FROM CLASSIC PINOT TO HOT-BLOODED TEMPRANILLO, Oregon wine can hit some amazing highs. But how to choose the best? This year, we asked nine of Portland’s savviest wine pros to pick their favorite current releases. The impressive results span 20 varietals, 11 AVAs, and 25 bottles under $30. From toast-worthy bubbles to Southern Oregon superstars—and, of course, plenty of pinots— there’s never been a better time to be a local wine lover. Cheers to you, Oregon.

• •Prized Pinot 
• •Sure-Bet Splurges 
• •Best Bargains 
• •Whimsical Whites 
• •Southern Oregon Stars
• •New Wave Chardonnay
• •Breathtaking Bubbles 
• •The New Class 
• •The Biodynmaic Brigade

Prized Pinot

Image: Nick Stokes

The Pro: Randy Goodman

The longtime wine director of Portland’s pioneering Wildwood Restaurant now owns and operates SE Division Street’s neighborhood bistro Bar Avignon with his wife, Nancy Hunt. Here, Goodman shares his favorite examples of the wine that put Oregon on the world wine map—with plenty of options priced to please.

1. Soter Vineyards

2010 Pinot Noir • Mineral Springs Ranch • Yamhill-Carlton • $50

Combining the decades-long passion of proprietor Tony Soter and the cellar prowess of winemaker James Cahill, this complex wine showcases a maturing vineyard’s potential for pinot. Sourced from vines at the 32-acre Mineral Springs Ranch—planted by the Soters in 2002—this stunning wine bursts with aromas of black raspberry, cocoa, and earth. Though delicious now, it will age into something spectacular. Pair one bottle with grilled pork tenderloin, and stash away a second to savor in a few years.

2. COLENE CLEMENS VINEYARDS

2010 Pinot Noir • Reserve • Chehalem Mountains • $45

Oregon newcomer Stephen Goff is quickly earning respect from his well-established neighbors. Rich and concentrated with flavors of dark Bing cherry and smoke, this wine reveals the charms of the 2010 vintage and shows off Goff’s pedigree—he was an assistant winemaker at Beaux Frères from 2001 to 2006.

3. Cristom Vineyards

2011 Pinot Noir • Mt Jefferson Cuvée • Willamette Valley • $30

Produced since 1994, this ever-reliable wine is a testament to winemaker Steve Doerner’s skill. Boasting a blend of fruit from several estate vineyards (most with stellar views of the titular peak), the 2011 vintage is bright and light with aromas of cranberry, pie cherries, and a touch of cinnamon.

4. Ayres Vineyard & winery

2011 Pinot Noir • Willamette Valley • $25

After cutting his teeth at Oregon’s famed Domaine Drouhin, Brad McLeroy has been quietly making delicious pinot from his family’s 38-acre Ribbon Ridge estate since 2000. In this bottle, McLeroy blends estate fruit with grapes from the Eola Hills for a flavorful pour of tart cherries, vanilla, and black plums.

5. Cameron Winery

2011 Pinot Noir • Dundee Hills • $26

This wine illustrates why winemaker John Paul’s bottles have been on every wine list at Bar Avignon since it opened: bright and high-toned with zippy acidity, it’s Oregon terroir in a glass, begging for a light chill and a backyard grill fired up with spice-crusted Oregon albacore and charred vegetables. 

6. Love & Squalor

2011 Pinot Noir • Willamette Valley • $24

Matt Berson wears many hats: he’s the owner, winemaker, and chief bottle washer at Love & Squalor. With this bottle, Berson’s multitasking abilities are on display with sophisticated flavors of red earth, spicy cloves, and cinnamon.

7. Crowley Wines

2011 Pinot Noir • Willamette Valley • $24

Bright and juicy with flavors of dried strawberries, cola, and baking spice, winemaker Tyson Crowley’s latest vintage is a crowd-pleaser with a real sense of place. Thanks to a commitment to natural winemaking with certified sustainable fruit, Crowley’s wines reveal the best of the Dundee Hills: elegant, bold, and unflinchingly honest.

8. The Eyrie Vineyards

2010 Pinot Noir • Estate • Dundee Hills • $35

In 1966, against all advice from the winemaking world, David Lett (a.k.a. “Papa Pinot”) risked it all to plant his young family (and vines) in the Dundee Hills. The winery is now in the very capable hands of his son Jason, whose mastery of the estate’s old vines has resulted in wines like this one—complex, balanced, and rich with plummy fruit.

9. Patricia Green Cellars

2011 Pinot Noir • Estate Vineyard • Ribbon Ridge • $30

Patty Green and Jim Anderson founded this landmark winery in 2000, before the Ribbon Ridge AVA was on the map. After years of new plantings (and replantings) of the 52-acre estate, their vineyard is one of the best in the neighborhood. This vintage, the estate’s 12th, shows off the site’s powerful old-vine character, with minerality, subtle tannins, bold ripe raspberries, and spice. 

10. Vincent Wine Company

2011 Pinot Noir • Ribbon Ridge • $24

Vincent Fritzsche founded his winery in 2009, and moved to the Southeast Wine Collective in 2012. In this vintage, his low-input approach delivers honest notes of blackberry, vanilla, and earth in each ruby-toned glass, and a long, complex finish lands it squarely as one of the best wine values in the state.

• •Prized Pinot 
• •Sure-Bet Splurges 
• •Best Bargains 
• •Whimsical Whites 
• •Southern Oregon Stars
• •New Wave Chardonnay
• •Breathtaking Bubbles 
• •The New Class 
• •The Biodynmaic Brigade

Sure-Bet Splurges

Image: Nick Stokes

The Pro: Erica Landon

The powerhouse behind Walter Scott Wines is also an instructor for Portland’s Wine & Spirits Archive and crafts the wine lists at Bluehour, Clarklewis, 23Hoyt, Saucebox, Tabla, and Castagna. Here, she recommends five go-to bottles for indulging with confidence.

1. BETHEL HEIGHTS VINEYARD

2011 Pinot Noir • Casteel Reserve • Eola-Amity Hills • $60

Every year for a decade, the Casteel family has chosen a few barrels that best express the vintage to create their sought-after Casteel Reserve. The 2011 selection shows stunning balance with intense concentration, low alcohol, and vibrant acidity, teeming with notes of blackberries, black currant, and cherries.

2. Antica Terra

2011 Pinot Noir • Botanica • Willamette Valley • $75

In 2005, Maggie Harrison made a leap of faith, leaving the famed Sine Qua Non winery in California’s Ventura County to move her family to the Willamette Valley. It paid off. Thanks to her boldness and skill, Harrison has become known for silky, supple wines like this one, boasting a lush texture and concentrated flavors of black cherries and blood orange, with hints of rose.

3. Cowhorn Vineyard

2009 Reserve Syrah • Applegate Valley • $45

Bill and Barbara Steele broke ground in Southern Oregon in 2003 and quickly discovered that their land was covered in layers of river stones reminiscent of France’s Rhône Valley. They planted Rhône varietals like Syrah, grenache, and viognier—and today their wines are drawing national attention. This bottle offers a balance of power and elegance, with notes of blueberries, black plums, and black cherries layered with dark chocolate, baking spice, and hints of vanilla.

4. J. Christopher

2012 Über-Sauvignon • Croft Vineyard • Willamette Valley • $35

With their single-vineyard über-sauvignon, Jay and Ronda Somers have taken their passion for Old World–style elegance to the next level. This extremely limited bottling (just 166 cases) was aged in acacia wood for eight months, resulting in a mineral-driven wine with aromas of grapefruit, jasmine, and wet stones, bracing acidity, and a refined texture.

5. Cameron Winery

2011 Clos Electrique Blanc • Willamette Valley • $60

Sourced from Cameron’s organically farmed Clos Electrique estate vineyard, this age-worthy chardonnay is winemaker John Paul’s ode to the rich white wines of Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune. Offering a full body with bright acidity, it’s a bottle you won’t soon forget.

Best Bargains

Image: Nick Stokes

The Pro: Dan Beekley

At his bottle shop CorksCru Wine Merchants, this approachable oenophile showcases small-label gems at unbeatable prices. His new project, Remedy Wine Bar, opened in June 2013 on the North Park Blocks with a similar message. Here, he reveals five budget-friendly bottles you can rely on.

1. Alexana Winery

2012 Riesling • Revana Vineyard • Dundee Hills • $28

This rich, complex Alsatian-style Riesling marks founder Madaiah Revana’s relatively young winery as one to watch. Crafted by lauded winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash, this bone-dry and delicious bottle will convert even the most adamant Riesling skeptic. 

2. Dominio IV

2011 Viognier • Still Life • Oregon • $22

Using biodynamically farmedSouthern Oregon fruit at their small McMinnville winery, Patrick Reuter and Leigh Bartholomew offer stunning wines at amazing prices. A quintessentialviognier with aromatic fireworks of lavender, honeysuckle, and white peaches, this rich, mouthwatering wine drinks likechardonnay’s sexy younger sister. 

3. Jan-Marc wine Cellars

2010 Merlot • Kortge Vineyard • Columbia Gorge • $22

Bursting with plummy richness, this bottle will make you forget what you thought you knew about merlot. Sourced from old vines near The Dalles in the Columbia River Gorge, this is a truly small-production find: just 31 cases were bottled in Jan-Marc and Barbara Baker’s “two-car winery” in North Portland.

4. Matzinger Davies wine company

2012 Sauvignon Blanc • Gorgeous Savvy • Columbia Gorge • $18

This clean, crisp, and citrusy creation from power couple Anna Matzinger (longtime winemaker at legendary Archery Summit) and Michael Davies (New Zealand–born winemaker at A to Z and Rex Hill) sips like a dream, with herbal notes and fresh minerality. 

5. RoxyAnn Winery

2009 Claret • Rogue Valley • $26

Red Bordeaux blends—featuring cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec, and petite verdot—are referred to as claret in the UK, but this chocolaty, rich pour with plenty of deep fruit flavors is all-American. The grapes hail from an estate vineyard near Medford called Hillcrest Orchards, which also grows pears, peaches, and apples.

• •Prized Pinot 
• •Sure-Bet Splurges 
• •Best Bargains 
• •Whimsical Whites 
• •Southern Oregon Stars
• •New Wave Chardonnay
• •Breathtaking Bubbles 
• •The New Class 
• •The Biodynmaic Brigade

Whimsical Whites

Image: Nick Stokes

The Pro: Ken Collura

Andina’s celebrated wine director and sommelier launched his career as a nationally syndicated wine writer credited for discovering easy-drinking, off-the-radar gems. We tapped into Collura’s love of the obscure to unearth these indie bottles pushing the boundaries of Oregon white wine.

1. Dobbes Family Estate

2011 Grenache Blanc • Crater View Vineyard • Rogue Valley • $26

How’s this for a wine obsession: each year, Joe Dobbes purchases all the grenache blanc grown in the state of Oregon. Thanks to the 2011 vintage’s hallmark acidity and brightness, this limited-production wine is vibrant and complex, with a silky weight thanks to more than five months aging in neutral French oak barrels.

2. Adelsheim Vineyard

2012 Auxerrois • Ribbon Ridge • $25

This bright and zingy white varietal (pronounced oak-sair-wah) hails from Alsace, where it generally ends up blended into the local sparkling wines. On its own, it’s a superb partner for seafood. The Adelsheim family is one of only seven wineries producing the varietal in the United States.

3. Abacela

2012 Albariño • Umpqua Valley • $18

This crisp, clean varietal hails from Galicia in northwestern Spain, and it’s difficult to find renditions made in the States that taste like their delicious Spanish brothers. This one succeeds, thanks to the light hand of winemaker Andrew Wenzl. Drink it young—its flavors of green apple and zippy lemon zest are great with oysters.

4. J. Christopher

2012 Cristo Misto • Oregon • $14

Fermented in stainless steel, Jay Somers’s lively, dry blend of sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, and Riesling sparkles with snappy acid—perfect for balancing foods with a bit of richness. Uncork a bottle to complement soft, creamy cheeses or substantial fish like halibut or salmon.

5. Matello wines 

2012 Whistling Ridge White • Willamette Valley • $24

This rich, refreshing white is made with a combination of Riesling, pinot noir, pinot blanc, and gewürztraminer grapes. Winemaker Marcus Goodfellow has a knack for drumming up an element of surprise in his white wines, and the 2012 cuvée is no exception—you’ll find a pleasing hint of residual sugar with bouncy acids and a long finish.

Southern Oregon Stars

Image: Nick Stokes

The Pro: Savanna Ray

Wildwood’s savvy sommelier helps hone the next generation of wine professionals as an International Sommelier Guild instructor and lends her palate as a member of the board for the Willamette Valley’s International Pinot Noir Celebration. Here, Ray shines a light on five stellar selections from Oregon’s other wine country. 

1. Brandborg Wines

2011 Gewürztraminer • Umpqua Valley • $18

Terry and Sue Brandborg create beautiful wines in the newly established, cool-climate Elkton Oregon AVA. This bottle’s floral nose,stone-fruit flavors, full body,and generous acidity reveal the exciting potential of the region. Pair this beauty with Thai takeout—its weight and touch of sweetness can handle the spice. 

2. RoxyAnn Winery

2009 Tempranillo • Rogue Valley • $26

Rich with aromas of dark cherries, leather, vanilla, and coconut, this spicy, earthy wine offers solid tannins and well-integrated French and American oak. Pair with rib-eye steaks or smoked meats as the weather gets cooler for a sophisticated taste of fall.

3. Velocity Wine Cellars

2008 Velocity Malbec • Rogue Valley • $24

Winemaker Gus Janeway established Velocity Wine Cellars to focus on the many faces of malbec. This well-structured specimen reveals aromas of earth, chocolate-covered black currants, and spice meeting flavors of cocoa powder, juicy dark cherries, and star anise. 

4. Kandarian Wine Cellars

2010 Syrah • Carpenter Hill Vineyard • Rogue Valley • $30

Jeff Kandarian’s boutique wines satisfy cravings for the bolder side of Oregon’s vines. This Syrah showcases the varietal’s savory smokiness, with notes of bacon, blackberries, and black pepper balanced by refreshing acid. Pair it with roasted lamb chops and mashed potatoes.

5. God King Slave wines

2012 Sauvignon Blanc • Rogue Valley • $19

Serving up flavors of fresh-cut grass, green apple, and key lime, this full-bodied, balanced wine is the creation of native Oregonians Christine Collier and Chris Jiron, a young couple bringing new energy to Southern Oregon’s deep-rooted wine history, with delicious results. Sip alongside goat cheese covered in honey. 

• •Prized Pinot 
• •Sure-Bet Splurges 
• •Best Bargains 
• •Whimsical Whites 
• •Southern Oregon Stars
• •New Wave Chardonnay
• •Breathtaking Bubbles 
• •The New Class 
• •The Biodynmaic Brigade

New Wave Chardonnay

Image: Nick Stokes

The Pro: Todd Steele

At his Pearl District restaurant Metrovino, this seasoned wine pro harnesses the techy side of the grape with Enomatic wine preservation machines to offer more than 90 choices by the glass [Editor's note: Metrovino closed in September 2013]. Here, Steele reveals the best of Oregon’s gold—modern chardonnays that prove the grape has a home forever in our state’s barrel room. 

1. Bergström wines

2011 Chardonnay Sigrid • Willamette Valley • $80

Josh Bergström is one of the winemakers leading the charge of the next generation of Oregon chardonnay. The Sigrid, named after Bergström’s grandmother, is the winery’s flagship chardonnay, layered with notes of orange blossom, ginger, lemon curd, buttered corn, and baking spices with a silky, rich palate that’s cut with an edge of lemon, tangerine, and lime. 

2. Black Cap wines

2009 Chardonnay • Dundee Hills • $60

Sourced exclusively from David Lett’s pioneering 1966 plantings of chardonnay, this microproduction wine from Jason Lett’s second label oozes old-vine sophistication and modern class. Elegant, focused, and able to age well into the next decade, this stunner should be saved for a special occasion worth savoring. 

3. Antica Terra

2011 Chardonnay • Aurata • Willamette Valley • $75

Vibrant, clean, and invigorating, this racy bottle shatters expectations. Winemaker Maggie Harrison’s signature style is on display in this bottle that balances crisp apple and bright lemon aromas with creamy weight, minerality, and a bit of spice.

