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Portland’s restaurant heritage

Long before Portland became Foodgasm Central, home of artisan food worship and countless breathless articles written by the national media, there was the 1970s.

Long before Portland became Foodgasm Central, home of artisan food worship and countless breathless articles written by the national media, there was the 1970s. Mustaches, feathered hair, smoking, orange decor, and wood paneling ruled the day.

In honor of Memorial Day, here’s a salute to the groundbreakers who gave their all to help set the stage for the modern day Portland dining experience.

10/25/13 update: This has proven to be one of the most popular posts ever on Lost Oregon! I encourage you to read the comments – a bit jumbled – but some great memories there! Here’s one example (from Ross Pullen – he’s a goldmine for local food history):

Asparro’s on SE Grand was a fixture for years. I believe it had a Greek style menu, but I may be mistaken on that. (Union Avenue Social Club was the name given after he sold it)

HOLMAN’S at SE 28 TH and Burnside is still open and operating last I checked.

The “German restaurant on 82 ND and Burnside that Jim Darke mentioned was actually a Swiss place called THE MATTERHORN and operated until early 2000s when it was sold and they built a Walgreen’s.

[Click imagery for large portions.]

Enjoy your order of the Man Platter, sir.

Disco dancing and backgammon?!  Slabtown still rocks.

The Kon-Tiki was around much later than I had thought.

Digger O’Dell’s on SE Grand offered an oyster bar, freshly baked cornbread and accepted Carte Blanche credit cards.

L’Auberge on Burnside had its menu “delivered verbally by your waiter or waitress.” As opposed to being verbally abused.

Victoria’s Nephew [now Mother’s Bistro] was, according to them, the only place in town to offer a cappuccino [1979]. That guy in the middle – totally jotting down mental notes for his Yelp review.

They also offered sidewalk seating “whenever weather permits.”

Some things never change.

1,119 replies on “Portland’s restaurant heritage”

Thanks for bringing back some great early food memories! I helped open Digger O’Dells and was a backwaiter/busser/host for a few years in college. I remember eating at Auberge right out of highschool-thought it pretty cool. Do you remember Couch Street Fish House? Second restaurant job after Sweet Tibbie Dunbar’s!Ah, the late 70s were great as Portland celebrated all things Horst Mager(remember when he used to guest chef on Chan 6/KOIN with Lois DeVore?) and Julia Child & James Beard used to dine at L’Omlette?Also Brasserie Montmarte when they first opened? Vat & Tonsure-Hamburger Mary’s in the old Fox Block? Henry Theilie’s on 23rd…and of course the original Roses when Mama Rose used to bake those cakes/pastries? I miss the Old Quality Pie-the BEST chocolate cream pie…ever!!Rimsky-KorsaCoffee House & Papa Haydns always dukeing it out for the best ambiance…and you need to go by the Alibi on Interstate! Rediscovered it down from my moms place on Alberta when I was home for a milestone birthday…a true slice of Americana Tiki Heaven!!Still exotic, still kitschy, still wonderfully intact!Thanks for a great trip down memory lane…Cheers,Tim

I moved to Portland in ’78 and worked at the River Queen for 2 years later worked at Horst’s Tivoli Garden & The Couch Street Fish House, in ’81 I worked saute at Digger Odell’s and was part of the second class at Horst’s culinary school…ahh, the memories

Digger’s was a blast from pre-opening cleaning with Mr. Burns and me scrubbing the tile threshholds of the kitchen and restrooms to the constant party scene in the bar! Great food and atmosphere. I’d usually work the lunch shift at Silver Garden (the observation domeliner) then walk up the street to Digger’s to backwait-wasn’t 21 yet to serve booze!

I also worked at Tivoli Garden as a waiter in 1980 and 1981. I was the only Asian waiter at that time. Do I know you and do you know what happen to Tivoli Garden and Horst now?

I had Belinda’s Restaurant at that time in Sellwood , getting ready to move downtown where Kell’s is now . I had a long talk with Horst Mager in his office at Tivoli . he was adamant that the commercial rents were killing business and tivoli had an 8 % lease…right off the top . He stayed open for a time and sold the restaurant ( w/th the high lease ) and cut his losses . It was a beautiful place ! Horst later put his energy into the Gustav’s concept ( after being a Portland restaurant pioneer since 1959 ) .
His daughter runs the company now and horst retired to Palm Springs is the info i have heard .

I miss ya Basner, we (gary & mary) lost ya after the Indian restaurant with the gorgeous owner.

I also worked on the river queen..and the Royce family Ran it
I also work at digger O’Dell’s for a short time..

Digger O Dell’s was a favorite for after work drinks in ’83! Great memories.

Larry Basner….where the hell are you? Lar, Gar & Mar going to H.M.C.I. I would love to touch bases with you. M. Edelman in Montana.

I worked at Sweet Tibbie and the Orange Grove at Lippmans. …started at the Double EE drive Inn on Division …remember Obies buffets…those huge roasts they carved. My husban Brian delivered pies from Quality Pies all over town. …very fond memories of Old Country Kitchen on Stark ……..Waddels after a Buckaroo hockey game. The Crab broiler tiny joint on Barbur. You would wait in line outside in the rain to get in. ..they moved and it all went down hill. Mazzis was a booming place on Macadam. Beef and brew…..so many great places. ..what was the bar near Portland State. …..something Turtle?

The Cheerful Tortoise…my friend’s mother was one of the owners….my friend and I used to go after school (Lincoln H.S.) back in ’79, but we were to young to drink!

Sweet Tibbies was a great place. I used to go there a lot, I wish it was still in business.

Frank, who owned Mazzi’s, now has Touche’ at NW 15th & Glisan. -With all due respect for Frank, and the philosophies that he shared with Zareh; Zareh, the original owner of Touche’, will be forever missed for the person that he was.

I worked at Rians eating establishment for 8 years through college and beyond !!
I remember every Restaurant and bar you mentioned and more!!
As you know ,if you work nights in a popular restaurant/bar, you all collectively meet up after work.
Jakes the hindquarter, the meat market , Bills gold coin, ahh, memories:)
We were transferred in 1983 to Toledo, Ohio, ( culture shock, then South Bend , and Little Rock, now Louisville, Ky.
I am looking for a dear friend, John Hyatt, who managed Sweet Tibbie Dunbars until it closed, also briefly hosted at Rians,and Ruebens in Sylvan !!
Does anyone know where he is ??
I am coming back in July 2015, my best friend since college, Marit Meadows, Kelly, Brown, is going to go trolling with me 🙂
Former name Karen Miller , love to hear from you all !!
And I have perfected Rians Chicken Kiev and L’Omelets creme Brulee!!!

Hi Linda, Do you remember the first flower cart in downtown? I set up my cart every day in front of Lippmans & parked it in the janitors closet every night. Ha ha..what a fun trip! I was in lust with a stock boy who loaded the service elevator all day long across the street at Meier & Franks. Hee hee!! And I LOVED going to the public market for fresh produce, bread, and cheese! It was so european before we knew what that meant!!
Julie Schon

The Crab Bowl on Barbur Blvd. had seafood like I had never had before or since. Fish and Chips–amazing. Prawns, deep fried, delicious batter and the same with the langostino. (sp?). Buttery garlic rolls I remember still and a red dressing for salad that was exceptional. How I would love recipes for the batter and the salad dressing. I’ve never found a seafood place like they were. Not even at the beach. Thanks for the memory.

Does anyone know what happened to John Hyatt or where he is ,,??
I worked at Ryans eating establishment in the mid 60’s, also at Nordstrom, Lloyd center, John was a men’s buyer then, we became great friends, but lost contact when I WAS MARRIED AND transferred to another state.
I am coming ‘Home’ in August, would love to touch base with all the Jakes crowd, meatmarket, Hindquarter, we all met up after work and partied,memories, Ya !!!

Hi Linda !!
I Used to live in Portland, worked at Ryans eating establishment and Nordstrom Lloyd Center, I dated a guy many years ago who was a manager at Sweet Tibbie Dunbars, John Hyatt, I have been married and transferred to 5 different states, since 1980, and am coming back, 23 August to 10 September, do youhave any idea what happened to John, where he is ?? Trying to touch base with as many old friends as possible this trip, as we are moving to Orlando in April !!! Thanks, Linda My name is Karen L Kane-Druckenmiller, klkdruck@gmail.com, used to go by the name Karen Miller (very short first marriage to high scho
ll boyfriend 🙂

I don’t mean to be picky but, actually, it was The Orange SLICE on the mezzanine at Lipmanns. Remember the Tiffany style stained glass “Orange Slice” sign (an orange slice, literally) Formerly, it was The Chocolate Lounge.

I don’t mean to be picky but, actually, it was The Orange SLICE on the mezzanine at Lipmanns. Remember the Tiffany style stained glass “Orange Slice” sign (an orange slice, literally) Formerly, it was The Chocolate Lounge. Also, it was The Crab BOWL on Barbur.

Hello Linda, Do you remember the flower cart in front of Lipman’s? I ran that cart back in the early 70’s and would love to know someone who remembers it!

The Cheerful Tortoise. Just today found out that it’s still open, but it looks from the online description and pics that it may be bigger than it used to be (?) Sure don’t remember all those TVs. Don’t know why I assumed it was gone — guess it’s because it was sooo long ago that I used to go there, and also that after a long hiatus from living in Oregon, I returned to find that so many of my old haunts are gone. Anyway, I have such fond memories of hanging out with fellow PSU students on the patio. They allowed smoking back then. One day we were being a bit overwhelmed by cigarette smoke from a neighboring table. We thought cigarettes were pretty gross and probably immoral. But weed was harmless and totally OK, so we decided to light one up. The waitstaff didn’t​ seem to mind — more amused than anything. Ah, 1975!

Hi Lindale !!
I love this page, although we have lived in 6 states,sinew Oregon, we were transferred in 1980, I worked from the beginning at Rians eating establishment until we left Oregon.
Every restaurant on this page is,a memory, you worked at Sweet Tibbies, was John Hyatt your manager ??
History there, and read that a John Wilson Hyatt died at the age of 50 in the 90’s, so, I’m eaten up with it.
Do you know where he is, no one from Rians has a clue,and like me have relocated.
My email is klkdruck@gmail.com
Thank you for any info you might have,
Karen

I worked as a waiter at Rian’s Eating Establishment off and on for 8 years, from 1977 to 1985. I loved that place so much. The food, atmosphere, the people I knew were all so special. The chicken and crab kiev was incredible. If it would have stayed, I might still be there. I have great memories from that time.

The Cheerful Tortoise still exists (or did in recent years, at least). They just tore down Ireland’s/ Sweet Tibbie Dunbar’s/Polo/ Credit Union on 12th & NE Irving by Benson HS.

Linda- You just gave me so many cool memories! I spent so many “wasted” nights at Quality Pies. Herfy’s out in southeast as well as the Lung Fung on 82nd. I worked at Bressler’s Ice Cream at Mall 205 after White Front left. Wow, I could go on and on, thanks again! Michele

I remember standing in line at the crab bowl on barbur blvd. After they moved, it was never the same. Does anybody remember The Old Irish Inn on Barbur Blvd. ? One night after the Wolfetones played in Portland, in the Civic Auditorium, they went to the Old Irish Inn and we got to visit with them,

It was called the Cheerful Tortoise . I worked there as a waitress for a few months in 1976. It was not a cheerful place…not at all

Lydia’ by PSU?
Don Petrie was the cook…
Bud Clark behind the counter at Spatenhouse?

Yo Linda,,,,THE CHEERFUL TORTOISE…..up from SAM’S HOFBRAU…….possibly the same “Sam” who opened JAZZ DE OPUS….

My father printed the menus for many of the restaurants shown and many that you mentioned. I’ve lived in portland my whole life and restaurants are central to my memories. John’s Meatmarket, The Beef and Brew, Captain’s Corner, Ryan’s and The Rusty Mill are some others that come to mind for great “old Portland’ flavor.

Hi Julie, I worked at a couple Ryan’s restaurants 1973 – 1977. John Ryan was a visionary with the lunch menu vs counter cafe that was standard pre-1972. I loved Ryan’s Breadbasket in Standard Plaza, The Fish and Ale House in Raleigh Hills, Sandwich Express in Morgan’s Alley and his signature restaurant also in Morgan’s Alley. Great memories of a wonderful time for dining in Portland. I think I might still have a menu somewhere!

Aww, the Rusty Mill was another hangout, they had a duo, who eventually got married, awesome, Janis Jolins, ‘ Mercedes benz’, Marty Robbins, ‘You gave me a mountain ‘, wonderful place, great memories !!!!!
Klkd

Do you know the location the Crab Bowl was at in the late 1969’s to early 1970’s. It was not AS Barbur. My sister and I remember eating at the Crab along a river.

For as long as my family went there, it was on Barbur Blvd. I came to Portland when I was 6 mon. old and I’m 65 so It’s been here quite awhile. Totally ruined when they moved it to the old Fantasy Video in Tigard. It was never the same. We had lots of seafood places on the river. River Queen, Salty’s, places out on the Columbia too. Nothing replaced the Crab Bowl. 🙂

Thank you! I loved the place! ☺ What are some of your fondest memories of the Crab Bowl? I remember walking the long gravel parking lot on Friday nights to get inside. I remember the souvenirs they had available. I remember the foid being excellent. Sis always got the steamed clams. I tried everything. Fond memories.

We never ate there. My dad always went up and got something to go for us. I think my mom never wanted to wait and it was always crowded. I always had the prawns, deep fried and incredible. The plain lettuce salad with the wonderful red french? salad dressing. Also. a warm garlic roll with a greasy top from the butter leaking out. Tartar sauce for the big prawns. We always had it on a Friday night. We much have eaten there in the winter/fall mostly because I remember our house being very warm and cozy and smelling like this wonderful shrimp. Yummmmm. I also remember the glass cases in the front but I can’t remember what was in them. 🙂

True story, the ONLY place that even came close to having good seafood in those days was the Pixie Kitchen in Lincoln City. We’d travel from Portland just to eat there in the 60’s and 70’s…even until they closed…

The Crab Bowl had a painting on the northeast wall that was framed by rope. Subject of the painting was a man rowing a boat with a large fish laid in the stern and a ship to which he was heading far away on the horizon. The painting was full of tension as storm clouds had gathered between his boat and the ship.
I was just a kid when we regularly visited Crab Bowl, but the painting has remained in my memory my whole life.

Mibe too. I used to try to duplicate that painting in charcoal sketches. Such fond memories.

I LOVE LOVE this site….Brings back the memories of growing up here in Portland in the 50’s 60’s and 70’s..even clear into the 80’s…such good food places and great memories of all of the places that are mentioned on this site.

We were “spoiled” because now the only sorta good restaurants in the area seem to be in the “trendy spendy” NW 23rd area. We often go to a few others in SE Portland, but nothing rivals the good restaurants of the “olden days”…Sure am curious what happened to Bobby and Julie Lee that owned Rickshaw Charlies *Chinese place…he was sent to prison for dealing drugs with Gary Harrington (Penny’s husband)…very early 80’s…Just curious because Julie was so pretty, excellent waitress, friendly…..hope they’re doing okay in life.

We always ate at Pixie Kitchen when we went to the beach. After I was married, my hub and I would drive down for the day, just to have dinner there. I loved their chicken. LOVED it!!! \a gentleman who had worked there at the same time as we were eating there, told me that they did nothing special except never change the frying oil. 🙂

Julie, so you remember Hilaire’s from the 1970’s? I’m trying to remember what they served back then, dress of the wait staff, decor, anything for a book I’m writing. My memories are vague, but I do remember Hilaires and The Encore bar with A fabulous chandelier. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I worked at Rian’s Eating Establisbment off and on for 8 years. (’77-’85). I loved that place. Great food, atmosphere, everything. Loved the Kiev. Have been in Seaside, drawing portraits now for 31 years, but I still miss Rian’s.

What were the different names and types of food at the old building on the NE corner of SE 39th and Holgate. It was the Hobbit for years, restaurant and lounge with great live jazz, but many other establishments tried and failed to make it before it was a Walgreens now.

I remember being awed at the age of 6 by an almost campily dressed cocktail waitress at the Top Of The Cosmo.

I found my way here after discussing how Portland “used” to be, and in searching for some things found this thread. Dining out was SO much fun in those days (omg…sounding old now 😦 I was particularly fond of Morgan’s Alley of the late 60s. What a wonderful place it had. I dated Eddie Mays JR when his father had Tillie’s on the mezzanine in the back of the alley…such a wonderful place…the ambiance there was wonderful. So many good memories 😀 Thanks for letting me read 😀

Does anyone remember eating at Hilaire’s in the 1970’s? If you do, what is your fondest memory?

I used to work at Rimsky’s and they were always compared to The Pied Cow. Does anyone remember “The Carnival?”

Couch Street Fish House! I worked there for the Mother’s Day weekend in 1977 with Chef Gene and GM/Maitre ‘D Zeppo-very professional both.. I was being considered to be the Executive Chef for Horst Mager’s new Lake Oswego Mediterranean restaurant, The Odyssey.Of course, he had The Rhinelander, L’Omelette,and later Tivoli Garden too. These were days before Gustav’s Bierstube.It did not work out at The Odyssey and by August ’77, I had opened Belinda’s in Sellwood…….. best thing I ever did!
My wife and I loved going to Sweet Tibbie Dunbar’s. Wish it was still there,along with Digger O’Dells. They all have their time.

I fondly remember The Carnival. It was a favorite lunch treat spot. I always wondered why they put the valuable old circus posters where they would fade in the sun, but I enjoyed looking at them anyway. Alas, it is a parking lot now.

My mom used to take us up to the Carnival cafe in the late 50’s. Now an OHSU parking lot. The lilac park is still there. What was the name of the restaurant that overlooked the skating rink in Lloyd Center?

Yes, on the way up to the dental college above Dunaway park. I still remember the giant grill and the smell of burning hamburger, it was a lot of fun.

Ross Pullen I was the Executive Chef at Couch St. in 1984-85. The food scene was very vibrant then. I opened my own restaurant in Yamhill County wine country in 1987, Augustine’s Restaurant.

I used to work out at the then “Metro Y” and after, had a burger at “The Carnival.”
Remember “Hill Villa?” further up the hill?

The Carnival was a favorite restaurant of ours. Before Burger King, I think — the best grilled burgers right in front of you. A condiment bar with delicious pickles (I must be hungry tonight) 🙂 that we ate with the rich chocolate brownies. Loved that place.

Absolutely! Our good friend owned it and my son worked there while in high school and college.

I remember The Carnival. Loved their burgers, and the orange sherbet and buttermilk shake! I used to work out at the Columbia-Willamette Y and then head to The Carnival for my burger! Occasionally saw raccoons coming down the cliff behind the restaurant near closing time for the left-over tomatoes, lettuce, that the employees would set out for them. And being the proverbial middle-school teacher, I also remember scolding little kids who would stand at the ponds throwing rocks at the goldfish! Fond memories.

Digger O Dell’s was a favorite for after work drinks in ’83! Great memories.

My mom and dad went to the Carnival when they were dating in the 1950’s and took us there as kids. They had these cool high chairs made of wood in the shape of animals – like a giraffe and they had wheels on them. There was a fish pond in the back and I remember they had sprouts in their burger bar and I thought that was so cool. Best burgers ever.

I loved going to the Carnival… I have fond memories of that restaurant, and many others that have been mentioned….

Oh the corned beef sandwiches at Rose’s. And Jake’s seafood downtown!
Yummy! Is the Carnival where they had a carousel horse in the middle of the dining room? And I remember going either to M&F or Lipman’s at Christmas and seeing a toy train suspended, going around the top of the room. I was fascinated.

I am pretty old but I rode that train a few times and when I grew up my son rode it before they took it out. What fun!!!

Yes, The Monorail. I ran it for a holiday season. get the kids in, roll the rail around the ceiling and then unload.. It was a cool toy. The loading ramp 15 feet in the air.

Best milkshakes and flame broiled burgers ever. Used to take our children there for a special treat as they had all those carousel figures as decor. Sorry I am so late in finding all these wonderful comments about Portlan’s restaurant history. Have lived here all my 85+ years and know them all and a few more like Jolly Joan’s on Broadway. Their ‘Summer Girl’ soda made with sherbet was a favorite after school treat.

Oh, yes! The Carnival was so much fun! We used to take our daughter there when she was little. She loved the highchairs that were like carnival animal rides, and all the little birdies playing in the pond outside. They had the best hot dogs ever (outside of Chicago). I think I remember three big fat “halves” grilled to perfection, and served on a big hamburger bun. Thanks for reminding me.

OMG Rimsky! I had so many good evenings there as a teen. Rimsky gave me hope that there was life beyond SE.

Of course, I remember the Carnival.They used to have the best hamburgers in town. They got bought out by a Korean family and it was downhill from there. Now, even the building has been torn down. I’m sure the medical staff from pill hill miss it dearly.

Every time I went upstairs to the men’s RR I’d catch the dummy in the tub in the corner of my eye and practically jump out of my skin. Never failed…..

Well this is on top on 4/24/14 so I’ll post here. I’m googling through Dining-In Portland from 1979, trying to figure out what’s left, and stumbled into this thread looking for L’Auberge. So many places gone, but surprisingly so many still here. I grew up in SW Washington, so am more familiar with what’s missing north of the border – The Holland, Bart’s, The Ark, Mary McCranks, The Totem – there’s so little left… In Portland the original Farrell’s of course, the spot where Thiele’s used to be…but Portland has done much better at replacing their MIA restaurants than up north in Tweakerland.

I miss Farrell’s dearly. Someone told me they moved downtown someplace. They must have changed their name ’cause I can’t find it under Farrell’s.

Does anyone remember a place called The Longhorn??? Restaurant with a dancehall…..played great music in the early 70’s…..sounded like the group Chicago! I can’t even remember where it was…..help!!
Reply

Long Horn was on Sandy Blvd next to the Sandy drive- in. Just about where 205 & Tri-Met transit station is

I still hate that Thiele’s was eliminated for the crummy commercial bldg that replaced it Great PDX landmark Loved going there for bkfst

My husband and his dad built and designed the interior of Digger O’Dell’s. It was a beautiful restaurant.

