Thursday kicked off the 2009 AIGA National Leadership Retreat in our little town of Portland, Oregon. I serve on the local AIGA chapter board and had the good fortune of attending the annual event two years ago in Miami. I found it to be informative and inspirational. Now, I don't use that term much, inspirational, but it fit; it's a well-run gathering and an effective incubator for ideas. The few days of that retreat were jam-packed with programming, but when I stole a couple of hours for myself in Miami, I longed for an insider's perspective of what was happening locally, and where to eat. Away from the confines of the hotel.
For those attendees visiting Portland, we've pulled together a very rough list of our favorite eateries, as well as a run-down of a few of the events happening around town. This list of events comes by way of Leigh Feldman's excellent e-newsletter LifeisaParty. I'd urge you to request it from Leigh by e-mailing: twocliche@gmail.com or leighfeldman3@gmail.com
So, attendees: we know you're at the Hilton and that's just fine. The New York office of AIGA had to pick a self-contained location cozy enough to host 250. But it's hardly representative of Portland. Not even close. Now, I know that time is limited and I'm not suggesting you pull yourselves from the retreat activities, but for chrissake, live a little. You might be interested why so many designers arrive here in the first place, and then why they end up calling Portland home. And I can tell you that it's not chain hotels, it's not the suburbs, and it's certainly not Macaroni Grill.
Here's what's happening Thursday through Saturday evening, in some of the smaller Portland venues. Thanks to Leigh's keen eye about town.
Scion Metro Party w/ Klever, Kill the Noise, DJ Haul, Rob Wonder @ Branx
Living Room Sessions @ Backspace (hip hop, spoken word)
Electrique @ East Chinatown Lounge (awesome dj, live art, good atmosphere)
PDX Pop Now CD Release Show @ Holocene
First Thursday Party w/ After Party @ Dapper Cap
Green Oregon Opening @ PNCA (art party)
X-otica GoGo @ Dante’s (heavy bass and lots of booty)
Wend Magazine / Surfrider First Thursday @ Lizard Lounge
Flavour @ Agency (hip hop, electro, club)
Hidden Portland Book Release Party @ Reading Frenzy
Delicious @ Crown Room (weekly alternative party)
Lucia Apparel Boutique Sale @ Lucia Apparel (free wine, music, discount items)
Sugar Q Burlesque Show @ Hawthorne Theater (dancers/pin-up girls)
Konkrete Jungle Fanu Party w/ Ryan Organ @ BC’s (dubstep, dnb, jungle)
Immerse Tour Party w/ Kilowatts and Great Mundane @ Groove Suite
The Fix @ Someday Lounge (hip hop)
Alex Pardee Self Portraits w/ DJ Mighty Mooves @ Upper Playground
Uplift w/ DJ Rafa @ Saucebox (swanky and fun)
Mercy McNab Photo Show @ Beulahland (art art art and drinks)
Vibration Mini Store Grand Opening @ Eyeful / Everett Station Lofts
Tipper, Danny Corn, Saqi @ Berbati’s (electro, glitch, dubstep)
Strange Bedfellows: Japan / PDX art show @ Compound Gallery
Words Without Walls @ W+K (art, drinks, slam poetry)
Cloud Society Design Show @ Radish Underground
Mission Theater Music-Movie-Art Party @ Mission Theater
2009 OMSI Film Festival @ OMSI
March 4th Marching Band vs L.S.R.D @ Dante’s
Hot Mess @ Tube (Portland’s craziest and sweatiest free dance party)
In|Ur Magazine Party @ 811 E. Burnside (magazines, shopping)
Lavish @ 720 Club (one big ass urban music dance party)
SambaDa and Lions of Batucada @ Someday (Brazilian percussion)
The Warriors movie theme night @ East End
EmergNSee Hype Party w/ Lazer Sword, Marty Party and Danny Corn @ Crown Room
Atole, Breakfast Mtn, Guidance Counselor @ Backspace (indie rock heaven)
Holocene 6 Year Anniversary w/ Prins Thomas @ Holocene (future disco dance party)
DJ Magneto @ Goodfoot (funk and soul)
