Noble Rot 2.0

Noble Rot has a somewhat confusing pedigree. As I understand, it was originally started by chef Leather Storrs, and received positive reviews, including from me. I liked the warm, comforting atmosphere and the limited but mostly well executed menu. In 2007, Leather left and opened another restaurant on East Burnside called Rocket. This new restaurant was known for its interesting interior, terrific patio and nice view of Portland, but the food received less than stellar reviews, and it closed in a little over a year.

Fast-forward to 2009. Rocket was still empty, and Noble Rot wanted

Thatch Tiki Bar

“Thank God the tiki bar is open
Thank God the tiki torch still shines
Thank God the tiki bar is open
Come on in and open up your mind”
John Hiatt
The Tiki Bar is Open
My own experience with tiki bars began early, and my love of the tiki bar has been with me ever since. As a young kid [...]

Oaks Bottom Public House

Quick Hit, by Well Seasoned
Everything seems to be just right in this small, welcoming pub in the heart of Sellwood. The owners (according to info I found on
www.altportland.com) are Jim Parker, “former Oregon Brewers Guild director and general indicator of good beer” and Jerry Fechter “of the Lompoc empire.” They’ve taken the space [...]

First Impressions: Broadway Grill and Brewery

By Betsy Whim
I *want* to like Broadway Grill and Brewery. It’s clear from the packed house on Day Two that others want to do the same thing. And the hordes of staff – from bussers to waitstaff to managers – are bound and determined, in a kind of ‘grit your teeth and SMILE’ [...]

Vault Martini

- refreshed 7/09
The first time I walked into Vault Martini I was stunned. Just a few short months before I had been in the Vespa dealership in the same space revisiting a trip to Italy. At that time the building was a dark, dank, greasy, concrete box. Now that Vault had taken over it was transformed. There was no hint of its past, instead a dramatic trendy space that called