Loved Digger O’ Dell’s – thanks to your Dad! Many happy memories there

I was the opening chef for Digger O’Dell’s. It opened in the late spring or early summer of 1979, but I was put to work in January 1979 assisting the general contractor, Rob Burns. Rob was the nephew of Jack Burns whose company Burns Brothers owned the building and built Digger o”Dell’s. Rob was the opening general manager for Digger O’Dell’s but since the sum total of his restaurant experience had been waiting tables at the Spaghetti Factory and working at the Wilsonville Burns Brothers Truck Stop he got blown away by the volume and pace of Digger’s and quit within the first month after opening. After careful negotiations with the Burns Brothers management group I became the general manager and ran the restaurant until February 1980. After 50 years of working in and owning restaurants I still marvel at what a classy place Digger’s was and have to say that our original crew, front and back, was one of the best and most fun group I have ever worked with. I had started waiting tables at Sylvia’s Pizza and Spaghetti House out on Sandy just up from the Rhinelander, moved down to Sylvia’s Downtown formal Italian restaurant, then a few years later waited tables and tended bar at John’s Meat Market, became dining room manager at Sunriver Lodge, moved back to Portland to the Hindquarter in Lake Oswego as a waiter and bartender, opened The Medieval Inn in downtown Portland as bar manager and assistant manager also owned by Hindquarter, moved to The Market Place (hindquarter owned) out near Lewis and Clarke and finished that phase of my restaurant career at La Bonne Crepe at the Water Tower. While working evenings as dining room manager at La Bonne Crepe I also worked as a lunch at The Rusty Mill. I left Portland in 1975 for California and returned briefly 1n 1979 and opened Digger’s. When I first got back to Portland I was originally hired as a waiter at Belinda’s in Sellwood but gave that up before starting, for the Digger’s job. Probably more information than anyone wanted.

This is a reply to Steve Anderson who also replied re: Digger O’Dells. Can’t recall where it was I was working when this couple, Dewey as floor mngr. and (I think) Robin (as “chef”) came in with quite an attitude of arrogant takeover, and they soon departed and went to work over at Digger’s. They saw themselves as “troubleshootoers” , were very aloof and snotty, but didn’t really do much but revel in a sense of power. Wondering if you crossed paths with them over at Digger’s.

Reply to Dave Bosworth: When I took over as manager at Digger O’Dell’s I needed to hire a chef to take my place in the kitchen. Hank Hazen, a long time friend of mine and who at the time owned and operated The Crepe Faire, recommended Dewy as chef. I hired him but within 2 weeks it didn’t look like it was going to work out, he managed to alienate just about everyone in the kitchen, and I thought I might have to fire him. Instead he was offered a position at a newly opened restaurant, I don’t recall the name, but the executive chef there had supposedly been the chef at the White House for about 4 years. The guy turned out to be a fraud and when he was found out he was fired along with Dewy. We turned the kitchen over to 3 of the key players that had worked for me, one who was chef and the other 2 as sous chefs and the restaurant chugged along beautifully for the only year that I worked there. >

Interesting Steven. I worked at Crepe Faire for 8 years. First in Old Town and made the move with them to the new location that was in SW on 2nd also. Hank and Helen where very kind people. Helen was a great cook and full of energy. She probably still is both. I also remember her horrific bicycle accident and the struggles of her rehab afterwards. I do remember when Digger O’Dells was in the process of opening and of course the roller coaster ride struggles of operating a restaurant.

Ahhh, yesss, the White House Chef fraud. I crossed paths with, or actually in the wake of that one I think….Thinking it had to have been Bourbon Street, the Fred Baker/Shag Thomas venture (at Grand & Wiedler, previously North’s Chuckwagon, later McDonald’s site) that bled cash from the start. Did fair business for a while but nobody knew how to manage it and the guy I worked under was Milano Pavlovic, a Yugoslavian guy with a heart of gold. We worked dinner shift, Milano fully capable of cheffing a large kitchen but didn’t want any part of that there. We very soon demanded cash pay daily since no checks were ever cashable. Good soul and blues music. Ralph Black, Benny Wilson, Ron Steen, and others. Pretty sure that’s where I came to know of Dewey & Robin, and the White House fraud chef. Timeline is a little fuzzy, but yeah, something was up with Dewey like he was up to something shady, and very alienating yeah. Seems like I encountered the pair somewhere else as well but can’t recall.

Rimsky’s is still open and my friends dad was the baker at Roses in the late 70’s/80’s
She used to bring the cookies, giant cinnamon rolls and slices of cake to school.
The others I remember are JT Barringers, Harringtons Bar & Grill, Eli’s Hard Rock Cafe (formerly The Upstairs/Downstairs,
Jazz d’ Opus, Key Largo, Virginia Cafe and Cafe Vivo. I worked at Eli’s & met my husband at Harringtons. Once the VQ closes, I will have to be satisfied with Hubers as the last bastion of my youth! The Brasserie & Jakes just aren’t the same!

Gotta hit VQ before it closes . Remember R-E-S-P-E-C-T??
Yes, thank God Huber’s is still there although it won’t e the same without the charming Alex pouring my Spanish coffee!

Do you remember the cross streets for Harrington’s? I met my husband when he worked there, and I’m ordering him a “Coordinates” bracelet for his birthday – but wanted the coordinates of Harrington’s 🙂 for the life of me, I can’t remember the cross streets – or what the old Oregon Bank building became. Thank you if you know the answer!!

Gosh Mo- You hit most of my highpoints of my youth. Sergeant Prestons at the Virginia Café were the highlight of my week after a grueling week of standing over the deep fat fryer at “Captain Bluebeards” at the Yamhill Marketplace. (that sushi roll for $5 bucks tho yum even tho $5 took us all week to save.) Barringers, and Key Largo really hit home with me. How about Roxy Hearts? BTW I still dream of the Rose’s special extra thousand island on that dark rye.

I’m living in France currently, but spent three months in Portland over the summer. HOT! WHEW! Not what I expected the weather to be. Anyway, had to eat at the original Papa Haydns! Ate there several times. Just can not go to the one on NW 23RD, as I started going to the SE location when it opened, and cannot deviated from that path. Always been a SE girl! Went to Henry Theilie’s several times. Even got talked into ordering the spaghetti with friend chicken livers. Couldn’t believe how delicious it was. Last time there was right before it closed, and Mildred Schwaub and Ron Wyden were there as well, getting their last “fix” of Henry Theilie’s! Went on many dates at “Rimksey.” Loved to suggest the place to stuffy SW Portland guys. Always sent them upstairs to the bathroom. Even though I knew “he” would be there, the “man in the suit” always startled me! I wish I would have thought of going there while home this past summer. Saw on facebook that one of my former middle school students from the Milwaukie area has discovered it. There is hope for this new generation coming up!

Had to laugh about being a “SE. Portland girl”. Me, too! Do you remember Mama Maria’s on SE 21st off Powell? They had great pizza that they cut in squares – unusual for the time

Nancy K, Yes, I remember Mama Maria’s. Best pizza, always loaded with toppings. SE Powell and 21ST? Or near there!

Terry, you are living in France, currently? I am as well. Whereabouts are you? We live in the Pays de Loire region. I’d love to meet up with some Portlanders! There were sure some great restaurants in Portland. It was easy to be a “Bonne Vivante!” (Is that the feminine of “Bon Vivant?” LOL.

Well shoot, Anna
I was in Samois sur Seine (E of Fontainbleau on the main drag an hour So of Paris) for the 2001 Django Festival. Probably just missed you – by 20 yrs. Rose’s was terminated by the cynical schmuck’s who bought out Max Birnbaum about – 30? – years ago. The restaurant was still profitable and a huge favorite for PDXers, but they “just didn’t want to pay” for refurbishing a tired interior, and so closed a PDX landmark – along with the Bakery across from Fred’s on 20th. So long to the incredible Napoleons, prune rings, etc, etc.
That said, there are hundreds of new restaurants, bars & coffee shops on the East side.
I didn’t enjoy the snotty French waiters at every brasserie in every big city – who universally sniffed a disdainful “non” when asked if there was any food to be had. Finally gave up and dined at any Arab, Lebanese, Indian, Greek place – where the service was smiling, friendly & helpful.

Hi, I am a distant relative of Henry Thiele, the owner of the restaurant. The last name is spelled Thiele, not Theilie. 🌸

I lived in Portland from 1968 through 1971 attending both Reed and PSU off and on. I am from NYC. Portland was like a food dessert to me, but I have three cherished memories: (1) The pecan-cinnamon buns at Rose’s by Washington Park were and still are the best ever tasted on earth, (2) the Italian Deli on 39th and Powell was a sensory delight, and (3) the Spaghetti Factory downtown where you could get all you can eat spaghetti and garlic bread for $1.50 which I very appreciated on a student budget. Again–those pecan-cinnamon buns–never equaled anywhere.

The Spaghetti Factory moved down by the Willamette into a new building several years ago. Their browned butter mizithra sauce is what I go for. From what I’ve read they’re the largest US users of mizithra cheese.

Rose’s caramel pecan rolls are the best. When I’m in New York I’m partial to the Hens for sweets like Rose’s.

https://www.twolittleredhens.com

It was right after your stint here that the food revolution began in Portland and you may know some of the people who started it since you went to Reed. A large number of Reed professors quit en masse, I think it was 1972, and a few of them opened restaurants that truly initiated Portman’s boutique food scene. Reed professors started Le Auberge, Indigine, Genoa & Bread and Ink. It was a glorious beginning.

That Italian deli you refer to was Pierri’s Delicatessen. Oh yeah! I found it in the early 80’s and would visit often for their pizza. Does anyone remember Bliss Bakery on SE 39th & Division? My family would buy birthday cakes from them. The frosting and cake fillings are still fresh in my memory. And, my high school job was waiting tables at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor at NE 16th and Weidler. I remember in 1976/77 when the Trail Blazers won NBA championship, on game nights, Farrell’s was jam-packed.

Pieri’s was one of my favorites growing up and as a young man. I ate there often. I loved the cheese they would sell to make your own pizza at home. That place always smelled wonderful when walking in from the parking lot.

Someone mentioned the Pied Cow. Does anyone remember Buttertoes, which was at that location before Pied Cow? Wonderful, decadent breakfast. And Sweet Basil’s, on SE Belmont, I think. My favorite place for years. Their quiche was so good. Austin’s, in Sellwood. Food, art, and the elderly artist, who was fascinating to talk to, all in one tiny place up the stairs. Old Wives’ Tales. Wonderful soup and salad bar. Chocolate Butter Crunch Pie. Kid’s playroom. Oh, Portland of my dreams, Portland of my memories, where did you go?

I’m “old” now, but when I was young (20’s), our favorite restaurant was The Kitchen Kettle across the street from Sayler’s steak house. Then Horst Mager arrived on the scene and the Rheinlander in it’s early days was to “die” for, but alas the last few years, the place was practically empty, the food next to awful…and now they’re going away for good. Victoria Station was a real favorite. Not sure where all of these good restaurants have gone or gave up. Suppose money and a variety of reason…Like the Pixie Kitchen in Lincoln City, the owners just got tired and retired.
We don’t get out much, but I sure miss the “old” days of all the great restaurants in Portland, down in Morgan’s Alley and Kon Tiki and the Rickshaw Charlies, was the best Chinese food ever… Fun to remember all those places and our fun times and the GREAT food…

The Pixie Kitchen had the best fried chicken I have ever had. I have searched for 50 years (turning 65 soon) and there has been none to compare. Years ago a gentleman online from Alaska emailed me and said he’d worked there and described how they made it. It involved old oil which made sense but …. I couldn’t duplicate it. Food changes so much during the years as tastes and trends change. Goldberg’s Deli in SW Portland had the best bagels I”ve ever had. Unfortunately they retired too and there was no one to carry on the recipe. Sad.

My favorite meal on the coast was fried scallops at the Pixie Kitchen. This has been replaced by fried calamari, at Jake’s in Portland and Georgie’s in Newport. And my own deep fried razor clams.

The Corbett Street Fish House has excellent deep fried seafood and that is the closest we’ve experienced for NON greasy deep fried seafood since Pixie Kitchen years ago.

Hi, Christine, I totally remember Buttertoes! My mother and I used to go there when I was a little girl for special lunches. All the sandwiches were named after children’s stories or characters: Thumbelina, The Country Mouse, The City Mouse, etc. My favorite was the Country Mouse, a turkey sandwich with lettuce and sprouts and tomatoes. My mom always got the City Mouse Sandwich (and eventually, so did I!) which was turkey with cranberry sauce and cream cheese. But hands down, our favorite thing from Buttertoes, was their Coffee Toffee Pie for dessert. We always made room for that, and then while devouring our slice, tried to see if we could figure out how to recreate it at home. We came close a few times, but that dessert was gold! My mother just recently mentioned that dessert again from Buttertoes. It was legendary! I remember after the Pied Cow took over the location, Buttertoes opened up a little gift shop on SE Hawthorne down west from The Bagdad. It was in a row of shops just past Bread & Ink cafe, I think next to a bookstore (I’m sure now long gone) called The Catbird Seat Bookstore. And yes, the Portland of our memories is gone…:(

Does anyone remember the name of the restaurant on Haydeb Island that served Shrimp and Crab Louies? It was located near the shopping center and the Safeway store.

Q Pie was the kinda place Tom Waits woulda hung out at. Very weird & raffish 2 a.m. bunch. Every strange guy in PDX….

I worked at Irelands restaurant off 5th ave I believe. Very small but they also owned the lesser cafeteria just around the corner. I worked in the basement washing dishes for both. Coffee in all the other establishments 10-15 cents a cup. Ireland was 25 cents. I left there and went to work delivering blue prints and other things for Swender Blue Print. on a bicycle along with my buddy. We both quit and joined the Air Force in 1954. I used to eat at a place that had all their food in small window type boxes along a long wall. I would peek in, pick what I wanted, turn the little knob and place my pick in my tray.. I believe these type of restaurants were called Automats. There were many old greasy spoon restaurants throughout the Portland area. Some of the best food. I wish to go back for a short time. I will be there in a month to visit family. homebrewer7@gmail.com . We live in Indiana now.

Do you, by any chance, remember the name of the restaurant in SW Portland called The Shadows. Closed now, but there was a place there before the Shadows owned by an Italian family, with one of the sons named Tony. They sold to The Shadows and opened another place of the same name on SE 13th and Bidwell in the 1977-78 ish. If anyone remembers the name of the Italian restaurant, please advise. Thank you.

Before joining the Air Force in 1954, I worked at Ireland’s restaurant. Very small and sufistacated. Cup of coffee was .25 and no free refills. They also owned the cafeteria just around the corner. I washed all the dishes in the basement for both. A food lift sent the dishes down. I also ate at a small place like the old laundromat restaurant where all your food were displayed behind small windows along the wall. You turned a knob which would open your salection.

Someone online said her Mom was a waitress in the ’50s and ’60s & went by the name Bubbles. Anyone have a clue where?

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Someone remembers Ireland’s. My friend and I would eat there in the late 60’s….yummy home-style cooking, cafeteria style. Also, does anyone remember aniother cafeteria, Griffins?

Upscale Ireland’s restaurant was not cafeteria style but the one just around the corner they also owned was. That was in 1954. A cigar store was on the corner between them. I washed dishes for both.. in the basement. Became very sick eating a real old pie for lunch. They fired me and after spending an hr in the office on a cot they sent me out by the sidewalk freight elevator still sick. Food poison.

This article is wonderful. I have so many memories of the 70s in Portland! Digger O Dells, Couch Street Fish House, Brasserie Montmartre, Ryan’s Eating Establishing – I am trying to find out history of salty‘s on the Columbia as I remember going there with my mom and dad. I remember the bartenders, the cocktails and tying up our 23 foot Chris-Craft next to a BART & Caroline’s ‘58 foot Shane. I am going there tomorrow with friends for a birthday celebration and taking pictures of my dad with Bart and his family. Wish I could go back in time, wonderful memories 💕

In the early ’70’s the Chicken Kiev at Ryan’s Eating Establishment was wonderful.

Found an old menu from the Multnomah Hotel, featuring the Bart Woodyard Band. Googled Bart Woodyard and found an interesting article him.
Try that and if it Doesn’t work contact me and I will forward it to you.
Ron Spagle

Every so often I come across this wonderful thread on my iPhone and realize that I’d been to almost every one of these deceased restaurants. Shot ads for Horst Mager, Max at Roses and knew the owner of both Hillvilla and The Alibi because we shared a old line CPA. And those two I never visited in their prime. Only the later day versions.

What I always wonder is would we all think these storied eateries were as good as our memories seem to tell us or if we could just for a meal now return would we still still think that?
(I know in my photography career we’ve gone leaps and bounds beyond our long ago best images. Not historically, of course, but art and technology wise).
Thoughts? Prayers?

One of the great & cynical shames of PDX was the closing of Rose’s and the Bakery – both of which were still profitable at the time. Bakery: the prune rings and the napoleons were fabulous. The Alibi has turned into a sad karaoke bar with pathetic food.

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Nah – not Pal’s. It was Stanich’s who started the burger with 29 layers that bore no resemblance to a classic (and far superior) burger with basic ingredients. It was the Jerry Springer of burgers…..

It was Pal’s Shanty. There was a large fire, (arson), in November of 2013. It closed at that location and several years later they opened a place on SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy, but it wasn’t the same.

The decent dinner menu at The Alibi was decimated to something truly pathetic and it degenerated into a lousy karaoke bar. Too bad. The “Tiki” decor is still great, tho.

Diggers and the Burns Bros, in a firmer funeral home, gee, what could go wrong? Shirt lived for several reasons

Guess you didn’t plan to include our ‘hangouts’ in high school like The Speck, Yaws and Tik Tok, but what about ‘Fast Eddies’, ‘Jolly Jones’, and best of all was the ‘Kitchen Kettle’ that had the best lebanease,greek food before that kind of food was ‘cool’.

Thanks for mentioning The Kitchen Kettle as that was our restaurant. I still have the origingal recipes and wonder if I served them again, would people remember.

I would love to have some of the recipes from the Kitchen Kettle. What fond memories they would bring.

My future wife and I had steaks at the Kitchen Kettle on the 4th of July, 1966. That did it! We got married and have never been sorry (well, most of the time.)

My father printed the menus for The Kitchen Kettle and it holds great memories for me.

To: Roberta Sabin of Kitchen Kettle
I would like to have some of recipes
If you don’t mind the grape rolls are great
Jacob Serrano

Roberta Sabin, I loved the Kitchen Kettle – my mom worked there for several years. Just a lovely place.

My mom was a waitress at the Kitchen Kettle and as kids my sisters and I would go with her sometimes during the day and sample some of the food. Would you believe some of the cooks were Chinese?? They could turn out the best grape leaf rolls and bulgur I have ever had.

I LOVE Kitchen Kettle. Went there many times and especially my 21st birthday when pregnant with my son who will turn 53 next month!! Sure miss all of the good restaurants that people mention on this site. They were truly the “good ole’ days!”

i was a bus boy at The Kitchen Kettle in the 60’s, i had to take a bus from inner NE Portland it was a great resturant.

Jolly Joan’s, l believe, on SW Broadway between Washington and Alder..
Also had a bar in the back called the Lariet Lounge, Club Portland was upstairs and the Elite pool room in the basement.

In 1949 and 1950 my teenage friends and I loved going to Jolly jones, on SW Broadway. That had good food and was nice to young people. So was the Whistling Pig, on Broadway.

In the days when calories didn’t matter our favorite afternoon treat was Jolly Joan’s Hot Fudge Sundae and French Fries!

As dorky HS seniors from Vancouver my friend & I would finish our nights at The Way Out under the E end of the Hawth Br sitting at the counter at Jolly Joan’s until 2 thirty am drinkingcoffee and smoking. Great times.

That was, actually, Jolly Joan on SW Broadway. We spent the last half of our senior year in HS ( Hudson’s Bay in Vancouver) at the Way Out, Cafe Espresso and, until 2 a.m., sitting at the counter at JJ’s drinking black coffee and smoking cigarettes. Wonderful times……

I have a stack of old Portland restaurant guide books on the shelf. I love this theme for the weekend.

Anything on The Shadows in SW Portland in the 60’s-70’s? Or the Italian place that was there before The Shadows. Please advise. Thank you.

I, also may have some info on the Portland restaurant scene from 1970 to present..
I have been a real estate broker since then and been involved in selling over 700 restaurants since.

A few more: Hilaire’s (where I had my one solo dinner with my grandfather), Uncle Chen’s (longest menu, best Chinese ever), Lipman’s tearoom (where ladies always wore white gloves to lunch), Piccolo Mondo and Capt. Billy Bang’s in John’s Landing, Pasta Cucina in Yamhill Marketplace, Briggs & Crampton’s table for two, Wooden Spoons and Metro Café on Clinton…sigh. Then there are Harriet Fasenfest’s cafés: Bertie Lou and Harriet’s Eat Now Café.

Thanks for reminding me!

Piccolo Mondo’s! Wow, but a flashback to cocktails after turning 21! What about Earthquake Ethel’s for the earthquake, disco dancing and your first official adult beverage?Lipman’s Tea Room AND Meier & Frank’s Coffe Shop with my grandmother when I was 4/5…she always wore gloves with the hat and purse! And those elevator operator’s and their castanets clicking to alert other operators of which cars to use. It seemed pretty exotic to a little kid to ride the old Rose City busses downtown, step onto the bustling sidewalks, get a drink from the Benson bubblers and then walk into M&F’s from the 5th and Morrison entrance and look across at the huge store and see all the old deco lighting and signage that hadn’t changed since the 30s…man oh man but I ,iss that great old Department Store.Lost forever…

I loved the Meier and Frank Coffee Shop and the Lipman’s Tea Room. I used to go there with my mom and grandma. We always dressed up to go downtown;always wore white gloves. I still have my mom’s Lipman’s credit card.

