Dave Knows: Portland

Between Timbers games and spending time with Mom on Sunday, there are a few events worth exploring this weekend.

The Portland Vegfest kicks off Friday evening with a keynote address by Howard Lyman, the Mad Cowboy.

The fair Saturday runs from 10am-6pm at Benson High School (546 NE 12th Avenue). The events include food samples, speakers, chef demonstrations, classes, and a multitude of exhibitors.

If you prefer human flesh to vegetables, head to the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Boulevard) Friday and Saturday night for Zompire: The Undead Film Festival. Andrew Migliore, the creator of the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival brings us films of zombies and vampires this time.

The Daily Vanguard’s Jesse Thiessen previews the films and interviews the monster man behind the festival of Zombies, Vampires, and all things undead.

Cinco De Mayo Carnival from Andrew Curtis on Vimeo.

I stumbled upon this at Oregon Reddit.

The international force known as the Portland Timbers (can you find the Solomon Islands?) takes on the Rochester Rhinos this Thirsty evening at PGE Park. The Rhinos lost their first two games but are a perennial power, so the team coming together badly now might finish the season strong. The Timbers are a strong team now, so they should take advantage of Rochester’s slow start.

The always amusing USL-1 schedule has been kind to the Timbers early. Saturday’s leisurely drive north to Seattle will be the first away game of the season. The Timbers don’t win often in the Jet City, but the team will be motivated to take on our arch rivals and defending USL-1 champs. Bus loads of inebriated enthusiastic Rose City supporters will be cheering the team on.

One of those, um, enthusiastic, Rose City supporters will be yours truly. Stay tuned for the recap, though don’t expect it to be timely; I’m thinking my recovery time (gah, and Mothers Day is Sunday!) will push it out until the middle of next week . . .

Prepare for even more visitors to our fairly weird city. Joseph B. Frazier has cataloged Portland’s popular kudos and quirks in an AP article that is making the rounds.

The article, entitled, The chi of Portland: High weirdness in Nirvana, touches on all the usual suspects: Voodoo Doughnuts, nudity and freedom of expression, drag queens, kitsch art, Powell’s, the Zoo Bombers, our politics, beer, roses, protests, Bud Clark, Henry Weinhard, Shanghai tunnels, Erickson’s Saloon, and The Rain.

The article is fairly comprehensive, but I noted a items missing from the list.

Coffee isn’t mentioned, nor are our vegans, hipsters or hippies, Pabst, or parks. Indie filmmaking doesn’t get a mention, nor does bicycling (outside of the Zoo Bombers).

I suppose some of these aren’t so weird, so they might fall outside of the purview of the article.

Any other Portland quirks that were missed?

Last week I got a sneak peak at the new Deschutes Brewery pub in the Pearl District.

Brian Libby at Portland Architecture has a much more thorough, and informed, description and review of the Emmons Architects designed space than I could muster, however.

You could tell there was a real architect behind the design in terms of the spatial arrangements. There is lots of character to the place, but I had a sense of the vast wide open space being divided into a series of room-like smaller spaces without the overall sense of light and vastness being taken away.

And he enthusiastically describes something I somehow overlooked on my visit, and didn’t touch on in my anemic review: chainsaw carvings. I’ll have to make another trip to check it out (and have another glass of the delicious Belgian style ale St. Tanith).

The best part of the new Deschutes brewpub, though — besides their copious supply of Mirror Pond ale — may be the cornucopia of chain saw carvings on the entry to each dining room. Emmons tells me the artist works without any drawings or guide; he merely creates with his chainsaw in an impromptu fashion the array of owls, goats and other wildlife. I can’t say it’s the most sophisticated, refined sculpture I’ve ever encountered. But God help me: I love it. There are actually some pretty delicate, artful carvings to these chainsaw works. Maybe next the guy could do a chainsaw Portlandia, or perhaps a statue of Tom Potter as a going away present.

Read the whole post, which includes photos of some of the carvings.

TriMetiquette has the scoop on yet another tool to plan your tri-county transit trip: the TriMet Interactive Map.

Drag it around with your mouse and flip on satellite mode to see if your neighbors have a pool.

Use the sidebar in conjunction with the map to find stops, routes, transit centers and park and ride locations, and to plan your trip.

