Food+Drink

Pink Rabbit restaurant

Pink Rabbit

written by Lauren Sharp Take a trip down the rabbit hole in Portland’s Pearl District at Pink Rabbit cocktail lounge. Pull a seat up at the neon-lit bar in the revamped space with its pop-art mural paying homage to its namesake bunny for hopped-up cocktails served until midnight most weekdays and 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. At the helm is industry veteran Collin Nicholas who cut his teeth on mixology in late-night leaders New York City and the Bay Area, and is a two-time finalist of Bombay Sapphire’s “Most Imaginative Bartender Award.” He grew up immersed in the strong cocktail of cultures of the East Bay and Berkeley, which he’s been bringing to bar programs across Portland as the bar director of Submarine Hospitality Group (Tusk, Takibi, Ava Gene’s). Pink Rabbit is his first solo leap. “I’m excited to incorporate all the influences from past projects into the cocktails I’ve…

Pelican’s Father of All Tsunamis Imperial Stout is a tidal wave of flavor, aged in rye whiskey barrels.

Oregon Winter: Made for Brews

Barrel-agedier, boozier and sniftier, for Nordic hut-ing, hot tubbing or Blazer-fanning written by Beau Eastes There’s a lot to love about Oregon winters. The holiday lights at Peacock Lane, skiing the bowl at Mt. Bachelor, irrational Blazer championship hopes. But the best part of the colder months here in the Beaver State is the unofficial fancy beer season. In November and December, the beers in Oregon get bigger, funkier and more barrel-agedier. It’s fantastic. Here’s what we’ll be drinking this winter at Beerlandia while we try to convince ourselves that Dame and C.J. can actually be the cornerstones of a competent defense. (Hint: it’ll have to be something stronger than Deschutes’ excellent-but-light Rip City Lager.) Ecliptic Brewing’s Filament Winter IPA with Tangerine: If Oregon craft beer legend and Ecliptic founder John Harris wants to play around with his traditional winter beer and add tangerine, it’s best to just say thank…

Boneyard’s Blood Orange Pale Ale delivered joy during lockdown.

Proof of God: Beer

Written by Beau Eastes The quote “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy,” is popularly attributed to Ben Franklin. While historians posit that he actually wrote this about wine, we have no doubt about the truth in this alleged misquote. The past year-and-a-half has been brutal for just about everyone we know. But beer, glorious beer, the cause and solution to all of life’s problems, has delivered some moments of happiness. Here are some beers that brought smiles to our faces during the past eighteen months: A LITER OR THREE OF BITBURGER PILS FROM STAMMTISCH A cold German beer on a hot day is always a good idea, but this summer, as Portland negotiated a record heat wave, the rounds of Bitburger were especially tasty. The Beerlandia staff was on an intense research mission that weekend and Stammtisch provided a much-needed home base—and a…

Oma’s satisfies, from apple tamarind-glazed pork ribs to lemongrass slushies or a soft shell crab sando (pictured above).

Oma’s Hideaway

Written by Jen Stevenson Oma’s Hideaway was born of a takeout-focused pop-up pivot designed to carry Hollywood District hotspot Gado Gado through the darkest days of the pandemic shutdown, but then proved too popular to scuttle when the restaurant reopened. This bright and cheery Division Street gem is just the place to spend a summer evening with a jackfruit daiquiri. Taking over the former Whiskey Soda Lounge space, Chef Thomas Pisha-Duffly and Mariah Pisha-Duffly’s second venture is an homage to Thomas’s beloved late oma or grandmother, Kiong Tien Vandenberg, with the hearty belly-warming and spirits-lifting Southeast Asian comfort food to match. The menu showcases Pisha-Duffly’s creativity via intensely flavorful dishes such as sweet-chili soy-soaked corn fritters, Chinese sausage- and shrimp-studded char kway teow noodle stir-fry and several satisfying variations of nasi lemak, Malaysia’s national dish—try the golden, crispy fried chicken with creamy yellow curry and fried curry leaves, signature coconut…

Forested roads between Bend and Sisters are ideal for bikepacking to Suttle Lake, the setting for an eponymous Three Creeks Suttle Haze IPA.