What a wonderful list of remembrance’s…Lipmann and Wolfe’s had the best shake of the downtown lunch counters, even though it was officially a mezzanine. Jolly Jone’s serpentine counter was a joy for a squirmy kid who just got a couple of quarters from his mom (Violet) and bounced out of her candy store on Broadway and Alder. Barney Keep broadcasting from the Imperial Hotel in the window, WOW! The lunch counters at Fred Meyers and JJ Newbury had some of the best grilled cheese sandwich’s ever! I was the bar man at the Chocolate Moose for years, working for Tony on 2nd & Ankeny up until Ted and John bought it and opened Bebatis. Sadly both Ted and Tony have passed. I grew up with Steve Yaw and blasted my 327 El Camino from Yaws to the Speck, to downtown [the ‘GUT’] and back again…Tootsie rolls anyone? The Tik Tok was a cops hangout and Scotties across the street never did it for me. So here’s my list of what I miss from the hayday: the Mallory dining room, the Georgian Room (M & F’s), the buffet at Lido/Monte Carlo’s, the Benson businessman’s lunch, all of the restaurants in the original Morgan’s Alley, and the ‘OLD’ Pal’s Shanty on Sandy Boulevard, Hilaire’s! Porto Fino in Sellwood. I have to apologize though…the Carnival (I live close by) never really did have a very good patty…great condiments though…sorry.

Post Script (PS to you youngins): my mom moved out east and opened a Van Dynns candy store anchored with Roses!

What a great list! I only take execution with the Monte Carlo/Lido. Too boring for me. No idea why. The others seemed either institutionally “cool” like the Georgian Room or actually pretty good like the others.
But what do I know?

I don’t remember seeing any Roses or Van Duyns east of Gresham. But one thing that did transplant well is The Original Pancake House. There are several in the Chicago area complete with the iconic pancake flipper-man. Lots of immigrant restaurants around here copy OHP, offering Dutch apple and German pancakes. Several years ago the Chicago Tribune did an article on the lost German restaurants, commenting that OHP was one of the few places where you could still get the traditional pancakes.

That little strip mall in NE Portland where Rose’s was. I vaguely remember the Van Duyns but never went in. But that Roses….I took my little girls in there specifically to let them pig out on one of the pieces of tall chocolate cake. It was messy but in the end there was nothing left.

Yes, no weekend was complete until all-night dancing at Earthquake Es. There was another great spot across Beaverton where the servers did a disco bit every hour or something like that. Can’t remember what it was called…Chevy’s? Worked in luggage for a few years at Meier&Frank (they had an elevator attendant operating clear into the 80s in the back or the store I think), and waited tables along with serving/cooking the oyster bar at Rusty Pelican along the Willamette as well. Slabtown, Up the Down Staircase….great night venues How bout Vat and Tonsure?

Chevy’s opened in 1985. I was the GM there some years after selling Belinda’s. We did an amazing business, especially on Fri-Sat. The owner hired some lawyers and got out of the franchise agreement ( not the Mexican food chain ) with the people in Miss. They were successful and re-opened as Be Bop USA. He let me go after 6 months and I had promoted to all the folks I knew in PDX, and hired a kid and paid him 30 % less salary. I used to teach the dance routines to the servers and bartenders. FYI….we were the largest dispenser of Budweiser in the NW! More than the Kingdome.I think the $1.00 buffet drew a lot of people.

Love your comments–I had the same childhood! Wonder if you remember the ‘holes’ in the sidewalks for the freight to go from the trucks on the street to the basement of M&F…that both fascinated and frightened me !

Fred Meyer lunch counter!

Back when the Hollywood Fred Meyer was in it’s old building across from the Hollywood Theater, I was a wee tot riding in the shopping cart every Thursday while my mom was getting groceries for the week. (I believe the coupons that she clipped were in the Oregonian every Wednesday.) My favorite part of the trip every week was that she would let me get a hot dog “with butter on the bun” from the lunch counter. I have vague memories of it as I was so young, but they seem so vivid because she still tells the story to this day!

My mother used to shop at the bargain basement downstairs Meier and Franks and would get pinnaple sundays for not being a brat for a couple of hours and hen take trolley or bus home out first stopping in the south auditorium hood and stop at the drug store and get a real soda fountain root beer float.

It’s Probably been gone for 20 to 25 years. As far as I could remember, I believe Joe Kara was the last owner.

The Wooden Spoons was my Dad’s place. I grew up in there! Nice to see that someone remembers it fondly! Thanks!

My husband Tom worked for your dad at the Wooden Spoons circa 1977-78. What a great guy! He learned so much from him. I remember cream of zucchini soup was a fave. Great memories!

I was a good friend of Tim’s. He had The Wooden Spoons ( which I first heard about in Boise in the early 70’S ) and I had Belinda’s. We used to visit and have a coffee, it was just like I like, homey, comfortable and friendly with great food. Please tell him hello from Ross.

I haven’t read all comments stretching back years so perhaps these have been mentioned: Milton & Oscars, The Treasure Chest, Elephant & Castle (for fish and chips), The Montavilla Bakery for middle east specialties before they were popular. Then there was Saleen’s delicatessan for Scandinavian imports – herring, flatbread and even clogs! And what about the onion rings at The Ringside?

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I was neighbors with your dad / mom back in the 60’s 70’s. Tim and Jane?

We lived in an apartment in Milwaukie. Could you be his daughter? I live in Lake Tahoe but come to Portland.

Hi! I’ve often wondered how Tim is doing. My name is Bob Johnson and I worked for Tim at Wooden Spoons in 1984. It was one of my most fondly remembered jobs. Please pass on my regards. 🙂

Hey there Bob! Tim and I used to trade stories and gossip about the biz and have a cup of coffee for a few moments at the ” Spoons “. We were both chefs at small Eastside places, Mine was Belinda’s and a little fancier but Tim put out some damn fine food. We were both big guys with big dreams.I have fond memories of those days.

I lived next door to Tim and Jane in Milwaukie. Was there the day his 2nd daughter was born. I had a telescope. The night before we were looking at Mars. It was particularly bright. They almost named her Mars, because it was so memorable to Jane.

Michael Monroe

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My (now ex) husband and I went there one time. SE 26TH and Clinton Street, if I remember correctly. Loved our meal.

I was Briggs and Cramptons’ first official employee. Spent my first day shucking oysters–over 100 of them! We would dine, alfresco in their small herb garden. That was before they hit the big time. Worked for them for ten or more years, part-time.

Did you not love Picolo Mondo’s? I used to have a fettucine with white sauce–not alfredo but close and incredible grated cheese. It was gone one day before I could ask for their recipe. So many great restaurants gone by the wayside. Poncho’s, Paco’s??? in Morgan’s Alley upstairs. Tostado with beef and a huge pile of lettuce on top. Like 3 in high and the size of a dinner plate. Salsa on the very top. I miss those tostados when I get hungry for Mexican food.

It was Paco’s on the mezzanine level of Morgan’s Alley. The original name was Tillie’s. The owner, Eddie Mays who also owned Prime Rib on Sandy had Tillie’s, named after his wife. I worked for Eddie Mays for over 10 years in several of his restaurants.

Paco’s. Thanks. Have not found a Mexican restaurant like that in the time since. We worked at US Bank in Installment loans and we’d walk over at lunch. We also loved going to a restaurant next door to the bank–the Heathman? Sky-high pieces of strawberry pie that were delicious. And the Fish Grotto. Long finger size pieces of delicious fish and garlic bread that had no comparison. Things were so simple and delicious then.

I loved Piccolo Mondo.
Someone mentioned Yaws. We didn’t have a car, but when my oldest sister bought her new ’65 Cutlass we went there! Loved the Tootsie Roll cop and the burgers

What do you remember about Hilaire’s? And the Encore bar? I’m trying to describe it from memory. I remember it was open for late night dinner. And some of us were taken there after a show. But I’m having trouble remembering what was served, the decor, and how the wait staff dressed. I just remember being awed by the place.

CassandraParker, I couldn’t reply to your message about Hilaire’s …I worked there in 1970 and again in 1977…Gordon was the Maitr’d I worked the night shift but also lunch. It was awesome to see it change from a place to have lunch and then at 2pm everything changed to white tablecloths and candles. Also worked upstairs at what was called the Judge’s Chambers…interesting conversations went on up there. Prudi Harrison

Do you have the menu for Uncle Chen? Can you describe the soup my husband is trying to remember… it was a broth and served in a wooden bowl or cup?

Just an aside there is no place called johns landing it was origanally called Fulton with its own post office

John’s Landing is a neighborhood, a grouping of shops and restaurants and has its own website, offices and a facebook page.. Sometimes you have to go with what the people call something. I’ve known the shopping area as John’s Landing for at least 40 years.

Hi deb my mother and i used to deliver th newspapers to your family on Water st.
There is no Johns Landing neighborhood that area is all part of the Fulton area and had its own post office. It took on the JL personona because of a developer had money enough to get it designated as such. I run into your brother Michael at Safeway on Barbur blvd from time to time i went to Failing and Terwilliger and The Neighborhood House preschool and delivered the paper to the old Blue Heaven and Monte Carlo. Send me an email and we can catch up

Hi Dale,
Michael is my husband and he is the one who lived on water st. with his family. I know we’ve run into you from time to time. I guess you learn something every day. I do remember Fulton school and some other things named Fulton. It’s been 40 years ago, I worked down in the area off Corbett and we always went down to John’s Landing for lunch. I think it was to make it new and exciting but it was the same old neighborhood. Loved Piccolo Mondo and Gregory’s. And Honey Baked Ham. : )
Deb Mastrangelo

Hey Dale,
Could be Johns Lamding came about because of BP Johns’ furniture?
Just wondering
Ron S.

Yes, John Gray named it for the Johns industrial site owner when he developed the area with Storrs architectural firm.

Maybe but the johns landing condos were built on the burnt out jones lumber yard and because of speculation on the run down properties the real estate people marketed it as johns landing.
The historic Fulton district was separate from the Fulton park developement up on the heights
Fulton was down on the Flats next to all the industrial land and the open sewer they called the Willamette . It was its own community.
Do you remember the Chalet restaurant ?

I got the oregon hwy dept to take down the green signs on the i5 because they didn’t meet the trip visitation req. and no other neighborhood gets to have a green sign only for cities and places that meet trip numbers. And I don’t think John Gray was going to pay for the upkeep of the signs.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been trying for hours to remember the name of the 6th Avenue restaurant (before The Shadows), and the later, 1979+, on SE 13th and Bidwell, in Sellwood. Driving me crazy! Now I can sleep tonight. Jerry’s Gables had the best fried chicken with honey in the world. I went on a date to see Cleopatra when it opened in Portland in 1965, and was taken to the 6th Avenue place, then went to the new Jerry’s Gables in Sellwood when we moved into the neighborhood, miss it very much. Tony and Jerry cooked out of the smallest kitchen in the old house on 13th, and did it so well.

Was cooking at Wooden Horse in 79 and 80. Would go for pool and an after work beer at Billy Bang’s. Pat and Nick were the bartenders.
It was a really good period in life for me.

Dave, The Wooden Horse was my Mom’s place, Marie Holman. At that time I was in California cooking for Rueben’s Plankhouse. Before that though, I was a cook at the WH with Russell Angel the Chef, and also a friend Doug Wilett worked along side me during the luch rush hours.

’79 and ’80, was cooking at Wooden Horse in the Water Tower building in JL. This was quite a special time in life for me already, so my experiences in those places have always held strong meaning and sentiment to me. We’d go down the hall to Billy Bang’s for after work pool and beer. Nick and Pat behind the bar.

To Dave Bosworth. My mom owned the Wooden Horse Restaurant. I don’t recall you by name. Russell Angle was the Chef at the time. Doug Willett and I were the cooks on the kitchen line pumping out the burgers and the food.

Dave, my Mom owned Wooden Horse at JL. I was also a cook there with Russel Angle, Doug Willett and others. I am trying to place you, but I cannot ATM. Cheers!

Greg Downing, Hi,….I know it was March when I started there,…now I’m not sure if it was 1979 or 1980. ,…Yeh, Russ and Al worked the day shift mostly, and Steve worked the day shift on the line, (married Holly who worked at the bank across the street, I called him Sleve a couple times when he wore a chef’s coat that was too big for him and the sleeves hung way down onto his hands when they came unrolled, LOL)) and I remember hearing of Marie’s son Greg and at least during that window of time weren’t you holding down the fort at the Pancake Corner? That was the place Walter was running then, right? I think you may have come over to the Horse and worked some day shifts, or maybe bailed us out on some Sunday brunches during the time I was there? At any rate, I thought I remember meeting you in passing……On the swing shift I worked with another Greg (Bauch I think it was) and also a younger guy Bob Walloweek that was up from Texas are who I worked with in the kitchen mostly. And Sam who washed dishes and sang, man that guy would belt out some soulful tunes and use the acoustics of the dishroom and belt it out. On the floor Marilyn and Jeanie Oakes, Waneeta, Gabi, hostess Tami, …and dangit, others I can picture right now and frequently think of their names but can’t right now, I’ll have to ….Oh wait,..haha how could I forget… Priscilla. Kathy Putman (Put-Put), Suzette over at the bar,….anyway, like i mentioned in the first comment, it was kind of a special time I’ll always remember, after coming out of some dark times I had the benefit of working with such wonderful people,
Now, I see you also mentioned Doug Willet, I know there was a Doug, and Willet sounds right, that was there,.?..and also ended up working on the kitchen crew a couple years later at Brannigan’s in Beaverton same time as me? Or somewhere we ended up being at two different restaurant kitchens together.
I was up at the Creperie for awhile too.

I worked at the WH about 1976- 1979 then moved to CA. I later worked at the WH in 1983 for a bit. So I missed working with you I guess. I was at the pancake corner in the mid 70’s working for Walter Holman who was my Step Dad. Then to the WH with Russ Angel. I recall Sam the dishwasher. Priscilla was my stepsister, Walters daughter. Doug Willett worked at many places, but by that time I was in the Army and restaurants were no longer my employment.
Maries Creperie up one level at the landing. Never worked there but it was another of my Mom’s places. The Sunday Brunches were quite the operation. Especially Mothers day.

An elongated oval with intermittently spaced red and white squares…why, I’ll never know.

once upon a time there was a elegant resturant that had a piano bar huge chandelier and formal waiters of which i was one .We has a french menu, made everything from scratch, food was superb and the guests dressed in their finest.Larry Hiliare was the owener who also ran the “Hiliares coffee shop” on the Encores side street.Upstairs in the resturant was a room called the Judges chamber, that held private parties limited to 12.Mr Hiliares offices were downstairs, in a beautiful room full of copper item from cooking visits overseas.He wore always a bow tie and later after his passing his daughter held on for a while and later sold it.They were also known for their speical cheesecake made with cream, butter and cottage cheese amoung other items.Beef strogonoff with a grain rice,bulger wheat was a standout item.A time long a ago but what a grand place it was to work at, and the tips were great and the customers were the cream of Portland, but then a unsnob reality was in place. People came to relax and enjoy, the food and music and the special bar drinks. Sad to have seen it gone,as we need places that stand out and are that Special place to take that special someone.
Thank you for letting me ramble on.

Usually my reading comprehension is pretty good, but it’s failing me here;
do you recall the name of the place? Was it “Encores”? “Hiliare’s”?

My memories of Hilaire’s are less of the dining, although I did dine there on occasion, but on the debacle of refusing service to—I believe—Hazel Scott because she was black. In those days, the black people stayed mostly on their side of town, true, but when an artist of Ms Scott’s stature came to town, that really caused a stir. I believe she sued.
But that wasn’t Mr. Hilaire’s only faux-pas in those days. Colonel Harlan Sanders offered him a franchise for the entire area and Hilaire brushed him off.

I worked there in the early 70’s and women were not allowed to sit at the bar alone.

I was fired from the Encore by Mr. Hilaire himself. My transgression? Well, Mr. Hilaire said I was putting to much salad dressing on the salad, there by hiding the delicate taste of the lettuce. I simply replied that the lettuce which had been bleached to remove the wilted brown edges (a common 1970s restaurant practice) could not possibly have any ” delicate” taste left.

I heard that somebody was fired – either a bar tender or a waiter – from The Encore because they dusted off the bottles above the bar … it ruined the look… True?? or an urban legend??

Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Ralph. I am Larry Hilaire’s granddaughter. Larry’s son, Kerry, was my dad. Hilaire’s Encore and Hilaire’s Coffee Shop were well known for a reason. The Encore had delicious food and was a classy place to go. The coffee shop was a popular meeting place. If the “round table” could only talk, what stories it could tell! I often wonder what happened to the chandelier when they tore the place down.

It was fun to read this thread. I didn’t know about Colonel Sanders offering him a franchise or that they denied service to the black woman. That was a bit before my time, I guess. Grandpa strove for excellence and beauty the best he could. He was a strong man with definite ideas and was bound to rub some people the wrong way. However, it was his strength and vision that made his business such a success!

I don’t know if you kept in touch with Karen. She died in 2003. Her daughter, Nesha, is somewhere in Arizona, I believe, and Karen’s son, Ian, lives in California.

Portland has sure changed since the old days and I can hardly even remember the Hilaire’s store front as I drive down Washington St. as they have torn down the old building. Thank you for your lovely tribute and for refreshing my memory!

Tamara,
I delivered your grandfather for years at Encore & Hilaires & Meatmarket…but, recently I had the opportunity to visit with his sister Martha in Hillsboro. We had the bakery ‘Pierre’s French’ and Ham, still alive and going well, is my mothers cousin.Always a pleasure to visit the old familiar sites with their memories. In my day made the reular rounds from Scotties, to Yaws, to Speck.

I loved Hilaire’s Coffee Shop and went there a lot with my grandmother who had a crush on Larry Hilaire. She called him “that Brute”… I guess that was a good thing back in the late 40’s and 50’s. When I was working downtown in the 70’s I went there almost every day for lunch with my friend Kent Morris. Aggie was the head hostess as I remember and Vi was one of the waitresses. I believe her name was Marlene – she was my very favorite waitress. When Kent and I walked in for lunch we always got her station and she would automatically order either fish and chips or a hamburger for us when the fish wasn’t as good as she thought it should be. I also spent many evenings having cocktails in the Encore Restaurant. Fantastic memories.
By the way, the large chandelier in Hilaire’s Coffee Shop was made by a lighting company in Portland called Baker Barkon Lighting Co. My father polished the brass and put it together and helped hang it. I too wonder what happened to it…

I just moved back to Portland and found this blog. I used to work at Hilaire’s Coffee Shop for a while in the 70s. Aggie was the hostess. I usually worked upstairs on the terrace running back and forth up and down the stairs all through my shift! I remember Vi also. She is probably the most incredible waitress I have ever met! I was looking for the restaurant location to see if I would recognize it and couldn’t remember exactly where it was but if the building has been torn down, that could explain it.

I used to have lunch at the coffee shop occasionally when I studied at the Museum Art School under Louis Bunce, whose mural decorates the Portland Airport. At least it did the last time I was there.
Nice food and atmosphere. I sure miss the good old days in Portland.

My father did the printer for Mr Hillare and THANK YOU for that lovely memory, I had forgot the bow tie.

Julie! You have mentioned that your father did the printing of menus for so many places in those
days. Did any of those materials get saved or are packed away? I have some ideas, if that is the
case. Let me know. RP

I was the broker that sold the restaurant to Uncle Chen..
I believe the restaurant was Hiliare’s and the bar was called the Encore..

I have such a vague memory of that place…I know it was a favorite of my parents and they always took us to swanky places. 🙂 Wish some of these places were still with us. What years was Hilaire’s open?

I’ve been searching for photos of the old Kon Tiki from the (then) Lloyd Center Sheratan Hotel. Most of the tiki statues ended up at the old Jasmine Tree, then to Thatch Tiki BAr.

Got any more??

We don’t have photos, but we do still have a shower door from the Sheraton. When it was being gutted and remodeled, people could go into certain areas and take out walls, bathrooms, pieces of same, and would be charged as we carried it out the doors. This was in 1980. We built our shower to fit the door. Still works. Cost us $40, the glass and stainless fittings.

When I was a callow youth at the beginning of WWII I worked at the 24 hour Jolly Joan on Broadway. Busy place and lots of fun. I remember Hilaire’s too, infamous for denying service to, I believe, Hazel Scott. But then they turned down Colonel Sanders offer to handle their Portland Kentucky Fried Chicken business. Larry said,”Why should I give that guy a nickel for every chicken I sell?”
Portland was a great place to grow up in the late ’30s and early ’40s. I worked at the Town Tavern too. Later, Chef Highet left there and opened The Original Pancake House out on Barbur Blvd. I worked as busby for half a day at The Hoyt Hotel, but walked out because the cook wouldn’t feed me my lunch. The war was on and a kid could go to work anyplace at any time because all the real men were out getting killed and maimed.
That beautiful library was my home away from home and of course, the Circle and the Rex were homes away from home as well.
Gee, I’m going to have to go back to Portland and revisit some of the good old spots. Trouble is, I think they’re all gone…

In the late 50’s I went to beauty school above the Jolly joan restaraunt, we went there everyday for lunch or coffee.

What was the name of the beauty school you went to above Jolly Joans? I went to one called Pacific School of Beauty on Park in that same area in 1963-64.

I found a picture of my mother from the 40′ wearing a uniform and hat. The name “Bart’s ” is embroidered on that uniform. Any memories of Bart’s ?

BART’S might be a reference to Bart’s Wharf on the east bank of the Willamette out Sellwood way. On another note, my mother had the Van Dynn’s candy store on S.W. Broadway and Alder. We used to enjoy Jolly Jones and its serpentine counter. My mother’s name was Violet Gramstad, and was next to Portland Cutlery and Packhouz jewelers.

Bart Woodard, had several places. W Burnside and 23. Then became Bart’s Gold Coin. Bart’s wharf, now Saltys. The one on Burnside featuredPaul Fisher chocolate rum cake. He had bakery concession at FM Stadiumstore. Great burgers.