Parallel Store Trunk Sale @ Parallel (awesome designs / super cheap items)
Melao de Cuba @ Mississippi Pizza (Cuban jazz)
Moxie Summer Sale @ Moxie (20% off all clothing items)
Seoul Bro #1 @ Beulahland (funk, reggae, jazz and soul)
Kev Brown, DaiN, Illmaculate, Dave Notti, Speek Greene @ Rotture (hip hop)
Electro vs Breaks @ 2410 (hard electro dance party)
Natalie Phillips Art show Opening Party w/ DJ Mighty Mooves @ Breeze Block Gallery
Superstition Art show @ Nemo (art and drinks)
Rock N Roll Camp for Girls Showcase @ Audio Cinema (young girls rocking)
The Beatles Concert Film @ Clinton St. Theater
Toy Art show @ Watershed (hand crafted and decorated toys on display)
Store For A Month Art show / Opening Party @ 12th & Division
Strip Club Pub Tour w/ Barfly @ 10 Strip Clubs in PDX (check the barfly.com)
2009 OMSI Film Festival @ OMSI
Royal Fits Barbq Party @ 6250 Ne 6th (dj, band, drinks, clothes)
BFA/MFA Thesis Exhibit @ PNCA (art art art)
Dom-Prov @ Hipbone Studios (improv comedy led by a dominatrix)
Mr. Garrison’s Costume Dance Party @ Pala (tribal and house music)
Lost and Found Art show Opening Party @ Good:Gallery (art art art)
Film Racing 2009 Competition @ Hollywood Theater (24 film creation competition)
Fig Leif 5K Naked Run Undress Rehearsal @ NW Leif Erickson Drive
Casual Encounters Dance Party @ Rotture (pre-Pride weekend kick off party)
Holocene 6 Year Anniversary @ Holocene (Talkdemonic, Nurses, Explode Into Colors)
Michael Jackson Tribute Night @ Goodfoot (live band covering the classics)
Dolly Parton Hoot Party @ Mission Theater
Grand Floral Parade @ Downtown
M.C. Escher Virtual Worlds Art show @ Portland Art Museum
Jens Lekman @ Wonder Ballroom
Bobby Torres Ensemble @ Curious Comedy (jazz)
Palo Verde, Magic Johnson, Play/Start @ Backspace (indie rock heaven)
USO Style Burlesque Show @ Kelly’s Olympian
Sleep and Alphabet Stew @ Mt. Tabor Theater (local hip hop)
Alan Singley @ Waypost (local vocal darling)
Pierced Arrows @ Worksound Gallery (hard indie rock)
Gemini Moonwalker Party w/ Myka 9, 6Blocc, Mimosa, Emu and more @ 2410
Microcinema @ Secret Outdoor Screening (meet at 11 NW 13th)
The Zoo @ Dunes (disco / electro dance)
Freaky Outy @ East Chinatown Lounge (dance, disco, soulful cuts, new jack swing)
Various @ Branx (dubstep)
Belmont Stakes Party @ EaT (wear a big funny hat and drink summer cocktails)
Lusine, Solovox, Manoj @ Crown Room (dubstep, electro, live tweaking, bass)
After Dark @ Groove Suite (minimal, house, electro, techno)
Elemental Camp Benefit Party w/ DJ Wicked & Magneto @ Report Lounge
BFA/MFA Thesis Exhibit @ PNCA (art art art)
Anarchist Book Fair @ Liberty Hall (books, mags, zines, publishers)
North45 Prom Crawl @ North45 (Call 593-1950 to reserve a seat)
Saucy Yoda @ Green House (house party! Indie electro hip hop)
Rose City Rollers Roller Derby @ Oaks Park
Brazilian Culture, Music and Moves @ NW Cultural Center (movement class)
Store For A Month Art show @ 12th & Division
2009 OMSI Film Festival @ OMSI
DJ Gray Matter Bday Party @ Olive
The Easter Island Project @ Performance Works NW (live music and video installation)
And here's a bit on some of our favorite eats, roughly organized by neighborhood. It's hardly exhaustive, but it'll likely get you started.
As with so many other cities, Portland is a quilt of diverse neighborhoods. For this purpose, I'll just address a few of them, within reach of downtown and the hotel. And I'll do it as quickly as I am able. You should know that navigating the city is this simple: Burnside Street separates North and South. The Willamette River defines East and West. To make locations more understandable, our friends at Second Story Interactive Studios (Julie Beeler is an in-coming national board member) have created a swell little "interactive" map for the retreat. It's only useful if you use it.