4. Brick House Vineyards

2011 Chardonnay • Cascadia • Ribbon Ridge • $36

Brick House’s Doug Tunnell is helping to redefine the varietal by artfully cultivating vibrant acidity and satisfying, creamy weight from biodynamically grown Dijon clone fruit. Bursts of lime, melon, and pears dance in a glass of this elegant, age-worthy golden beauty.

5. Evening Land Vineyards

2010 Chardonnay • Summum • Eola-Amity Hills • $90

Evening Land winemaker Isabelle Meunier’s Burgundian-style chardonnay employs native fermentation, gentle whole-cluster pressing, and close to a year in 27 percent–new oak barrels. The result is bright aromas of orange blossom, wet stone, tropical fruit, and flint. 

Breathtaking Bubbles

Image: Nick Stokes

The Pro: David Speer

Portland’s sole sparkling-wine sommelier opened Ambonnay—the first Champagne bar in the Northwest—in 2011, a jewel box of a space with a growing cult following. Speer also serves as an educator at his Red Slate Wine Company, so we called upon his expertise to spotlight five effervescent favorites worth relishing. 

1. Soter Vineyards

2009 Brut Rosé • Mineral Springs Ranch • Yamhill-Carlton • $65

Modeled on Champagne, this wine has become an ambassador of the potential for top-shelf sparkling wine in Oregon. With bright acidity, and notes of rhubarb, strawberries, apple blossoms, and dark-cherry skins, this isthebottle for your celebratory sipping. 

2. Argyle Winery

2009 Blanc de Blancs • Dundee Hills • $50

Often overlooked in favor of Argyle’s better-known sparklers, this crisp and delicious wine dances on the palate with plenty of green apple, lemon, and mineral tones. Trust the pioneers of Oregon bubbles to get it right—the Dundee-based winery has been producing world-class sparkling wine since 1987.

3. J. Albin Winery 

2007 Brut Rosé • Willamette Valley • $30

Using fruit from the Chehalem Mountains vineyard he planted in 1981, John Albin’s rosé offers flavors of strawberries and cherries balanced by grounding minerality. Bring this one to the Thanksgiving table for holiday pairing success.

4. King Estate

2008 Blanc de Gris • Willamette Valley • $35

Pure pinot gris sparklers are a rare breed—but considering the success of this bottle, they shouldn’t be. Classic flavors of pear and citrus come to life in this easy-drinking wine made with organically grown fruit, with bright and playful bubbles and aromas that won’t quit. 

5. Kramer Vineyards 

2010 Brut Methode Traditionelle • Yamhill-Carlton • $26

Kramer has often been considered a second-tier winery, but if this gorgeous brut is any indicator, a new generation is steering the ship in the right direction. Singing with flavors of apples, blueberries, honey, and brioche, this is the best bubbly for sippers seeking sweetness. 

• •Prized Pinot 
• •Sure-Bet Splurges 
• •Best Bargains 
• •Whimsical Whites 
• •Southern Oregon Stars
• •New Wave Chardonnay
• •Breathtaking Bubbles 
• •The New Class 
• •The Biodynmaic Brigade

The New Class

Image: Nick Stokes

The Pro: Brianne Day

Over the past five years, Day served as Riffle NW’s wine director, lent a hand in the cellars of Belle Pente, Scott Paul, WillaKenzie Estate, Grochau Cellars, Murdoch James Estate, and more, not to mention launching her own fledgling label, Day Wines. We asked her to take a moment to showcase a few of her next-generation winemaking compatriots.

1. Kelley Fox Wines

2010 Pinot Noir • Maresh Vineyard • Dundee Hills • $60

After years crafting high-end wines at Torii Mor, Hamacher, the Eyrie Vineyards, and Scott Paul Wines, in 2007 Kelley Fox launched her own label focusing on single-vineyard pinot noirs. In this beautiful release, she harnesses the deep-rooted power of 40-year-old Maresh vines, balanced with her own light touch, for a fresh but substantial bottle with notes of ripe berries, exotic spices, and a touch of savory smoke.

2. Ovum Wines

2012 Riesling • Memorista • Willamette Valley • $25

Crafted by John House and Ksenija Kostic House, lovers of aromatic white varieties with refined texture and terroir, this bottle offers notes of sweet white peaches on the nose, turning stony and mineral-rich on the palate. Extended contact with lees (yeast deposits) brings out a nutty, graham-like flavor, while lively acid puts the whole package into focus.

3. Teutonic Wine Company

2012 Pinot Meunier • Borgo Pass Vineyard • Willamette Valley • $26

Olga and Barnaby Tuttle are inspired by the cool-climate varietals of Germany and have rapidly earned a reputation for unexpected, charming wines. Barnaby has described their red wines as “white wines in drag”—a concept perfectly captured in this light-bodied, feminine wine with flavors of raspberry, nettle, moss, and ferns. 

4. Bow & Arrow

2012 Rhinestones • Willamette Valley • $23

Scott and Dana Frank looked to France’s Loire Valley to craft this joyful blend of pinot noir and gamay noir, an inspiration that’s on display in the wine’s rustic tannins and sprightly acid. The aroma and flavors are much more homegrown: think raspberries, rich forest soil, and ripe Hood River cherries. 

5. Holden Wine Company

2011 Pinot Blanc • Yamhill Valley Vineyards • McMinnville • $16

Eugene native Sterling Whitted aims to craft honest, delicious wines that allow the fruit to speak—and he hits the mark with this lively bottle. At first sniff this pinot blanc shows Meyer lemon and hay, and then opens up with a deeper layer of earthy smoke. 

The Biodynmaic Brigade

Image: Nick Stokes

The Pro: Michael Garofola

At Southeast Portland’s Genoa, white-tablecloth service is enriched with storytelling from this Court of Master Sommeliers–certified pro. Here, Garofola tells the tales of Oregon’s best biodynamic vineyards—where holistically minded farmers embrace a beyond-organic system that harnesses the interrelationship between soil, vines, animals, and the phases of the moon.

1. Beaux Frères

2011 Pinot Noir • Beau Frères Vineyard • Ribbon Ridge • $80

This elegant, deep ruby pour from winemaker Michael Etzel hails from the estate vineyard’s own-rooted, biodynamically farmed Pommard and Wädenswil grape clones. Complex, dark, and full of beautiful red fruit and floral aromas, this wine proves the power behind low yields and intentional farming.

2. Montinore Estate

2010 Pinot Noir • Swan Song • Willamette Valley • $45

Sourced from a dying vineyard—where yields from old plantings are shrinking every year due to the scourge of phylloxera—this wine is a bittersweet testament to Montinore’s Demeter-certified biodynamic estate. An honest representation of the quirky 2010 vintage, the Swan Song offers notes of orange, Campari, and bright red fruit.

3. Maysara Winery

2011 Pinot Noir • 3 Degrees • McMinnville • $18

Sourced exclusively from the Demeter-certified biodynamic Momtazi vineyard in the McMinnville foothills, this wine offers stunning flavors at an unbeatable price. Gobs of bright red fruit, spice, and bitter cherry meet a streak of acidity for a food-friendly bottle you can stock up on.

4. Brick House Vineyards

2011 Pinot Noir • Cuvée du Tonnelier • Ribbon Ridge • $45

Biodynamic legend Doug Tunnell crafts this layered wine from own-rooted Pommard vines planted in 1990. Expressive, lively, and packed with red fruit, spice, and earthy perfume, this offering is balanced by a welcomed backbone of funk characteristic of the maturing Ribbon Ridge estate.

5. Winderlea Vineyard

2011 Pinot Noir • Legacy • Dundee Hills • $75

Drawing from the LIVE-certified Winderlea estate vineyard’s 30-year-old own-rooted vines, this wine combines the freshness of the 2011 vintage with well-integrated tannins and mature, nuanced flavors of tobacco, cocoa, and malt for a surprisingly structured sip with a finish that lasts and lasts. 

A Biodynamic Glossary 

• Demeter-certified vineyard:A site that has received official recognition from Demeter International, the leading third-party biodynamic certification organization in the world. 
• LIVE-certified sustainable:LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) provides third-party recognition to wineries in Oregon and Washington that protect watershed resources and use sustainable farming and winemaking practices.
• Phylloxera:A tiny insect responsible for the devastation of European-varietal vines worldwide. While historically a European calamity, the louse is now making its way to the Pacific Northwest. 
• Own-rooted:Grapevines planted without being grafted onto phylloxera-resitant rootstock. Many wine lovers believe own-rooted vineyards better express terroir and varietal characteristics. 

• CULTURE
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• WELLNESS
 | 
• GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY
 | 
• WORKSPACE
 | 
• FLEXIBILITY
 | 
• DEVELOPMENT

CULTURE (n) The shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize an institution, organization, or group of people

ROUNDHOUSE

IN 2001, Joe Sundby and Dana Bainbridge accidentally started a marketing agency. Basically, they liked messing around on computers, taking pictures, and “designing stuff” (as Sundby puts it) for snowboarding companies, while working out of their basements. In the first year, they billed a grand total of $20,000.

Today, Roundhouse sprawls over two floors of Southeast Portland’s East Bank Lofts. (Sundby remembers attending debauched after-hours parties in the 1912 industrial structure back in his ’90s rocker days; more Portlanders would recognize the premises by the ground-floor J&M Café.) More than 80 employees work for clients like Adidas, Red Bull, and XBox. Projected 2013 gross: $20 million.

Despite exponential growth, Sundby keeps the culture grounded in the improvisational chaos of the firm’s beginnings. (Bainbridge prefers to work remotely, from a cabin he designed for himself in the woods outside of Weed, California.) Fridays often see all-staff socials, with prizes (bonus vacation time, swag from clients) and beer from Widmer Brothers (a client) on tap. The staff has grown so large Sundby can’t socialize with everyone anymore, so managers are effectively under orders to take their teams out on the town.

“For me, getting paid to do this stuff is a dream,” the cofounder says. “I grew up doing hard manual labor to make tiny amounts of money. I don’t want to lose sight of that. We want this to be a sanctuary for everyone, where they can be their most creative.”

And it does feel good at Roundhouse. The light is natural. Sheets of recycled sailcloth serve as the only dividers between most workspaces. Kitschy-cool Northwest décor abounds, the functional ’70s ski-lodge fireplace being particularly impressive. 

But trappings aside, Roundhouse aspires to a deeper ideal, one shared by many of Portland’s most fascinating and (yes) successful businesses: reinventing work. As companies bank on the selling of ideas, human-resource hierarchies have dissolved in favor of looser, more collaborative creative flows. In competitive fields like high-tech and marketing, employers wage a cool-place-to-work arms race to lure talent. On the flip side, with metro-area unemployment still around 7.5 percent, those lucky enough to draw paychecks don’t get the luxury of slacking off. If you’re laboring longer and harder than ever, work should be better than tolerable—and some Portland companies (with plenty of help from their workers) make it downright pleasant. 

If Roundhouse provides a glimpse of the horizon, the future could be bright—from both employers’ and employees’ perspectives. The firm’s workforce has nearly doubled since 2011, and it’s quietly become a coveted gig in its field. “When I interviewed here, I told myself, ‘If I don’t get this job, I’m moving to Siberia and shaving my head,’” says Jake Watt, a strategist who moved to Portland from Miami. When he arrived, he found a freewheeling atmosphere, where senior partners brainstorm on equal terms with junior copywriters and entry-level designers.

“It’s wide open,” he says. “Everyone knows they can throw their best ideas in, and no idea gets cut until a better one comes along. Even if it’s not your idea that wins, you’re still excited.”

As long as all that remains true, Sundby believes Roundhouse can grow without losing touch with its humble past. “The most junior person could walk through my door with the best idea, so I leave the door open,” he says. “When we started, we had no idea how an agency should look or operate. We still don’t know, so we just do it our way.”  

Get a Closer Look at Roundhouse

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• CULTURE
 | 
• WELLNESS
 | 
• GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY
 | 
• WORKSPACE
 | 
• FLEXIBILITY
 | 
• DEVELOPMENT

Image: Stuart Mullenberg

WELLNESS (n) A state of good health, encompassing mental, physical, and emotional well-being

CITIZEN

It’s almost 2014. If you haven’t been regaled on the glories of sitting on a yoga ball or switching to a standing desk, consider your workplace behind the times. “Wellness”—the revolutionary notion that healthy employees make better workers—has become office culture conventional wisdom. Everyone’s walking at lunch. Everyone wants an office shower so they can run in the afternoon.

But Citizen, a low-profile Northwest Portland firm that creates mobile software and strategy for enormous global brands, is determined to stretch the trend to radical new lengths.

“The world is saturated with products that measure fitness and exercise activity,” says Quinn Simpson, the company’s user-experience director. “We want to talk about why.”

Last year, a group of Citizen workers—guinea pigs, or pioneers—volunteered to let the company track their exercise habits. (Thanks to wearable products like Nike’s FuelBand and Fitbit, the tech-savvy can now easily compile and upload daily run distances and calorie burns.) The company wants that information so it can measure, with increasing precision over time, just how fitness affects job performance. 

“It’s more than just data,” says Drew Klonsky, who has steered the company he started in his basement in 2005 to contracts with Adidas, Intel, AT&T, and ABC/Disney. “It’s seeing how your fitness affects the organization.” Klonsky, a 47-year-old whose own triathlon training helped inspire the project, hopes transparency could create positive peer pressure. “We hire people in their 20s, but the irony is, they’re not always the most fit,” he says. “Maybe they’ll feel the kinship of their peers, spiritually and culturally.”

Eventually, the company hopes to track every factor that affects productivity, and use that knowledge to shape the perfect office environment. “If one team is doing well, maybe they’re getting a lot of sleep,” says partner Scé Pike. “Or maybe they’ve got their lighting set perfectly.” That vision echoes the “scientific managers” of 100 years ago who used film to make assembly lines more efficient. In the near term, Citizen’s fitness push is having tangible results. 

“My hamstrings are killing me,” Klonsky says.

See Citizen’s fitness plan in action

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• CULTURE
 | 
• WELLNESS
 | 
• GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY
 | 
• WORKSPACE
 | 
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 | 
• DEVELOPMENT

Image: Stuart Mullenberg

GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY (n) The prospect of advancement, achievement, or success, anywhere in the world

XPLANE

The design and business consulting firm Xplane makes its home in downtown Portland, but a fifth of its revenue comes from outside the US. (Clients have included Procter & Gamble, Raytheon, Britain’s Royal Mail, and BASF.) That means every new hire is seen as a passport to the company’s future and its internationalist outlook. 

“The creative employee of the future has to be a globalist,” says Xplane CEO Aric Wood. Wood’s not alone in that view: British writer and business school professor Lynda Gratton argues that smallish companies like Xplane that work internationally reflect a transformation as profound as the Industrial Revolution. “Organizations are operating in a global context even if they don’t have a presence overseas,” Gratton recently told the New York Times. “This is true for individuals, too.”

Xplane does run a branch office in Amsterdam—the direct flight from PDX comes in handy—but stands apart in how it hardwires globalism into its work. “Our whole company is built around agility,” Wood says. Portland-based employees can apply for two-year stints in Amsterdam, after which they rotate home. 

“My job is about helping people understand ideas,” says associate creative director Tim May, who recently returned home to Portland from four days in Senegal and spent six months of 2010 in Amsterdam helping open that office. That understanding, he contends, is particularly important when “rhythm and culture” are different. 

“In Senegal, you keep your mobile phone well charged, because the power goes out,” he notes. “In the Netherlands, there’s a whole culture around informal, handshake business deals. You learn to navigate.”

As CEO, Wood also sees employees’ broader horizons as a business asset. 

“If you’ve been doing something—anything—for a while, you develop retrograde amnesia and forget what made you great at it in the first place,” he says. “Working abroad is a great way to stay sharp.” As for the complexity of running a company on two continents: “The best way to build shared culture is to buy plane tickets.”

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• CULTURE
 | 
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WORKSPACE (n) A room, set of rooms, or building where the business of a commercial or industrial organization is conducted

Image: Stuart Mullenberg

INTROVERTS AND THE “OPEN OFFICE” 

“Social innovation” firm Context Partners designed new offices on NE Alberta Street with two personality types in mind: introverts and extroverts. “We collaborate a lot, and we’re often on the phone,” says Jensie Miksich, who led the project. “You’re always so aware of what everyone is doing.” The result blends hierarchy-blurring openness—no private offices—and “rest and recovery” spaces for the retiring types.