Gold Coin was chineese. Had 24 birthday dinner there. Pricey. Good food. Cherries jubilie.

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Bart’s Wharf was on NE Marine Dr. It is now Salty’s I have an ashtray from there and I think a matchbook. I was only a kid when my parents took me there. I loved it, only because my name is Bart

If it’s the Bart’s on upper Burnside, yes. In the late 50’s I had on of my first upper end meal there, a lobster the size of my head.

Bart’s Wharf was where Salty’s is now on the Columbia River by the airport

Continuing with the story of the Longview Bart’s, the original chef was Henry Paul, who was better known for his restaurant Henri’s, which replaced Bart’s as THE place to eat. He ran it until he died in 2006, and it has closed.

http://tdn.com/announcements/obituaries/henry-paul/article_48ddd2d4-aed9-5fd8-b012-b23868b74927.html

His brother still runs a restaurant (Bob Paul’s) in Longview. For many years there was a bakery in Longview – Fran & Paul’s – which probably had a connection to Bart’s, but I can’t find any information.

Which Bart’s are you talking about ? Bart’s Wharf where Salty’s is located now,or Bart’s of Longview,Washington ?

The restaurant on the Willamette in Sellwood was The Anchorage. They had a great Friday night seafood buffet. Later it became Salty’s also. I don’t know if it is anything anymore.

My memories of Hilaire’s are less nostalgic. I remember when a famous piano artist—I believe Hazel Scott—came to town he refused to serve her in his restaurant. That was bad, but of course in that particular era, many businesses did not want black trade.
Worse (for Hilaire) was when Colonel Harlan Sanders offered him the Kentucky Fried Franchise for the area, he turned the Colonel down. “Why would I pay you a nickel for every chicken I sell?”
Of course The Speck saw things differently and left Hilaire’s in the dust.

Heartbreaking at best especially that today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2014 here in PDX (I visited his home and temple this time last year in Atlanta), but if you want a shocker try this out: My parents truly enjoyed the “Prime Rib” off 50th and Sandy Boulevard…it was originally the (honest to GOD!) the “COON CHICKEN INN”!

Yeah. You’re so correct. But now it’s back and the present ownership is getting the last laugh. Who in the thirties would have guessed?
Nice joint and jazz and rock in the bar side.

You can access “Coon Chicken inn” online (they were in three cities). If you do not already know, the entrance was through the gap toothed mouth of a Black railroad porter billboard. FYI, we lived not too far from there on 57th and NE Broadway and the later “Prime Rib” was a destination for good food and special events. Possibly the best restaurant on the East side at the time.

We have an ashtray from the Coon Chicken Inn. My husband loved that place as a kid, and he always talks about its name in reference to today’s standards!

Wow, that is hard to hear.
Steve G, back to Van Duyn’s: for 10 years I had allergy shots on 10th & SW Washington. Mom & I waited for the bus on the block where your Mom’s Van Duyn’s was located . It was a special treat to get to go in and buy some chocolate . Elegant & very nice ladies that worked there. And, same block as “one” of the entrances to Morgan’s Alley when it came along. Thanks for bringing back a flood of great memories!

Proud to say I was thrown out of the Top of the Cosmo. Was there with a small gang of public school teachers and quadriplegics who had hooked up at happy hour somewhere else and decided to go dancing at the TOC. Some couple of tight a$$e$ complained to management that their romantic evening was being ruined by the presence of quads in power chairs dancing with frisky school teachers (mostly on their laps). They asked us to leave in order to spare the tender sensitivities of their complaining customers who didn’t want to share their evening with crips. One of the quads got the mic and made a crip power speech. Then we were hustled out the back door. Ah, the good old days!

Thanks for reminding me of Hillaire’s. I would never have gone in if I’d known about Hazel Scott. I didn’t know and did go in, and several times saw Herb Caen on his official stool at the bar.

What was the steak place in the train cars on the river side of Macadam? I had two friends who waited tables there. I remember Peter’s Habit, Frankensteins and several other music clubs on Second and Front that are long gone now.

Huber’s is still Huber’s, though, thankfully!

Oh, yeah, and what about the Chocolate Moose, and the tiny prime rib place on the other side of the freeway up toward Pill Hill?

I remember the Chocolate Moose but not exactly where it was. Near downtown. The walls and ceiling were painted black or maybe dark brown and there were flocks of artificial white doves suspended from the ceiling. This was the first place I’d ever heard jazz and didn’t know what to call it, so I referred to it as “moose music”. They’d bring out a plate of sliced fresh French bread and sharp cheddar cheese to eat with your wine or beer, and it was so good that I always wonder why that isn’t done elsewhere.

Victoria’s Station on Macadam & of course a little farther south and just over the Sellwood Bridge was The Rafters. Miss them both!

I remember putting our baby daughter on a big blanket under the table at The Rafters so she wouldn’t bother people eating at the restaurant. She was an angel, and we had a lovely dinner entertaining Japanese guests.

My hubby’s best friend and bf’s brother bought the Victoria Station train cars and on their own moved them to the brother’s property near the Hillsboro Airport where they built a spur and that is where they now reside.

Victoria Station…
Man, you must be ancient to remember those old joints.. Peters Habit, take out window was “Peter’s In & Out”. The Old Glory, And the bars on SW 3rd?

Man I am so old that I sold newspapers at Biltwell,BP Johns and Jones Lumber. What happened to the Barrel Inn?

I think they were like a franchise i used to see similar ones around last one i know of is the Cider Mill
On Capital hyw. at Virginia

Polish Princess was the name of the restaurant in the railroad cars in SEvportland near the Willamette River.

Polish Princess was in the Ben Franklin building downtown. Paul Anderson named it after his wife Glenda. Victoria Station was the one in the train cars on Macadam.

The ‘steak place’ in train cars on Macadam, was Victoria Station. I remember Nagel’s Big Apple on 82nd and Sandy, Reuben’s (off Skyline at Sylvan), Scottys at the intersection of Burnside,12th and Sandy, The Hobbit, and Jazz deOpus. Ahhh good times.

Ah, Jazz de Opus. Best service in town. Also the first time I ever had razor clams. I weep when I drive past that intersection now.

What intersection? I forget its exact location but I courted my wife there. We have been married almost 35 years.

Jazz De Opus & Opus too ….31 nw couch my first restaurant job….started as a basil picker for the seasonal pesto making and just stayed moving my way up dishwasher pantry cook jazz cook ect then moved to Key Largo as kitchen manager

I picked more than basil at Jazz de Opus…possibly the best and sexiest waitresses in town.

I was made the assistant manager at The Jazz De Opus when the owner, Sam Pishue sold to Charlie Quinn of Charley’s Fish House;s in Seattle/Bellvue. Charilie pulled out the fire pit, The GM left and I became that person. Guests were lamenting the loss of the live Jazz format (10 years past) nearly every night. I brought the Jazz back to the Opus with some carefully placed phone calls and a few press releases. The format survived for 6 or 8 years afterward. The “Jazz” had the biggest plates of fresh made pasta in town with the messiest mesquite broiler on the planet (that thing was a beast). .Mesquite broiled steaks, chops and the freshest seafood in HUGE portions with that pasta. HEAVEN. The basement received a semi truck load of New Mexico mesquite every year. Hiring some street folks (endless supply), we’d unload that truck in a cloud of toxic coal dust in an afternoon, and then feed the guys. We had the greatest collection of autographs in our foyer from folks that came to town. Quite the array. Entertainers, politicians: you name it. I wish I had been there in the early days before Sam took out the wall and created the” Opus Too.” The original “Jazz” was a small tavern that hosted some pretty big names in Jazz (too many to mention here). Their autographed publicity glossies lined the entryway to the bar, behind those giant, heavy custom made doors. Sam owned that building and had some rather remarkable custom work done throughout. Charlie (I think it’s Charlie) Franklin did the stained glass work. He is the same person that has done the stained glass work for Jake’s Famous Crawfish and throughout the McCormick and Schmick’s franchise. Another story entirely……

I worked at the original Jazz de Opus in the mid to late 70s. It was a fabulous place and very intimate jazz concerts. One of my most cherished memories. Being a waitress there was a fabulous job.

Me Too. 8 worked at Scotty’s in the early 1960’s going through high school. The 49’er – burger (19 cents), fries 11 cents, shake 19 cents. Lots of stories. Bruno Brinati ran it. The gang included Vern, Sarge, Connie, the mole, the professor … It was a drive-in but also had a kind of lunch room or grille. many memories

Victoria Station must have been a chain, because there was one just like that in the Denver area.

I believe Victoria Station was started by some Berkeley students or some such. Yes, it was a chain, but evidently it’s long gone now. Dead Victoria Station carcasses still clutter the countryside, at least in the west. One in Roseville CA is now called The Station and i’m not sure it’s open.
We used to dine at the one on Macadam and also in San Francisco.

Victoria’s Station was a National chain as I recall. I remember Nagel’s Big Apple in Parkrose (circa 1958). Owner was O B Nagel and his brother, who worked there was named Faber. The specialized in Rabbit , it was a real hopping place. The Dugout on Burniside was the first time I ever had Pizza. Owners were Al Maida and Rick Schulman. I also remember Jazz Banjoist Monte Ballou playing in restaurants all over Portland.

I believe that Nagel’s Big Apple was on Sandy Blvd at Columbia/99th st. They were noted for fried rabbit. Scottie’s served hamburger, fries, and milk shake for 49c.

I sat in and played drums at Nagel’s Big Apple on my Monday nights off from Elmo’s just up Sandy Blvd. and it later became the Longhorn owned then by George Machan and Joe Robbinson. I had worked for George and Joe when they earlier had the Harmony Inn out 82nd Ave when I joined up with Edell and the Thunderbirds. Both Elmo’s and the Longhorn was a home for the Thunderbirds band also when not on the road. The food at these places perhaps wasn’t as great as other places but did fill the body. What great memories come from playing music in the 60’s. Edell Anglin has passed but Rueben Huber (bass) Jim Butcher and Al “Gator” Zion (sax) and I are very thankful to still be wobbling along and thankful to make it through the 60’s. Dick Burns,LaS Vegas

This is pretty low-brow, but when I was a kid we used to peddle Journals for a nickel and often used our profits at Ethel’s Cafe on Burnside. It was a dump I guess, where they broke open loaves of bread and placed them on the counter. We’d get a bowl of beans and all the bread we could eat, then go home for dinner, and then later, we’d go back to Burnside, get reborn and saved after which we were fed coffee and stale donuts. Seems to me we still had room for a candy bar or two as well. Being cheapskates we never paid to ride the streetcars. We just hopped on the platform at the rear door and never once got caught. Ahh…those carefree halcyon days and nights in Old Portland. A great place to grow up.
We entered the Paramount through the glass doors up in back and when the usherette disappeared for a minute, we’d shoot up into the balcony. Bad to the bone.

Sounds familiar, along with the back doors, we also went down through the boiler room, out the men’s room.. Also up the outside fire escape and yank on the doors, til one popped open..The Broadway was a little more adventuresome,
Had to pull up the sidewalk delivery door, go through the basement, up the stairs and into the movies.

I worked at the top of the cosmo while in high school 1969 and 1970. What a fun place to have worked especially on News Years Eve what a blast. I miss that and the Dug Out Lounge both were wonderful places to be. Wish they were still there.

I worked at the Hoyt Hotel until they closed and have a couple of pieces of memorbelia that I would like to sell. Any suggestions as to someone who would be interested??

Whaat ever happened to Berg’s Chalet in NW. Food was wonderful. The Old Towne Crier, The Fireside, Hilaire’s. The Chcolate Lounge at Meier & Frank and the tea rooms at both Lipmans & Meier Franks. Yaws(Grant)Scotty’s(Benson Boys);Tik Tok for overflow on Saturday nights. Kon Tiki, Trader Vic;s,The Owl Drugstore for nickle lemon Cokes. Coffee Flake ice cream at M&F, plus summer and winter girl. Does anyone else remember the other restaurant on the lower level of M&F? The best deli in town was at M&F. I used to buy some wonderful imported cheeses there.
The Basket Grocery. The Virginia Cafe. The Original Coney Island on SW Washington between 10-12th.
Portland had lots of great places in those days.
Chin’s Kitchen used to deliver even up to NE 16&Skidmore.
Jone’s Donuts on NE. Union Avenue.

The Chocolate Lounge was on the mezzanine at Lipman Wolf… I don’t remember the name of the restaurant on the lower level at M&F… The restaurant on the 10th floor was the best along with the dinning room “The Georgian Room”. I do remember the deli and agree that it was fantastic. Do you remember the Farmer’s Market downtown where Yamhill Marketplace was built? There was the Honolulu Market also. The Star Bakery made some of the most delicious rye bread with caraway seeds. The Long Horn Meat Market across the street from Pioneer Courthouse was wonderful as well. Perkin’s Pub in the basement of Lipman Wolf was a fun place. What became of the bull statue that stood outside the Pub? It was the bull that was on top of the Perkin’s Hotel a couple of blocks down the street from Lipman Wolf… Who remembers “Senora Tillies” at the end of Morgan’s Alley?? It is now (and has been for years) Hunan Restaurant.

Obviously the Georgian Room would have been too rich for a poor kid’s blood, so I guess I never made it to the tenth floor. But somewhere up there I used to listen to records and look down on the traffic far below. I could see into the future. I could see cars coming from several directions and knew what they were going to face before they did. I lovingly remember the Yamhill Market. We’d buy peanut butter in Chinese takeout cartons from barrels; stuff like that. And they were accused — some of them — of selling “slunk” veal during the war. Skipping the restaurants for a moment, how about the Circle Theater, the Captiol with its second rate stage shows and the Rex before it became the Round Up. I bet to this day they never did get the smell out of the men’s room. I worked for short periods at Yaw’s, the Tik-Tok, The Towne Tavern when Chef Hyatt ran the kitchen. (This was before he opened the Original Pancake House. I worked at Manning’s on Broadway and The Broiler…hey, I was a job-hopping kid, and in wartime every place in town desperately needed warm bodies to buss tables. I worked at Jolly Joan. The owner used to let us go party at his spread and ride his horse. Union Station, that was a happening place 24/7. See, you shouldn’t have got me started. And who remembers the buttermilk, all you could drink for a nickel?

Marguerites’ that would put you in the bag so fast you couldn’t “No Mas”!

I worked at the little snack bar on the upper level basement at the downtown Meier & Frank. We served hot dogs, milkshakes, sodas and coffee. The snack bar was a special project of Mr. Meier’s, and he would stroll by frequently to check it out and make sure everything was as it should be. When I was there we only had soft ice cream, but I do remember as a child having a Summer Girl there, which was made with hard ice cream.

I also worked in the 10th floor coffee shop at the downtown store as a waitress and cook, and I learned how to make Summer and Winter Girls, Black and White Sundaes and all the other delicious treats they were known for. A lot of very interesting characters ate there regularly.

The “fancy” restaurant on the 10th floor was the Georgian Room, and we girls all hoped to be promoted to working there someday, but we all left for various opportunities of employment elsewhere.

I don’t remember that the sit-down restaurant on the upper level basement of the downtown Meier & Frank had an actual name. We just called it the basement coffee shop. But I could be mistaken about the name as it was so long ago.

Writing this post made me smile about how M & F tried to disguise and class up their basement floors by calling them the “upper level” and “lower level.”

What memories about M&F!I still see my grandmother wearing her hat and gloves and taking me by the hand we would descend the 6th and Alder back stairs to the Upper Level where we’d walk to the deli and she’d order pastrami, cheese and always a few extra exotics to take home. Then we’d take the escalator don to the Lower Level where she’d look through bins of shoes for that special pair! those two floors, coupled with the chicken-wire glass doored elevators with operators and the vacuum tubes from the huge cash registers were pure magic and fantasy to a three years old!! We’d top off the whole day with a root beer float at the lunch counter on the 10th floor…man oh man what awesome memories of the end of an era in Downtown Portland(1963).

I have such fond memories of enjoying Summer Girls with my sister and grandmother at both Lipman’s and Meier & Frank so many years ago! Is there any way you could share the recipe? I have been searching for such a long time! Thank you for the memories and any help!

MEIER & FRANK SUMMER GIRL
Small scoop of vanilla ice cream smeared in the bottom of a footed milkshake glass
A couple of big splashes of orange syrup
A couple of big splashes of Grenadine syrup
Another small scoop of vanilla
Fill with soda water and stir up a bit with an iced tea spoon
Slab of strawberry ice cream balanced on the rim of the glass
Slab of orange sherbet balanced on top of the vanilla

MEIER & FRANK WINTER GIRL
Small scoop of chocolate ice cream smeared in the bottom of a footed milkshake glass
About four big splashes of chocolate syrup
A small scoop of vanilla ice cream
Fill with soda water and stir up a bit
Slab of chocolate ice cream balanced on the rim of the glass
Slab of vanilla balanced on top of the chocolate

The Winter Girl was just a basic chocolate soda with the addition of the slabs, but the Summer Girl was M & F’s original recipe and I don’t think available elsewhere, although I do seem to recall that eventually Lipman’s Chocolate Lounge offered them as well. They were delish, and as much fun to make as they were to enjoy. Even more fun to get them to the customer without dumping the scoops!

Speaking of which, I was at the Oregon City Antique Fair last weekend and saw one of the shovels used to make the slabs. I didn’t buy it, but I probably should have just for old time’s sake.

I am going to share the recipes with Albertina’s Kitchen, the restaurant at Albertina Kerr on N. E. 22nd & Glisan in The Old Kerr Nursery historic building. They frequently serve heritage dishes.

I used to go to the coffee shop to chat up one of their charming girls….I was one of her 1000 clowns.

I have an old menu from Berg’s Chalet! My grandma was a cook there, before I was born in 1950 or just after. Photos in menu show a large beautiful Tudor-style house, at 741 SW St. Clair (just south of W. Burnside). Owner Mrs. A.H. Berg. Menu photos show the previous living room converted to big dining room, and three bedrooms converted to a generous-size reception/dining room.
My grandma was widowed before WWII, so she and my mom sold their Wisconsin farm and came to Portland to work in the Kaiser shipyard. After the War, my grandma cooked at various places.
In the mid-50s she cooked at “Al Call’s,” a diner in Multnomah (I remember being interested in the jukebox-machinery in the basement), later bought by Edelmans then later became a somewhat trendy cafe with Mayor Bud Clark having a memorable conversation there.

Amazing that Berg’s Chalet is being talked about. I remember going there with my parents for special dinners, birthdays, etc. I don’t remember much about the inside, but I remember the outside and the location. And I remember they have floating candles on each table. It was something like a bowl of water with a wick floating. After my parents passed away and cleaning out the house, I found the package they bought there. Floating wicks but no instructions. It’s too bad that so many of the original self-owned restaurants are gone. The chain restaurant food taste the same, nothing unique, nothing special.

First Chinese food I ever had was when my aunts, living in Laurelhurst, would order from Chin’s kitchen on broadway.n I was about 10 or 13, and would only eat the fried shrimp. I couldn’t be bribed to eat egg foo yung or chow mein.

Where was The Fireside? Was that the place where they cooked right in the open fireplace?

Hey, what was that burger joint on Sandy Blvd. where a model train would deliver your lunch at the counter? Johnny

2 guys owned it for a long time. I was the broker who sold it to Korean couple, later it became and still is Boss Hawgs.
On

In high school i worked at the bohemian for george o’niel. Kerry Hilaire and i would ride together on the bus to work. Kerry was a hard worker, a class act and a natural playing piano jazz. I worked in the bakery (the best), at the ione plaza, the downtowm and uptown. George was a character who loved his help. Say, what was the name of the first 19 cent burger joint on 52nd and foster? There is a Subway there now.

I found an old (30s,40s?)matchbook from The Bohemian, the address listed is 910 SW Washington St. I’m guess 30s or 40s because the place looks very arts deco…

The Bohemian Buffet was located at 323 1/2 Washington St in Portland in 1913-15 and at 384 Washington St from 1921-33+ . It was probably at one or another address 1916-20 but I don’t have directories for those years. Memorabilia in the form of aluminum merchant tokens exist with the 323 1/2 address shown. The owner of this place was Isaac Neuberger.

I worked at the Bohemian in the late 40’s at that time the owner was Mr. O’neil and a partner probably the former owners wife, they opened a second restaurant up in the avenues that is now a Botique lunch and Deli, I know because I was there 2 years ago on a nostaglia trip, and the manager was kind enough to let me roam inside the kitchen.

Franklin R.

Just surfing and saw your post on the Bohemian Restaurant. Was in Portland last year and visited the Old New in the uptown section,

Can anyone tell me more about Manning’s on Broadway? When did it open? The decor? Any specialties? Vague memories of my aunt taking me there for lunch when I stayed with her downtown in the mid-60s.

Late to the game but hey! Mannings was up near the Multomah County Library. It was known for its coffee. When I was there in the 1970’s it was nothing special, just a buffet with a lot of seating. The coffee actually was great though! The waitresses wore a brown and cream- colored uniform, and a little kerchief pinned in their hair.

Good memories of Top of the Cosmo, Bush Garden, Trader Vics, Jazz de Opus and Hillvilla on Terwilliger. Had our prom at the River Queen.

Thanks for the Jazz de Opus reference! Couldn’t recall the name but loved going there for backgammon and White Russians!!lol…pre Lubowski days. Had a Sigma Tau Omega frat dinner/installation @ River Queen-back when the grain mill was still working and the pigeons would cover the Broadway Bridge.

