Dave Knows Portland

Archives for February 2010

Hall of Records Takes Shape

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Justin and Katie ClimbExciting things are afoot at Hall of Records (3342 SE Belmont).

That’s right, they have an address!

In couple more months they’ll be opening the doors to Portland’s only boutique vinyl shop, coffeehouse & beer bar specializing in Soul, Funk, Jazz & Rare Groove!

Our friends Katie and Justin have been working to build their dream for a couple years now.

About a year ago they threw a record sale and dj party at It’s a Beautiful Pizza on SE Belmont. Little did they know (though they had an inkling) that a year later they’d sign a lease and get their own set of keys to that very same building, and would begin tearing out the carpet and taping out a location for the bar.

Their adventure has been a little like climbing Beacon Rock, which we climbed with them last March.

(That’s them to the right, on one of about a zillion non-metaphorical steep switchbacks.)

It’s a long way to the top, but they’re almost there. Go read about their adventures building their record store, coffeehouse & bar dream at the Hall of Records blog, and make sure to also visit Justin’s Dusty Nuggets for soulfunkjazz world/breaks 45s and random heat, and an idea of what to expect in the music department at a brick and mortar Hall of Records, coming soon to 3342 SE Belmont in Beautiful Portland, Oregon.

Dave Goes: Astoria, Oregon

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AstoriaAstoria‘s charm is in its history and urban form. The oldest permanent U.S. settlement west of the Rockies, next year Astoria celebrates its bicentennial. The downtown is compact and walkable, and though not exactly bustling, there are a couple book stores, several cafes, and quite a few restaurants and bars.

Heather and I have visited Astoria several times over the last couple years. Our first road trip together included a stop at the Astoria Column. Later that same year we drove out from Portland to visit the Fort George Brewery and Public House. Last fall we paid homage to the 1400 block of Duane Street, my favorite block in Astoria. And last summer we spent a weekend in Astoria to take in the Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival.

Last weekend we visited again. Valentines Day is our anniversary, so to celebrate we sprung for a suite at our favorite place to stay in Astoria, the Commodore Hotel. The room prices are surprisingly reasonable, and the hotel is right downtown, putting all the restaurants, cafes, bars, museums, and shops at our doorstep.

View from our room at The Commodore

On Saturday morning after coffee at the Blue Scorcher, we went for a walk. We discovered, just up the hill from the cafe, a replica of Fort Astoria.

Fort Astoria

Friday night we’d enjoyed several stouts at Fort George Brewery. February is Stout Month. Badda Bing, a Flanders-style cherry stout was my favorite. The Murky Pearl, a true oyster stout (i.e. brewed with oysters!) was curious, but not fishy. And a bourbon barrel Cavatica stout was impressive. The next day, after checking out the fort replica around back, we toured the brewery and sampled an IPA and a Porter straight out of the zwickel as part of the state-wide Zwickelmania.

Tour of Fort George Brewery

After the brewery visit we stopped by the Shallon Winery (recommended to us by Sláinte Mhaith in a blog comment last year!). I insist you add a visit to the winery, and the man who runs it, Paul van der Veldt, to your next trip to Astoria. Make sure you have about a half hour for the brief winery tour (the winery is very small) and the tasting (which is unlike any wine tasting you’ve ever experienced). Read more about our visit to Shallon Winery at Mile73.com: Astoria: The Most Wicked Place On Earth

Sunday the sun finally broke out. I hadn’t been to Fort Clatsop since a field trip in grade school, so we paid a visit. Apparently now the fort is part of something called the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.

Heather at Fort Clatsop

After defending the fort for a while, we followed the Netul River Trail to a purported old canoe landing.

Netul Landing

The weekend was complete.

And visit Mile73.com for more photos and stories of our weekend adventure!

February 20: McMenamin’s Hillsdale Brewfest and Battle of the Belt

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the BeltThe 17th Annual McMenamin’s Hillsdale Brewfest and Battle of the Belt take place this Saturday, February 20th at the Hillsdale Brewery and Public House (1505 SW Sunset Blvd) from 11am until close.

Twenty brewers from the disparate McMenamins empire bring a specially brewed beer to the festival Saturday to be judged (and enjoyed) by festival patrons. Here’s how it works:

Patrons order “trays” of beer, arranged from lightest to darkest – each of the two trays offers ten 4-ounce samples and costs $8.75. It is our guests’ duty to decide who deserves the coveted title. With seventeen ales from Oregon and three from Washington, these beers cover the spectrum of brew styles – from hefeweizen to oatmeal stout, barleywine to smoked amber ale and beyond. Each taster casts one ballot that lists his or her top three choices.

The winner of the belt Saturday earns the right to represent McMenamins at the 2010 Oregon Brewers Festival this summer.

This year’s beers are listed below:

Concordia Brewery (Portland, OR) * Organic Irish Red
Lucky Charms

Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Brewery (Hillsboro, OR) * German Lager
Pitchfork Lager

Crystal Brewery (Portland, OR) * Czech Pilsner
Pilsner Kristell

Dad Watsons (Seattle, WA) * Wheatwine
Paddle Bender Wheatwine

Edgefield Brewery (Troutdale, OR) * Rye
Hot Lips Chili Pepper Rye

Fulton Brewery (Portland, OR) * Pale Ale
Squirtie Pale Ale

High Street Brewery (Eugene, OR) * Porter
Pedal Power Mocha Porter

Highland Brewery (Gresham, OR) * IPA
Hop Apocalypse IPA

Hillsdale Brewery (Portland, OR) * Imperial Oatmeal Porter
Royal Oats Imperial Porter

John Barleycorns Brewery (Tigard, OR) * Imperial Red
Bishop’s Gate Imperial Red

Lighthouse Brewery (Lincoln City, OR) * American Brown
Captain Neon’s Dark Ale

McMenamins on Monroe Brewery (Corvallis, OR) * Stout
Truck Two Stout

Oak Hills Brewery (Portland, OR) * Vienna Lager
The Viper

Old St Francis School Brewery (Bend, OR) * Belgian Trippel
The Elvis Conspiracy

Queen Anne Brewery (Seattle, WA) * Belgian Wit
Whatawit

Roseburg Station Brewery (Roseburg, OR) * Porter
Au Pear Porter

McMenamins Mill Creek (Mill Creek, WA) * IPA
American Standard IPA

Thompson Brewery (Salem, OR) * Pale Ale
Bumble Blue Pale Ale

Vancouver on the Columbia Brewery (Vancouver, WA) * Stout
The Morning Grind Breakfast Stout

West Linn Brewery (West Linn, OR) * IPA
Hopping the Mash IPA

February 17: Timbers vs Pilots Charity Match

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TimbersHead on out to North Portland this Wednesday evening for your first chance this year to see the Portland Timbers in action.

The Timbers will be facing the University of Portland Men‘s team in a charity match Wednesday, February 17, at Merlo Field. Kickoff is at 7pm.

All tickets are $7, visit PortlandTimbers.com for details. Proceeds from the match benefit Mercy Corps‘ efforts to assist Haitians affected by the earthquake.