Image: Stuart Mullenberg

THE CORNER OFFICE IS DEAD

Over four years, software analytics company New Relic’s Portland office rocketed from three people to more than 80 employees and a $10 million payroll. Challenge: preserving the grassroots energy its engineers loved. Solution: transforming an old-style US Bancorp Tower corporate space into a candy-colored funland, with meeting-room names from comic books (“Spider Skull Island”) and open collaborative spaces instead of corner offices. “Space is an investment that pays off in terms of who we can hire and how we all feel at work,” says senior VP Jim Gochee. “We’re out of the adolescent phase, but don’t want to lose our culture.”

Explore New Relic’s candy-colored funland of an office

COOL SPACE CAN LURE TOP TALENT

Christopher Espinoza, founder of barbershop mini-chain The Modern Man, on design as a competitive edge

Image: Stuart Mullenberg

You stuffed your first shop on Alberta with animal heads and retro knickknacks. Were you riding Portland’s old-time trend?

There wasn’t much of a plan. When we added the bar upstairs, I tried to create an environment where my dad would want to go—he’s an old Mexican cowboy.

How did design become so important to your brand, then? People started to say, “Oh, we love the concept.” So the second shop, on Hawthorne, became a library, the refined side of the Modern Man. Our third shop, on N Mississippi, is a long narrow room, which suggested the history of that street as a streetcar line. So: train station. 

Does this stuff matter to workers?
Who wants to leave their job? And yet we’ve been able to attract both veteran Portland barbers and really interesting new talent. Barbers often work in environments where the owner thinks a Playboy and big TV is all you need. But barbering is an art form, and like any art form, ego is a part of it. Our guys get to work in spaces they know were loved. 

Three Portland spaces that redefine the conference room

Image: Stuart Mullenberg

Instrument: The teepee 

A fire at old digs forced this marketing and design firm into an “all hands on deck” overnight renovation of an empty industrial NE warehouse. Short on enclosed meeting spaces (or walls), they struck on a novel solution: a teepee (above).  More than just a clever piece of construction, it came to represent a new, more communal workplace culture.

Industry: The Container 

When digital experience and product design company Industry needs to tackle an extra-crunchy problem, team members retreat to the shipping container: a made-to-order, matte-black steel box, just big enough for a six-person table. At the head of the table sits an elk skull, to represent the problem-solving idea they hope to hit on: “We call it king of the hill,” says founding partner Oved Valadez. “This is where we brainstorm, sketch, collaborate.” 

Wieden+Kennedy: The Nest (a.k.a. “Out in the Sticks”) 

The architectural statement—a bare platform cantilevering over the ad agency’s exposed sixth-floor beams—looked cool, but often sat empty. Enter installation artist and sculptor Patrick Dougherty, who wove countless locally sourced sticks and branches into a semisecluded, downright cozy place.

THREE EURO-COOL OFFICES WE COVET

Selgas cano Architects in Madrid

A transparent tube running through a forest

Internet provider Bahnhof in Sweden

A scary-cool underground lair (in a former bomb shelter)

Microsoft’s headquarters in Vienna

It has a slide. A slide!

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 | 
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 | 
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 | 
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Image: Stuart Mullenberg

FLEXIBILITY (n) Susceptibility to modification and adaptation

ACME

As consultants—those most mysterious creatures of the work world—the people at Acme help businesses solve problems. When a client can’t untangle an organizational knot or figure out a new process, Acme’s experts step in.

Appropriately enough, Acme itself began as a solution to a problem: the consulting industry’s brutal culture of constant travel. “We all worked for big, traditional consultancies,” says Peter Lizotte, one of three founders. “You’re never home.” (Think of George Clooney, drifting through Up in the Air.)

So in 2002, Acme flipped the model: it takes on only local clients. (Branch offices in Seattle and San Diego lend range.) For veteran consultants like Kari Nordquist—who spent seven years at mammoth international firm Accenture flying out on Mondays and home on Fridays—“home” could evolve beyond just another destination. “I got to have a life,” the mother of two (above) says. “I got to actually know the city I live in, and get involved in the community.” 

Nordquist also discovered that Acme’s local-only focus translates into a broader commitment to flexibility. As family demands have shifted, she rearranged her schedule in various part-time configurations, rare in an industry built around satisfying clients, no matter what. Acme also lets employees manage their own vacation time. “If people are hitting their marks,” Lizotte says, “I don’t care if they take time off. I’m more concerned about them not taking time off.”

The limber approach, Lizotte says, is nothing less than his people deserve. “We really only hire the best,” he says, “so we try to keep them happy.” 

Related Articles

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• CULTURE
 | 
• WELLNESS
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• GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY
 | 
• WORKSPACE
 | 
• FLEXIBILITY
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• DEVELOPMENT

Image: Stuart Mullenberg

DEVELOPMENT (n) Modification, growth, learning, adaptation, progress

Hopworks

In 2008, Olivia Magnano grad-uated from the University of Washington, a 22-year-old with a communications degree staring into recession’s maw and feeling Portland’s mysterious magnetism. “Why not do a fun service-industry job,” she recalls thinking, “just to meet people and weather the storm?”

She landed as a restaurant host at Hopworks, a new microbrewery and pub with a sustainability bent. She knew little about beer or restaurants. But Hopworks’ HR strategy is as much about learning as brewing, and is as organic as its IPA. 

“We take a lot of pride in finding talented, thoughtful people,” owner-brewmaster Christian Ettinger says of the company he’s taken from about 40 to 115 employees. “You can cultivate that, and their roles grow and evolve.”

Magnano quickly became an expediter, making plated food look good as it left the kitchen. Then she moved to server. When the company’s admin department ran short of help, she began filling in half-time. Today, she’s the office manager while in training to lead Hopworks’ human-resources efforts—the company is helping her pay for classes at Portland State.

On her way into her new office job, Magnano passed Amelia Pillow (below), who was headed the other direction. Pillow had started as a server, jumped in as a fill-in bookkeeper, and then become the office manager. But, really, she wanted to make beer. Now 31, she’s worked her way up from keg washer to brewer, with help from an American Brewers Guild certification course the company helped arrange. “I’ve been able to progress very quickly,” she says.

So it goes at Hopworks, where the head salesman used to brew and the newest restaurant manager came up from the kitchen. “There’s no formal policy, but it’s something we do,” Ettinger says. “It’s about communication.”

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On a typically wet Wednesday evening in late October, seven doctors and nurse practitioners sat around a conference table in Portland Monthly’s downtown office. The discussion was heated, appropriately fueled by Willamette Valley pinot and carbonara from Grassa. At 9 p.m., the debate, unfolding within a growing landscape of papers and laptops, did not seem to be slowing down. 

The panel’s mission? Scrutinize, investigate, and finalize Portland Monthly’s ninth annual list of top medical professionals in the area. No small task.

Of course, our independent, anonymous panel, drawn from a wide swath of the metro area’s hospitals, clinics, and private practices, was only one part of the long process that led to this list. The Portland-area doctors, nurses, and physician’s assistants who cast 6,100 votes shaped it. And the nearly 500 votes from local acupuncturists, chiropractors, naturopaths, and touch therapists allowed us to include complementary medicine in our list for the first time. (Finally!)  

As you browse through the 464 names in 79 specialties over the pages that follow—whether or not it’s name by painstaking name, as it was for our panel that October evening—we hope you’ll agree it’s our best list yet. And most important, we hope it helps you find the best doctor or nurse for your needs.

HOW WE CAME UP WITH THE LIST: Using a secure online survey system, Portland Monthly solicited peer nominations from every licensed doctor and registered nurse in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties back in September. Participants logged in with their medical license number, and were asked to nominate up to three names in each medical specialty, asking that they consider peers with whom they would entrust their own families. After the votes were tallied, Portland Monthly narrowed the list to the top 5 percent of vote recipients in each specialty (nominees needed at least two votes for inclusion). Then, our independent, volunteer, and anonymous panel of doctors and nurse practitioners gathered to vet the list—assessing each finalist by their accomplishments, education, patient satisfaction surveys, and other evidence-based criteria. As of press time, all of the practitioners on our list were certified in Oregon to practice in their fields by their respective licensing board. 

DOCTORS

Addiction Medicine

Allergy & Immunology

Anesthesiology

Cardiology

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Colon & Rectal Surgery

Critical Care Medicine

Dermatology

Diagnostic Radiology

Ear, Nose & Throat

Emergency Medicine

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism

Family Medicine

Gastroenterology

General Surgery

Geriatric Medicine

Gynecologic Oncology

Hand Surgery

Hematology/Oncology

Immune Deficiency/HIV

Infectious Disease

Internal Medicine

Maternal & Fetal Medicine

Medical Toxicology

Nephrology

Neurology

Neurosurgery

Nuclear Medicine

Obstetrics & Gynecology

Occupational Medicine

Ophthalmology

Orthopedic Surgery

Osteopathic Medicine

Pain Medicine

Pathology

Pediatric-General

Pediatric Neonatal & Perinatal

Pediatric Cardiology

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Pediatric Endocrinology

Pediatric Gastroenterology

Pediatric Hematology & Oncology

Pediatric Infectious Disease

Pediatric Nephrology

Pediatric Neurology

Pediatric Neurosurgery

Pediatric Psychiatry

Pediatric Pulmonology

Pediatric Sleep

Pediatric Surgery

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Plastic Surgery

Podiatry

Psychiatry

Pulmonary Disease

Radiation Oncology

Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility

Rheumatology

Sleep Medicine

Sports Medicine

UrogynEcology

Urology

Vascular

Vascular Surgery

NURSE PRACTITIONERS

Acute

Adult

Certified Nurse Anesthetists

Certified Nurse Midwives

Family

Geriatric

Neonatology

Pediatric

Psychiatric & Mental Health

Women's Health

COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE

Acupuncture

Chiropractic

Naturopathy

Touch Therapy

Directory

DOUBLE DRAGON: CHOP SUEY SONGSTERS

Come for: A fizzy, fruity Singapore Sling and a clove-perfumed duck banh mi
Come back for: Baby Ketten Karaoke

SE Division Street’s gleefully inauthentic banh mi joint always felt like something more than a plain old restaurant, with its spicy, in-your-face eats and snarky chalkboard menu. So when Double Dragon transformed into a bona fide bar last fall, complete with the requisite bitters and tinctures lining its poured-concrete bar and a list of classic and curious cocktails, it felt like a raucous homecoming. These days, the glass-fronted cube is crammed with happy 20- and 30-somethings scarfing Kobe kimchi dogs and slurping stiff drinks spiked with five-spice and Thai tea syrup beneath dim lights studded with spent Sriracha bottles. The spot reaches its oddball zenith every Saturday night. That’s when Baby Ketten Karaoke stretches a white sheet across one of the bar’s front windows to project song lyrics, tempting flannel-clad boys to belt out Nine Inch Nails’ “Head Like a Hole” mashed up with Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” Smokers bundled up to their eyeballs perch on picnic tables just outside the door, watching the wildly gesticulating singers through the glass as if they were the cast of some long-lost Godzilla movie musical. 1235 SE Division St

Ración: THE MODERNIST TINKERER

Come for: A salt foam–topped chorizo tequila margarita
Come back for: A seat at the bar—Portland’s ideal perch for watching modernist cuisine in the making 

There is no gleaming liquor-scape at Ración: no service rail, no speed rack, no towering library ladders. Bartender Chauncey Roach’s domain is really more of a “station.” While immersion circulators swirl with baggies of wagyu culotte nearby, Roach mans a two-table science lab of cocktail geekery, complete with meaty infusions, sous-vide apples, salt foams, and granitas galore. His creations are the perfect match for Ración’s casually fanciful approach to modern Spanish cuisine—unexpected, labor-intensive, and classically delicious. Snag a seat at the wraparound bar for a front-row perspective on the molecular gastronomy, or head for the leather-cushioned lounge area, where a good-sized gaggle could settle in for a night of cocktail experimentation. Try the old-fashioned, which arrives artfully deconstructed: a rocks glass of orange granita, dabbed with bitters and speared with a maraschino cherry, sided by a shot of Four Roses single-barrel bourbon. Combine, stir, and sip away. For dessert? Treat yourself to Portland’s most abiding White Russian, capped with a luscious cloud of vanilla foam and crystals of Jacobsen’s Stumptown coffee salt. 1205 SW Washington St

Image: Stuart Mullenberg

Orient Express: The No. 8 at Expatriate

Expatriate: THE HOT DATE

Come for: A livey blend of cognac, rye, Dolin Génépy des Alpes, sweet vermouth, and orange bitters dubbed No. 8 
Come back for: Candles everywhere, carefully selected vintage vinyl, and luxuriously tufted bar stools make this easily the sexiest bar in town.

It is laughably easy to fall under Expatriate’s spell. It begins when you walk in the door and find yourself in a discrete world of warmth: thick red candles flicker, dark booths ooze that come-hither look, a well-coiffed bartender flashes a knowing smile, and jazz purrs from a turntable. It is gritty and glamorous, playful but self-assured. You may find yourself musing, “This is exactly where I want to be right now.” The 30-seat haven of dimness is the brainchild of bartender Kyle Linden Webster and wife Naomi Pomeroy (whose bastion of communal dining, Beast, is just across the street). This communion of casual but carefully engineered ambience is enhanced by confident cocktails and bold, crunchy, loosely Asian drinking snacks (order the Chinese sausage corn dog!), not to mention one very simple, very satisfying onion and butter sandwich inspired by James Beard. Each of Webster’s eight nightly cocktails is calibrated to the drop and comes with a footnoted backstory. Read up and order the No. 8, a spirited mix of cognac and rye amped by herbaceous liqueur and orange bitters. From there, let the candles be your guide as you freely roam both sides of the globe-trotting menu. 5424 NE 30th Ave

The Rookery Bar: THE HISTORIAN

Come for: Full barrels of bourbon and tequila, selected specifically for the menu of high-end cocktails 
Come back for: Tuesday nights of live Irish music paired with Irish bites

If it weren’t for the dark-marbled bar, the impeccable leather upholstery, the grand, unblemished pool table, and the stainless steel LED lamps hanging from the burly beams above, the Rookery Bar just might transport you in time. Making its cavernous home in the former hayloft of the Ladd Carriage House—built in 1883, trucked across town in 2007, and trucked back to its historic home in 2011—the Rookery serves as a convivial alternative to Raven & Rose’s more staid dining room below. Cocktail precision from ubiquitous bar director David Shenaut fills out an ambitious menu that ranges from an immaculate manhattan to Caroline’s Fancy, a fiery blend of reposado tequila, curaçao, and cardamom bitters that somehow tastes like a classic. Tasting expeditions to Kentucky, Jalisco, and beyond have yielded a collection of “Single-Barrels” that bear the bar’s logo and serve as the foundation for a menu of single-barrel cocktails (spendy, but worth it). When the Rookery is swinging with live Irish folk music, fireplace blazing and rare liquor flowing, there’s hardly a more impressive room in Portland. 1331 SW Broadway

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Image: Stuart Mullenberg

Mezcal, My Love: Tacos and matching plaids at La Taq

La Taq: MEX TEX MAESTRO

Come for: Addictive fried-to-order chips and spicy salsas
Come back for: A velvety tequila, orange curaçao, and scotch face-smacker named Bandalero

How do you topthe downhome charm of Podnah’s Pit? Tuck the barbecue haunt’s signature brisket inside a Three Sisters Nixtamal tortilla and serve it alongside a Zanahorita, the zippy, sweet-and-sour offspring of a margarita and carrot-cumin salad. Indeed, Rodney Muirhead’s “Mex Tex” companion to his beloved BBQ spot hits all the right smoky, meaty, boozy notes. The tiny, candlelit cantina faintly glows with good vibes, its harmonious mix of tile, wood, and poured concrete set off by framed ponchos and a long row of tequila and mescal bottles, the air perfumed with frying tortilla chips and lamb barbacoa. Former Beaker & Flask barman Kevin Ludwig and his affable crew sling a roundup of satisfying, agave-focused cocktails as well the high-low punch of Double Mountain IRA and Pacifico on tap. Given the quality, prices are more than reasonable, and the bar’s chic yet unassuming atmosphere makes it the kind of spot where you could gorge on tacos and beers with a lover, an old college buddy, or even your mom in tow. Heck, bring all three. 1625 NE Killingsworth St 

White Owl Social Club: THE LYNCH-, GEAR-& MOTORHEAD

Come for: Mayahuel’s Tequila Toddy (Sauza Hornitos Reposado, agave nectar, habanero, preserved orange peel, fresh citrus)
Come back for: DIY s’mores, complete with skewers and tabletop fire

With its angular red- and black-tile floors and leather booths, the White Owl Social Club could double as a set from Special Agent Dale Cooper’s dream sequences on Twin Peaks. In reality, it’s a booze-fueled music hall from the rock-happy Sizzle Pie empire, complete with a monthly meet-up for vegan drinkers, a pair of kombuchas on offer, and a line of wolf-emblazoned T-shirts for sale. Faux-fur-clad gals and bearded motorheads often flock here for Richter scale–bumping punk and metal bands, a dozen rotating draft brews, and dangerously easy-drinking creations like the Papa Legba, a kind of soft-porn Slurpee that mingles Bulleit bourbon and New Deal coffee liqueur with vanilla-bean soda and root beer. The gritty space’s sprawling patio and fire pit are built for long summer nights, but plates of fried Moonbrine pickle fritters and taco mac and cheese loaded with Hatch chiles help combat seasonal affective disorder during long PDX winters. But don’t say we didn’t warn you about the dreams. 1305 SE Eighth Ave

Lighthouse Inn: THE LONGSHOREMAN

Come for: Whiskey and a beer back, from a small but surprisingly varied local tap list
Come back for: From the snowshoes and Pachinko machine hiding in the booth-filled restaurant wing to the inlaid backgammon board by the jukebox, it might take a few visits just to take in the ancient building’s many artifacts. 