Beer-Powered Adventures

Written by Beau Eastes If you’re reading this column I’m probably preaching to the choir, but I’m continually fascinated by how great beers can inspire—dinner parties based on beer pairings, brewpub running clubs, hikes to forage for fresh ingredients. And of course my favorite, beer tripping. This concept born of years of research at institutions such as O’Brien’s in Portland, Max’s in Eugene, The Rainbow Cafe in Pendleton and Cascade West in Bend, beer tripping involves your favorite beer and making an adventure out of its name. Here’s a few of my favorite beer tripping adventures: HIKING BLACK BUTTE One of the first hikes I wanted to do when I moved to Central Oregon nearly fifteen years ago was Black Butte, and that was 100 percent proof of my affinity for Deschutes Brewery’s iconic porter. Not quite 4 miles out and back, the hike up Black Butte is a steady climb…

Grab a drink and stay awhile at Takibi, inspired by traditional Japanese izakaya, which translates as “stay-drink-place.”

Traditional Japanese Restaurant Takibi

Written by Lauren Sharp Outdoor enthusiasts and foodies can rejoice with the opening of Portland’s new Japanese restaurant, Takibi. It’s a collaboration between Submarine Hospitality, known for acclaimed Portland restaurants Tusk and Ava Gene’s, and Snow Peak, a Japanese outdoor apparel and lifestyle products retailer. “We like to consider ourselves the foodiest brand in the outdoor industry,” said Matt Liddle, Snow Peak’s chief operating officer. “Most of Snow Peak’s products are food related, as we’re well known for our top-of-the-line camp cookware, tableware, and grills. We see it as an extension of our mission to bring out outdoor values into the dining room, giving friends a gathering place to reconnect.” Founded in 1958 by Yukio Yamai in the Niigata Prefecture of Japan, Snow Peak has strived to create heirloom quality mountaineering and camping gear. In 1980, the founder’s son, Tohru Yamai, took the helm as CEO. He jumped at the opportunity…

Wayfinder Beer

Portland’s Brewing, Not Burning

written by Beau Eastes Let’s kill the “Portland is burning” narrative right here. Yes, Stumptown is changing, as any dynamic and modern city should. But Portland still oozes creativity and innovation, it still embraces anyone willing to think outside the box, and it still finds ways to surprise and inspire. Especially in the city’s perpetually evolving beer scene. We here at Beerlandia recently took up the cause of exploring everything new, awesome and funky coming out of Portland’s craft beer scene in the hopes of shattering the notion that the city is essentially RoboCop’s dystopian Detroit with bike lanes.  Here’s what we found: Helles yes to Wayfinder: Is anyone in the state making better beer than Wayfinder Beer on SE 2nd? Their helles, the Wayfinder Hell, won silver at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival and their CZAF Czech-style pilsner is the poster child for the perfect Zoom-with-buddies beer. Best…

Terminal Gravity Brew Pub

Beerlandia: Patio Beers

written by Beau Eastes The two sweetest words in the English language just might be “patio beers.” With the right group of buddies and a sun-soaked deck, a plain old pale ale or basic bitter can be elevated to a near religious experience. (In-the-shower beers have been known to exhibit similar traits.) Fortunately, our state is flush with outstanding outdoor beer-drinking options. Here are some of our favorites: Terminal Gravity Brew Pub Enterprise How many people have planned hiking trips to the Wallowas, in large part so they can have cool-down beers in the park-like setting at Terminal Gravity? Grab a picnic table, order a pint and some food, and plan your next great adventure in Eastern Oregon. terminalgravitybrewing.com Crux Fermentation Project Bend It blows the mind to think how this former AAMCO transmission shop in the heart of a light industrial area has transformed into a premier outdoor imbibing…

gin cocktail

Cocktail Card

Rosemary’s Bee Bee recipe courtesy of Hannah Loop at The Winchester Inn, Ashland •  2 ounces Hendrick’s Gin  • ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice  • ¾ ounce rosemary black peppercorn honey syrup  • Rosemary garnish FOR SYRUP​ •  tablespoons black peppercorns​ •  cup water​ •  cup honey​ • handful of fresh rosemary FOR COCKTAIL Combine and shake over ice, then double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with rosemary. FOR SYRUP​ Toast black peppercorns, then add to saucepan with water and honey. Bring to a low simmer.  Add a small handful of fresh rosemary and let simmer for five minutes.  Remove from heat and steep for 20 minutes. Strain.