The Pearl District. You're downtown right now, and that's fine. There are plenty of decent options for grub, but if you have the time, Higgins (go straight to the bar) is absolutely worth a visit. Find your path to the Ace Hotel, Clyde Common, and Kenny & Zuke's. Later, you'll cross Burnside and make your way over to The Pearl District for the Wieden+Kennedy party. Stop by Caffè Allora for a glass of wine. Tell Paolo that the fellows from Pinch sent you. You might also find the scene at Bluehour (in W+K's building) good (and fairly expensive for Portland). Try the deep-fried olives. 50 plates and Andina are both good stops for nibbles or a full throw-down. Late-night jazz at Jimmy Maks is always solid. Park Kitchen is a foodie's haunt (but is vastly overrated for lunch, in my opinion). Pho Van/Silk is upscale Thai. The scene at Vault can provide for good cocktailing, assuming you haven't stumbled in on a bachelorette party. Sip and Krantz and Pearl Bakery are both decent stops for pastries or a hot cup of coffee. You're in the neighborhood of Powell's, which is Portland's renowned book store. Look for Reading Frenzy right across the street and amble down to Powell's Technical Books on the park blocks. See Urbanspoon listing for The Pearl District here.
You're a hop, skip, and a jump heading West to NW Portland. Long Portland's trendy walk and shop area, NW 23rd Avenue has been far surpassed by other, more interesting neighborhoods (like N. Mississippi, SE Hawthorne, etc.). NW 21st Avenue still lays claim to one of the better restaurants in Portland, Paley's Place. There's no shortage of pubs and smaller eateries on and around that street.
Turn yourself around and head east of the Pearl to Portland's older "Chinatown" or "Oldtown" (which, if you attended the Ground Kontrol party Wednesday evening, you noticed) offers some excellent outposts for collectibles, including vintage and hard-to-find Nikes, small galleries, outsider artwork, t-shirts, etc.
North Portland. This area has been undergoing a transformation for years now, and the food scene is better for it. It's a bit of a hike (by rail, bus, or cab), but you'll have fun. ?Por Que No?'s tacos are built to please. Amnesia Brewing produces some tasty suds. The Widmer Brothers are a beer-brewing institution and The White Eagle Saloon, Mint (and adjoining Bar 820) are within spitting distance. And the previous chef at Chez Panisse now runs the kitchen at Lovely Hula Hands. The Florida Room serves a mean Bloody Mary. See Urbanspoon listing for North Portland here.
Northeast. Like North Portland, this area has undergone great change. And the boundaries that define Northeast are significant. Too many good restaurants to provide descriptions, but right now, we love the open fire flavor at Ned Ludd. You really can't go wrong with Screen Door (NW take on Southern), Toro Bravo (tapas), Pambiche (Cuban), Podnah's (pit BBQ) and Yakuza (yeah, you know). I've not been to Belly (weird location), but I understand it's pretty good. Don't hold me to it. See Urbanspoon Northeast Portland listing here.
Southeast. Home turf of Pinch. A design office., and admittedly, we're a bit biased. If you've got time, Le Pigeon is arguably Portland's best stop (and shares east Burnside) with the fantastic Rontoms, Doug Fir, The Jupiter, Noble Rot (technically, NE) and Kir (just off Burnside). Pigeon just feels like our city, through and through. Pok Pok is well worth a visit (Khao Soi Kai) and our beloved Gino's is "beloved" for a reason. Pine State Biscuits (see below), Ken's, Apizza Scholls and Tastebud are all doing incredible, albeit very different, takes on wood-fired pizza. Biwa and Simpatica Dining Hall share the same building (you could spend many successive nights there). A big group and a late evening can be had at Montage (a Portland staple) and finish at the bar next door, or just up SE Division at Bar Avignon or Hawthorne's Castagna. Closer in, we have yet to get over to Bunk (kickass sandwiches, apparently), but it remains on the top of my must-visit. Urbanspoon listing for Southeast Portland here.
If you get up early (or don't go to bed at all), begin your Saturday down at the Farmer's Market on the Portland State Campus. It's only a few blocks from the hotel. Worry about cleansing the system later, you've got good stuff to eat. Get in line at Pine State Biscuits and go with the classic (biscuits and gravy). You can thank us later.
I realize that I didn't really approach shopping or general rabble-rousing. You'll find that on your own. And I apologize for not linking each location. You have an iPhone, you can Google (or Bing) it. If you have questions, drop me a line at eric@pinch.nu.