This airy Linnton tavern offers plenty of room to rehydrate after a hike in Forest Park or recover from a harvest-season trip to nearby Sauvie Island. Fridays and Saturdays draw regulars for prime-rib dinners, but the many burger choices, you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me mountain of tots, and Oregon-proud pints (the taps take in Burnside Brewing and Cascade Lakes) are on offer every day. The respite comes with a history lesson: it may not be right on the water, but few bars in Portland make you feel more connected to our rivertown history than the Lighthouse. Red and green channel markers set around the room bounce light off a bar that’s shiny as a ship’s deck, and after a few strong pours, you might think you spot a seagull landing on the dock pilings behind the shuffleboard table. Dockworker notices tacked outside and union signs within hint that this isn’t a place to get too highfalutin: just order a drink (or go with the bartender’s whim—she may even cure your cold), sit back and watch the game, or join in the welcoming conversation. Even the resident ghost, said to sit and smoke cigars in what was once the building’s bank vault, is a friendly sort. 10808 NW St. Helens Rd

Whey Bar: HEAVY-WAIT CHAMPION

Come for: The gin-based Weekend at Bernie’s #2, a tweak on the classic Corpse Reviver 2 (and an excellent movie reference)
Come back for: The oyster bar

Technically, Whey Bar serves as the overflow pit for anxious diners hungry for Ox’s highbrow Argentine grilled meats. Stuck in a former garage behind the perpetually packed restaurant, this stepchild of a boîte is all but invisible from the street. Exposed lightbulbs hang from the ceiling, casting a warm glow. There’s no bathroom. But since it opened in the summer of 2012, Whey Bar has quietly elbowed its way into the spotlight by focusing on the simple things: great cocktails and perfect bivalves. Step inside, take a seat at one of six bar stools, and order the La Yapa (rye whiskey, Fernet Branca, Velvet falernum, grenadine, lemon), which could easily be overpowered by the fernet but is in fact flawlessly balanced. Whet your appetite at the raw oyster bar by the door. They’re not just the perfect drinking companion; they’re a whole other reason to visit. If you’re lucky and they’re in stock, try the Blue Pools from Hama Hama in Lilliwaup, Washington: just the right salination and size, made celestial with a dollop of garlic butter sauce. What reservations? 2225 NE MLK Jr. Blvd

Aviary: COCKTAILS WITHOUT BORDERS

Come for: The Brix Layer, a spin on an old-fashioned with a float of cabernet sauvignon
Come back for: A happy hour menu that’ll blow your taste buds and barely dent your wallet

Like its adjacent restaurant, Aviary’s cozy bar calls to mind a rustic Zen temple—polished wood, dark steel, and white walls all coming together in a minimalist homage to lines and right angles. That serenity, however, is disrupted by the dancing LED lights of a small Miller Genuine Draft sign, which might as well serve as a metaphor for the Alberta spot’s cocktails: adventurous but thoughtful fusions of East and West that fairly pop on the tongue. Most nights you can spy a well-heeled crowd of couples and food acolytes trading sips of flavorful elixirs pumped up with everything from tobacco bitters to “cookie spice”; all calibrated to complement the kitchen’s often delicate, deliciously perplexing, sweet and savory dishes. The Canicule, which mashes up Bombay Sapphire East gin and sauvignon blanc with pineapple shrub and jalapeño, performs throat-tickling acrobatics in your mouth, while the One Night in Bangkok offsets vodka and lime with savory kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass for a sophisticated alternative to the lemon drop. These are combinations to meditate on. 1733 NE Alberta St

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Image: Stuart Mullenberg

Ring of Rum..and Fire! Brave Hale Pele's Volcano Bowl

Hale Pele: TIKI-LANDIA

Come for: The Disneyland-blitzed-on-Sailor-Jerry décor
Come back for: The Jet Pilot’s flaming, head-swirling mix of three aged rums, citrus, falernum, and a heap of cinnamon

There are tiki bars, and then there Tiki Bars. Hale Pele is the latter. Enter from a relatively dead block of NE Broadway, cross a small bridge next to a trickling waterfall, and you will find yourself within a thatched hut that feels tricked out by someone on a strong form of aboriginal acid, where psychedelic lights, bamboo, and giant Polynesian masks all clamor for attention alongside nearly 40 frothy, boozy tropical concoctions. Pretention is banished here—Hale Pele’s cheesiness is central to its charm. Spiky puffer-fish lamps overhead? Check. “Thunderstorms” blowing through the sound system on the hour? Check. A volcano that spews smoke? Triple-check! Conversations flow easily (and increasingly loudly) between strangers at neighboring tables, fueled by nibbles of addictive, sesame oil–slicked edamame and sips from the epic, rum-centric cocktail menu. The sugary classics are here (the Painkiller), but plunge deeper into the menu for a taste of the spicy side of the tropics (the Navy Grog). Just pay close attention to the menu’s “potency scale” and come with a couple of hours to spare—service tends to run on “island time,” natch. 2733 NE Broadway

The Tannery: THE SOPHISTICATED FRONTIERSMAN

Come for: Exactingly composed drinks, old (the Toronto) and new (the Namaste—with chai-infused vodka)
Come back for: Low-key, under-the-radar DJ nights on the two turntables in the back

Something funny about the Tannery: people seem to bring their parents. On a recent visit, several tables in this cozy, off-kilter-elegant shotgun shack featured 30-somethings and their forebears. Maybe Portland transplants are eager to show off a tiny gem that distills the city’s modern mood to its essence. After all, this place isn’t much more than a cinder-block shed on a once-desolate stretch of Burnside. Owner Caleb McBee refined the unpromising structure into a snug, considered
epitome of that post-Deadwood, neo-steampunk, Craftsman Industrial design aesthetic that Portland loves. Behind the bar, archival drinks like the Toronto croon dark melodies of rye and fernet, while strange new wonders take shape—the Lucille 2, for example, mingles ferocious Dutch gin, a red wine reduction, and sparkling cava. The tiny kitchen works a rich vein of Euro-Oregonian pub fare, turning out a Monte Cristo spiked with marionberries and steak fritessourced from St. Helens. It’s almost a little much, but when the needle hits some old vinyl and the booze hits the big ice cube, the Tannery serves Portland indie culture in its most refreshing form. 5425 E Burnside St

The Fireside: THE DEN OF FIRE

Come for: Backyard Grillin’ (tequila, mescal, rhubarb amaro, lemon, orange bitters)
Come back for: The opportunity to drink that cocktail (and many more) beside one of two fireplaces

We lamented the demise of the iconic Music Millennium on Northwest 23rd Avenue as much as anyone. But after six long years of vacancy, what’s risen from its ashes is a small triumph: an enticingly homey neighborhood joint with a fireplace-to-space ratio that we heartily approve. Yes, the Fireside is inspired by (you guessed it!) all things fire, from its ax door handle to its floor-to-ceiling smokestack fireplace. The outdoorsy food menu includes a hearty elk chili and plenty of grilled things, from flatbread pizza to lettuces and brick chicken, while a wallet-friendly spread of cocktails (just $6 apiece during happy hour) offers fiery, smoky mescal- and scotch-fueled concoctions. Partitioned nooks and booths, all bedecked in buttery leather and fiercely grained wood, give you plenty of options for tucking into the scene: hole up in a dark booth with a group; sidle up to the bar in a tufted, swiveling seat; ogle Nob Hill shoppers at a window seat beside the open fire pit; or kick back with strangers at the front fireplace. Bonus challenge: see if you can find the “speakeasy bathroom.” 801 NW 23rd Ave

Free House: THE HOLE-IN-THE-WALL

Come for:Brawny house creations like the Maine Coon (rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, maple syrup, and salt) or Calcutta (black rum, lime, Campari, bitters, sparkling cider)
Come back for: The pˆaté bahn mi—a high draft choice in Portland’s bar-bites fantasy league

If you want to see the humble neighborhood tavern raised to an art form, come here. Crammed almost invisibly between a tattoo shop and an Irish pub, Free House feels like an off-the-radar discovery every time you walk in. Amid clean-lined but cozy décor, a connection to artisan meat empire Olympic Provisions (the two share a co-owner) elevates a tightly edited menu of charcuterie, snacks, and “sandos” to heights few publicans would dream of. Behind the bar, a cheeky sense of invention reigns: an old stalwart of the house list, the Dagobah System combines a geeky reference to Star Wars, evocative sense memories of Coca-Cola, and the best cough syrup flavor imaginable. On the other hand, the Blazers are on and the laid-back but all-pro barkeeps will crack you a cheap Old German if that’s more your speed. If all holes-in-the-wall were like this, there would be more holes in more walls. For now, let us revel in Free House. 1325 NE Fremont St

Higgins Bar: THE URBAN IDLER

Come for: A beautiful manhattan (that’s right, it’s just a manhattan)
Come back for: The Higgins Burger—the one that inspired all the other fancy burgers in town

Every city needs places like this, and Portland has too few. There’s a door off a downtown side street. (It’s connected to a white-tablecloth restaurant—Greg Higgins’s pioneering farm-to-table stronghold—but that’s not what you’re here for, not tonight.) Inside, the walls are wood, the ceiling pressed tin, the décor unchanged for at least 10 years. The staff wear ties. The room is buzzing, but not beholden to some concept of cool or any particular subculture—anyone could be anyone. You’re there before a show, or after work, or neither. The house classics on the cocktail list date back at least 31 years. The person making your drink did not invent it, s/he just knows how to make it right. The guy next to you orders a fresh Stoli on ice by pointing wordlessly at his empty glass. You drink your martini, or your sazerac, or your manhattan, and you remember what a city bar is actually for: a neutral, civilized, well-tended place to savor that little piece of time between one thing and the next. Higgins masters the almost-lost art of being that place. 1239 SW Broadway

Image: Stuart Mullenberg

Red Letter: Spot-on pours at Richmond Bar

The Richmond Bar: THE CLASSY NEW NEIGHBOR

Come for: A tumbler of sassafras-spiked mescal and some fetching wallpaper 
Come back for: Epic white cheddar–and–caramelized onion mac and cheese

Restaurateur Nate Tildenhas made his mark in town by knowing exactly what Portlanders crave, from cured meats (Olympic Provisions) to Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Clyde Common). With Richmond Bar, he bestows upon Southeast Portland a compact greatest-hits collection in the former Matchbox Lounge’s Lilliputian space. Gangs of clever women and bearded men crowd the black-leather banquettes, while neighbors meet over pints of 10 Barrel and a righteous chopped salad sprinkled with meaty OP goods at a tall communal table that commands the center of the room. Co-owner and Clyde Common alum Nick Gusikoff brings a smart parade of well-balanced cocktails to the convivial party that skip from light and fizzy (the Clear Creek pear brandy and Chartreuse-laced Park Life) to silky-smooth (bourbon-backed Honey Suckle). Our favorite new SE Division Street resident? The Sassafras. With a smoky mescal burn and a bittersweet, brawny one-two punch of cynar and root-beery liquor, it’s sexier than most men in this town. 3203 SE Division St

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Image: Stuart Mullenberg

By Jeeves! Checking out at Multnomah Whiskey Library

Multnomah Whiskey Library: THE DISCRIMINATING TIPPLER

Come for: The Scofflaw, a classic take on a Prohibition-era cocktail (rye whiskey, dry vermouth, fresh lemon, and grenadine) 
Come back for: A surprisingly deep selection of tequilas, which nearly rivals MWL’s whiskey selection in breadth

If Portland’s quirk mated with a 1920s speakeasy and a conspiracy theorist’s “smoke-filled room”—that fabled place where brandy-drinkers launched dark horses for president —the progeny might look a lot like the Multnomah Whiskey Library. At the top of a flight of stairs, just beyond an unmarked door, a host asks for your name—yes, your full name—and your phone number. (They’ll call you when your table’s ready.) Somehow, such rituals feel refreshingly stuffy. Yes, there are hours-long waits, portraits of frowning white men lining the walls, and library “memberships” available for $500 a pop. But there is also cool, dark comfort, an academic devotion to liquor, and an unhurried, intimate atmosphere, complete with a massive fireplace and lawn jockeys. “Head Librarian” Tommy Klus’s drinks are superb and mixed tableside: the house rye manhattan (easy to make, hard to make great) is a standout. Skip the food and delve into the Library’s 1,500-strong bottle roster. You might just find there’s a power broker hidden in your Portland soul after all. 1124 SW Alder St

Image: Stuart Mullenberg

Sea-worthy: Scan eats and drinks at Radar.

