History by the Glass

Yukon Tavern | inner SE PDX (Westmoreland) Established:  many decades old, but nobody seems to be able to recall exactly First Drinks:  Canadian Club (NPG), PBR (Bill), Labatt's Blue (Fredo) Interesting Food:  didn't see any Men's Room:  2/5 urinal pucks... Some extra credit here for the weird space shuttle airlock dual door system to get in and out, but otherwise total shit. Musings:  The third stop of our tour this night, so not our most nuanced field work...Early '80s vintage decor...a LOT bright red that I really should've taken a picture of... Like the inside of Kramer's apartment when the Rogers Roaster sign is on... This is really a neighborhood tavern... But not one that initially grabs you... There are some old school touches but nothing really authentic left aside from the long, weathered shuffleboard table... Most surly bartender we've experienced thus far on our tour...Despite all that, Oregon tavern culture ...

Kay's Bar (SE PDX -- Westmoreland) Established:  1934 First Drinks:  High Life tallboys (Bill n Fredo), Stormy Mule (NPG) Interesting Food:  Good/great modern bar fare... Nothing crazy memorable Men's Room:  2.5/5 urinal pucks (old school fixtures and bonus for grade school caliber paper towel dispenser and mono faucet (no hot or cold, just on/off), but too clean/neutral smell and generally unremarkable) Musings:  Don't get me wrong, Kay's is by in large a fantastic old school bar (that I've been to several times). The building and location are OG and ambiance and unique vintage bar signs are wonderful. But they just don't quite fully embrace the historic charm as well as they could. To be expected after being bought and packaged for a younger crowd in the mid 2000s, but wish there were a few more memories of the founding decades on the walls. That being said, I'm grateful for how well taken care of and vibrant the place is. Ever ...

Lutz Tavern (SE PDX -- Woodstock neighborhood) Established:  1947 First Drinks:  PBRs (NPG n Fredo), Boneyard IPA (Bill)... The Lutz is famous for resurrecting PBR sales in Portland and, really, the United States in the late '90s...HBTG rookie Bill forgot all about that and ordered a fancy pants craft beer anyway.  Interesting Food:  all modern stuff... Super delicious but no real old school quirk Men's Room:  4/5 urinal pucks (original mid-century fixtures, no doorknob, interesting graffiti, funky smell and a GRIT soap dispenser (-1 puck for no actual grit soap in it) Musings:  The original clientele likely wouldn't love the (really good) hip hop bumping on the night we visited, but they'd certainly still recognize the charm of the Lutz... Great prices... Vintage fixtures everywhere... About as good of an old school PDX bar as you can find... Well preserved, but modern and still honoring those who first made this former "beer ...

The pilot episode of the PDX History by the Glass series with  @nathanpgale  is complete. Last night's stops included Bill's Steakhouse in Parkrose and 113yr old White Eagle in the industrial Moda Center area.  From a creative standpoint, we have no idea what we're going to do with this tour of the area's most venerable and aged watering holes, but visit them all we shall.  #HistoryByTheGlass Some notes...  Bill's Steakhouse Established: 1940s as a hot dog joint operating out of an old street car Our First Drink: Hamm's tallboys Intriguing Menu Item: liver and onions More Intriguing Menu Item: Friendly tamale guy in the parking lot Actual Food Eaten : steak dinners (NPG quote..."I've shined shoes more tender than this steak" Men's Room Ranking: 1/5 urinal pucks (shitty, dirty, and sadly forgettable) Our first bar was a reminder that not every stop on this magical tour will be full of nostalgia... Some of these places ju...