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Archives for July 2011

Lents Ramona Street Fair (31-July-2011)

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Ramona FairThe 3rd Annual Lents Ramona Street Fair takes place Sunday, July 31 from noon until 6pm – find the festivities at SE 92nd and Ramona!

Vendors galore will be on hand, and of course there’s live music and performers – including Chervona, who headline at 5pm.

The Lents International Farmers Market, held June through October at 92nd and Foster, will also be in session during the street fair, from 9am until 2pm.

And there are food vendors and a beer garden!

Visit the website and Facebook page for more information, and follow @LentsStreetFair on Twitter.

July 26, 1856: Fort Hoskins Established

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In the Coast Range northwest of Corvallis the U.S. Army established Fort Hoskins on July 26, 1856. The fort was used from 1856 through the end of the Civil War in 1865 (pdf):

The parade ground of this military fort overlooked the Luckiamute River valley. The 200-300 troops serving here were charged with protecting the newly established Coast (Siletz) Indian Reservation to the west from encroachment and harassment by settlers, and with confining and monitoring the tribes on the reservation. During the Civil War, troops also kept the secessionist movement in the mid-Willamette Valley from erupting into armed conflict.

The site is now Fort Hoskins Historic Park.

Match Day (26-July-2011): Portland Timbers vs. Club Atlético Independiente

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Portland TimbersThe Portland Timbers host the Argentinian team Club Atlético Independiente tonight at Jeld-Wen Field.

The match kicks off at 8pm. A live webstream will be available at PortandTimbers.com, and you can listen to the match on 750 AM The Game and La Pantera 940 AM.

El Rojo, one of Argentina’s top teams, won the Copa Sudamericana in 2010. They have never been relegated to the country’s second division, and finished the 2011 Torneo Clausura sixth overall.

Match previews and intrigue

Trader Vic’s: A Preview

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Update: Trader Vic’s grand opening takes place Monday, August 1, 2011.

Trader Vic's PortlandSpending much of the summer in Astoria has its drawbacks – like not being able to attend the Trader Vic’s media event! But friend-of-the-blog Rick (of Beerdrinker.org, and @m8ryx on Twitter fame) gamely stepped into the breach – and provided the review below – thanks Rick!

Trader Vic’s, as you no doubt know, is an upscale chain of Polynesian-themed restaurants – with tiki lounges! Portland’s Benson Hotel sported a Trader Vic’s for about 30 years, but the spot sadly closed in the mid-90s. They’re giving it a go once again, this time in the Pearl District, at 1203 NW Glisan St. (i.e. corner of NW 12th and Glisan).

Tiki is not just a bar. Tiki is a culture. It’s a history and a philosophy. Tiki brings together elements of alchemy and magic to create a feeling of escape. That is what I felt tonight. When I walked through the plywood doors of the almost-finished Trader Vic’s, I was drawn in. The wood finish, the thatch, the umbrella drinks with their wonderful sweet tang, they have a way to relax you, and melt you into the surroundings.

Chef Broderick gives a tour of the kitchen
Chef Broderick's favorite dish is the bone-in ribeye with wasabi-thyme
The centerpiece of Trader Vic’s kitchen is a large clay oven fueled by logs of white oak, alder, and cedar. Chef Michael Broderick was kind enough to give me an introduction to some of their dishes and techniques. The oven runs from about 800 degrees at the bottom to 500 at the top and turns out some delicious morsels of meat with a hint of smoke pretty quickly.

The bar is pretty well stocked with a selection of rums that I’ve never heard of. A few of us ganged up on the bar manager and talked him out of a few tastes of some top shelf stuff. The Zaya was great. It was a very sweet, almost tootsie roll caramelization up front, with an amazingly dry finish on the backside.

In addition to straight pours, the bar was kind enough to roll out three standard beverages for our event. The classic Mai Tai (by lore, created by Mr. Vic himself), Nelson’s blood, and a cucumber-infused martini by Heather, somehow related to the modern classic Thatch. Another bit of lore, Nelson’s Blood is named for sea captain Horatio Nelson, who was honored by being put to rest in a rum barrel, then to honor him, the sailors drank the rum that flowed from the cask, inventing the drink and naming it for the great captain.

Located in the heart of the Pearl District at 12th and Glisan, Trader Vic’s is well situated to draw in crowds to its moderately upscale slice of paradise. I’ll probably see you there after the crowds die down a bit, which will probably take awhile.

Trader Vic’s Portland’s grand opening is August 1. Find them on the web (they have a blog!), on Facebook, and follow @TraderVicsPDX on Twitter.