Radar: FOUND AT SEA

Come for: Chocolaty-good Night Owl, brimming with Elijah Craig bourbon, cocoa-nib Ramazzotti, and toasted pecan bitters
Come back for: Some face time with co-owner Lily Tollefsen, whose charm has earned her our vote for the Mayor of Mississippi (she’s now the president of the Mississippi Avenue Business Association)

Radar’s glowing, raw-brick space, dominated by an open kitchen tucked behind a swooping bar counter, easily reels in neighbors, strolling couples, and restaurant industry vets off the street. The maritime-tinged spot, run by husband-and-wife team Jonathan Berube and Lily Tollefsen, keeps its catch by serving as a relaxed-but-classy hideaway on a street that’s become increasingly rambunctious. Berube runs the kitchen, mingling strong Scandinavian influences with Northwest twists and Northeast seafood (they fly in smoked bluefish weekly for pâté) while Tollefsen mans the bar, which boasts top-notch drinks she dreamed up with a childhood friend, national cocktail superstar Alex Day (Death and Company in New York and LA’s Honeycut). The European Union—a heady blend of Hayman’s Old Tom gin, Busnel calvados, sweet vermouth, Strega, and bitters—is as complex as its namesake’s politics, and that Night Owl is one of our fave bourbon drinks in town. Insider tip: Broder Nord is running a 45-minute wait for brunch? Head up the hill to Radar’s warm, line-free environs. 3951 N Mississippi Ave

The Spare Room: THE DIVE AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE

Come for: Cheap drinks, friendly service, and Portlandia-caliber oddness
Come back for: Monday karaoke/bingo night, where host Danny Chavez may accompany your warbles on the saxophone

On any given night, the clientele at this cavernous former bowling alley feels like a jagged cross-section of American culture: stubbly men grumbling over fumbles on Monday Night Football rub shoulders with young, hip people (not hipsters—those don’t exist here) belting out karaoke songs in the middle of the wide dance floor. Off-the-clock coworkers mingle with people killing time between loads at the laundromat next door. Indie folk rockers twang through live sets some nights; soul bands spark dance parties on others. Old and young bond over plates of overcooked noodles and tepid sauce on spaghetti nights. The bartenders flirt with everyone. (Don’t ask them what micros they have on tap; they don’t have any, and you’ll feel silly.) The Spare Room’s sectional “design” really feels like multiple bars: part pool-hall, part karaoke temple, part-hole-in-the-wall—making it the end of the line for both melancholic loners and big, boisterous groups in search of a fun spot to colonize for an evening. In a city not lacking in dive bars, the Spare Room stands head and slumped shoulders above them all: a supremely time-warped fishbowl refracting the weirdness still lurking at Portland’s core. 4830 NE 42nd Ave

THE NEW SOUTHEAST STUMBLE
Oso Market & Bar, Trifecta, Voicebox 2, Dig a Pony 

Come for: Excellent wines by the glass, classic cocktails, and a side of wood-fired eats 
Come back for: Group karaoke madness and hipsters-meet-burbs dance parties

A few years back,the only thing keeping locals at the east end of the Morrison Bridge was traffic jams; now the area has exploded with chockablock eclectic tippling options. Start with an early-evening glass of peppery Côtes du Rhône and chorizo and blue cheese–stuffed dates at spare-yet-friendly wine bar and bottle shop Oso. Next, head a block east to Ken Forkish’s stylish wood-fired bakery/bar, Trifecta Tavern, to sip a port-syrup and applejack–spiked Jersey Devil carefully concocted by one of the wide bar’s fastidious mixers. At private karaoke wonderland Voicebox’s new east-side location next door, you can slurp sake cocktails in its spacious bar and spy on work groups and birthday revelers while you wait your turn ($4–7 per hour per person). A few aspirational rounds of Journey later, the gravitational pull of Portland’s unofficial rumpus room, Dig a Pony, will suck you in. Knock back a couple of Dirty Shirleys and join the massive bar’s shifting flotsam of revelers as they break into another Jackson Five–induced DJ dance party. Too New Portland for you? The dream of the ’90s is still alive two blocks away at affable dive Morrison Hotel, where the G&Ts are strong, the curry cauliflower bites are fried, and Alice in Chains is on the jukebox in perpetuity. SE Morrison Street & SE Grand Avenue 

Tilt: THE BLUE-COLLAR PEARL

Come for: Vikings on the Willamette, a frosty onslaught of crisp aquavit, Lillet, and sweet fig compote, fragrant with slapped sage
Come backfor: Criminally good “Tilted” fries, smothered in chunky, scratch-made pork sausage gravy and, Dear lord, sprinkled with bacon

Swan Island’s beloved burgers and (Oregon) beers spot, which constructed its second location in the Pearl’s old General Electric distribution plant last December, is as American as apple pie. Or, rather, a sweetly tart “Pie Break” cocktail, which tops applejack, lemon, and a dollop of Portland’s own Don’s Spices #2 syrup with frothy egg whites. Upgraded Americana is a calling card at the new Tilt, which charms all comers with juicy, salty burgers oozing with American cheese and gut-busting toppings as well as flaky house biscuits. The space is devoutly industrial; a concrete and metal bunker where a giant, monochromatic American flag serves as décor and shop rags double as napkins. Order at the counter (behind the hulking drill press) and head to the gregarious bar side of the operation, where no-nonsense classics and house concoctions from bar whiz Nick Keane as well as nearly 100 whiskeys keep you lubricated until the genuinely great pub grub arrives. The echoing space, filled with generations-spanning clusters of coworkers, sports watchers, and mellow friends, is so roomy you may not spot the Ping-Pong table or the fireplace in back until your second drink. And you will get a second drink. And then maybe a slice of pie. They bake that in house, too, of course. 1355 NW Everett St

Welcome to our annual report card for Portland’s schools. In the pages that follow, we’ve zeroed in on achievement data at more than 600 public and private schools in Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, and Clark Counties, highlighing stories and trends along the way. The data reveals how our kids are performing in real- world tests and, most impor- tant, which schools have the academic edge. Numbers can’t tell the whole story, of course, but they’re a first step in find- ing the right fit for your child.

Dance
This American Life host Ira Glass makes Portland one of the first (and only) stops for his new dance collaboration.

Visual Arts
A hotshot LA curator seeks to bring the Portland Biennial into national focus. 

Music
A renowned vocal ensemble performs the world premiere of a composition lost since 1926—plus spring releases from local bands.

Books & Talks
Private investigator Rene Denfeld’s magical-realist debut novel sets off a bidding war—plus the season’s most promising releases from local authors.

Theater
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival director mashes up The Pirates of Penzance with pop music and Pagliacci.

Spring Arts Calendar
Portland's arts organizations are putting on a season to remember—reserve your seats now.

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Dance: Feet for Radio

Public-radio icon Ira Glass shows off his new moves.

Image: David Bazemore

Ira Glass backed by Monica Bill Barnes (left) and Anna Bass

Many of us know This American Life radio host Ira Glass by his voice—that nasal, wry, halting, excitable voice that stumbles so comfortingly into some 3.1 million pairs of ears each week. If you’ve seen the TV series on Showtime, you also know him by his glasses. But it’s unlikely you have any idea how he dances. 

Three acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall—June 21

That’s about to change. In June, Glass will grace the Schnitz with his new live show, Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host. He’s quick to point out no one listens to TAL and thinks, “If only they had some dancers”—but nonetheless, he’s touring with the artistic director and namesake of Monica Bill Barnes & Company, as well as one of her dancers, Anna Bass. We’re holding out hope for jazz hands.

Radio and dance: not exactly an obvious marriage. How did this come about?

I saw Monica Bill Barnes Dance Company perform and had this experience that I never have at a dance show: it reminded me of our radio show. They were documenting small, very relatable human moments—moments of awkwardness, that feeling of the world getting better right this second. At the same time, they were very aggressively out for fun. That combination is what I shoot for in our radio show.

So we invented a thing where I would tell stories and they would dance. That turned out to be enormously hilarious to us. We put together an 11-minute piece, and through a fluke my cousin Philip Glass asked me to be part of a fundraiser for the Tibet House at Carnegie Hall. I’d never performed anywhere for anyone, and we premiered at Carnegie Hall. And we killed. We totally killed. 

Since Carnegie Hall it’s been a steady progression downward to less prestigious theaters.

In terms of things people fear, dancing in public is right up there with speaking in public. Were you nervous?

Truthfully, we don’t talk about me dancing in the publicity of the show, so I will not confirm or deny. Mostly it’s me talking while they dance. 

OK, what about dancing in Yoko Ono’s music video for “Bad Dancer”? 

I did end up in that. There’s no denying that. When you get a call from Yoko Ono’s people saying Yoko Ono has a new music video and they want you to be in it, who says no? I know I’m a bad dancer. I’m in my 50s. I’ve never been athletic. I don’t have any illusions about it at all. I am an enthusiastic and bad dancer.

TAL has now passed the 500-episode mark. Do you ever get bored? Does being in a live show reinvigorate things for you?

I never get bored. That said, it’s super fun doing something you haven’t done before. We have props, there are lighting cues I have to hit, there are costume changes. It’s like, “I’m in a show! We’re putting on a show!” The only experience I’ve had with this is in high school, so that’s a lot of fun. We’re hoping to do a Broadway run this summer.

In a dance-off between public-radio hosts—you know, you, Terry Gross, Peter Sagal, Steve Inskeep, Renee Montagne—who would win?

Everyone you’re naming, I could beat. I would be scared of that Ari Shapiro. I know that he can sing, so he probably can dance. The only threat is Ari Shapiro. 

Read our extended interview with Ira Glass...

VISUAL ARTS ••••• MUSIC ••••• BOOKS & TALKS ••••• THEATER•••••CALENDAR

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Visual Arts: Fresh Eyes

Portland’s homegrown biennial makes a national play.

Image: Courtesy Amanda Hunt

Amanda Hunt, curator of the Portland2014 Biennial.

Artist Evan La Londe is a magician. Or at least that’s how Amanda Hunt, the curator of Disjecta’s Portland2014 Biennial, explains his current artistic process, which involves making paper pulp and then casting it on objects or in molds to create ghostly, physical echoes—a 3-D photograph, if you will.

“‘Magician’ is not to be taken lightly,” Hunt qualifies, her curly hair poking out of a bright red beanie during a visit to his small studio on SE Holgate Boulevard. “There’s a real rigor.”

“The sleight of hand is very literal for me,” says La Londe. “I am thinking of paper as film recording a surface.”

A recent graduate of Portland State University’s MFA program, La Londe has already attracted notice by pushing the edge of film photography with photograms, a hands-on process that manipulates photo paper without a camera. His paper casts are another step in this experimentation, and they will see their first light at the biennial. 

Started in 2010, Disjecta’s Portland Biennial was an attempt to carry on the tradition of giving regional artists a professional platform that the Portland Art Museum offered from 1949 to 2006 with its Oregon Biennial. The third iteration this year features works by 15 artists and collaboratives, from emerging names like La Londe to Whitney Biennial veteran Jessica Jackson Hutchins to groups like Publication Studios. 

“My goal was to curate a survey of what I found to be the strongest work being produced in Oregon,” says Hunt, “and to provide a larger exhibition platform for lesser-known artists as much as possible.”

Image: Courtesy Disjecta

Evan La Londe’s Untitled (Chimes)

Hunt is an emerging star herself. With an international résumé, the 29-year-old took over the curatorial chair at the influential Los Angeles contemporary arts center LAXART in 2011 and has played significant roles in other large exhibitions such as Los Angeles’s first biennial, Made in L.A. 2012. Perhaps more important, she is also the first non-Oregonian to curate the biennial.

“Amanda brings sensibilities from, arguably, the three most distinct art capitals of the world, in New York, Los Angeles, and London,” says Disjecta director Bryan Suereth. “It’s not just us talking about ourselves to ourselves. We are holding our artists up for scrutiny on the national stage, inviting critique and response.”

Portland2014 Biennial 
Various venues 
Mar 8–Apr 27
Opening party May 8 from 6–10 pm at Disjecta

To arrive at her snapshot of Oregon, Hunt reviewed more than 300 portfolios and made some 65 studio visits, while also consulting artists and curators based elsewhere. When asked what struck her about the work being made here, she returned to La Londe’s handmade paper constructions, as well as artists making their own clay or binding their own books. While the art world elsewhere increasingly turns to digital tools, she says, what sets us apart is “the total presence of the hand.”

DANCE ••••• MUSIC ••••• BOOKS & TALKS ••••• THEATER•••••CALENDAR

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Music: The Lost Score

Cappella Romana
St. Mary’s Cathedral
Apr 11 

In April, vocal ensemble Cappella Romana performs the world premiere of Maximilian Steinberg’s Passion Week, the last major sacred work composed in Russia before Stalin cracked down on religious art. “You don’t find a piece of this scale—in terms of its scope and ambition—in the 1920s,” says artistic director Alexander Lingas. So how exactly did such a work disappear for 88 years? We trace the unlikely steps through the first bars of Passion Week’s piano reduction.

CLICK TO ENLARGE ↓

SPRING RELEASES FROM LOCAL BANDS

Pink Martini and the von Trapps, Dream a Little Dream
The ensemble teams up with the great-grandchildren of Captain and Maria von Trapp—plus Wayne Newton, zookeeper Jack Hanna, and more. It’s like the Justice League of Camp! Mar 4 release; Apr 11–12 with Oregon Symphony

Ages and Ages, Divisionary
The affable septet’s sophomore effort continues the group vocals, handclaps, and infectious grooves that made the debut so catchy, but something slightly darker lurks beneath. Read our preview of the album. Mar 25 release; Mar 1 at Mississippi Studios

Black Prairie, Fortune
The group’s usual dizzying survey of Americana has reeled in the bluegrass, klezmer, and Italian film score influences to land more clearly on country, highlighting Annalisa Tornfelt’s sweetly crooning voice. Apr 22 release; May 2 at Aladdin Theater

Musée Mécanique, From Shores of Sleep
In a city where “folk” gets hyphenated with every genre label, this chamber-folk group distinguishes itself by taking time to perfect their lushly orchestrated songs—it’s been five years since their last record. May 6 release

DANCE ••••• VISUAL ARTS ••••• BOOKS & TALKS ••••• THEATER•••••CALENDAR

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Books & Talks: Death Row Daydreamer

Rene Denfeld’s anticipated debut Novel finds magic in the solitary cell.

“This is an enchanted place. Others don’t see it but I do.”  

So begins Portland writer Rene Denfeld’s debut novel, The Enchanted, which Harper releases this month after winning a six-publisher auction. For the speaker, a death-row prisoner who’s the novel’s narrator, the enchantment is literal. Fantastical beings populate the crumbling, violent penitentiary where he is incarcerated: small men in the walls, creatures called “flibber-gibbets” in the crematorium, golden horses below the ground. But for “the lady,” a nameless private investigator who often visits the prison as part of her job probing death-penalty cases, the “magic” is something more ineffable: a glimmer of humanity and joy in the most unexpected of eyes, and the possibility of redemption in the unlikeliest of places. 

The men on death row “can see the magic just like us,” she tells the prison priest. “I think your God would understand that.”

Certainly, Denfeld does. Like “the lady,” the journalist and author of three nonfiction books works by day as a death-penalty investigator, applying her investigative-reporting skills to uncovering the “why” of unspeakable crimes to save convicts from walking the last mile. Not always, but most of the time, she finds it.  

“I have not had a case that hasn’t been marked with extreme poverty, abuse, or neglect,” says Denfeld, an expert in fetal-alcohol disorders, cognitive impairments, and drug effects. “Our culture is enamored with the mythology of the brilliant sociopath, the Hannibal Lecters, but in my experience, that’s really rare.”  

Rene Denfeld
Powell’s City of Books
Mar 5  

The petite 46-year-old is no stranger to adverse circumstances. Following a “very difficult” North Portland upbringing in a biracial family marked by mental illness and suicide, she dropped out and left home at age 15. It was “a blessing, in a way,” she reflects. “Whether in my writing, or in my work with men on death row, or with my kids”—Denfeld has adopted three children from foster care—“I think my background has made me comfortable dealing with traumatic histories.” 

It has also granted her the ability to see the light in the darkness. In The Enchanted, Denfeld tells the somber story of York, who has waived his right to appeal his death sentence, and “the lady,” who has been hired by anti-death-penalty activists to find mitigating factors in his case. Summoning comparisons withthe work of Katherine Dunn and Ken Kesey, the novel has already started to rack up glowing reviews. (Dunn herself called it “a jubilant celebration that explores human darkness with a profound lyric tenderness.”) 

“We talk so much about the terrible things people do to each other, but sometimes we don’t talk about the beauty that can occur even in those circumstances,” Denfeld says. The Enchanted is an unflinching look at men who’ve done repulsive things, a magical-realist tale, and an argument for the existence of the soul—all at once, and without contradiction.

Spring Releases from Local Authors

Justin Hocking, The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld
In his refereshing memoir, this local indie publishing darling struggles to relocate from Colorado to New York City and finally finds solace in surfing. Feb 25 release; Feb 26 at Powell’s 

Ariel Gore, The End of Eve
Having made a name for herself writing about motherhood (see Hip Mama), Gore explores the other side in her poignant memoir about moving to Santa Fe to care for her difficult, cancer-afflicted mother. Mar 1 release; Mar 3 at Powell’s

Tom Spanbauer, I Loved You More
Spanbauer follows three artists and the complicated love between them in a novel that spans 25 years and the US continent. Cheryl Strayed calls it a “beautiful masterpiece.” Apr 1 release; Apr 1 at Powell’s

Brian Doyle, The Plover
The seven-time Oregon Book Award–finalist writer’s sophomore novel spins a fantastically zany yarn about an Oregon captain who sails into the sunset alone, only to find camaraderie in the unlikeliest of places. Apr 8 release; Apr 8 at Powell's

DANCE ••••• VISUAL ARTS ••••• MUSIC ••••• THEATER•••••CALENDAR

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Theater: Rocking the Boat

Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Bill Rauch mashes up Pirates, pop music, and Pagliacci.

Every year, some 125,000 peopleflock to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. In 1988 Bill Rauch was one of those people, never expecting that two decades later he would take over as artistic director. Under his guidance, the festival has continued its dedication to Shakespeare while expanding its commitment to world premieres, non-Western plays, and classic musicals. This March, Rauch directs Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston on Broadway in the OSF-commissioned All the Way. Then in May, he returns to restage 2011’s sold-out The Pirates of Penzance with the Portland Opera.