Trailblazer Channing Frye recently acquired a 65 Lincoln Continental convertible.

Fans are relieved he’s taken a different tack than former Blazer Darius Miles.

Former U of P and Jesuit High School star point guard, Erik Spoelstra, is taking over for Pat Riley in Miami.

Via Will Manso’s Sports Blog:

Local 10 News is the first to learn that Pat Riley has stepped down as Head Coach of the Miami Heat. Riley is set to make the official announcement at a press conference on Monday afternoon. As expected, he will remain as the Heat’s President.

Meantime, Riley will also announce that Erik Spoelstra will replace him as Head Coach. Spoelstra has always been highly regarded by Riley, and he has groomed Spoelstra for 13 years for this day. The 37-year old Portland native has certainly paid his dues. He started as a Video Coordinator with Miami in 1995, and has worked his way up to Director of Scouting. Riley sees him as a younger version of himself, and the players respect him.

Read the story here.

Goal.com has compiled a list of their Best Places in America to Watch Soccer, and inexplicably they have failed to mention Portland. This is doubly crazy as we not only have the best supported club in the country, in our beloved Portland Timbers, but we also have collegiate powerhouse University of Portland and the gorgeous Merlo Field.

So sit back and watch Goal.com’s comments get overwhelmed.

Meanwhile the always excellent soccer blog, The Offside Rules, sets the record straight:

1st and foremost the North End of Portland’s PGE Park simply has to make the cut. This is where USL 1’s best & boldest fans do their thing; on it’s worst day it still makes Blackbaud Stadium –which made the list– look as exciting as a khaki-wearers convention.

The grand opening for Deschutes Brewery’s first Portland pub (210 NW 11th Avenue) is scheduled for next Friday, May 2nd. This Saturday, April 26 the pub is hosting a (sold out) pre-opening fundraising party to benefit Oregon Trout.

We’d heard rumors, however, that the pub might be open already for lunch, so Amy and I walked by today at about 11:30. What appeared to be customers were sitting at tables, and an ample supply of pub staff, decked out in brand new Deschutes Brewery polo shirts, flitted about. Upon further investigation I noticed a sign on the front door, something about Friends and family only, but before I could bring this to her attention, Amy had entered. I followed. The friendly hostess saved us the embarrassment of having to back out by informing us that though this was an exclusive event, they weren’t too busy, and she would gladly seat us, and oh yeah, we were entitled to a pint each, an appetizer, entrees, and a dessert - for FREE!

We couldn’t believe our good fortune, and hastily sat before she could change her mind.

Reminiscent of the SE Lucky Lab crossed with a McMenamins, the high ceilinged space has red walls, mismatched light fixtures, and unpainted wood rafters - some real and some for effect. There’s a long bar along the north wall, a semi-open kitchen in the northeast corner, and seating every where else. Huge windows let in lots of light.

Much like the Rogue Public House up on Flanders (i.e. decent food and selection, but overpriced), the menu is standard upscale-pub (e.g. $14.95 fish and chips, $9.50+ for a burger). I ordered the fish and chips and Amy ordered the spicy mac and cheese. Both were nothing special. Filling though.

We shared an appetizer, a huge soft-baked pretzel with white cheddar dipping sauce accented with Black Butte Porter-Honey mustard. For dessert we split a slice of fantastically rich carrot cake with vanilla cream cheese ice cream (food wise, the highlight of the visit).

But the beer is the thing.

We decided to stick to the “pub exclusive” beers.

Amy had a pint of the Kilgorian Vanilla Porter. It’s a solid English-style porter; dry, with a strong, but not overpowering, warm vanilla flavor and aroma.

I went for the St. Tanith, a strong (8.7% alcohol) Belgian style ale, aged in oak, hopped perfectly (60 IBUs) with noble hops, and spiced, like a Belgian Witbier, with coriander and orange peel.

Out of curiosity we also tried the Rootin’ Tootin’ Low Gluten Ale; a very drinkable (4.5% alcohol), beautifully clear, and surprisingly tasty sorghum ale, spiced with Cascade hops.

The beers were excellent.

We tipped well.*

The pub is much like I expected. When it really opens I might be tempted to stop by for the pub exclusive ales, and maybe the occasional lunch.

*Free food/beer = huge tips!