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I went here for my 21st birthday. Not because they wouldn't let me in before -- but because they...
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I went here for my 21st birthday. Not because they wouldn't let me in before -- but because they would, being a restaurant-pub, and have always been wonderful and friendly. (For the birthday, they treated me to one of their famous beers.) It's one of the first places I ever saw in Portland, being right across the street from the old Hollywood Theatre, where I first visited Portland to attend the Lovecraft Film Festival. The Laurelwood's warm charm has never failed to cheer me. The wood interior and breathtaking views of the glass-sheathed brewery are always visually appealing, and the friendly atmosphere -- family-friendly, but uncrowded -- makes it a good place to go alone or with friends.
I think it's either smoke-free or has a big nonsmoking area.
Food here includes a decent range of options -- many vegetarian, many meat. It's pub food with a high-quality, Northwest spin. High-quality also bumps up the price. The place is pretty affordable, though; expect a meal for $10, and a fine award-winning beer (brewed about twenty feet away from you!) for $3-4, or a cocktail for more like $7.
It's where I'd take a relative in town, or a visiting friend who I wanted to be caught by the heart and stay in Portland for a while. The Laurelwood manages to have a slick look AND a lot of heart -- a rare combination that I'm going for, more and more.
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Huber's Restaurant
Category:
Restaurants
411 SW 3rd Ave
Portland,
Oregon 97204
(503) 228-5686
We ended up here on our drive down to San Jose from Seattle. While looking for a place to eat, we...
More 1 year ago
We ended up here on our drive down to San Jose from Seattle. While looking for a place to eat, we chose here because it was very similar to one of ...
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Horse Brass Pub
Category:
Bars
4534 SE Belmont St
Portland,
Oregon 97215
(503) 232-2202
walking into the Horse Brass is walking into another country - the U.K. Whether you're there on a...
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walking into the Horse Brass is walking into another country - the U.K. Whether you're there on a crowded weekend night for a few pints, or the middle of the day for Fish and Chips, you'll always feel the welcoming spirit of the place. A great place away from the trend frenzy in other parts of town, this is a refreshing break in the fakery. Grab some darts or watch a football match and take a peek at the decorated walls on your way around, this pub has seen it's share of Portland's Anglophiles.
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Granted, the Moon & Sixpence is really about beer. But if you happen to be in the mood for a...
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Granted, the Moon & Sixpence is really about beer. But if you happen to be in the mood for a pink beverage, don't rule it out. The Framikaze (a kamikaze made with Framboise) will fulfill any fruity summertime drink craving. That said, ordering beer here is just plain fun because the menu is so freaking long and arranged by country and the servers are so knowledgeable about the beer they're selling. Plus they have trivial pursuit decks and a secluded dart board area and entertaining British pub paraphrenalia covering the walls. It's a bar for anglophiles and beer drinkers and smokers (hey, it is a British pub after all) and people who just want to enjoy a drink and a friend for an evening.
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Until last night I hadn't been to Dante's in months, since well before they ripped out a wall to...
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Until last night I hadn't been to Dante's in months, since well before they ripped out a wall to expand the room and add an additional bar to the space. The remodel worked wonders for the usablity of the venue, which had always been oddly cramped with tables. Now it really feels like the sexy rock club it always wanted to be. Unfortunately, the bands that used to play Dante's are playing Doug Fir now, and the lineups at Dante's are starting to look like a who's who of the local death metal scene. Someone tell promoters to get a clue--Doug Fir is cool, but Dante's could be even cooler, given the chance.
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Colosso
Category:
Spanish Restaurants
1932 NE Broadway St
Portland,
Oregon 97232
(503) 288-3333
Long dry spell? Find yourself a date and get to Colosso immediately. The intimate tables,...
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Long dry spell? Find yourself a date and get to Colosso immediately. The intimate tables, candlelight and heavy velvet curtains covering most of the walls make for an undeniably sexy atmosphere, while the drink names (A Naughty Kitty, anyone?) are just flirty enough to make you blush when ordering them on a first date. Names aside, these are the best drinks I've had in Portland. Their Sidecar was fresh squeezed and perfectly sweetened, the Naughty Kitty was juicy with fresh crushed strawberries, and The Daisy (my date was too much of a man to order it for himself...I had to ask for it for him) was an extravaganza of muddled fresh mint. Stare into each other's eyes, enjoy the candlelight, and then get your date into a bedroom ASAP.
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Red Cap Garage
Category:
Seafood Restaurants
1035 SW Stark St
Portland,
Oregon 97205
(503) 226-4171
Apparently this place has varying degrees of gayness, but when I was there last night the only...
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Apparently this place has varying degrees of gayness, but when I was there last night the only indication it was a gay bar was the poster on the wall advertising their upcoming underwear party. The drinks are insanely cheap--regular price for Miller High Life is $1.25 and well drinks are $2. A Long Island will set you back $4. These are the prices when they AREN'T having drink specials! Bottom line: a centrally located downtown bar with the cheapest drinks I know of in Portland. Who cares how gay it is?
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Right in Downtown, RB has one of the best happy hours in town. They have great beer, especially...
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Right in Downtown, RB has one of the best happy hours in town. They have great beer, especially for a chain. $2 food--including nachos, which are some of the best in town. The staff is super nice and friendly but it gets really crowded from 4-6. During normal times, it is less of a frenzy and the food is surprisingly good.
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Shanghai Tunnel
Category:
Bars
211 SW Ankeny St
Portland,
Oregon 97204
(503) 220-4001
I heard about it on the Travel Channel. One of America's MOST HAUNTED PLACES was right here in...
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I heard about it on the Travel Channel. One of America's MOST HAUNTED PLACES was right here in Portland, the famous Shanghai Tunnels.
When a group of my husband's co-workers organized a Halloween trip, of course I had to go.
The guide as very good at speaking. He had me a bit chilled, I must admit. He knew his facts and his history and he would have been okay as a standalone without the tunnels to support his stories. Of course being in the tunnels made it all the more eerie.
My only problem with the tour was that the tunnels were little more than dug out areas under Portland. There were no winding mazes or labyrinths to journey through, which I found a bit disappointing. The guide said that some of the tunnels had been closed for repair, so maybe that has something to do with it.
If you want something fun and spooky to do this is a great time with a group, especially if you go to a bar or restaurant afterward. If you are looking to become totally immersed in the afterlife, you might want to save your dollars for a different tour.
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Jimmy Mak's
Category:
Bars
Portland,
Oregon 97222
(503) 295-6542
When Mel Brown is holding court, forget about it. Thursday nights at Jimmy Mak’s is the best...
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When Mel Brown is holding court, forget about it. Thursday nights at Jimmy Mak’s is the best night to here some incredible jazz/funk from a Portland legend. Mel Brown leads a quartet that will blow the roof off the room every night. Its kind of expensive, and there’s a $10 cover, but think of it this way: when you see Mel Brown, you’re seeing James Brown’s right hand man. Your seeing a musician that toured with The Temptations and he’s a class act. You're paying $10 for basically a concert with one of the finest musicians in the concert and you're no more than 15 feet from him. I cannot say enough about Mel Brown and Jimmy Mak’s.
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