Image: Courtesy Joni Kabana

"My parents took me to see theater as a child, but a real turning point was in seventh grade on a school trip to see a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I got so excited by the production and also so frustrated that my classmates felt that Shakespeare’s language was too difficult. So with seventh-grade hubris, I rewrote the entire play into contemporary English. The next year, my teacher invited me to stage my version of the play with that year’s seventh graders.

The Pirates of Penzance
Keller Auditorium
May 9-17 

After graduating from college, I cofounded Cornerstone Theater. We toured small towns all over the country and put on plays with people who lived in those communities. It was life-changing work for everyone involved. Part of why I fell in love with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival was it combined the natural beauty and rural setting of those early Cornerstone towns, the new work I was so passionate about, the classic plays I had studied in college, and the biggest acting company in the country. 

We try to find an OSF-specific way to reinvent a classic musical every season. Pirates of Penzance was suggested by a member of the company, and I listened and got swept away by the energy and joyful silliness. Gilbert and Sullivan were brilliant pastiche artists. In that spirit, we occasionally bend or interpolate a brief musical phrase. For instance, the Pirate King in his anthem briefly morphs into a Sinatra-esque big band sound and then snaps right back into the traditional G&S arrangement.

We are very much trying to capture the spirit of what we created in Ashland for Portland Opera audiences. Some of the “grace notes,” as we call the interpolated musical interludes, will be opera-based as opposed to pop culture–based. But none of the zaniness is getting dialed back, because of course Pirates is all about the zany!"

Shakespeare University

You don’t have to go to Ashland for Shakespeare. The Complete Works Project—an effort to produce every Shakespearean play in Portland over a two-year span—kicks off this season with works ranging from traditional to conceptual. 

• King Lear: Northwest Classical Theatre Company—Feb 28–Mar 30
• Lear (an adaptation): Bag&Baggage—Mar 6–23
• Hamlet: Post5—Mar 28–May 4
• Othello: Portland Center Stage Apr 5–May 11

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Spring Arts Calendar

Image: Courtesy Cirque du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil's Totem

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre
Mar 4
White Bird: The most important contemporary dance company in Asia comes to Portland for a show that promises sheer, breathtaking spectacle—and three-and-a-half tons of rice! (Read our review)

March Music Moderne
Mar 7–16
This year’s festival features 32 events spanning 67 composers, including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony stretched to 24 hours.

Hilary Hahn
Mar 8–10
Oregon Symphony: The Grammy-winning violinist returns to put her chops to work in service of Danish great Carl Nielsen’s Concerto for Violin.

Sonia Sotomayor
Mar 11
Literary Arts: Capping Multnomah County Library’s Everybody Reads campaign, the Supreme Court justice shares her inspiring memoir, My
Beloved World.

Totem
Mar 27–May 4
Cirque du Soleil brings back its blue-and-yellow big top for this latest cavalcade, described as “somewhere between science and legend.”

Midsummer
Mar 28–Apr 19
Third Rail Rep: The theater company flirts with its first musical in this two-person romance about trying desperately not to fall in love. “It’s super-funny, romantic, sexy, and foul-mouthed,” says Isaac Lamb, one of the show’s two actors. What more do you need?

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Apr 1
The standard-bearers for revivalist soul come through town on a comeback of sorts: their tour and fifth album were postponed after Jones was diagnosed with cancer.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
Apr 2
White Bird: The men in tutus return to Portland for one night of works by Merce Cunningham, Jerome Robbins, and, inevitably, their tongue-in-slipper versions of Dying Swan and Swan Lake. 

Julia Alvarez
Apr 3
Literary Arts: Widely considered one of the most significant Latina writers of her generation, Alvarez pens vibrant prose style that plunges into issues of identity and culture. literary-arts.org

Director’s Choice
Apr 3–5
Northwest Dance Project: To celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary, Artistic Director Sarah Slipper selects the best works from the past decade, including dances by Patrick Delcroix, Ihsan Rustem, and Slipper herself.

The Quality of Life
Apr 8–May 11
Artists Rep: Involving the death of a child, terminal cancer, a burned-down house, and the reality of vastly differing values, Jane Anderson’s drama’s title, well, speaks for itself. artistsrep.org

Soul’d Out Festival
Apr 10–20
This annual festival brings to town national and local acts in genres ranging from R&B to jazz to hip-hop, including Mos Def with the Portland Cello Project.

Image: Courtesy Portland Art Museum

The Art of the Louvre’s Tuileries Garden at Portland Art Museum

Vanessa Renwick
Apr 14–May 17
Art Gym: The veteran NW artist covers the gallery’s large windows with colored gels in the shapes of seven birds, which combine with videos of Vaux’s swifts and geese for the full Renwick experience.

Celebrate
Apr 17–26
Oregon Ballet Theatre: To honor retiring dancer Alison Roper, OBT revives Matjash Mrozewski’s gorgeously sultry The Lost Dance and premieres new works from Nacho Duato and Helen Pickett.

Maria de Buenos Aires
Apr 25
Third Angle New Music Ensemble: This seductive, surreal tango opera by modern master Ástor Piazzolla is about a woman who becomes a prostitute in the Argentine capital.

Verselandia
Apr 29
Portland’s reigning high school poets go head to head in an epic spoken word battle to take home the citywide crown.

After the Revolution
Apr 30–June 1
Portland Playhouse: This play—about a daughter who defends her famously blacklisted (and perhaps guilty) grandfather—is the first Portland production of one of New York’s hottest young playwrights, Amy Herzog.

Garrick Ohlsson
May 4
Portland Piano International:The first and only American pianist to have won the prestigious International Chopin Competition.

Fashioning Cascadia
May 9–Oct 11
Museum of Contemporary Craft: With local designers continuing to rule Project Runway, the city can add fashion to our cultural badges for food and music. This show explores the craft of the region’s pattern makers and scissor wielders.

Dan Attoe
May 23–July 6
Fourteen30:  Despite solo shows around the world, local painter Dan Attoe has never had one here—until now. His humorous takes on red-blooded American iconography, from strippers to rural settings, barrel deep into our psyche.

Lizzie: The Musical
May 24–June 29
Portland Center Stage: We can’t believe there hasn’t already been a macabre rock musical about Ms. Borden, the infamous, ax-yielding poster child for ungrateful youth. Catch the West Coast premiere before it takes a whack at Broadway.

The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show
May 28
South African singer Belinda Davids stars in this big-budget tribute to the late iconic pop diva. Yours won’t be the only tears during “I Will Always Love You.”

Buried Child
May 29–June 15
Profile Theatre: Simultaneously comedic and gloomy, Sam Shepard’s Pulitzer winner tells the story of a beyond-dysfunctional midwestern farm family.

Giasone and the Argonauts
May 30–June 7
Opera Theater Oregon mixes the highbrow and the low to “make opera safe for America.” This time it resets the rarely staged Francesco Cavalli opera Giasone to the iconic 1963 fantasy film Jason and the Argonauts. They share source material, after all.

Image: Courtesy Joan Marcus

Once

Once
June 10–15
A Dublin street performer is set to relinquish his dream when a young woman falls in love with his songs, igniting a romance too strong for just words—or just one Tony (it scored eight, plus a Grammy).

The Art of the Louvre’s Tuileries Garden
June 14–Sept 21
Portland Art MuseumMore than 100 works of art that have long called the famed Tuileries home leave Paris, many for the first time.

Image: Courtesy Tony Deis

Trackers Earth specializes in a rustic experience.

Summer camp isn’t all crafts and canoe lessons. Portland kiddie camps now offer near-university-level specialization—an opportunity to mold offspring into fascinating world citizens (or a crack anti-zombie corps). Registration is happening now—and many programs fill up lickety-split. To get started, just decide if you want your kid to...

save you after the apocalypse?

• Trackers Earth (Ages 4–17, $295–495*) Even if city kids don’t need the archery, tracking, fishing, or “zombie survival” skills Trackers imparts, cofounder Tony Deis says campers report back about “how much more they notice” in the world.
• See also: YMCA Camp Collins, Audubon Society of Portland

enroll in the University of Summer?

• From Lego day camps to sleepaways in the San Juans, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has the goods. 
• The 300-plus courses at Oregon Episcopal School range from fort-building in the morning to chess in the afternoon. 
• In addition to camps, Portland Parks and Recreation brings climbing walls, movie screens, and free lunches to local green spaces all summer long.

put dinner on the table?

• Sauvie Island Center Farm Camp(Ages 8–11, $225–325) Kids learn about food, from seed to table. 
• Portland’s Culinary Workshop (Ages 7–18, $175–250) The week starts with knife skills and ends with dessert—the circle of life. There’s a focus option for budding bakers, too.
• See also: The Merry Kitchen, Sur La Table

translate on your next foreign adventure?

• Kindersommer (Ages 3–14, $210–265) Beaverton’s German American School goes beyond ein, zwei, drei to offer immersion courses in cooking, crafts, sports, and chess. Jawohl!
• The International School (Ages 3 through fifth grade, $375–500 for two-week sessions) TIS’s themed programs in Spanish, Japanese, or Chinese are open to new learners and fluent speakers.
• See also: French American International School, Alliance Française, Aprende con Amigos

express their deepest emotions?

• Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls (Ages 8–17, $400) Raising a little Kim Deal or Kim Gordon? This band camp comes complete with lessons in screen-printing and zine-making.
• Grace Art Camp (Ages 4–12, $285) This year’s theme: French folk tales and culture. 
• See also: Ethos Inc, Tears of Joy puppet camp 

take the stage by storm?

• BodyVox (Ages 3–12, $160–260) This dance camp takes in everything from hip-hop to ballet to improv.
• Northwest Children’s Theatre and School (Ages 3–18, $75–265, nwcts.org) Whether it’s tiny tots playing dress-up or older kids mounting a play, extreme cuteness abounds.
• See also: Polaris Dance, Do Jump, Portland Metro Arts

*Tuition rates listed are for one week of day camp. Contact camps directly for information on financial aid, discounts, longer sessions, and extended hours.

For the past three years, Portland Monthly has been cautiously optimistic (at best) about our city’s slow-simmering real estate market. But 2013 saw a surge of good news. Home buying is up—way up. 

Almost half of our neighborhoods have returned to the median home prices they enjoyed five years ago. In many places, crime is down. Rosy outlooks abound. Indeed, a whopping 73 percent of people who took our reader survey think it’s a good time to buy—and to sell—a home.

In light of this citywide burst of confidence, we’re highlighting five Portland hoods that illustrate the promise of a new era in real estate.

Best For: First-Time Buyers

PORTSMOUTH (North)

Few neighborhoods saw more activity than Portsmouth last year. The average home in this almost exclusively residential patch of land north of Lombard Street was built in 1959, during a postwar frenzy that stocked the area with relatively small houses. Such homes are within the reach of our growing population of young singles and couples (61 percent of Portsmouth residents are single or unmarried). While Portsmouth doesn’t contain much commercial development (there’s a Taco Bell!), close proximity to the increasingly vibrant (and more expensive) Cathedral Park/St. Johns and Kenton more than make up for the lack. Indeed, the neighborhood’s prime location has spurred a sharp drop in median age (31). Eminently walkable (with or without strollers), Portsmouth packs in four parks, including one of Portland’s largest greenspaces, the 35-acre Columbia Park.

SNAPSHOT: 168 homes sold in 2013; $227,050 median price; $57,050 one-year increase

ALSO CHECK OUT: Cathedral Park (N), Brentwood-Darlington (SE)

Best For: Urbanites

RICHMOND (Southeast)

“Urban” doesn’t just mean high-rises and traffic. It can also describe a place that captures the spirit of the city. And that is just what this inner Southeast neighborhood does. Through a combination of coincidence and planning, what used to be a quiet neighborhood dominated by Craftsman homes has become one of the brightest epicenters of the city’s creative class. Coffee shops, bookstores, theaters, and yoga classes pepper the corridors of Hawthorne and Division, while an unrivaled smattering of restaurants makes it a serious tourist destination. Meanwhile, Division’s reinvention has spawned some 250 units of new multifamily housing in the past four years: a prime opportunity for those who value location and density over picket fences. Keep in mind that values here are likely to keep rising (median prices jumped nearly 9 percent over the last year), so now may be the time to jump in. 

SNAPSHOT: 195 homes sold; $363,400 median price; $29,400 one-year increase

ALSO CHECK OUT: Goose Hollow (SW), Foster-Powell (SE), Hollywood (NE)

Best For: Investors

SELLWOOD-MORELAND (Southeast)

It’s telling, perhaps, that Sellwood began its life as a separate city. Long after its annexation in 1893, the perception of this quaint little neighborhood with its rickety bridge was at best a quasi-suburb, and at worst a bland community of perfectly synchronized biological clocks. But these days, Sellwood has never seemed more alive. With connections to downtown and other parts of Southeast Portland via the Springwater Corridor (as well as the coming MAX line), the neighborhood has seen a flurry of new restaurants and shops, as well as a reinforced bridge. And last year, a surge in home sales brought prices back to the same level as five years ago. With houses selling faster than most parts of the city (homes here are on the market for an average of just 39 days), continued upward growth is very likely. 

SNAPSHOT: 231 homes sold; $360,000 median price; $45,000 one-year increase

ALSO CHECK OUT: Concordia (NE), St. Johns (N), Arbor Lodge (N)

Best For: Families

ASHCREEK (Outer Southwest)

This sleepy little neighborhood may not be on the tip of everyone’s tongue (it’s closer to Tigard than to downtown Portland), but for parents in search of a secure investment—and an affordable entry point inside the city—it has few rivals. Ashcreek’s snaking, tree-lined residential streets are among the safest in Portland, and kids at the local schools consistently test high in math, English, and science. The median home price is $325,000—but due to the fact that Ashcreek has some of the lowest costs per square foot of any traditional, family-oriented neighborhood in Portland, scaling up to fit a growing family is a viable option here.

SNAPSHOT: 113 homes sold;$325,000 median price; $41,300 one-year increase

ALSO CHECK OUT: Brooklyn (SE), Montavilla (NE/SE)

Best For: Empty-Nesters

SOUTH WATERFRONT (Southwest)

It’d be a stretch to call this gleaming bristle of high-rises poking out of the west bank of the Willamette the “other downtown.” But with nine 16-plus-story towers and a growing assortment of high-end stores and restaurants scattered throughout its 140-acre footprint, it may be getting closer. Indeed, this carefully manicured slice of riverfront property (technically a section of the “South Portland” neighborhood, which also includes John’s Landing and Lair Hill) was first nurtured in 1999 by urban renewal dollars, and is home for 3,000 med students, doctors, retirees, and others—75 percent without children. And with the Milwaukie-bound MAX line nearing completion and a new pedestrian greenway providing an easy commute into the central city, South Waterfront is becoming a more integral Portland neighborhood each day.  

SNAPSHOT: 227 homes sold; $356,300 median price; $21,300 one-year increase

ALSO CHECK OUT: Happy Valley, Northwest Portland, Sauvie Island

Want a closer look at the numbers?
Check out our sortable table of comprehensive real estate data for 2014!

What do you love about Portland? Capture it artfully on your phone and post a photo to Instagram or Twitter. Tag us at @pomomagazine, use the #lovingpdx hashtag, and we’ll print our favorite shots in the July issue!

Microparks. Microbrews. Big air. Big hearts. Double lives, world records, and ancient roses. We offer a bouquet of our city’s countless charms.

Image: Nomad

Because the sun will always rise over Mill Ends Park.

That’s right, the world’s smallest park is still ours. Dedicated on St. Patrick’s Day 1948 as “the only leprechaun colony west of Ireland,” our tiny, 452-square-inch urban patch at SW Naito Parkway and Taylor Street appeared when a site intended to house a light pole began to sprout weeds. A pathetic recent British attempt to claim the title for a much bigger park only reminds us that in our beloved city, every shortcoming holds a new opportunity. 

Because our female athletes kick ass. 

1: Worldwide rank of Nadine Angerer, the new German goalkeeper who joins North American superstars Christine Sinclair and Alex Morgan on the Portland Thorns roster this season

60: Percentage of female contestants at last year’s Oregon Ironman (!) Bodybuilding competition

115: Weight, in pounds, of Portland’s MMA fighter Glena “Heartless” Avila, the first women’s champion in local full-contact fighting history

7: Years the Oregon Rugby Sports Union women’s team has ranked in the nation’s top 10 (as of press time, ORSU ranks no. 3 in the country)

4: Games the Portland Shockwave, our full-contact women’s football team, plays this month in Hillsboro Stadium (they won the PNW championship in 2011)

Image: Courtesy Julian Wilde

Because we are the secret tango-dancing capital of the hemisphere.

