1 October 2007
After having experienced Max's Fanno Creek Brew Pub's first annual Oktoberfest, I got to thinking about other traditions of the fall season. Halloween, of course, is only 30 days away, and with it come the blustery winds of the Fall, bringing colder air and the usual winter pattern here in Oregon-rain, and then more rain.
But if you blink slowly enough, you can still see some amazing things in between now and Thanksgiving. The Oregon harvest season is still going full force, with corn and pumpkins, nuts and grapes ready for market. It's only a week into Fall, and already the trees are beginning to turn and loose their leaves. The east coast may have the reputation for color, but I think it's only because more people back there see the trees turn than do here. I've often told my friends back east that they should forget about skiing, and buy a plane ticket just to come see the trees.
I was talking to a barrista today about the different pumpkin farms that throw mini festivals on their farms. She's lived in town all her life and had never heard of some of the ones I've gone to with my kid over the years, and I hadn't heard of some of the ones she'd gone to. Now I have to make a trip for apple cider a bit further south, along the Willamette river, as she told me of one farm that is near Champoeg Park that besides the usual pumpkin stuff also has a jumping area filled with nuts, kinda like the round plastic balls you find in children's gyms at a macdonalds play area. She said she remembers diving into that vat filled with round nuts when she was a kid.
Claim Jumper restaurant has moved into Portland. This month, we'll be checking out their reputation for large portions. Their happy hour starts at 3:00 O'Clock and ends at 7:00. See you there.
28th September 2007
This weekend, Max's Fanno Creek Brew Pub in Tigard will hold it's first annual Oktoberfest. Today at Four P.M. Max will tap into the first keg of Oktoberfest beer, brewed especially for the occasion. The pub added tents outside, and will also be having some live german oompa music.
Plan on being at this first festival of theirs, because as time goes by, and the Oktoberfest at Max's get's bigger and bigger, you can tell your grandchildren that you were at the first on, way back in 'Ought Seven... :)
3rd September 2007
Don't ask me why most Octoberfests start in September, but they do. I haven't the slightest idea. But, I do know there are quite a few good October festivals held near our fair city of Portland. I've been to a few of them over the years, but my favorite of them all takes place at Oaks Park. I suppose the reasons I like going there rather than other fests is due to the fact that like in the original Octoberfest held in Munich, one can walk around like a human being with a beer in your hand and not get ganked by the Beer Kontrol people. Yeah, sure, you have to stay within the confines of a certain area where the beer is served, but this area is pretty large, not confined to a noisy beer hall, and allows for different tastes to enjoy what the fest has to offer in the first place.
I've been to Mt. Angel's Octoberfest. It's been an ongoing festival for decades, and as I understand it, was a pretty cool place to drive to in many years gone by. I was there about three years ago, and if you weren't in one of the noisy 'festhalle's', you couldn't drink. Admittedly, I got there pretty late in the evening, and before you knew it, the food booths were closing down. And to find a few of the festhalle's, you had to walk a god awful ways, not to mention where do you park your gas guzzler. Then, when you were pissed off at not finding any booths open that were selling a bratwurst and french fries, you had to find your way back to your car, and try to make it the thousand miles back to I-5 along a dark windy two lane highway without getting pulled over.
No thank you ma'am. I'll stick with the Oaks Park bunch.
I hear that some of the McMenamin's establishments have decent fests, like the large acreage at Edgefield in Troutdale, which this year will be held on the 23rd of September.
Last but not least, another much smaller yet close to my heart venue will be the first annual Octoberfest at Max's Fanno Creek Brew Pub in Tigard. You got to smile about that one. Show up, and in 20 years when Max's fest is large enough to spill onto Hwy. 99 you can tell your kids you spilled your beer at the first one. See you there...
28 April 2007
One week from today, or Saturday the 5th of May, Max's Fanno Creek Brew Pub will officially hold their Grand Opening. Can't wait. And as it's the celebration of Sinco de Mayo as well, let's hope Max has some Mexican food on his menu. See you there.
6 April 2007
Unfortunately, Max's Fanno Creek Brew Pub is at least two weeks behind getting their establishment up to speed. In the mean time we'll all have to be satisfied with reading about the brew pub instead. Feel like digging through your recycle bin? The Oregonian put out a Southwest Weekly on Thursday, April 5th, 2007 which on it's cover depicted a nice pint of beer, and upon checking out the index, you'll be able to read about not only Max's, but the other southwest Portland brewpubs as well.
Being forced to drive by Max's each and every day has been interesting. In the past two weeks, there has been a flurry of activity with contract workers feverishly getting it done whatever the 'it' may be. We're hoping that when they do open, our thirsts will be quenched, and the SW can boast one more Oregon class brewery.
27 March 2007
Spring is here again. It seems as though the frost has gone away, and then just when you think you'll get a sunbreak, here come all the clouds and rain. We took a trip to Lincoln City and Depoe Bay last Sunday evening. The sky was clear to the horizon. Not even your usual cloud layer or fog bank way out to sea. It was one of those rare times at an Oregon shore that you could look in any direction and not see clouds or fog. Besides that, the wind was negligible. We wished we could have spent the night.
The next day? Rained like hell inland. Go figure.
Appetizers lately have been real real good. The owners of Newport Bay have decided as of late to twink with that chains' concept, by changing not only the name of a few of their Newport Bay restaurants, but by completely overhauling the menu, including the Happy Hour menu. What a pleasant change it was, also.
The new Happy Hour menu is an extensive list of many different types of items ranging from crab cakes to cheese burgers, around 25 in all. And cheap too! Unless you drink way too much, you can fill up on the good stuff for under ten bucks. Not bad, eh?
Max's Brew Pub is 'Coming Soon' according to the large banners they have placed on the frontage windows underneath the new awning. It's amazing how much nicer a building looks after the installation of a cool looking awning. Especially if it says 'Brew Pub' in very large letters. Even a wine snob can understand that. We can't wait for the newest Tigard brewpub to open up and hopefully, it will boast a great Happy Hour Menu to compliment the Brew master's previously demonstrated prowess with hops, barley, malt and water. Good luck, Max! We'll be there on the 6th!! Or, when you open up, which ever is earliest!
20 JANUARY 2007
Already the new year has ran faster than I imagined, with nearly 20 days since we all tipped our drinks to health and happiness. So far, so good. Besides the usual celebrities, nobody I know has decided to tip over and ruin my day. But at my age, it's only a matter of time before the inevitable comes to pass. So before any of us decide it's better to be pushing up daisies, I'll say to you here and now my most fervent and hopeful of prosts, "Here's to Us, them like US, damn few of US!"
On the brighter side, I've managed to recon a couple of older establishments. The simple fact that they are still in business after three years of this web page's existence says quite a bit about their quality and perseverance.
Monteaux's Public House continues to offer some of the best moderately priced dishes on the west side, with a good selection of microbrews and wine choices. Full bar also, for those who enjoy the harder pleasures of life.
Bugatti's Restorante in Beaverton manages to stay on top of things. We are always impressed by their menu, the food preparation and presentation, and of course, the wide interesting listing of Happy Hour items. Like Monteaux's, Bugatti's offers not only a drive time Happy Hour, but also a late night one as well.
Speaking of the 'west side', it seems every nook and cranny from Multnomah to Forest Grove is being filled in with new homes of one kind or another. Somebody has to feed these people, and as the population grows, the chance of finding another bright place to hang your hat during Happy Hour grows as well.