While in High School, me and two of my “very best friends in the whole world” decided to go down and have dinner on the River Queen. After we were seated, given the menus and checked out the prices, we all looked at one another and tried to figure out how to make an inconspicuous exit. We opted (out of sheer embarrassment) to order 2 bowls of clam chowder, 3 spoons and 3 cokes.

this is mike my father told me that he owned a cafe in the 1960’s it’s name was haney’s cafe on or about i-205 and division if anyone remembers it or knows a site with picks of it i would be most greatful …….again thanks mike

Chalet l’Abbe was owned by my grandparents, Ernest & Jewell Aebi. Ernest was a Chef from Switzerland who worked at the Waldorf-Astoria in NYC before moving out west to start his own business. In Portland, he leased and ran several restaurants including L’Abbe in the Roosevelt Hotel, and did catering for private functions as well as running the OLCC cafeteria in Milwaukie. My Dad, Fred, and his brothers Ernie and Ken, were raised in the Chalet which was the family home until they left for college at which point it became Chalet L’Abbe the fine dining restaurant. My cousins and I were toddlers running around the Chalet before service while my Mom, Uncle, Grandma and Aunt all prepped mise-en-place……it is now called Amadeus Manor

Chateau l’ Abbe was a fine old world place that Portland should be proud to remember. If my memory serves me, many from the Aebi family enjoyed dining at Belinda’s often, which I find was a privilege.

Hi Ross,

Thanks for your kind words about Chalet l’Abbe….I often meet people who had dinner there for Prom or Graduation, or even their wedding reception, and they have warm memories of the place.

I will ask my dad and his brothers if they remember Belinda’s…..

I remember back in the 70s my mother telling me Fred Aebi’s family owned Chalet l’Abbe. She worked with Fred as officer manager.

Hi Vicki….Fred was my father. Your mother may have worked with my Dad in downtown during the 70’s in the First Interstate (now Wells Fargo) or Georgia-Pacific (now the Standard Insurance) Building?

Yes. In what was the Georgia-Pacific Building. She (Verna Taylor) worked for Gearin Landis & Aebi from the mid- late-60s until she retired in approx. 1981. She was office manager/secretary. I worked there too for a short time as a file clerk in 1973 and then as a temp in about 1978 until I found a permanent spot with another firm. I see you used the past tense when talking about your dad–is he deceased?

I remember the Chalet L’Abbe-was only there once with my familly in the late 50’s ? My oldest brother (then about 16 or 17) wanted to take the whole family out to eat as he had his 1st “big paycheck” and wanted to pay back Dad for all the times he took us out for dinner. Unfortunatly,my brother did not have enough money to pay for all 8 of us,so super dad ended up paying for the majority of the bill. My brother was mortified but our father just winked at him and said he’d be more than happy to “get the tip.”

My grandfather, George Sidney Newton, was a chef at L’Abbe in the Roosevelt Hotel. I have his recipe for L’Abbe dressing, a Louis type salad dressing that I still make today. I believe I ate there once when I was quite young, maybe 1953–54? Do you have any information about the restaurant I could include in my grandfather’s story?

My (ex) husband, John Bosin, and I were friends with your uncle Ken. In fact, they worked together in the mid west in the 70s…Ken in Chicago, we were in Minneapolis. Do you remember the filming of the movie, Rollerball, with Raquel Welch at your restaurant? My hubby was an extra on the set and totally loved it!
I am visiting Portland this week and just drove by all the old spots in Milwaukie.

Hi Susan,

Yes, I do remember the filming of “Kansas City Bomber” although I think I was about 7 years old! There is a dinner scene in the movie shot at Chalet l’Abbe with my Uncle Ken and Grandma Jewell serving Raquel Welch and a co-star. That was quite the exciting time for the family. Glad you got to town to visit all your old spots!

Travel safe….Eric

I went to the Chalet L’Abbe when I was in high school and I remember being astounded. Absolutely the last word in class. We had lunch and flaming Crepe Suzettes for dessert. Mind: blown!

Somewhere in Portland, near a very old Montgomery Ward building (a warehouse?) there was a restaurant that cooked some of their food in a open fireplace. Planked salmon was one of those meals.

Does anyone else remember this place, and what the name was?

Does anyone have their biscuit recipe? They called them “angel biscuits,” if I remember correctly, and they were so soft, light and delicious.

I have a bunch of recipes I got from the Woodstove, as Michael Vidor, the founder, was my father-in-law.
I believe the recipe for the biscuits, the salad dressing, and many others are included.

Several vestiges…Le Auberge, 2601 Vaughn, to name two…John Miller was the BBQ and grill master there when not down at Cousins.

I’m remembering the old Little King Sandwich shop downtown maybe on 3rd or 4th? near the old Greyhound depot. And another restaurant called Flemings, down by the old Blue Mouse theater. I used to come up from Roseburg as a 13-15 y/o to see a doctor and as a kid, being perpetually low on funds, figured both of these places gave pretty good value and good food..and I could find them easily. One waitress remembered me and often ‘forgot’ where she left my ticket when she figured my financial. The Little King prevailed on Sandy for 10 years after the downtown location closed, and I probably would not be impressed today, but they were the BEST sandwich at the time.

Re:Little King Sandwich shop.They also had one up somewhere around what used to be the Galleria. Not in it, but in those blocks. And another by PSU–but several blocks south in that group of apartments with the mounds covered in grass. On the backside in the shopping area, they had yet another one. Best sandwiches ever. I’ve had lots of subs here in town but none to compare. There was also a Gregory’s in John’s Landing next to Honey Baked Ham. Frozen vanilla yogurt, very large sub sandwiches with bread that had cornmeal on the bottom….lots of good stuff. I guess they just went out of business. I heard the rents got too high…it’s a shame all these old places are gone. It’s impossible to replace them.

Best Tina sandwich in town.

Meier Frank had small snack bar on lower level, egg salad sandwiches beyond compare.

Upper level,had deli and grocery department.

My mother worked at the store from 1924-1942. Got lots of stories.

Sent from my iPad

>

Isn’t it interesting what people remember? I had the #11 at Little King. It had cappacola (sp?)
on it.

I remember a restaurant that was in a couple of railroad cars; a passenger and bar car, in the close-in southeast industrial district. It was probably on the river side of Water Ave. I lived in Portland in the late sixties and again in the eighties, so it existed in one or both of those eras. It was a small, well designed place, perfect for a martini or manhattan on a rainy night. Can anyone help me with any details? Thanks!

Seems to me that was the Victoria Station, a chain started by some college guys from Berkeley. Evidently the chain is defunct but you still see the Victoria Station setups here and there. We have one here near Sacramento. The restaurant has undergone many changes of décor and ownership and nothing has been successful.
We dined at Victoria Station in Portland around 1990 I believe.
Sam’s Hofbrau is another landmark. I understand the Portland Sam’s is gone as are most of the others. We still have the original in Sacramento (under different ownership), and recently a customer there told me there is a Sam’s Hofbrau in LA but said our local spot is better. Great place for a sandwich and glass of beer.
Carl

You are recalling the “Silver Garden’ .It’s a vacant lot now with a chain link fence around it.
They referred some big lumber buyers to my restaurant from Vegas…S.G. were full up on
a Thursday night. I took the table under protest from my Head Waiter,”I’ve got a hunch, Bob”.
We were pretty booked up also. They came, ate veal and shrimp and bought a bottle of
1947 Ch. Lafite Rothschild ($350.00)…finished that and asked for another! Only I had to
suggest a 1955 Ch. La Tour ($300.00). I had a great wine list, but short on really old multiples of First Growths. The year..I think it was 1979 or 1980. I kept the ticket; it’s somewhere in my things. Ross Pullen Owner/Chef Belinda’s Restaurant 8324 SE 17 TH in Sellwoood.
Those were the days!

Ross, it was at Belindas in Sellwood that I first ate sweetbreads. Yum. I worked with John Gregory and went there with he and his wife Margie. I think they were friends of yours.

After a few minutes I’ve recalled why Belinda’s rings a bell to me. – After being part of the original opening kitchen crew at Key Largo (with “chef” Annie, a fantastic woman) it was a few months in, when Tom Nash hired chef Fernando Divina who later – if I’m not mistaken – went to work at Belinda’s. At Key Largo, Fernando gave me my first contact with classic French inasmuch as it applied to the existing menus. Sauces, reductions, all that. was a good teacher and fun guy.

Fernando did not work for me at Belinda’s in Sellwood. He was ,however, the exective chef at Salty Pickeral’s on the river by the Sellwood bridge…one of the Jerry Kingen restaurant empire that included the Red Robin chain and many others. Fernando just closed his restaurant ,The Terrace in Lake Oswego, some months back. You can contact him on Linkedin.
He has written a definitive Native American cookbook that is a great read.

Yes, the Silver Garden. So beautiful. I did a photo shoot there so have lots of photos of the inside.One of my most popular prints from that was called ‘the last train to Portland’. Richard Avedon even liked it and asked where the train car was.

Ross, I just loved going to Belinda’s. My favorite restaurant. I loved the escargot, sweetbreads, the apricot glazed duckling, and you would always save the end pieces of the bread for us. Thank you so much for the most amazing dining experience. I moved away but it was always a very special memory.

How very nice of you to bring back the good old memories of those days at Belinda’s in Sellwood. I am glad Belinda’s was your favorite.. I remember saving the ends of Helen Bernhard Bakery bread too. Just old fashioned hospitality and good service to one’s customers in action. There is a humorous story about how I developed the Roast Duckling with Apricots dish. Plus i think I was the very first in Portland to offer veal sweetbreads on a permanent menu. I can remember many who said they would never eat a gland like that yet they were won over. The solution ( which is often forgotten by today’s chefs ) is to prepare the food simply with just a few fresh ingredients. I was doing the farm to table in 1978 !

What a trip down Memory Lane! One of the first places I went to downtown was Barney Bagel & Suzy Creamcheese, at the Galeria…
I’ve been trying to remember the names to a couple places: 1) sit-down restaurant at Lloyd Center, probably late 1960s–I seem to recall high-back red booths. I was thinking part of the name may have had something to do with Hippopautamus. 2) SW Broadway and Taylor, where Columbia Sportswear is now, used to have several restaurants under one roof in the 1980s (deli, Greek, pizza, etc.). Ring any bells? Thanks!

At Lloyd Center it was Mr. C’s Hippopotamus, and there was Manning’s Cafeteria (with a sit-down area next to the skating rink), The Aladdin (above the rink), the Pancake Corner, Goldbergs, and Woolworth’s and Newberry’s counters.

I cooked at Mr. C’s in the ’60s. He was a tough taskmaster, but I enjoyed working there and I liked to go to Manning’s occasionally for a bite and a “hottle” of coffee. The Pancake House as well. Everything changes. The Portland of my callow youth is gone. The big market downtown with peanut butter in barrels, “slunk veal” from WWII, the giant old streetcars and trying to bicycle around over wet tracks and streets. The Journal used to offer premiums for taking subscriptions. I got to ride in an “giant” DC3 and another time we went to Timberline for a day of skiing. They offered free classes for future cartoonists as well. Can you believe Swan Island was once our in-town airport?

I went to an estate sale several years ago, and it was a house owned by one of the previous owners of Manning’s, I got a cool depression green glass silverware holder, and a bunch of long iced tea spoons with Manning’s engraved on them, and a bitchin’ cool chrome blender.

I lived near Division, and on Fridays I’d walk to Millie and Howard’s garage for James Beard Brownies, roasted chicken, and other gourmet take out food they sold from Friday noon until end of Saturday out of their garage window, if the food lasted that long. It was brilliant. Millie later turned it into a small restaurant, and finally an East Indian restaurant i’m sure someone knows the name of. Ross?

Oh my gosh, so happy to have found this thread !!!
I worked at Rians eating establishment in the mid 70’s, in Morgans alley !!
I remember almost every restaurant mentioned, does anyone remember “Bills Gold Coin”, on burnside ??
My room mate and best friends Father was Bud Meadows, we used to go there after work and have the caezar salad, awesome 🙂
I was friend’s with Horst mager, Don Berchtold who once owned Johns meat Market, of course, remember Roses, I can’t believe they closed !!
Trader Vics was my favorite, loved henry Fords on Barber Blvd, Jakes, Kon tiki was my first date with my husband 🙂
We left Portland in 1981, transferred to, Little Rock for 8 years, now in Louisville, Ky, 2 more years and heading to a warm climate.
But, so miss Portland, and all the great people, still best friends with Marit ( Meadows), but would love to hear more about the good old days 🙂
Top of the Cosmo, anyone remember the Pantry ??
And the hippopotomas in Lloyd center, I worked at Nordstroms there, loved their french fries with vinegar 🙂
Hello to everyone, thank you so much for sharing your memories,
Karen L. Kane Miller Druckenmiller ( really 🙂
Have to hang on to Kane, 30 years of being called “Drunkenmiller “, argggh 🙂

I was always at Rian’s in Morgan’s Alley and actually dated several of the gals that worked there, namely Genevieve Beuker. Bill’s Gold Coin was a hoot and Bud meadow’s could (and did) drink just about anyone under the table. And Henry Ford’s with the required wait in the lounge with its flecked red wall paper made for wonderful anticipation of the upcoming family style feast. Dined there many times. One of my favorite restaurants in Louisville is Jack Fry’s out on Bardstown Road…..

Susi- The restaurant you are referring to on Division St was Indigine. Howard and Millie were Reed professors that left after a big kerfuffle with a bunch of others (including Judy (?) “Grey” Wolfe who started Bread and Ink. I believe the exodus also spawned Genoa and L’Auberge.) I ate at Indigine a couple of times for dinner (1976 +/-) but every Sunday for brunch. There was a year-long waiting list to eat there. Friday and Saturday, two seatings each night. How many courses? Four or five? You would file in and find your seat, which was a chair folded and leaning against the wall. Once you sat down the was it. If somebody needed to pee during dinner it was a big deal. Each diner received a souffle. This was amazing since the 5 x 7 kitchen had an electric residential range. A group of friends (8 AM brunchers – Donald, Jesse, Chris, Janet, Jimmy and Frida) and I cleaned and painted that kitchen as a gift to Howard and Millie. What a mess!

When their landlord died I bought the property and tore down the garage. It had been a lunch counter back in the day and Millie talked of the woman/cook/owner who passed out over the stove and burned her breasts. Howard and Milly loaned me $40,000 to build them a new restauarant, which I leased back to the. I think it was 1982. I restored the abandoned Victorian behind the restaurant – still “Indigine” and lived there for years.

Howard left and later married Grey Wolfe. He died a few years back. Last I heard, Millie was still around. I’d love to see her. I wonder if she still drives that Volkswagen square-back…

RE: (2)I believe you’re thinking of “The Metro” on Broadway. Kind of like the Galleria food court. And then a tiny bit later, or in conjunction with, the old Yamhill Marketplace. I used to “study” there”!

The location of “The Metro” is now Columbia Sportswear location on SW Broadway; it was cavernous in the day.

#2) yes, Called Metro on Broadway. est c.1984 it contained one of Portlands first coffee bars “Ears to You” They were the first to serve Starbucks Coffee in Portland. Peter used to drive up to Seattle once a week for beans.
>Then there was “SAVIOS” the italian place. Calzones, Pasta, Pizza by the Slice
>FRENCH ROSE was the creperie
>DOWNTOWN DELI were the Greeks that also served sandwiches etc
>There was a wine bar in the back corner
>and finally the GELATO bar as you come in the door.

you walked downwards into a Pink and Grey wonderland. Ordered, got a number and took a seat.

I think the place on SW Broadway and Taylor was called Metro. I loved that place.

Does anyone remember Best Ever Doughnuts on SW Macadam Ave and Nevada? It went under in 1971. It was my dads place-great doughnuts and amazing caramel pecan rolls.

I think this is the place my dad stopped at once a week on his way home. He’s gone so I can’t ask him but he brought home the most delicious donuts. Mostly puffy glazed ones. 🙂

Best Ever Doughnuts was owned by my dad Scott Fergerson. The address was 7035 SW Macadam Avenue, on the corner of Macadam and Nevada. The building still stands, currently it’s a coin collecting shop and a pot shop. Art Factors was there for decades.
Before the donut shop it was my Great-grandparents store called Coopers Market.

Mrs furguson used to got to Trinity Pres. didnt know she had a daughter.
daleedwardsherbourneatmacdotcom

Thats so funny 2 succesive owners with same sounding name. Florence was such a sweetie.

Across the street from Huntington Rubber. Great Donuts. Had Mrs Ferguson as a Sunday School Teacher at Trinity. And Ron probably took the Donuts.

We arrived in droves; usually 3 or 4, donuts smelled so good, we would load up a big container and pull, tug, and push it across the Sellwood Bridge to the park…..Met lots of girls there, including my wife of almost 50 years… Told her my folks owned a donut shop..

Yes, right across the street from Huntington Rubber Mill! I used to wait on the workers from there.

I bet the Mrs Fergerson you mentioned was my dads first wife Florence. Very tall and slender?

I’m not sure how to add to this site, but I worked at Clementine’s Restaurant across from the downtown Portland Hilton on Broadway(owned by Paul and Janet Goodell) where they had the best spinach soufflé and sweet pickles, Buttertoes Restaurant on 32nd and Belmont, a whimsical fairyland of a restaurant set in a Victorian house, and La Casa De Rios Mexican Restaurant on Hawthorne. Oh, and I also worked at Ryan’s Fish and Ale on Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy. Used to love the pizzas at De Nicola’s and the crab louies at Pal Shanty’s on Sandy Blvd. I could still work, but none of these new ‘snobberies’ want to hire a female server over the age of 35. Sad.

Might it have been Goldberg’s? Best Reubens ever! It was right across from Payless and Newberry’s and down from Toyland.

Sounds like Mr C’s Hippopotamus restaurant… owned by Joe Cantonese, who I believe lives in the Tigard area

Hi,
Piknik Deli was in the basement of Morgan’s Alley. A Turk maned Ali was the owner.. a couple of the employees were John Plew and Russ Teising, who have owned several restaurants including Grand Central Bowl, The Thirsty Lion, and many more.. also in Arizona and other southwest states.
Ron S.

the train car on the East side wasn’t Victoria Station that was on Macadam. It was a silver dome car called Silver arrow or Silver something. Lloyd center had the Hungry Hippopotamus, and a really great restaurant called The Aladdin above the Ice rink. My mom would take me there for lunch when she shopped M+F’s Friday Surprise sales. If we went to the downtown store it was The Georgian room for Portland’s best French Onion soup. No memory’s of Portland would be complete without The Pantry on Broadway, Bart’s Wharf on the Columbia, The Anchorage in Sellwood with its all you can eat Friday night seafood buffet, later called Salty s.
My eighth grade graduation dinner was at the Top of the Cosmo, it was the first time my dad let me have frogs legs. Wilf’s at the train station was always a great place and of course the Barbary Coast restaurant at the Hoyt Hotel, does anyone remember Gracie Hansen and the men’s bathroom tours so people could see the huge seashell urinals?
another great place is Tad’s Chicken & Dumpling out on the Sandy river, its still a great place.

Way to go, rrochat! You identified the rail car restaurant/bar in the close-in southeast industrial area. Almost. It was Silver (something). In the 70s (I think), I loved having a manhattan in the domed bar car on a rainy night, looking toward downtown. Another place with a good view was the Agate Bar at the Top of the Cosmo. In the no-alcohol age (for me), I was a soda-jerk in Lipman Wolfe’s Chocolate Lounge for a couple of high school summers in the late 50s. Made Tiger Tigers, Idiot’s Delights, Hot Fudge Sundaes, served lots of apple pie ala mode. And downtown in that era, I remember Jolly Joan’s, Pig and Pancake, Hilaire’s, and Orange Julius in the downtown farmers’ market. All good memories, all. Thanks!

There used to be a diner in an old train car west of Powell near the Fred Meyer headquarters and warehouse. It’s probably gone now.

Just a bit of info further -a train or dome car by Fred Meyer is not in my memory; however the
Victoria Station was on Macadam adjacent to the rail lines and the river. My friend Don Wudtke’s
firm, Wudtke Watson Davis of San Francisco were the design/arch. firm for all 60 locations
around the globe. There was a restaurant in two Stainless Steel Dome cars in the SE warehouse
district (2 blocks from todays Produce Row Cafe called “Silver Garden” .It closed in the mid to
late eighties and is now a storage yard.

I remember an older friend telling me that the Jolly Roger had a diner car on 39th and Powell. They later moved to the building that was next to the Astro station on the N.E. corner of 39th & Powell. Then when the new construction started, they moved to S.E. 12th between Hawthorne and Belmont, and they were still there when I drove by a few days ago.

Carioca

Ron
It was called the Brooklyn Diner, greasy spoon meat and potato place.
I use to eat early and late dinners in the early 70’s when I worked swing shift nearby.

Larry,
As you may know, the building was “uncovered” a few years ago when they widened Holgate Street for mass transit… The Oregonian did a pretty good spread on it.
In college during the ’60’s it was a frequent haunt late at night.. Was it open 24 hours?

Best that I recall i think it was open 24/7. I ate there after swing shift and never remember them closing. My wife grew up just around the corner and remembers going there with her Dad. The rail yards were pretty busy back then so I’m sure many from the yards ate there.

I forgot to add Henry Ford’s out off Barbur blvd with its flocked wall paper. L’Auberge was first on Burnside then relocated to Vaughn, they had the very best poached lemon cheesecake.

I wish Henry Ford’s was still there too. The family had a valuable piece of property and sold it for development of some type. The son has a sandwich place in Old Town on NW 5 th or 6 th-Ford’s also, I believe. L’ Auberege burned down (across from The Ringside)…and was
moved to where Meriwether’s @ 2610 NW Vaughan is today. (Between it was 2601 Vaughan Restaurant-great brunch.).

You’re right Ross, best little French bistro of the time…the twin sisters (now owners of Papa Hydyns) waitressed there!

And the fire (loved that restaurant) was, if I recall correctly, stupidly caused by a jealous bf of a rental tenant…
As for Papas you’re freaking me out. They’ve been around since like 1978. When was this fire? The timeline seems off to me…

Ross, wasn’t Cafe des Amis in the space after L’Auberge moved and then burned down? How about Le Cuisinier in the Crystal Ballroom block. And the place in the Uptown shopping center that is now a real estate office?