The sexy dance may be rooted in Argentina, but Portland is one of few places north of Buenos Aires with classes, practicas, and milongas every night of the week, all to serve about 300 dedicated local dancers. Plus, the nation’s largest tango event, February’s Valentango, draws hundreds of dancers from around the world. 

Because even our major literary series totally kills it.

This year, Literary Arts’ Portland Arts & Lectures series tallied 2,337 subscribers. Indeed, our booklovers would fill two-and-a-half theaters at the country’s most pretigious lecture series, New York City’s legendary 92nd Street Y. Popularity fuels marquee-name ambition: the series attracts the likes of Ann Patchett, Sonia Sotomayor, and Salman Rushdie.

Because we've got the biggest Little Writing Scene in the World

Manhattan’s literary sphere provokes awe and anxiety: imagine a cocktail party full of sharp-elbowed Columbia grads. Portland’s more accessible scene is yet another reason to celebrate our town. And we’re on a strong upswing, word-wise: Powell’s City of Books is receiving a major face-lift, Reading Frenzy just reopened in a beautiful space on N Mississippi Avenue, and in 2015 Wordstock will escape the convention center’s fluorescent glare for promising new digs at Portland State University.

Portland hosts readings nearly every night—at Powell’s, Literary Arts, the Independent Publishing Resource Center, and via long-running series like Loggernaut and Spare Room. (See no. 28, left, for why we think Literary Arts, in particular, qualifies as exceptional.) Our city is also home to established literary darlings like Cheryl Strayed and Kevin Sampsell, along with upstarts like Emily Kendal Frey, Erin Ergenbright, Michael Heald, Evan Schneider, and Natalie Serber. New York will always dominate commercial publishing, but Portland could be the Small Press Capital of the World. There’s also no better place to study writing on the cheap, via the Tin House Workshop, the IPRC’s yearlong Certificate Program, or the Attic.

Rather than major industry or institutions, Portland’s literary world is built around a community of readers and writers: indeed a thing worthy of love.

Justin Hocking is the executive director of the IPRC and author of the memoir The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld

Image: Courtesy Oregon Public House

Because you can drink beer and support charity at the same time!

Woodlawn’s aptly named Oregon Public House claims to be the world’s only nonprofit pub. Here’s how it works: when a customer orders a beer, she or he “votes” for one charity from a list. At the end of the month, the pub tallies its profits, tallies the votes, and divvies up the money accordingly. If 20 percent of customers voted for the Neo Fund, for instance, 20 percent of profits go to microloans for Nicaraguans. Altruism and genius.

Because Seattle envies us. 

The February 2014 issue of our sister publication, Seattle Met, put us in the spotlight with “Perfect Portland Getaways,” effectively reversing a favorite Portlandia skit in which, to the dismay of Portland’s mayor (played by Kyle MacLachlan), Seattle is featured on the cover of Portland Monthly as the “Gem of the Northwest.” We have arrived! (Note: Seattle has never appeared on the cover of Portland Monthly.)

Because 10 years ago, two Reedies ignited a distilling renaissance. 

Image: Courtesy New Deal Distillery

When Tom Burkleaux and Matthew VanWinkle unveiled New Deal vodka in 2004, it propelled craft brew–loving Portland in a spirited new direction. The modest debut eventually sparked Southeast Portland’s Distillery Row and the nation’s first state distillers guild. “It just hit me: everybody is making good food and wine and coffee—let’s go make good spirits,” remembers Burkleaux. “I wouldn’t have thought of it if I wasn’t living in Portland.” Next up for New Deal, which now produces 12 distinct lines of spirits? Growing a field of flowers for the city’s first rose liqueur. 

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Because the Burnside Skatepark is the best example of anarchist architecture, anywhere.

Image: Courtesy William Anthony

Legend has it that sometime in 1990, a few skateboarders hauled bags of cement to a scrap of unclaimed ground beneath the Burnside Bridge. They built a couple of ramps and started skating. Word spread. More wildcat construction followed—as did successful negotiations with surrounding property owners and even city council.

Today, the Burnside Skatepark is a global icon of skate culture, featured in movies and video games, sustained by volunteer labor and what one regular describes as “a weird lack-of-hierarchy hierarchy.” Its rounded and ever-evolving bowls and walls have a strange, organic beauty: the poetry of concrete, applied with love. 

Because Willy Vlautin has already completed his bucket list. 

Image: Courtesy Decor Records

The 47-year-old author and Richmond Fontaine bandleader has had a remarkable year—in fact, he’s had a remarkable life.)

√ Start an alt-country band. Release at least 10 albums. Be big in Europe. 

√ Write a novel. Get compared to Raymond Carver and Charles Bukowski.  

√ Have said debut novel adapted into a movie starring acting legend Kris Kristofferson. (The Motel Life was released last November.)

√ Write fourth book: Iraq war vet goes into Blade Runner–esque coma-dream. (The Free came out in February.)

√ Start new band with a lady singer. Release album. (The Delines, fronted by Austin’s Amy Boone, release their first album, Colfax, on May 1.)

Because nudity isn’t just for sex. 

Image: Courtesy Jonathan Maus

In 2004, a ragtag crew organized a naked bike ride as part of Pedalpalooza. More than 125 people showed up. In the summer of 2013, Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride attracted 8,150 scantily clad cyclists. Wherefore the nudity? Consult the manifesto: “We face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the vulnerability faced by cyclists and pedestrians as well as the negative consequences we all face due to dependence on oil, and other forms of non-renewable energy.” This year, Portland rides on June 7—best start getting in pedaling shape now!

Because you can see FOUR massive volcanoes from downtown Portland...

Each of which could conceivably erupt at any second.
So, theoretically, we Portlanders cheat death just by waking up.

Because our urban growth boundary actually works.

12%: Expansion of the area within Portland metro’s urban growth boundary over 25 years

60%: Metro population growth over that same time

375,000: Acres devoted to farm production in counties touched by the UGB, 1978

570,000: Acres devoted to farm production in counties touched by the UGB, today 

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Because one man hand-builds sculpturally beautiful microphones in his own 1930s speakeasy. 

Image: Courtesy Ear Trumpet Labs

Philip Graham, founder of Ear Trumpet Labs, runs one of Portland’s most intriguing basement workshops, where he makes striking retro microphones (as seen here) designed to produce high-quality live sound. Bonus: he handles shipping out of a room that operated as a Prohibition retreat for thirsty Northeast Portlanders, complete with shady side door, bar, and rusty sink. 

Because Portlanders are prone to setting odd world records.

Largest gathering of redheads:Last August, more than 1,300 gingers congregated in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Biggest tree hug:Up in Hoyt Arboretum, 951 people gave minute-long hugs to trees. Burpees: That nausea-inducing push-up/plank/jump extreme exercise? A Portlander did 9,480 over three days. High-speed grocery bagging:Executives from a local scanning technology company clocked 50 items in 51.91 seconds. Most successful three-point basketball shots in one minute: Twenty-five, to be precise. In your face, world! 

Because we don’t just read, write, and listen—we publish.

Here’s just a handful of the great indie presses in Portland:

• TIN HOUSE Our highest-profile indie press.
• MICROCOSM Many of the –isms—anarchism, veganism, activism—with wild cards like health and religion.
• OOLIGAN Portland State’s publishing program builds books from start to finish.
• HAWTHORNE A literary house with strong regional roots, national reach, and a sharp design sensibility.
• GLIMMER TRAIN Twenty-plus years of dedication to the short story.
• FOREST AVENUE “Quiet novels” that counter tradition: the world changes the hero.
• LAZY FASCIST Specializing in the unquantifiable: adult fairy tales, hybrid plays, zombie sharks. And great covers.
• DEADITE“The very best in cult horror”: like Silence of the Lambs met Amityville Horror and conceived a literary baby. 

Because we’re home to the tech world’s most reclusive superstar.

Linus Torvalds could be Portland’s Bill Gates, but he gives his product away. The Helsinki-born programmer pioneered the Linux operating system in 1991, and began allowing other programmers to use, change, and add to it—free. Long the choice of hard-core nerds, over the past few years Linux has become the world’s fastest-growing desktop operating system. It runs more than 95 percent of supercomputers, and forms the backbone for many tablets, phones, and game consoles. Torvalds has a house in Beaverton and an utterly nondescript public persona. He’s the Most Interesting Least Interesting Man in the World. Perfect.

Because Portlandia came with a poem that not enough people know.

She kneels down
and from the quietness
of copper
reaches out.
We take that stillness
into ourselves
and somewhere
deep in the earth
our breath
becomes her city.
If she could speak
this is what
she would say:
Follow that breath.
Home is the journey we make.
This is how the world
knows where we are.
—Ronald Talney

Because we have food carts.

... food-cart pods.

... late-night food-cart pods.

... late-night food-cart pods for drunk people.

... late-night food-cart pods for drunk vegans! 

Image: Lauren Lark

Potato Champion's vegan poutine, anyone?

Because our very own sausage king was once a meat-free pro snowboarder. 

Image: Courtesy Elias Cairo

“All my friends were vegan punk rockers,” says Elias Cairo of the days before he started curing 8,000 pounds of meat a day at Olympic Provisions’ 33,000-square-foot factory. In the mid-’90s, Cairo dropped out of high school to pursue a sponsorship from outdoor gear titan Burton and do backflips for national magazines.

By age 18, the adrenaline wore off. “I remember the tipping point,” says Cairo. “I was boarding with some of my snowboard idols—the greatest in the world—and they kept hurling themselves off this huge ledge. There was zero visibility. All I could hear from below was: ‘Go faster! You won’t clear the jump!’ All of the big-time guys were crashing on the rocky cliffs below. I made it ... barely. The next year I moved to Switzerland and learned how to make salami.”

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Because TV shows pretend to be in PDX now.

This fall’s Fox show Backstrom adapts an irritable detective (The Office star Rainn Wilson) from Scandinavian source novels to solve crimes for the Portland Police Bureau. Hidden twist? Backstrom actually shoots in Vancouver, B.C. Creator Hart Hanson: “The preoccupations of Portland—art, style, coffee, education, environment—are all good for Backstrom. I have the distinction of having three cities annoyed with me: Portland, because we’re shooting in Vancouver. LA, because they are losing production to other cities. And Vancouver, because they’d love to play themselves in a series for once.”

Because maybe—just maybe—beer counts as health food.

Upstream Public Health will celebrate its 10th anniversary in June by challenging local breweries like Ecliptic, Widmer, and Upright to concoct their healthiest possible brew. Can a beer infused with nutrient-rich ingredients, antioxidants, and beneficial herbs be tasty? A panel of local celebrity judges will decide.

Because our coffee shops are more than just coffee shops.

Image: Lauren Lark

Coffee + interior design: Designer Chris Giovarelli curates the Pearl District’s stunning CDExD, where florist Cosmin Bisorca arranges fresh blossoms and Kevin Nichols, formerly of Water Avenue Coffee, presides over the gleaming espresso bar.

Coffee + wine: Enso Winery joined forces with Water Avenue Coffee to make its SE Stark Street tasting room a daytime coffee bar.

Coffee + laundry: North Portland’s Spin Laundry Lounge ingeniously combines clean clothes with Fog Valley Coffee.

Coffee + nonprofit: Volunteers founded TaborSpace in a disused bell tower at Mt Tabor Presbyterian Church—it’s now a nonprofit café and grassroots community center.

Coffee + bar: A beautiful little Euro-accented bolthole on NW 21st Avenue is Sterling Coffee Roasters by day, convivial M Bar by night.

Coffee + lighting: Ristretto Roasters’ third location, in Schoolhouse Electric, is incandescent in metaphor and fact.

Because green building isn’t just for the rich.

For more than 30 years, Reach Community Development and William Wilson have created buildings that only the most experienced eye might identify as affordable housing. The Orchards, a new project at booming Orenco Station slated for completion next year, should be the largest multifamily Passive House project in the nation. (The technique, pioneered in Europe, uses insulation and tight seals to create super-efficient buildings.) The complex will serve renters making less than $30,000 a year. 

Because our city is living science fiction.

Portland, a town that defines itself as forward-looking, makes a good match for science fiction, genre of the future, and sci-fi writers have produced some notable visions of the Rose City.

In Octavia Butler’s 1993 novel Parable of the Sower, as LA dissolves into armed cul-de-sacs, water is a luxury, dirty is the new chic, and people dream of green Oregon—anticipating a future in which we may have to defend the Columbia River and cope with climate refugees. But suppose that, instead, Tea Party activists take over Oregon and abolish the urban growth boundary. Jay Lake described the possible result in his 2009 story “In the Forests of the Night.” Cascadiopolis is a non-city woven through the forests and mountains, a network of low-impact enclaves that look like forest compounds but together amount to an ecologically sensitive alternative to Portlandopolis. And of course there’s Ursula K. Le Guin, who projected a Portland of 2002 in 1971’s The Lathe of Heaven. George Orr can literally dream different versions of Portland and the larger world into existence.

Then there is more metaphorical food for thought. In his 1956 classic City and the Stars, Arthur C. Clarke described a city so full of interesting things that nobody feels the slightest urge to venture outside—for millions of years. Could that forecast how self-satisfied Portlanders, ensconced in super-cool neighborhoods, think—or don’t—about the boring world beyond the range of an easy bicycle commute? 

Carl Abbott is a professor of urban studies at Portland State University. His book How Cities Won the West: Four Centuries of Urban Change in Western North America appeared in 2008.  

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Because our roses date back to the Middle Ages.

Image: Courtesy John Bancroft

Portland’s famed International Rose Test Garden cultivates 10,000 varieties, from the Betty Boop and the George Burns (yes, really) to the Moondance and the Golden Showers (yes, really). Among them blooms the world’s oldest known rose, soon to celebrate its 1,200th birthday: a “dog rose” known as Rosa canina (pictured), cut from a giant rose bush at a cathedral in Hildesheim, Germany. No one seems to know exactly how we got a piece of that huge mothership, planted in 815. (Some think it was a gift to Mayor Vera Katz.) But we do know that the mysterious German rose is in good company. Portland’s test garden was founded in 1917 to provide a home for European hybrids that rose aficionados worried would be destroyed in World War I. The original Hildesheim Rose burned during Allied Forces’ 1945 bombing. Eight weeks later, it sprouted 25 new shoots. 

Because our evangelicals believe in evolution. 

“Christianity can be what the Bible says it is, and evolution can be what the evidence says it is, without any horrible conflict,” says 26-year-old Newberg journalist Tyler Francke. Francke’s blog godofevolution.com has gotten him called a heretic. But it also attracts thousands of readers per month. “Multimillion-dollar organizations claim Christians must reject a few, select scientific principles,” he says. “I’m just offering a modest alternative.” And Francke’s not finished: his first novel, out this month, may be the first for an evangelical audience to feature a gay protagonist. 

By 2015, Oregon weddings will be all the more amazing.

With a recent poll showing 61 percent of Republicans and 77 percent of Democrats under 30 in favor of same-sex marriage, it’s pretty clear that fighting gay marriage is a losing position. And as political leaders across the party lines of our great state show overwhelming support for the November 2014 ballot measure filed by Basic Rights Oregon (good on ya, Dorchester Conference!), it appears that marriage equality is inevitable. (In an after-party-related side note, legal cannabis may be on its way, too.) We hear lots of wedding bells in Oregon’s future...

Because this is the ultimate kids’ city.

Cosmic Monkey Comics and hot chocolate. MarchFourth Marching Band. Miyazaki film festival at the Northwest Film Center. The zoo. “Kindie rock.” The “grilled cheese bus.” Oaks Park six-dollar preschooler days. A zombie musical for kids. Trapeze class. Picking berries on Sauvie. The libraries.

I thought I loved Portland before my daughter was born. It seems to me now that was just a crush. This is what it feels like to love a city: to know that I can count on it to light Clementine’s mind on fire every day in some new way, to keep her vigorous and fascinated—and muddy. To keep me happy, along with my husband and countless other parents, as we figure out how to grow our small people into interesting big people.

