs.) K, bye! 

Pix Patisserie & Bar Vivant
Occasion: Super pumped that Pix was adding a tapas bar to its new location.
The Five: Give it a few months.

Luce
Occasion: Bon Appetit told me to.
The Five: Bon Appetit is for rich skinnies.

Horse Brass
Occasion: Doug has been drooling over their draft list for a while now.
The Five: 'Ello, governor!

Casa Naranja
Occasion: Erica and Anna came to visit!!
The Five: Not good for hangovers (swings!).

ClarkLewis
Occasion: Birthday!
The Five: Order the tagliatelle. Seriously.