Abe,

L’Auberge moved to 2601 Vaughan where Merriweather’s is now. Cafe Des Amis was owned by Dennis ( don’t recall his last name ) of L’Auberge. He later moved it to NW 19 TH (?) where L’ Escargot was located, where Jackie had been the chef.Le Cusinier was located at W. Burnside and SW 13 TH, a stone’s throw from Jake’s Crawfish.This is all pretty crazy…… the memories.The small elite restaurants of today in PDX seem so foreign to me. The chefs use 12 ingredients when 3 would be great. Oh well, an old man’s opinions and $6. bucks will get you a cup of coffee at “Smallbucks”!

i’m on a roll now, does anyone remember the HUGE menu at Henry Thelle’s? And nearby the wonderful Uptown Broiler? You could eat at either place then go to the Uptown Baskin Robbins for a scoop? Goldberg’s, and of course the Pancake Corner both at Loyd center. The Canlis at the top of the HIlton Hotel? I can’t believe no one has mentioned the Carousel restaurant at the foot of Pill Hill. I like that some people liked Jazz D’Opus (with all its low down seating) but I always loved going to the later addition Opus Too for incredible steak.There was a really tiny and wonderful restaurant off of McLaughlin blvd out past Milwaukie in the basement of a house, call Four Season’s. it really was the forerunner of fresh local gourmet menus in the Portland area.
Gosh…
I have felt we lack places that are enjoyable to go to, everything now is mostly corporate and trendy not necessarily good; sort of “oh this week we all have to make our food tall, or oh we have to put peppers in everything” unfortunately as consumers we are looking for everyone to do the same thing as well.

Okay, am native. Carasoul, Bergs Chalet, Boheimn, Jolly Jones, Chocolate Lounge, M&F Tea Room, separate site for men only. Gene and Joe’s, now tebo’s-went in Nov. Burgers still great. Hi lairs, The Fireside. The Old Towne Crier. Matterhorn owned by Walt Elmer and another man. After the Elmers died the original rest.closed. Anybody remember coffee flake ice cream at MeierFrank? Summer Girl and WinterGirl. Salt stick, Little Boy blue at Boheimn. Birthday cakes came from there. Custard snails fromAlberta Bakery. Henry Thiele, german pancake. Roses whentjeyactuallyhad good food. Daves Deli? Yaws of course. mandarian is gone along with Hing family. Chins solfofPagaoda building.
Coon Chicken Inn, date place for my folks. TikTok,Scottys. Church’s zfried chicken. The Skyline Drive In, stopped for ice cream cones coming home from hillsboro. We always met somebody mither knew while inline at Republic. Mother worked at Meieranf Frank 1924-1942. Jolly Jones? Sylvia’s-first pizza ever had came from there. Shakers did free small for birthdays43years ago. Farrell’s Ice Cream free birthday sundae.

Salt sticks at the Bohemian restaurant downtown–the best thing ever! My 80-year-old grandmother would take me there for lunch, then we’d go to the Saturday matinee at the Blue Mouse. (I saw the original “The Fly” there when I was probably 7-8 years old. Scared me to death! What was she thinking?)

YES! Finally someone mentioned Dave’s Delicatessen! I loved that place! Dave and his wife Shirley took good care of me there. One of the first places in Portland to openly and proudly hire (in 1970s terms) M/F/H. I was making the chicken soup that Shirley taught me how to make today and thought I’d look the place up, and wow what a site! Daves, though…matzoh ball soup, gefilte fish, noodle kugel, potato knishes, all made on site fresh every day, the animated counterman who served you running up and down the line, the Dr. Browns Cel-Ray soda…oh it was heaven!

Hey Steve Gramstad! Heidi and I founded Papa Haydn in ’78, and were just recently bought out by her sister Evelyn and her husband. For the record, they’re not twins (2 years apart, actually) and they never waitresses there😉
Wonderful to have come across this site!
Reuben’s 5 on Jefferson. Best Reuben in town. Don Petrie.

Beg to differ, Lydia’s when they were downtown, just north of Chocolate Moose, it was on 11th I believe…remember Art in his cart sipping beer tell he got wasted…

Jeffrey – THANK YOU for bringing up Reuben’s 5! I recently found this site and, about half-way thru the postings, finally found someone who remembered this great little tavern up on SW Jefferson. Great messy Reubens washed down with a bottle of Henry’s Dark! In the late ’70’s, a friend of mine and I were trudging home to NW from DT thru a late evening snowstorm. We decided a Reuben’s 5 sandwich would sustain us for the rest of the trip. We were the only customers, but there was no pressure to finish and leave. Watching the snow whirl outside while warm, full, and happy inside (and having many Henry’s as fortification against the elements), it is remains, vividly, a great memory this many years later. Thx!

My husband and I loved the reuben sandwiches at Reuben’s 5. We would have them with a cream soda. I lost my first wedding band there. Took it off so I wouldn’t get the hard, shaved off soap in it. That was a month after we were married in 1969. 2019 was our 50th anniversary. Great memories of the downtown restaurants.

I am very excited to be able to read this thread. My Grandfather was the great and late Larry Hilaire, I am the Son of Larry’s Daughter Karen (Hilaire) Nickolas. One of the things that saddened me very much was that my Grandfather (Papa) as I knew him was involved in declining to serve a black person. He in fact had a sign in the window that they only served white industry which thankfully changed in time. It’s a sad and unfortunate fact of the times. I would how ever like to speak of is his impact in the restaurant industry not only in the Portland area but on the National level. Larry to date I believe is the only President of the National Restaurant Assoc to hail from the great state of Oregon. There is a great headline from the Oregonian that read “President Hilaire to meet President Eisenhower”.
No matter what level of stature he had he always was mindful of his local arena and was respected for that and away from the restaurants he was an award winning green thumb rosarian and president of the portland rose society in 1954. One of the things mentioned above was a meeting that was held between my Papa and the Col Sanders, there was intact a meeting of powerhouses per say as at that time my Papa was a force to be reckoned with as Col Sanders sought him out. Col Sanders approached my Papa to indeed have a stake in the Fried Chicken Biz. The meeting happened at my Papa and Nana’s home in SE PDX where my Papa argued that “People eat fried chicken on sunday” well we all know what came of KFC and the Col. lol

I would love to hear from more people about Larry.

great memories. My memory is that your grandpa said: “Why should I pay Sanders a quarter for every chicken I sell?” But he did all right without Colonel Sanders anyway. 😀

What a great story! My grandmother, Lorraine ‘Rainie’ Callicrate, used to take me to downtown Portland on the old Rose City Transit busses in the early 60s. She raved about Hilaire’s and used to always brag to her lady friends when she had the good fortune to ‘dine’ at your granfather’s restaurant!! I never had that opportunity but always heard my folks and their friends go on and on about the great food! Hope more Portlanders get to share thier positive stories about your grandfather and his legacy!!Tim Callicrate

I’m really getting old, so I make more boo-boos than I used to. Actually, I got it wrong about 25 cents for a chicken. The line went: “Why should I pay that guy a nickel for every chicken I sell? The part about him saying people mostly ate chicken dinners on Sunday sounds right on.

Hello Ian, I was born a year after your Uncle Kerry. Know knew your Mom and your grandparents. I’ve been in that house on Crystal Springs. Many memories of eating in Hilaire’s and attending the annual Wild Game Dinners that had a huge array of meats. Starting with Rocky Mountain Oysters. And always a lot of liquor was available. Those are sweet and bitter sweet recollections you posted. My parents, and your grandparents, were raised with some terribly narrow prejudices. Say hello to your Mom. Tell her I’m still in regular touch with Bill Griffith. …

John thank you for your response, my Mom unfortunately passed away in 2003 after a five year battle with breast cancer and if you knew my Mom Karen she did not only in style but she fought it with my Papa’s bull headed determination.

I am so appreciative of all these responses.

Ìn all fairness to your Papa, he was probably right in that most people probably thought of chicken as a dine-out Sunday dinner.
In those days things were decidedly different on racial issues. While Portland didn’t officially have segregation, it was there. Black people mostly stayed in their part of town. They had hotels like The Dunbar, which were for black trade. In town, nearly the only black people you saw were working. Some restaurants did have signs, White Only, not always because the owners were prejudiced, but because too many white people objected to dining alongside black people. Mostly this was ignorance born of not knowing or understanding. I paid good money to see Steppin Fetchit on the stage. Mantan Moreland would have been welcome in our house any day of the week. Our national hero was Joe Louis and Louie Armstrong…what can I say? Yet nobody wanted black neighbors.
Being blessed (!?) by being poor, we lived in an ethnically mixed neighborhood. Our next door neighbor was a black couple. As a six-year old I used to visit Mrs. Ellison (I think that was her name) and she gave me pencils and things and told me stories. Under her bed she had her grandfather’s civil war uniform. Yes, he fought in the war. I’m not sure which side he fought on, but he was a soldier in the war between the states.
Later I delivered Journals and most of my customers on my route were black, so overall, I was always used to intermingling with black people and never had cause to wonder about race distinctions. Once my mother told me that she was on the bus. A black man got on and sat by a white woman who immediately gave him a dirty look and moved.
When the war started, things changed. Black people could learn to build ships as well as the next guy and soon our buses were full of black people coming and going to the shipyards.
And after all, we all got along.
Keep your good memories of Portland and everyone. It was a great place to grow up. Sadly, my Portland no longer exists except in my memory banks.

what ever do you mean that Portland wasn’t officially segregated? Oregon was the only state to join the Union with a clause in its constitution that forbid Black or other “colored people” from even staying overnight. The closed accomdation laws were not overturned until 1953 and mixed race marriages were against the law until 1951. Real estate was “redlined” and in some neighborhoods, still is, and recent inspections have proved that, unfortunately, such discrimination still exists.

I knew Portland had problems with race, but I didn’t realize it was that bad.Thanks for the update. As a kid we often accept the status quo. I just took it for granted that black people shined shoes, carried luggage at the Portland Hotel. When visitors stayed at the Dunbar Hotel I took it for granted it because they liked to be with their own kind. We were poor enough to live right on the edge of what was mostly a black neighborhood as I remember it. I delivered Journals and most of my subscribers were black. I loved Step’nfetcit and Mantan Moreland. I used to play with black kids and never really thought about it. Like many, I didn’t wake up and start thinking about the inequities until the sixties. I had no idea that black headliners in Vegas had to stay in black hotels on the other side of town. That was a real eye-opener.
Thanks again for your notice. Carl

I remember playing golf at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, about 1952-55, and blacks were not allowed to play there. I remember being in the “Pro Shop” once when a couple of black men came in carrying golf clubs. They were told they couldn’t play because “too many of the golfers would object. Hayden Newton was the Pro there – a nice guy despite the foregoing.

Cmalbrecht, you seem to go back the farthest on this thread. I am looking for some firsthand memories from the 1930’s to 40’s for a project I’m researching. Especially after school work, berry picking in the summer and which streetcar lines were still running. Also were the new Irish immigrants concentrated in a particular neighborhood at this time? If you would be willing to help me I can be contacted at
kppetersen@gmail.com. thanks.

I was a small child in the 1960’s, and my father, Eugene Bosworth, a pastel artist, showed his paintings in (at least) The Encore. I remember going along as the folks would transport the paintings, or change them, and were friendly with Mr. Hilaire.
Dad also displayed at Obie’s and Perry Boy’s Smorgy, both out on the Eastside.

Enjoyed this so much. Retired now….Steve Yaw took advantage of everyone including his employees….Many people are still suffering from his actions….He should have gone to prison, instead, he went to Washington to sell boats….He should have stayed there…

There was a little diner on the corner of SW 9th and Stark, it was called Irv’s. They made the best cheeseburgers ever. It was right next door to my father’s print shop and I spent many afternoons sipping their wonderful chocolate malts and doing my homework.

Julie – are you related to the Caputo’s that owned the Shell gas station at 12th and Hawthorne. What a great bunch guys – Jimmie Caputo and his sons. Went there as a kid while my dad had his oil changed. Later I bought gas there. I delivered the Journal Newspaper to them.

Speaking of pizza, does anyone remember the name of one of the first pizza parlors to hit Portland in the early 1960s – it was located on SE Woodstock around SE 60th? in what later became a Shakey’s.

You might be thinking of Hokies Pizza. Best combination Pizza I ever had. And speaking restaurants that no one has mentioned – remember Ferrels Ice Cream Parlor? Rember the Portland Zoo Ice Bowl for the large birthday parties. In grade school my friend Forrest and I would sneak off the school grounds to a little hamburger stand on about 30th and Division. Best shrimp burger in the world. Can’t remember the name of it. Also remember the Skyline Burger at NW Cornell and Skyline road. Worked at a gas station across the street and ate there constantly. Gas station is gone now. And remember the drug store soda fountains. Our neighborhood Rexall drug store was Headly’s on 22nd & Hawthorne. Eddie was behind the counter. Great egg salad sandwhich.

Some great pizza places in PDX back in the day. Old Town Pizza and The Pizza Quarry (anex of The Jazz Quarry) were a couple of my favorites.

Back in the mid 60’s, I worked as a busboy at the Top Of The Cosmo. Yes, these were the days when the ‘head’ chef would smoke in the kitchen, and occasionally drop cigarette ashes in (and on) the meal, but what the heck, who knew? It was ‘Easter Eve’, and the ladies that came in were all decked out in their formal attire, and were looking very sharp. As I served the coffee, with CREAM, after the meal, the last item to be placed on the table was the CREAM. The CREAM container slid across the tray, hit the edge, flipped up and over, and right down the cleavage of the dress of a very well dressed, happyy diner. Well, you guessed correctly. That was my last night as a busboy – but it was fun while it lasted.

Geof, That happened to me while bussing at Trader Vic,s, I was serving coffee and the last cup slid over and spilled all over this guy who was wearing a white suit and dinner jacket, how embarrassing. Of course the manager offered to have it dry cleaned and actually I got to keep my job.

Wooden chicken was before the Hobbit.Became DJ,s. Dart place, then Pizza and Pasta Factory where jazz returned. Mel Brown often played in both incarnations.

That’s unfortunately correct. It is a Walgrens. I remember running into one of the owners back in the late ’90s. He was working at an AM-PM on 181st and Halsey. He said the restraunt/bar business was killing him.
I remember my wife an I would go there on open mike Sundays and listen to some really good jazz. We ran into ‘Sweet Baby James” , and mel Brown at a community function a year or so ago. It was great talking about the Hobbit. There was even a suggestion of a Hobbit Reunion.

Does anyone remember the name of a great hamburger joint on NE Broadway between Lloyd Center and the Memorial Coliseum. In about the late ’60’s /early ’70’s? It had a very distinctive sign with olives for eyeballs.

That was a Whiz Burger! We had on in Milwaukie too. They hung on until the bitter end. memorialized in paint by a MilHi student, that portrait of a burger joint sign hung in my English teacher’s classroom for 15 years. The sign was two olives, for eyeballs, looking down at a cheeseburger, with a pair of cartoonish lips about to bite into it. That painting still haunts my dreams.

Does anyone remember The Shadows (about 22nd just off Burnside), Club Elmo (or Elmo’s Club) in Parkrose on about Sandy and 85th, Holman’s on 28th and Burnside ? Asparro’s on Grand Avenue These would have all been in the 1955-65 era

Asparro’s,…? that was The Union Ave.Social Club, right? curious that it WAS on Grand, yes….(..or Mr. Asparro later added that title onto the name of his place, maybe?) I was a busboy at Asparro’s UASC for a few months in, like 1973 or so.

(Cannot find how to edit these),….anyway, I recall now it was owned by Lee Hamblin and there was some huge monstrous espresso machine, fishnet clad waitresses, and yeah, the smell of big money was thiiiick in the air.

These are responses to many of your comments. This web page does not separate them clearly:
**Asparro’s on SE Grand was a fixture for years. I believe it had a Greek style menu, but I may be mistaken on that.(Union Avenue Social Club was the name given after he sold it)** HOLMAN’S at SE 28 TH and Burnside is still open and operating last I checked. The “German restaurant on 82 ND and Burnside that Jim Darke mentioned was actually a Swiss place called **THE MATTERHORN and operated until early 2000’S when it was sold and they built a Walgreen’s.

I knew John Asparro in the 1963-67 era. At that time, The restaurant was just called Asparro’s, not the Union Avenue Social Club. It was on Grand Avenue. And yes, I was in Holman’s on 28th a few times during that same era

What about Aldo’s Restaurant downtown? I was a line cook there in 1980-1981 then went on to be a chef in New Orleans and am now writing my food memoir. Looking for info! It featured Northern Italian cuisine and was the last Last Call at the bar in town. I also worked at the Marketplace restaurant in Tigard in the seventies…

Don’t forget the cool downtown gay bars: the Family Zoo and the Embers.
Marisa
http://www.steppingintothewater.wordpress.com

The Embers still exists, over on the NW side of Broadway. It’s a far cry from the original which was next to the Virginia Cafe on Park Avenue.

I totally agree! What a precious insight for those who attended and also went around the corner to the “Red Door’! True cabaret….great food and beverage offerings, great ambiance. Where else has anyone…and I mean anyone, anywhere, witnessed such a successful blend of straight, gay, macho, metro, Nam combat veterans, slink, etc.?

I proposed to my wife in Aldo’s! We would always order, our plates would come, she would look at mine and say “can we trade,? yours looks better” and we traded – guess that’s why all is well after 33 years. My mother was a cocktail waitress at the Shadows in the 50s where she met my stepfather. My sister and I worked at The Woodstove (though she worked at many other restaurants as we.l)
I haven’t seen The Ringside mentioned – best onion rings or The Lovejoy Tavern – great burgers; then there was the original Nicks Coney Island…

Remember any of these? Amato’s Supper Club on Broadway (I was too young to go in, but there was a DJ who broadcast from a widow on the corner on Friday nights, so you could see him as you cruised by). Then there was the Wee College Inn, near Portland State. Great soup or sandwiches on a poor student’s budget. And what about the Whistling Pig in West Slope, on Canyon Blvd. They had huge roasts, hams and turkeys that they sliced to order for sandwiches. The Crab Bowl on Barbur? Red Rooster (Wilson High Hangout in the 50’s) on Barbur? Blue Heaven on Barbur, in an old car dealership building next to the (still there and still good) Caro Amico?

I’m desperate to get a photo of what I remember from the 1980s it was the Crab Bowl I think. There was a neon sign of a crab and the claws would move back and forth?

I’m desperate to get a photo of the Crab Bowl from the 1980s. I think they had a neon sign of a crab and the claws moved back and forth?

My parents got engaged at the Whistling Pig in March 1957. They both worked at Meier and Frank. Dad sold shoes and Mom worked in the handkerchief department. I would love any information about the Whistling Pig. I have searched the internet and come up with nothing!

I saw some “Coon Chicken Inn” plates and cups for sale in a antique store in San Francisco for about $500.00 each!

Two books show reference to the “COON CHINKEN INN” (formerly the Prime Rib on 50th and Sandy) and they are “the House that Chicken Built” and “Sundown Towns”….hopes this helps out…the Prime Rib was my parents fav!

I knew a waiter named Val, that worked at The Prime Rib on Sandy in 1975 or 76. He described it as “a pit stop for vindictive old ladies”.

In reply to Marks comment about knowing the waiter Val in teh mid-70’s, I worked there with Val for several years. We were very good friends. Did you and I perhaps meet one time through Val?
Bart
dogwoodkidlets@comcast.net

First, I believe it was Coon CHICKEN Inn, not Coon CHINKEN Inn. In reference to Rene Varin, I seem to remember him from Parkrose School in the mid-50’s era.

I remember Val. I worked as a bus girl for a short time and he was a waiter there. So funny.

Some that I remember–I moved here in 1976- – were Pettygrove House in NW, The Woodstove on NW Vaughn, Indigine in SE on Division and Le Bonne Crepiere in John’s Landing. Another was Crepe Faire on NW 3rd down the block from Jazz de Opus. It was in a very 60’s Hippie looking building that was sort of a mini-mall. Also the Mediaeval Inn which was long on atmosphere with serving wenches and outrageous portions in SW on 2nd near Burnside. In it’s next life, it became a cool dancing club but the name excapes me. Also Pot Siticker and Sizzling Rice near Old Town pizza which I thought served the best pizza in Portland at the time. Wasn’t there one called the Duchess of Burnside? It was upstairs on E Burnside around 22nd and I think there is still a restaurant up there. Delevans was in the old fire station on NW Glissan, a very fancy supper club.

After The Medieval Inn….wasn’t it Louie’s LaBamba? (Or was there something there BEFORE LaBamba?) I remember being first exposed to the later incarnations of The Holy Modal Rounders there: i.e. The Rounders, The Clamtones, LesClams.
Also, at John’s Landing, are you referring to the “Crepiere” up on the 2nd floor down at the west end of the building? Marie Holman, of the Wooden Horse dwnstrs., owned it later (Marie’s Creperie) Learned my hand at making quiches and applying general creativity into the day’s special quiche.

Del Pearl’s wife Stephanie was Executive Chef at the Excelsior and ran it for many years, revised it and was its heart and soul. Del was financial partner. He and Tony came to Portland and opened Delevans where I waitressed for a short time. Del was in an unfortunate situation in Columbia for a few years, so by the time I got hired he was gone and the place was less than well managed with Del gone.

Loved Crepe Faire, Jazz de Opus. I worked at Chuck’s Steak House on Front, Poor Richard’s on Sandy, and Salty’s.

Sure would like a Speck burger or a Yaw’s burger even a burger from Tic Toc would do, maybe a smoked oyster pizza from Chico’s or the lunch special with their great cole slaw from Waddle’s today. Miss going to Nick’s Coney Island and hearing Frank Nudo say to Wing Commander “order up”. Spot 79 also had a great little luncheon steak special and the Pink feather was a favorite for broasted chicken or even fish and chips from Robin’s with extra tartar sauce would be great.

Mannings at Lloyd Center had the best burgers for a sit-down cafeteria restaurant. Something very unique…also Burger Chef by PSU–my father would bring me one when I was sick. LOL! An incentive to get well, I guess. I’ve never found any other burgers in Portland that tasted like those two places. Weird how the smallest thing can completely change the same food item.

