What is it about being caught in a torrential downpour in another city that makes that moment seem portentous and dramatic, rather than Ugh? Better minds than mine have no doubt inquired, so I’ll just move along to the observation that this is one reason why Portland’s proximity to Seattle (three-and-a-half-hours by Amtrak Cascades) is so fortuitous. It’s just different enough down there that weekend jaunts retain an air glamorously-serifed Travel.
Occasionally, Amtrak will offer fares as low as $32 roundtrip for coach — perhaps in competition with the new Bolt Bus service. In that case, you buy the tickets, and wonder what you’ll do there later. Portland will rarely fail you. Outside of specific draws, like bands at the Doug Fir or Trail Blazers games at the Rose Garden, there will always be some new food and drinking spots to visit, and gondolas to take.
This time out, I splurged for a stay at the more opulent Benson Hotel, thinking I might take advantage of their El Gaucho adjacency, perhaps nip down the street for a barrel-aged nightcap at Clyde Common. But Portland friends had other ideas. Had I been to Kask? How did I feel about dinner at Grüner?
Well, clearly, I have not been reading Esquire‘s bar recommendations, but after downing a few ingredient-rich rum-based concoctions, I have no reason to quibble with them. The bartender was knowledgeable, quick, and forthcoming about said ingredients. The ambiance — candlelight with hand-cranked slicing at one end of the bar — proved the dream of the 1890s saloon was still alive in Portland.
Around the corner at Grüner, the style is Pacific Northwestern German; the turnip soup Savoyard was almost startlingly rich and creamy, the herb-stuffed quail and elk jagerwurst uniting two vastly different realms of taste. The bed of lentils, braised, offered a light crunch. I probably did not need to get the venison terrine with zwack-infused cranberries, pickled beets, and persimmon; the taste of the venison wasn’t as bold as the quail and elk, and would have been a better part of a different dinner. Do try the buckwheat spätzle.
This time out, I had the idea that I’d revisit the Portland Art Museum (open every day except Monday, $15 adults), whose collection feels more intimately Northwestern than the great and powerful Seattle Art Museum. Their collection also looks to the East, just as SAAM does, with illustrated Japanese screens (and visiting Noh masks), and Chinese and subcontinental art, but you can also spend hours with American Indian works (traditional and contemporary), as well as in rooms showcasing members of the Northwest School.
Their big visiting exhibition, through January 6, 2013, is The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece, from the British National Museum, but if you’ve seen Elles at SAM, there’s some Cindy Sherman for you, too. A whole afternoon slipped past me there.
Because it was Portland and because it’s good for your heart, I also popped into Bikecraft PDX, which just happened to be going on that weekend. (I think it’s safe to say that of any given weekend in Portland, there is never not any bike-event that is going on.) I hadn’t brought my bike on the train this time (just $5 each way), but it was still fun to stop in and see the craftiness on offer. Paul Sykes, of Sykes Wood Fenders, was there with his tantalizingly NW-retro wood fenders. Elly Blue, of Taking the Lane, was there. You could buy things for your bike, or things for you made out of bike parts, like tire-rubber wallets and belts.
I bought a copy of Hop in the Saddle, a biking guide to Portland’s craft beer spots, and we set off for the Green Dragon, where one of the bartenders turned out to be a Seahawks fan, and joined us in watching a triumph over the Bears in OT. I can recommend the Fearless Loki Red Ale for someone who wants an ale without that IPA kick in the bitter. The Sunday afternoon train for Seattle left at 2:50 p.m., which this time of year means you get sunset (or cloudset) on the way. If the WiFi on board is working, you can start posting DSLR photos of Portland scenery before you even return.