Ate my first mushroom on a pizza at Chico’s–really liked that place (with its adult and teen sections).

I worked at Crepe Faire for 8 years. Working in both locations. Hank and Helen were very good employers.

I used to know the owners of Chuck’s but can’t believe I can’t remember their names. They were a couple. Maria was her name?

This is a great thread. Really takes you down memory lane. I moved to Portland at the beginning of 1979 and managed a place called Eriksen’s Restaurant out on Barbur. The place was popular with specialties such as the Swedish meatballs and Swedish pancakes. I remember driving by the Crab Bowl and there was constantly a line out front. If we could only go back in time, even if it were for just a day. It would be cool to see some of these places again.

The first night in Portland, late 1976. Having come from Chef’s job in Boise and we were looking for an apt., we stayed at the motel next to Eriksen’s. The food was wonderful. It was the first time to have Swedish Pot[ato Sausage.

I remember Eriksen’s Restaurant — Worked there right along side of you Mike. It was a great place. Not sure why you fired me tho

I was just looking that place up and saw this thread. Wow. I worked there for a short time back in ’91-’92, just before joining the military. The food was soooo good.

My Aunt was Agnes Ericksen Duhrkoop who owned Ericksens…a lovely lady (at least from what I knew) I at with her at a hotel downtown once and she was shocked by the “color” of the plate which I assume was actually the color of the food. She sent it back. My favorite was the British Burger which seemed a mile high.

I loved Mazzi’s. When I had a day off from my restaurant in Sellwood, Belinda’s, we would drive over the bridge to Macadam Av. and have some old fashioned Italian. Their bread was home made too. The cheesecake recipe? I’m sure if you begged the family at their original place in Eugene, you might be successful.mazzis.com

Old school Northwest Italian food….the only place that still comes to mind is Pasquale’s out in Newberg. So many of them gone, the vast plates of pasta and cheap chianti replaced by gourmet versions. Cara d’Amico type places. Are there any left in Portland?

Anyone remember “Ireland’s” or the Creamery. There was a cafeteria near S.W. 4th owned by two brothers….some great comfort food.

My mother worked at Irelands during high school and continued to eat there after graduating from business college and then took me there as a child in the early 60s

I’m wondering if anyone here could comment on how far back Dairy Queen had been serving Portland? I know DQ’s Milwaukie (11094 SE Main St., closed circa 2000) and Oregon City (613 J. Q. Adams St., still exists) units date back to about 1950 and were initially both run by relatives of the same Segrin family.

But what I want help on is: when did the first few DQs show up in the greater Portland area, and which locations?

Some elder statesmen DQ stores:
5934 SE Duke St.
17405 SE Division St.
5605 SE Division St.
1610 SE Tolman St.

I was just at the one in Oregon City this week. There was also one in Milwaukie for many years, but now it is a Teriyaki place. There just aren’t enough DQ’s around!

Ah, yes, I know that Beaverton DQ all too well. I worked in Hillsboro for many years and that DQ was frequently on my route home.

Does anyone remember machesemo mouse? I have been looking for the “boss sauce” recipe for years, with no luck. Just thought I would ask here also.

Dennis5150. Good news, Dennis. There are some people from the old Macheesmo Mouse organization working on bringing it back at the present time.. First location (if it is all finalayzed)
will be in Beaverton. I cannot devulge any more details, but you may be able to buy the famous “Boss Sauce” once again.
Ross Pullen

Ross,

Machismo Mouse!!! YES. Downtown, I have been working on replicating their Boss Sauce, have come close. My standard dish was the brown rice and black beans with cheese melted over it, just the right amount by the way, and Boss Sauce, a dark tangy amazing compliment to the rice and beans. I loved everything about MM, their decor, they were ahead of their time with healthy Southwestern or South of the Border food. And YES I think they will thrive if revived.

Ross, that is good news for sure! I hope they succeed, and bring them back.

Over a year has passed since Ross Pullen’s post and finally I read a few days ago that Macheesmo Mouse is opening again soon. Watch the news! : )

Did you say you had the Boss Sauce Recipe? If so, yes, I’ve been trying to replicate it.

Tom, I would love the Boss sauce recipe. Are could you send it to my email, s1conk@gorge.net? That would be wonderful. My beans and rice just haven’t been the same without it.

Tom, I too would love to have the Boss sauce recipe. I would greatly appreciate you sending it to me – midline@comcast.net. That would be wonderful. My quesadillas will be that much better for it!!

Victoria’s Nephew was not the first place that served espresso drinks in town. There had been coffee houses in the 1950s in long gone parts of downtown, and I remember Old Town Pizza selling cappuccinos in the early 70s, followed by the Coffee Ritz in the Galleria.

VN had the most fabulous cling peach and turkey sandwich. I have tried to replicate it at home but it is just not the same.

I once parallel parked a cargo van next to the Galleria so I could get ‘a really good cup’ at Coffee Ritz!

I am looking for information and photos and menus for some real old timers…..Piluso’s Theater Restaurant and the Rome Cafe. Piluso’s was located 8845 SW 30th in Portland and Rome Cafe was in a building on what is now Terry Shrunk Plaza in front of City Hall.
Thanks!

I’m looking for information on Piluso’s Theater Restaurant as well. My mother went there on a date once in about 1958 or 1959. She stated they ate dinner, danced and then the dance floor pulled away and they watch water ballet. I couldn’t believe it! How wonderful.

Great, someone else remembers Piluso’s! Every time I bring up this restaurant with dance floor / swimming pool no one has ever heard of it! I was there in ’59 after a winter formal dance at our high school. It was very impressive with two or three tiers of seating around the dance floor, and of course surprising to see the floor magically turn into a pool with water ballet! Didn’t remember that Piluso’s was on SW 30th, always thought it was located on Barbur Blvd. Does anyone remember the Pantry on NE Broadway? Great chicken bisque soup! Creamed spinach was served with dinners—–if you didn’t it, the waitress would pull out the cap gun out of her holster and shoot you!

anyone remember the name of the restaurant in Sylvan Hills next to Big Red’s location, now John Scott Realty occupies the space

It was Bob’s Donuts. When Lloyd Center remodeled–I think in the 1980’s–Bob’s went out of business. Their donuts were so delicious. They tasted like they had lemon in them, but the Bob’s staff swore they did not. I was sorry when they quit, but my waistline wasn’t!

There were two restaurants there, both owned by the same company: Reuben’s, which was fancy and had a full bar, and Coco’s, which was more on the order of a Denny’s or Carrow’s. Reuben’s had these cool ctapestry-upholstered chairs with very high backs. One felt like royalty. They also had what I think was an original Toulouse-Lautrec poster.

I believe it was called “Ryan’s”. There were rumors that all sorts of crazy things that happened there. Urban legends, perhaps?

Sent from my iPad

I worked for Coco’s in Salem,Oregon.Federal Way,Olympia,Redmond,Bellvue and Lake Forest Park all in Washington.I think the only two left are in Bellvue and Redmond,Wa.

Judy Hooff, I remember The Pantry! Dad took us to lunch there to meet our stepmom. Great chicken bisque soup.

I worked at the silver garden restaurant 880-82, it was at s.e. 2nd and ash. It operated from 79 to 83 or 84. it was an excellent first restaurant job.
followed that up with a stint at Belinda’s, fine times! Hey Ross!

Dean! How cool to connect. You know, I loved the Silver Garden. Every time I’m in that neighborhood(a colleague of mine has an office close by)and I drive by the empty lot where it was……I wish it were still there. It would probably be a big hit if it came back!
Read some of the old days on my blog ;yolksonus.com Ross

I was one of the owners of the Silver Garden at the corner of SE 2nd and Ash. In 1979 The Oregonian named it the “Best Restaurant” in Oregon and gave it the top rating for wine list and view. The art deco interior worked well with the overall appearance of the dome-liner. Unfortunately the managing partner fumbled the ball and it began sliding downhill until it was leased to people who re-opened as The Warsaw Express. When the stuff finally hit the fan, although I wasn’t involved in managing the restaurant or its business, I was left holding the bag when one partner declared bankruptcy and the other left town and disappeared. Sad. It was a fun initial couple of years.

Norm.
I loved those two stainless steel cars. Once a friend and I decided to buy a Continental Mk II over lunch. (Still have the car and the friend). Took a wife to be many evenings to the lounge car. And my train fan buddies and I still lament it’s passing as recently as just last week.
Darnitall!

These are treasures and there should be a night of stories about stuffing our faces in Portland past. We ate well, we relished the experiences and food was not then for shock value, but it had its own attitude.

My dad worked at the Silver Garden for a time. He would bring me down there sometimes to visit everyone. I was 13 I think. His name (and mine,) is Sam Hayden. Do you remember him?

I replied o a post that I did a fashion photo shoot inside the Silver Garden in 1980ish. Will have to post those somewhere.

Does anyone remember the name of a donut shop in Lloyd Center in the early 1960’s? I think it was next to Morrow’s Nut House. Sort of a cafeteria style donut shop. I’m not sure if they served anything else; I think maybe they were only serving donuts.

My mom worked in an insurance company on the floor above Morrow’s. I was at Lloyd Center alot, but don’t remember a doughnut shop next to Morrow’s. I do remember the wonderful Mannings next to the skating rink that served cafeteria style and had the most wonderful banana cream cake. There was, also, Goldberg’s, a deli-cafeteria- style restaurant at the opposite end of the Morrow’s”wing”. I had my first and best reuben sandwich there.

Sent from my iPad

OMG. I remember those donuts – complete heaven.Yes, only donuts and coffee. Mom and I always stopped there after she shopped at Zukor’s right around the corner.

I may have missed someone mentioning this place because the thread is so magnificent but….does anyone remember The Hoyt Hotel (down by the train station). It had Roman columns…and there was a 3D-like metal picture on the wall that lit up. When I was little, I always had to check out the bathrooms – the Hoyt’s was cool 😉

Off that topic: if anyone has (or knows how to find) an old menu from Barney Bagel & Suzy Creamcheese, let me know!!

Taking this a slightly different direction, Euphoria and the Earth Taverns. Seafood Mama, The Odds, Bill Rancher… What was the underground bar/dance place in downtown early 80’s. Perhaps around Morrison and Park?

I believe you are referring to The Last Hurrah. My sister in law worked there, (and her soon to be husband). My now wife and I would close up Zoe’s Tavern in Multnomah and make it down for the music and a few drinks. One memorable evening as they were trying to close, a good friend of ours who was way passed floor o’clock struggled up onto the stage, snatched up the microphone and delivered a flawless if a bit bit boozy version of The Story of Dolomite. I’m sorry if your not familiar with it. Far too shocking for this site. Anyway, instead of throwing him out they let him rant on for twenty minutes or so with the crowd roaring and he got a standing ovation!

I left Portland a month after St Helens erupted and have been back only once since.
All these eateries sure bring back some wonderful memories.
Dave mentioned the Last Hurrah. I was the soundman for the Burnside Bombers and we played there many times. And also at Saks Front Ave on Yamhill and the river!
Damn I miss the PNW
Bill Price

Hey Bill, ya know ya don’t need no passport to come home to Portland! (at least not yet). I bet we passed each other a dozen times on the streets. I don,t remember whether or not I mentioned this but I also worked at Sweet Tibbie Dunbars for a while. That was a great time and I miss all the characters I worked with. Nobody can hold a candle to retaraunt people for crazy! Bills right, The Last H. was great and so was Saks. Anybody play pool and eat cashews at Frankenstiens?

I have the record version of dolimite and the last hurrah might have been the headless horseman at one time.

underground clubs,dance places ect…lets see if I can remember…clockwork joes what is now a parking lot, 13th precinct, the long goodbye, lus labamba, metropolis that is now dantes…underage the blue kangaroo …I know there are more….I can name off more of the party houses of the 80’s…lets see euphoria ,the earth, in NW pdx…café oasis this is now the lampoc, nw service center, the cellar…….satyracon, the blue gallery, …im sure if I thought I could name more

Yes, the Last Hurrah was great. with Seafood Mama, Rindy Ross, Salmon Dave, Nu Shooz, Flash Cadillac, etc. Great times!

Also a shout-out to David Orange, who was a cook at Euphoria, then started the Riverway Inn. He lived next to me for a few years, down in John’s Landing, then across the street for a few more.

The Last Hurrah was originally called Harrah’s West. However, Harrah the gambling company sued, so Andy Harrah (the owner and one of my best friends while at U of Oregon) changed the name to The Last Hurrah. It was in the basement of the building just across the street from the Meier & Franks loading docks. Huge bar. Three of my brothers worked there in the summers while in college (thanks Andy and Sue!).

I worked at Delavan’s at 14th and Glisan. Great food. Strange little closet the staff went in and out of.
When it was built, it was jaw dropping cool. Great atmosphere. Customers were served fantastic baguettes, the wait staff tossed into a 500º oven to serve hot. It is something else now, same upstairs/downstairs dining-bar configuration I believe.

Macheesmo Mouse is coming back. A former executive will be getting funding together in the next few months for a great location on the west side. There will be Boss Sauce and much more. New and old customers will be very happy with the improved version! Check Facebook and Twitter for updates this summer!

David……Tiger Warren died with his 3 sons when the 40’S era float plane he was piloting crashed in the late afternoon on this date, April 25 TH ,in 1999. He is credited with founding Macheesmo Mouse but in fact purchased it early on from Michael Vidor, who also had founded Genoa. It is now closed after many successful and famous years.I was enjoying similar successes, at least locally, at my restaurant Belinda’s about the same time. The Mouse’s former exec has been attempting to bring it back now for a few years. Not sure if he will succeed. He and I did not agree on the approach. He wanted to resurrect it exactly as it was. In all of my years observing, working and being associated with the food service business I have seen that one must stay the same while constantly changing. The customers today were not even alive during the restaurant’s heyday. New standards, new menu items and new ideas of what would pass as good for recipes will always prevail when a person attempts bringing back any former successful venture.The most important issue is that today’s customer are much more knowledgeable about all things food and dining-whether it be fast, casual or a fine dining style.

Ross, I agree re: Macheezmo Mouse. The design was great, the black beans with brown rice topped with Boss Sauce and cheese amazing, and maybe that dish would stand up, but when MM was hot, “health food” was as well. Now, without ramped up spices, pickled twists, there would be no novelty, and back then MM was all about novelty. But it just might not get on today’s enlightened radar with all the varied concepts Mexican and healthy/local. There just might be we oldies sitting around wondering what all the fuss was about, or ranting on about how superior MM is through our sentimental taste buds.

Kevin, yes that was Piknik deli, my father, Ali, owned it and I worked there as a child. I miss the fantastic sandwiches and salads my dad made. The pepperoni cream cheese sandwich is still a specialty in our house as is the mad turk sandwich.

Tamer, I would love to have the recipe for your father’s meatloaf that he served as a sandwich only on Fridays as I recall. The best meatloaf I’ve ever had in my life!

How about The Shadows? I never made it there, but heard raves about it. It was a small, very small, one story dark brown building at the intersection of 6th ave. where you get onto 405 heading north. A block from the running track by the big athletic club. I believe a couple ran it.

I seem to remember The Shadows as a cocktail lounge on about 20th just off Sandy Blvd in the 1965-68 era

I had a blast from the past Saturday night. The banana cream cake from the Bohemian Bakery at Kienows was my all time favorite treat. When Kienows went away, so did the Bohemian Bakery.
I went to Ja Civas on SE Hawthorne @47th for their ” after hours” cafe. Apparently its only on Saturdays any more. Which is a shame. Everyone at my table loved their deserts. But myself the most..they had the Bohemian Bakery Banana Cream Cake and its as good as I remember. Were there any other treats from Bohemian Bakery anyone misses? I will check and see if they are on the desert menu ..or you can check for yourself!
My daughters loved the strawberry cream loaf.. I should check and see…

The store that took over Kienows on 33rd and Broadway (QVS?) still has that Bohemian Banana Cream Cake, or something close to it.

I would love to purchase a Bohemian menu. My grandfather was Isaac Neuberger, who
originally owned the Bohemian. Thank you.

I would love to see the menu if you find a copy. My 80-year-old grandmother used to bring me downtown on the bus when I was probably six or seven. We would see a movie at the Blue Mouse and then eat at the Bohemian. I remember loving the “salt sticks” (is that what they were called?), with caraway seeds and kosher salt on the outside–served warm with butter. More than fifty years later I can still taste them! Miss those days.

I remember Bill’s Gold Coin. It was a Chinese restaurant on the West side of Portland, I believe. I seem to recall it in the 1965-68 era

I believe the Gold Coin was located on West Burnside just east of 21st Ave., on the south side of the street, it later became a Red Robin, and is currently a mexican restaurant.

Brother you don’t know the half of it! In the day this was quite the hang out for denizens of the “Hill”, fight promoters, wrestlers and boxers (my Dad included), and yes high end prostitutes! Jerry Kingen ruined it with his attempt at “franchisism” with the Red Robin, something Andy Weiderhorn is currently attempting with “Fog Burger” in Cali. The Gold Coin has a special car coral where one could have valet service wash and detail your ride. I’d hop between there and the Peterson’s place until I was ready for cab! absolutely great “speak”!

Yes, Silk ‘n Satin was owned by Eddie May’s, the same guy who owned The Prime Rib on Sandy Blvd, and Davey’s Locker on Broadway. If memory serves me right, The Silk ‘n Satin was destroyed by a mysterious explosion. Maybe a gas explosion ? I was too young to go there, but I remember my parents saying how glamorous it was.

I remember Sweet Tibbies from my HS prom. I also remember Valentino’s. My girlfriend and I spent our babysitting money at the “cool” restaurant in 1975. How about The Copper Kettle. Another cool restaurant we went to back in the day 🙂

Valentino’s! Wow. My wife and I were scraping by when we first got married.Whenever we got a little extra to treat ourselves we went to Valentino’s. Bring on the memories!!!

Does anybody remember a tattoo
shop which had 2 pool tables in the back 2 or 3 doors down from the hotel on the corner, don’t remember the name of the hotel?
owners name was Maxie? it was in the 50’s?

I’m wondering if anyone remembers a restaurant in the Portland area called The Hillville or some such? I believe it was a restaurant in the 60’s and perhaps earlier.There is some talk in the family that this was a favorite of wrestler, Gorgeous George. Any information would be helpful.

There still is a Nighthawk, at Interstate and Rosa Parks.. been around forever. Is this the one you are thinking of? its not a barbeque place but things change..

Palaski’s Hillvilla was famous for his pies…….especially pumpkin pie.I have had the recipe for Eddie Palaski’s spice recipe and for years used it in pies, cheesecake and baked custard. Maybe some folks would appreciate it to try for themselves,Gordon. If they make their annual Thanksgiving pumpkin pies with ti I predict it will become a mainstay of their favorite recipes.
http://baking.food.com/recipe/portlands-hillvilla-restaurant-pumpkin-pie-217414>

What about Pieri’s delicatessen that used to be on 39th & Powell next to Meek’s Powell Pharmacy? Amazing old school deli that served incredible pizzas? They always had salamis and such hanging from the ceiling. I vaguely remember the building….torn down for a mini mall. Also Mama Maria’s on about 20th and Powell, just north of Powell. They moved. Never the same…Best crispy crust, diamond cut pizza ever.

The little unique spot on Division that you mention was Millie’s East Indian restaurant named INDIGINE. She was a true pioneer, even more so than my place in Sellwood, Belinda’s.
It was tiny, served truly adventuresome menus for the time,and she would not compromise. Kind of like the temperature of today’s small neighborhood ventures we all enjoy. Only open on the weekends,as I remember. Amazing food for the 70’S and in on the ground floor the growth of the food scene in Portland.

Howard died just a while back. He left Millie and married Grey Wolfe of Bread abd Ink. I believe that Portland’s boutique restaurant scene was spawned when Reed imploded and the exodus included the founders of Genoa, Indigine, Bread and Ink and L’Auberge. (Is Bill McLaughlin still around).

I have been meaning to look up Millie. She and Howard borrowed $40,000 from a friend and loaned it to me to build and lease them their new restaurant. I believe she still lives nearby. Wonderful memeories.

My husband and I went to Pieri’s all the time. They had the best gnocchi and tortellinis in their freezer section–incredible. I was never able to figure out what was on the pizza that made it so delicious–something in the base mixture. Cheese?? and ??? Amazing.

Don’t know of the shop you speak to but Sam Spangler’s Pizza en Regalia 70’s and 80’s Saturday market cart then subsequent brick and mortar 9th Ave put NY style pizza on the Ptown map. Where is Sam and his pie today?

pieri’s deli how I miss that place.pizza,sandwich’s.you could buy there pizza sauce,cheese’s.was just trying to remember what cheeses was in there pizza cheese.miss mama maria’s too.

Mama Maria’s was a great old school find and a quintessential “red & white” Italian eatery. What I remember the most was the Sicilian (flat) pizza that was cut on the bias (trapezoid) for bite size pieces…and damn delicious as well!

My dad bought the old Mannings Cafeteria on tenth and Morrison across from Lipmans, named it Barry Alan’s Cafeteria and then the Copper Vine for a short while after remodeling from a fire. Coffee was 20 cents a cup and when he increased it to 25 cents, boy did people complain! When my dad bought it in the early 70s he didn’t know Lipman’s Dept. store across the street would soon be closing and when it did it really hurt his business. Barney Bagle and Suzy Cream Cheese was one of the new type places in the Galleria . . . Also, those were the years of the transit mall being constructed downtown and that really hurt businesses beyond Sixth Avenue, too. He always worked hard to put out quality products and said that the health inspector told him his was the only restaurant in town that didn’t have cockroaches! Our dear dad died unexpectedly a few months ago, he was a wonderful man who worked at Lindy’s in NYC and Scandia in LA, among other places.

As a boy I had frequent trips to Portland to see doctors. When I was old enough to take the Greyhound alone..around age 11, i recall, I traveled solo. Mannings was my touch bases spot, not just for the food, but the waitress and the cook took note of a young boy traveling alone and just wanted to make sure I was ok. In subsequent visits, they often ‘piled it on’ when I ordered lunch, knowing my 4 hour bus trip home would be better on a full stomach. Your folks, perhaps?

Hi Joe, about the Mannings Cafeteria it depends on what years you went there … I think our Dad bought it around 1970, and it closed around 1977. It was a pretty grand restaurant for a cafeteria! That’s how they were back then, I guess. So much elegant décor for inexpensive (but good) food!

Cheers, Susan Brown

I bought a set of cocktail glasses (8) which are black and gold at Rhode’s dept. store at the age of 21. The year was 1969 and still have them today…..a little warn but still in tack and wish I had a dollar for every drink made in them.

Just got a shiver down my back! I DO remember that neon sign from The Crab Bowl out on Barbur…I could see it “blinking” at night from my bedroom window as a kid…of course, it also depended on what time of year it was…the leaves on the trees ya know! I grew up on SW Hume St…and what I remember most was all the noise from the construction of the Baldock (spelling?), I-5 freeway south, Salem freeway…call it what you want, but it seemed that the noise went on forever!

How about the Humdinger…best burgers in town…on Barbur, near the Three Star, up from the Original Pancake House…

Looks like I have to return to this site one of these days when I have the time and really take a look-see…I was actually looking for a date when the Sheraton (at the Lloyd Center) changed into the Red Lion Lloyd Center, which is now the DoubleTree…The Sheraton was built to coinside with the opening of both, the Lloyd Center and the coliseum, but it later changed to the Red Lion and then into the DoubleTree in 1995…I just can’t remember the year. Anyone got any guesses?

Like I said…I’m gonna have to come back…got a lot of memories to share and catch up on…GREAT SITE! Thanks!

Something that went unmentioned through this whole thread, and whose ad/promo is the very first one at the top of this page, is The Wooden Horse. Admittedly, not one of the vintage spots in old downtown or Portland proper, but my time cooking at “the Horse” was pretty special to me. What great people to work with! Billy Bang’s down the hall a nice after-work spot.
Walter owned the Pancake Corner at Lloyd’s, and Marie had the Horse as well as Marie’s Creperie at John’s Landing. Valentino’s was yet another of the Holmans’ places.

Wow….what a blast from the past!! I lived in the PDX area most of my life; worked as a bartender at Slabtown and The Wooden Horse Eating Establishment. Have lived over in Central Oregon for a few years now; didn’t realize so many of my past faves were gone. Walt Holman (Walter’s son) was with Portland City Grill as a manager; I believe he is now an area manager for the chain that bought them out.

The very first Oregon restaurant I experienced was Dan and Louie’s Oyster Bar. Still around, it has lived through so many changes in Portland and culture in general. At 9 in 1959, my mother brought my brother and me out to Oregon to visit Aunt Lois. She and her husband Jay Swender owned Swender’s Blueprint Company across the street from Dan and Louie’s. The first thing I remember landing at the airport having come from Fort Morgan, Colorado, (80 miles northeast of Denver) was that I could smell the ocean from Portland. The first place Aunt Lois took us was to Dan and Louie’s where I could get oysters. In Ft. Morgan, all fish on the menu was breaded shrimp. When in 1980, I moved to Portland, I went to Dan and Louie’s and asked the oldest waitress I could find if she knew of Lois Swender. “Oh, yes.” “She had lunch here every day.” That’s what I love about a good place to eat. You go back, you get to know the staff, you make friends and you love, love, love your food.

Does anyone remember Abernethy’s (now Higgins) and Ainsworth’s? How about Bogart’s Joint? I’d love to hear any stories around those restaurants. My father, Jim Bailey, was one of the original owners of those restaurants and he recently passed away. I am seeking out memories you might have.

One of Ainsworth’s Executive Chefs was Peter Monsantofils about 1979-80.. Today Peter is managing partner of Management Recruiters of Portland. He was a chef who worked at my restaurant, Belinda’s in Sellwood, for a time when we were experimenting with serving Sunday brunch.

Monsantofils is one of those very talented Pacific Islanders! He was chef at the Town Club just prior to Fernando Divina’s partnership there with James Beard Devotee Richard Nelson. Among Divina’s first gigs in P-Town, he passed the baton to Phil Meehan of L’Omelette where Divina, Billy Hahn, Marcel Lahsene, Susan Sumida Boulot, Rene Von Broekhuizen, and Dan Brophy all got their chops while David Adelsheim quaffed grand vins with the likes of the great Gary “Pic” Anderson at your service. Not to mention the magical Billy Oskay !

I remember going to Bogart’s in the Galleria when I was in high school in the late 1980s. It was the first restaurant I went to with just friends, no parents. I think that a sandwich was about $3.00 or so and I can still remember the sourdough bread. Good memories. Sorry that your father passed away, but his old restaurant (don’t know if he owned the Galleria location) brings back a lot of fond memories for me.

Hi Chris,I remember you as a little boy! I worked at Abernethy”s for many years. I am Linda Bailey.Not related to you, but we had lots of fun explaining that.My husband built the lower room that used to be the little store. Your Dad treated me very well. We worked hard. Made good money.My husband went to school with your mom, I met Robin * have seen her recently.She told me your dad had passed. we will miss him. Love to hear from you.

I was just about ready to close and I saw this. I am Linda Bailey that worked with your dad for many years at Abernethy’s. My husband built the side room in 1982. In fact you were a little boy and your dad said you had a big crush on me! I remember you following me around. You were a cutie! Jim treated me very well & I enjoyed working with him. Do ou remember me? I saw your dad at my work and we always talked. Then I didn’t see him and Robin came in and told me he passed. I’m so sorry for your loss.Would love to hear from you and share. Linda

Hi Chris! I worked at abernathys for many yrs. I remember you as a cute little boy that followed me round alot. I really liked Jim and we had a great time working together. My husband is the one who built the new room, where the store used to be. I would love to hear from you. Linda Baileylindadkj@gmail.com

Chris – I bet this probably won’t reach you after all of this time, but I worked for your Dad at Abernethy’s in the last 70’s and early 80’s. He had a great reputation in the business. The place was packed every weekday and the bar was hopping at night. I also remember Deborah – don’t know her last name – but she married a chef guy who worked there named Brad. Deborah managed the staff and helped run the place.

Hey – Fernadno Divina was the guy that was the chef owner for Fiddleheads, the Oregonian’s Restaurant of the Year 1997 and Gourmet’s Top Tables 1998. He was the Culinary Captain for the Pacific NW Culinary Team after he was on a whirlwind tour of some fo the first hot food competitions around the globe and stateside when cameras were present but not nationally aired. You remember Elka Gilmore from LA and San Francisco, or Roland Henin – Thomas Keller’s mentor? Divina beat both of them at hot food competitions in Oregon, Washington, California, and South Carolina – guy can cook. His cookbook was featured at the National Book Festival and was Gourmand’s Best Cooking History Book in the World Honorable Mention, the James Beard Foundation KitchenAid Award for Excellence winner and the IACP had his book in the running with Schwarz’s seminal Jewish treatise for Best Cook Book of the Year. Not bad for a P-Town boy! He says he only at Ross Pullen’s deviled bones while sipping hand-crafted libations from Bob Parson’s Father’s Place and Belindas in SOBY – South of Bybee. Eat well. Remember those that helped set the standard for P-town to thrive.

I really miss Sweet Tibbie Dunbar’s Restaurant! I worked there as a hostess for my 2nd job in 1977. I loved their tiny breakfast muffins in a basket and all the great rooms you could eat in. Also, the only place I’ve ever been that had a “cloak room”. Fancy! Another hostess working there (wish I remembered her name) told me that Consolidated Freightways was hiring. I was able to get a job there that paid well and met my husband there, as well! Wish I could thank her!!

No-one has mentioned the Turquoise Room or known better as just the “T Room”. Had the great after hours crowd. Well let’s not mention all!

In the last 50s my grandmother used to take me to the Bohemian for lunch and then to the Blue Mouse for a movie. I remember salt sticks (with caraway seed) at the Bohemian. Loved them!

Does anyone remember a seafood restaurant on Sandy Blvd….kind on out near the airport I think. I was quite popular years ago….gone now and I can’t remember the name of it. I’m surprised that nobody mentioned the best Rose’s on 23rd. Their strawberry whipped cream rolled cake was to die for.

No, the one I still trying to remember was a seafood restaurant on Sandy Blvd….not too far from 82nd Ave. It might have been on Burnside but I really think it was on Sandy.

Chucks Steakhouse on Front Ave for drinks jazz and backgammon! A bunch of the Trailblazers Hollins, Lucas, and other players were regulars there.
I have a question. Paul Delay and I use to go to a little place on Killingsworth for chilli. The absolute best! I can’t remember the name of the place.. Can anyone help?

Did anyone mention Yaws or the TikTok? Or Sylvia’s on NE Sandy Blvd.? Loved the dinner theater. My husband and I were friends with Sylvia. For a brief time in the early ’70’s she had an upscale restaurant downtown near Dan & Louie’s. We went there for our engagement dinner and Sylvia surprised us by taking care of the bill.

What a lovely trip down memory lane.

Fernando,

So fun to relive “the good ol’ days” with your remembrances shared here with us .You mentioned great people that touched my life at Belinda’s too. David Adelsheim-he left L’Omlette to realize his future wine empire and worked a day or two as a fill in waiter at Belinda’s in ’78; Marcel Lahsene and i worked mother’s Day at Couch Street Fish House in ’77 when Gene was the chef: Richard Nelson,noted Oregon foodie and writer was once a month diner at belinda’s; and Susie Sumida,a young pastry chef of 19, came to work at belinda’s after a stint at Horst Mager’s empire. Thanks for the memories.
Some may want to attend FoodWorx on Feb.4.http://foodworxconference.com/>

Went to new Yaw’s also when it first opened. It was good but very slow. Does anyone remember what was up at Sylvan before Big Red’s?

Because Steve Yam is/was an asshole! I grew up with the insufferable bastard.

My brother leased the southeast corner of Sylvia’s for years and when his lease ended she expanded it into her cabaret theater. “Good” family ‘red-n-white’, excellent service, great representative of the neighborhood! I grew up with Steve Yaw….kinda difficult to appreciate his particular skill set, if you catch my meaning.

In the late 1950’s my mother and I delivered eggs to Sylvia for her restaurant, nice person.

Sue Fischer, Sylvia’s on Sandy was my FAVORITE for pizza. My mom [Connie McCready, former mayor of Portland] knew her. I remember having dinner there with my Mom and sisters, and Sylvia was pouring water. After my Dad died my sisters and I were there after a day of clearing out the house, This would have been about 2008 or so. We were waited on by Sylvia’s daughter and we asked about our favorite pizza, bacon and tomato. She said they’d taken it off the menu and it had been one of her favorites but wasn’t being ordered. She said it was a traditional pizza from the region of Italy where her grandmother was from. I’ve been trying to find the recipe and trying to duplicate it. Do you know the family’s last name?

Would love to have the recipe for the dipping sauce that was served with the Fish&Chips at the Crab Bowl in 1950.

Darlene,
Also the french (?) salad dressing? It was to die for. Their garlic rolls were amazing too. My family went there for takeout once a month. The Fish & Chips were just incredible. It was never the same when moved down toward Tigard.

thhq,
thanks for sending this recipe. I will try it. It was kind of you to look it up for me. : )

does anyone remember an italian restaurant around mall 205 that had pizza that the topping were covered with slices of cheese & cut in squares instead of slices? i think the name started with V…… it was awesome pizza! in 1980’s

Yes-it was Vittorio’s and I worked there for a couple of years. We covered all the toppings on the pizza with cheese and did indeed cut the pizza in squares. They had really good lasagna, mostacelli, and garlic cheese bread too. Also served biscotti for dessert. I think it was a Greek restaurant called “The Kitchen Kettle” before it became Vittorios. It’s now a mexican place called Acapulco.

I did not see mention of the Blue Heaven Restaurant on Barbur Blvd. My father would bring home a steak in one cardboard container, and spaghetti in the other cardboard container. That sauce was unique: meaty, dark, not sweet, not full of veggies, but delicious! We would have this “midnight snack” that he picked up on his way home from working at McKales Service Station. Recipe for the spaghetti sauce?? I can’t find anything like it…
Also: does anyone remember VeeMak Sub Shop? I think they were near Little King near the Library. I remember the best pastrami sandwich I have ever had. The owners were two guys with strong New York accents?!

I think one of the owner’s first names was “Yul”. I loved the tuna subs. I would stop in the morning after work and chat for a while, eat half of my sub and take the other half home. I seldom got home before I had eaten the second half of my sub. It was the best breakfast ever!!!!!

You must have taken over that route from Barry Hornstein..
I think the Sherbournes’ had a monopoly on paper routes in SW..Picked up the papers on Virginia and Taylor’s Ferry, went from the boat houses at Staffs up to the south side of Terwulliger, had it during the winter and froze my ass off.
Ron

Vaughn Street Ballpark ,Eddie Basinski, Rocky Benevento, The right firld bleachers and Sunday baseball with the Beavers and Seattle Rainers’s. Ya gotta love it. And Dad could cut hair almost as good as he could toss the bull.

If you remember Vaughn Street and Slabtown, a must is Slabtown and Vaughn Street by. Donald R Nelson

So many interesting memories, very fun. Now can anyone answer this? Was there ever a Restaurant named Bob’s in Portland that was related to Bob’s Big Boy Hamburger (Home of the Big Boy) from California? Would have been sometime between 1975 and 1985.

Anyone know the name of a Caribbean restaurant in SE Portland in the 90s? They offered jerk chicken, goat stew, and I think they had alligator for an appetizer. Their walls were lined with bottles of seemingly every possible variety of hot sauce.

I remember the Organ Grinder well. I was a kid then, but I remember that it felt very vertical inside – like an atrium, with a lot of balconies with seating and tables on several floors, but always a view to the main floor (kind of like the Galleria in the 1980s). I remember playing whack-a-mole and it was a big deal when they’d show a silent movie and the organist would play.

Ahh, the Organ Grinder was quite a treat in its day! Jonas Nordwall was just a pup then playing to silent movies on that organ. He built it as well, and today plays organ for First United Meth. Church on Jefferson. After the Organ Grinder closed (too bad their pizza got so messed up at the end) it’s ‘cousin’ twin remained in Vancouver WA, but I can’t remember the name.

Does anyone know the name of the restaurant that previously occupied (1970’s) the space where Tom’s restaurant and bar is – corner of SE 39th & Division?

Don’t remember an earlier restaurant, but do remember when that space was a wonderful bakery in the 50s-60s–Bliss Bakery?

Reading the entry for Belinda’s in the 1979 Dining – In Portland guidebook: “Chardonnay currently being in such short supply….” The good old days. I have some nice tenderloins which I’ll make Genoa’s Filletta alla Cacciatore with. Some things don’t go out of style. Ever.

What a treat to see these comments after 35 years! Yes, Chardonnays were hard to get. More than that ( I found out later ) was when they were released, the distributors would allot me only a certain amount. I’d want a case and they would offer 4 bottles. Later, I found out that was because I was the ” new kid on the block”. The established places got whatever they wanted….Ringside, The Benson, Hilton Hotel, Salishan etc. Consequently I said, ” Don’t tell me, just ship them. Half bottles too. I ended up with one of the largest American Chardonnay lists in the USA,,over 58 separate vintages. It turned out to be a good move on my part especially for the wine lovers who liked good food too.

Reading all these comments really take me back several decades. I have fond memories of being on leave from the Navy and staying in the Cornelius Hotel and cutting across the street for an evening at the Portland Club. The place would really rock!!!!!! Also, I had the pleasure of many wonderful dinners at Chalet L’ Abbe.It was my first introduction to good French wine. Does any one remember Harris Wine Cellars. Are there any KWT’s out there? Another fond place to visit was the Elephant Delicatessen. I purchased my first Sauterne there. It was three bottles of 1964 Chateau d’ Yquem for $16.00 a bottle. That was in 1967…….Where have all the years gone.

Yes, I am a KWT and have a few friends who are.. we went through together, although I stuck through all the classes; most just took the basics. What a great experience!

BTW, missing from thjis list: Marco Polo Garden (and then Shangri La in Beaverton… what drama in that story!) Also, Chef DuVault’s Dinner House. What a character!

I am wanting to know the address of a mexican food restaurant called Mexico City late ’70’s and early ’80’s in southeast Portland-Milwaukie area

The only two Mexican restaurant’s that come to mind in the area you mentioned were the (third) Original Taco House on McGloughlin Boulevard (now gone and good riddance), and the original vestige of what is now the La Carreta (the cart) just southeast of 99E and Holgate. FYI, yet another forgettable venue….

So Don, the memory plays tricks on us. When i came to Portland in ’77 and was opening Belinda’s in Sellwood, some friends took us to ” the best Mexican restaurant in Portland “. It was out on SE 82 nd almost to Johnson Creek Rd. Coming from California, and San Antonio, I was not very impressed. I don’t remember the name. I know that we did not get to experience authentic Mexican food for many years, until the Mexican family places started opening in the late 80’S in Hillsboro, Woodburn, and other outlying towns. We are very lucky now to have many choices all over the area.

Are you thinking of “Tortilla Flats”? I remember our High School Spanish class going there for lunch to experience “authentic” Mexican food. I didn’t think it was all that great either, but it was the first time I ever had shredded beef tacos. It did have a great reputation back in the 70’s.

I just couldn’t pull that name out of my brain for the life of me. ” Authentic “…..yeah! What a bunch of hooey. We waited many years ( and had meals at many a Mex-Wanna-Be Place ) until finally some folks came north and brought their food with them to Hillsboro, Woodburn and eventually to Portland. I remember ( is it still there? ) we had great meals at a little place that specialized in seafood from the Pacific side of Mexico.Was it La Michoacan? it was in a strip mall with Albertson’s, east of downtown. Not sure of the name.

Could it have been a seedy little stucco place called Mexican Village? It was absolutely villainous inside, but they had excellent food and the cheapest drinks in Portland. It would have been right next to a small stucco ‘no tell motel’ of the same design.

Norm, the Slovich family were friends of mine, with both brother’s now passed. Their original eatery was not uptown, which was considered anything west of 18th. The original Gerry’s Gable’s was at the base of Broadway Drive just off SW 5th to the south of Portland State. After many years in that location, Tony and Gerry moved to house in Sellwood on SE 13th and Lambert and continued with their famous “Epicurean Feast”. The place closed as Gerry’s health deteriorated.

I remember the huge plates on which they served their spaghetti. Such a fun place.

What fun “strolling” down memory lane… Hate to say that I remember the majority of the restaurants. Dates me, huh?

Hoping someone can help me. I’ve been searching for years for Chef Chen’s Chiang Sia Chicken recipe because we moved away from Portland. It’s one of our benchmark dishes to this day. Unbelievably, we haven’t found any dish on the entire West Coast that tastes comparable, even in SF Chinatown!

Would love any help finding that recipe for personal consumption ONLY, of course.

I got married in the Riverwood Inn in Southeast. I don’t think I have ever been back – is it still open? I waited tables and bussed at Victoria Station, the Rusty Pelican, and was one of the opening waiters at Aldo’s downtown. Loved the River Queen and the model ships in HillVilla. I remember 2001 A Space Odyssey being played on the organ at the Organ Grinder. Had my share of several Portland Zoos at Farrell’s and gained a pound a visit at Roses. As a teen I had lunch with my grandfather at the Semaphore at SE. 20th and Holgate. A true working man’s cafe. I earned enough with my summer jobs to go out to dinner once a week with a girl I met in college – Ringside, Piccolo Mondo, every one of Horst Mager’s restaurants including the Little Blarney Castle up on Sandy, I believe, L’Auberge, Pendy’s on Barbur (huge salads) and the Crab Bowl. I am soooo hungry now!

ROSE CITY FLYER, anyone? I lived in Portland 1980-82, and going out to Rose City Flyer is all over my journals. Can’t find any reference online. Does anyone know where it was and when it closed?

Cannot remember when it closed but it was on Morrison street across what is I believe now the terminus for the Light Rail. Glad it is not completely lost in history. Hope you liked the food. Most likely I cooked what you ate.

Thank you for this information on Rose City Flyer! I no longer live in Portland — Morrison around what street?

Hi Martha, I was the real estate broker that sold the business to Kim and Donna who changed the name to the Rose City Flyer.
Contact me and I will give you more info..

Dear Ron, Thanks so much for writing about Rose City Flyer. Can you tell me where it was located? Do you know when it closed? Any other information — description, menu, pics — would be great. But mostly I’m curious to recall where it was and how long it lasted. According to my old diaries, my friends and I went there frequently when I lived in Portland 1980-1982. With appreciation–

It was on the NE corner of SW Morrison and 11th across the street from the old PC&S Tavern, now an Indian restaurant.

What about the devils’ triangle; Jake’s, Pretty Boy Floyd’s which later became Cassidy’s, and across from Jake’s, the former Desert Room… can’t recall the name, but I will!!!!
Ron

Sent from my iPad

Yen Ching on SW Morrison had the best Chinese food ever. I still miss the black pineapple pork and Singapore noodles.

Yen Ching……ah, the memories. When I moved to Portland to open Belinda’s in ’77 I read a review by Matt Kramer ( now an internationally famous wine journalist ) and he loved Yen Ching. Belinda and I went there practically every Sun. for many years. I estimate that we ate there 400 plus times! The chef was Awa, from North Vietnam and had a Chinese mother and Viet father. He was a master of the wok. They had a complete Korean menu ( not in English ) for the many Koreans who booked the banquet room for many family etc. get together s There i had was my first taste of kim chee. When our dear friend jack Hemingway ( father was Ernest ) cme to town we took him there. he remarked it was one of the best Szechuan-type menus he had tried the whole USA. He traveled constantly so we were impressed. The owners were from Hong Kong, the lease was up for renewal at a very high price, Awa bought it and moved to NW Broadway and Glisan, next to the passport place. He and his wife ran it for a few years, then one day it was empty. I believe they moved to Hawaii to be with his grown children. It is still empty…..has been 7 or 8 years now