Thirteen years ago Jim and I moved here straight out of art school and hunkered down to write and draw. Portland has been the perfect bubble in which to nurture our own creative lives and careers, and now it has taken on this tremendous new dimension as a kid’s city: playground, wilderness, book paradise, riverscape, art-land, and center of quirk. It’s a beautiful, inexhaustible puddle to stomp in. 

Laini Taylor is the author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy; the final installment of the series, Dreams of Gods & Monsters, appeared this spring. 

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Because here, drinking = thinking.

Image: Courtesy OMSI

• OMSI AFTER DARK (above): Grown-up geeks mob the museum for a night of boozy science and kid-free fun.
• HISTORY PUB MONDAY: Local experts lead lively humanities lessons between pints of McMenamins ale. 
• PAINT AND PROST WORKSHOP: Art School Studio students sip Northwest beer and wine and hone their craft. 
• SCIENCE PUB PORTLAND: Beer halls put the PhD in pub with talks on robotics, geology, and oceanography. 
• THINK AND DRINK: Oregon Humanities hosts this happy-hour conversation series, combining deep discussions with deeply discounted drinks.

Because you can get there from here. 

Fourteen American airports fly nonstop to both Europe and Asia year-round. Portland International is the smallest. Delta’s routes to Amsterdam’s Schiphol and Tokyo Narita pump an estimated $215 million into the region’s businesses. Beyond money, the flights put us on the world map: Schiphol connects Portland to Africa; Narita opens up China and Southeast Asia.

Because small is the new big.

We’re a haven for VIPs looking to trade in Big-City success for a unique brand of careerism. A sampling of Stumptowners who braved the 21st-century Oregon Trail:

• Steve Gaynor, former game designer at California’s major AAA gaming company 2K Marin, returned to Portland to launch indie game studio the Fullbright Company—and its critically acclaimed debut game, Gone Home. 
• Rick Gencarelli left a culinary career in New York City and Burlington, Vermont, to open a food cart called Lardo, which has become a local sandwich empire with three brick-and-mortar locations.
• Rodney Hicks, who made his Broadway debut as a part of the original cast of Rent, came to town for Portland Center Stage’s Oklahoma! and never left. He returns to PCS’s stage this spring to play the lead role in Othello.
• Scone whisperer Kim Boyce, former pastry chef at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Beverly Hills, relocated to open shoebox-size Bakeshop on NE Sandy Boulevard. 
• Carrie Welch, once vice president of public relations at the Food Network, traded meetings with Bobby Flay and Rachael Ray to wait tables at Wildwood, launch local PR company Little Green Pickle, and co-found Feast Portland.

Because sometimes, you can’t even pick a reason.

How easy and fun it would be to write about oceans of clean water falling profligately from the sky, in a world where clean water and wars over it will be the story of this century; or to write about shaking hands with Ken Kesey and Barry Lopez and Ursula K. Le Guin in the streets of this city, the three greatest writers we ever had; but why don’t I say something real and blunt instead?

I love the shaggy moist grace of people here. I love the insistence on creativity. I love the general lack of class-snottiness and status-brandishing. I love that money matters but it doesn’t rule the roost. I love that mostly people are friendly except about parking. I love that spiritual search beats religious arrogance here. I love that a mayor once exposed his personal sculpture to a statue.

I hate that we need an active, energetic food bank, and I love that it collected 44 million pounds of food to share last year. I love that when the sun finally comes out in July people emerge from their caves moaning and steaming and singing songs of awe. I love that who your parents were is not as important here as who you are. I love that a river runs through us and I hate that it’s a foul sewer.

I love that we don’t care much about what outsiders think of us because finally we grew up enough to care only about being a better us. I love that the city bird looks like a grim blue skinny dinosaur with wings and a bad toupee. 

Brian Doyle edits the University of Portland’s magazine. His novel The Plover appeared in April. 

...And all the other stuff that makes us Portland: 

North American Organic Brewers Festival // Hidden staircases in Goose Hollow // The Springwater Corridor Sellwood’s Stars Antique Mall // Sunday Parkways  // Pier Park disc golf course // Portland Winterhawks // Cherry blossom season // Forest Park’s Wildwood Trail // The St. Johns Bridge // Alley 33 fashion show  //Summer berries! Winter mushrooms // Microbrews in movie theaters // The Timbers Army // Hiking to Pittock Mansion // The Hillsdale farmers market // Pendleton blankets // Open skate at Oaks Park // The Writer’s Room at Multnomah County Library // Sunset MAX commutes over the Steel Bridge // Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade // Snow at the Japanese Gardens // OBT Exposed // Old-growth trees within city limits // Oregon Zoo train... Did we miss your favorite thing about Portland? Tell us in the comments below!

Gone are the days of the wine critic’s monopoly on taste. Here in Oregon, nuance is king, oddball wines are winning, and old-school winemakers are defying expectations with lighter, more eclectic styles. For this year’s annual blind tasting of Oregon’s wide world of wine, we rallied 13 of our favorite grape-stained wretches to uncork more than a thousand bottles. The results were clear: great wine is great wine, regardless of hue, price, or region. We were so pleased and surprised with our final ranking that this year we decided not to divide our list by category, but by ranking alone. So in celebration of Oregon’s new era of grape diversity, we raise a glass to 17 varietals from around the state in a single list, allowing the pinot noir to entwine with the pinot blanc, the Riesling with the tempranillo, the merlot with the Melon de Bourgogne. It is a true democracy of wine, and it’s time you added your palate to the chorus

1. Tyee Wine Cellars 
2012 Estate Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, $25 

99 This bright, balanced bottle from winemaker Merrilee Buchanan Benson melds classic pinot noir fruit flavors of cherries and cranberries with an herbaceous backbone of eucalyptus and tea tree. The family-owned and -operated label has maintained a commitment to small-batch quality wines and sustainability for more than 29 years, using 100 percent solar power at the winery and managing its own certified Salmon Safe estate vineyards side by side with wetland and woodland habitats. Visitors to Tyee’s Corvallis farm and tasting room can explore the estate’s nature trails and hazelnut orchards, catch outdoor concerts, dive into the family history of the land (dating back to 1885) and, of course, taste the estate’s wines.

“Two years ago, when this bottle appeared in Portland Monthly’s Top 50, it was one of my favorites. What wonderful things are happening down there? I’m so impressed by its balance, earthiness, and structure. It is the real epitome of what good pinot noir should taste like: elegant complexity that unveils its layers like a beautiful peacock.”—Savanna Ray (manager, RingSide Fish House)

2. Brandborg Wines 
2011 Riesling
Umpqua Valley, $16 

98.8 From the state’s new cool-climate Elkton Oregon AVA, wine pioneers Terry and Sue Brandborg prove that Southern Oregon isn’t all hot air. This vibrant, textbook-dry Riesling combines crisp minerality with flavors of tart peach that you won’t quickly forget. 

3. Domaine Drouhin Oregon
2012 Arthur Chardonnay
Dundee Hills, $35 

98.7 This exciting European-style chardonnay is rich and elegant with aromas of lemon pie and anise, and gets even fresher on the palate with flavors of tart apple and nectarine.

“I love a beautiful chardonnay that tastes like chardonnay, and this is one of Oregon’s best. Fermented in both older oak and stainless steel, this bottle rides that great line between richness and acidity.”—Dana Frank (wine director, Ava Gene’s)

4. Croft Vineyards 
2011 Savoir Vivre Organic Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, $35 

98.5 Best known for providing certified organic grapes to some of Oregon’s top-shelf winemakers, Croft Vineyards also blends its own pinot noir with incredible results. This structured wine offers refreshing acidity and plenty of cranberry, cinnamon, orange rind, and tart cherry.

“I know Croft for its great sauvignon blanc, but I think we were all floored when this wine was unveiled. It displayed those classic cool vintage Oregon characteristics, making it immediately charming but with potential to improve over the next five years.”—Michael Garofola (general manager, Accanto)

5. Van Duzer Vineyards
2011 Alchemy Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, $65  

98 Waving a banner for the velvety, polished side of pinot noir, this silky wine from certified Salmon Safe and LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) vineyards in Dallas, Oregon, offers bright acidity and notes of grapefruit and strawberries. 

6. Ponzi Wines
2012 Chardonnay Reserve
Willamette Valley, $35 

98 Grassy and bright, this new-wave chardonnay offers flavors of peaches, melon, apple, and lemon. Pair its delicious minerality with salmon or roast chicken. 

“This lush, creamy wine shows off what’s great about Oregon-style chardonnay—and why the grape deserves its reputation as one of the best in the world.”—David Speer (owner/sommelier, Ambonnay Champagne Bar)

7. Apolloni vinEyards
2012 Estate Chardonnay 
Willamette Valley, $15   

97.9 A true “patio pounder,” this fun, easy-drinking wine will convert anyone with its bright stone-fruit tang. Serve with pineapple salsa and scallops.  

“A crisp, clean expression of the varietal that hits all the right points and gives you tons of value.”—Josh Wiesenfeld (general manager, Remedy Wine Bar)

8. RoxyAnn Winery
2011 Tempranillo
Rogue Valley, $26 

97.8 Lush with flavors of ripe marionberries and jammy blackberries, this balanced, complete wine is rich enough for lovers of big, bold reds but won’t put off fans of lighter wines. 

“After a change of winemakers a few years back, this Medford winery is back with an impressive new take on tempranillo that has it all—power, structure, finesse, and the ability to age alongside your favorite Ribera del Duero for the next five years or more. A real standout from Southern Oregon!” —Darryl Joannides (owner, Cork Bottle Shop)

9. Willamette Valley Vineyards 
2012 Estate Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, $30 

97.75 Winemaker Don Crank transforms the fruit from vineyard founder Jim Bernau’s 31-year-old vines into a beautiful pinot noir that delivers from the nose—bursting out of the glass with black pepper, candied cherries, and spice—to a satisfyingly long finish. 

10. Torii Mor Winery
2013 Viognier
Applegate Valley, $20 

97.75 Introducing your go-to Thai takeout wine: with lush flavors of creamy peach, plenty of acidity, and a complex finish, this bottle can stand up to spicy, salty, savory, and sweet. (Fish-sauce wings, anyone?)

11. Brooks Wines 
2012 Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, $28 

97.75 Our tasters loved the complex and playful nose of this biodynamically farmed wine (bouncing from sweet thyme to crème fraîche and back to white flowers) and its evolution into a clean, savory bottle that’s tailor-made for the Oregon wine geek and ready to drink right now.

12. Ribera Vineyards
2013 Pinot Noir Rosé
Willamette Valley, $18 

97.68 A true rosé lover’s rosé, this complex, crisp wine refreshes with flavors of peach, rhubarb, and an edge of salinity.

“This is the easy-drinking, Southern French–style rosé you want to drink alfresco with your friends. It won’t break the bank, it’s super food-friendly, plus it’s just such a pretty pink!” —Samantha Hobbs Chulick (beverage director, Feast Portland)

13. Brigadoon Vineyards
2012 Lylee Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, $22 

97.5 Spicy and jammy, this is a pinot noir for big-red lovers. While it will benefit from a few years in the cellar, it can stand up to heartier food—and wouldn’t be out of place on your Thanksgiving table. 

14. Longplay Wine
2011 Jory Bench Reserve Lia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
Chehalem Mountains, $38

97.5 Grower Todd Hansen and winemaker Jay Somers aim to make “analog wine for a digital world.” Full of character and a sense of place, this bottle does just that with flavors of tart, crunchy cranberry and black tea with an edge. 

15. Abacela 
2013 Albarino
Umpqua Valley, $20 

97.5 Effervescent and rhythmic with lemony and floral notes, this bright, Spanish-style wine is
affordable and picnic-ready. 

“This is an every(wo)man wine—serious enough for those that want it, with enough fruit character for the novice. A real crowd-pleaser.”—Greg Cantu (wine director, Grüner)

16. Brooks Wines 
2011 Temperance Hill Pinot Noir
Eola-Amity Hills, $48 

97.5 Drinkable right now, this wine jumps out of the glass with aromas of Asian spices and shiso. Extremely food-friendly, it’s ready to pair with funky blue cheese or brie. 

17. Methven
2013 Gamay Rosé
Eola-Amity Hills, $21 

97.5 Love Beaujolais? This pretty, dark pink rosé offers a clean finish that begs for burgers and ribs. 

“What a distinctive take on one of my favorite ‘underdog’ grapes! Playful, vibrant, and beautiful, with flavors of bright strawberries and cherries.”—Colin Howard (owner, Oso Market and Bar)

18. Jaxon
2011 Grenache
Rogue Valley, $35

97.5 A complex mouthful of wild raspberries with spearminty menthol and structured tannins, this easy-drinking intro to grenache will please all kinds of wine lovers.

19. Harper Voit
Surlie Pinot Blanc 2013
Willamette Valley, $20 

97.5 Blending flavors of poached peaches, warm spices, and a tropical edge, this wine is big and rich, balanced by bright acidity and a light honeysuckle finish. Pair it with pork tenderloin and apples or stuffed winter squash.

20. Quady North
2013 Rosé
Rogue Valley, $14.50  

97.5 Jubilant and delicious, bursting with strawberries, cherry, and lime, this easy-to-find bottle is a revelation for anyone who thinks they don’t like rosé.

21. Brick House
2012 Cuvée du Tonnelier Pinot Noir
Organic and Biodynamic
Ribbon Ridge, $45 

97.3 Smart, balanced, and elegant, this earthy wine blends vanilla, cedar, and sandalwood with the pleasantly musty aroma of tomato leaves on a hot day. 

“It’s pretty simple—you should drink Doug Tunnel’s wine as often as you have the opportunity. I think of his wines as being soft-spoken but incredibly opinionated (and I often agree with his opinion).”—Joel Gunderson (wine director, Coopers Hall, St Jack, Oven and Shaker, Grassa)

22. Adelsheim 
2012 Caitlin’s Reserve Chardonnay
Willamette Valley, $45 

97.26 Tropical and vibrant, this delicious Dijon-clone chardonnay is all about pineapple, guava, and macadamia nuts—it’s the beach in a bottle.

23. Torii Mor
2011 Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir
Dundee Hills, $55 

97.25 Attention, dessert lovers: this bottle bursts with aromas of banana and brown sugar and flavors of molasses and brandy—it’s like pinot noir dreaming of a perfectly caramelized fruitcake. 

24. Van Duzer 
2013 Pinot Gris
Willamette Valley, $18

97.25 Charming floral aromas jump out of the glass, shifting to a slightly savory, herbal palate accented with apricot. 

25. Flying Trout
2010 Mary’s Block Malbec, Windrow Vineyard
Walla Walla Valley, $39 

97.2 Inky purple in the glass, this ode to elegant Argentine-style malbec offers flavors of boysenberry and dark chocolate-covered cherries—surprisingly balanced while jammy and fruit-forward.  

“Winemaker Ashley Trout knows a thing or two about malbec, having crafted the grape both in the Pacific Northwest as well as in its New World homeland of Mendoza, Argentina. The wine is fruit-driven and spicy, but full of restraint.”—Caryn Benke (beverage director, Andina) 

Want more great wine coverage? Check out itineraries for the perfect wine country weekend, and dive behind the scenes of wine harvest in the Willamette Valley with our immersive photo essay—or read on for the rest of the list!

26. Winter’s Hill
2012 Estate Block 9-115 Pinot Noir
Dundee Hills, $44 

97.1 Think dark cherry pie filling with notes of juniper and pine—perhaps infused with aromas from the protected Douglas fir woodland bordering this LIVE and Salmon Safe–certified vineyard.

27. Domaine Serene
2010 Yamhill Cuvée Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, $45

97 Bright and juicy, this approachable wine is like a grown-up’s Vanilla Cherry Coke, with bold, ripe fruit and vanilla from a year spent aging in French oak barrels.  

28. Folin 2010 Syrah
Folin Vineyards
Rogue Valley, $30 

97 Bloody, earthy, gamey, and dusty ... if you’re a lover of big, lush Syrahs balanced by bright acid and creamy oak, this gutsy Northern Rhône–style wine will surely seduce.

29. Love & Squalor
2011 Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, $24 

97 Food-friendly and easy-drinking, this fresh, vibrant bottle is your go-to for a weeknight dinner with friends.

“What I love about Matt Berson’s wines are their simplicity. He works with the varietals he loves, and he’s consistent. That’s the trick in my book, and that’s what makes his wines so versatile.”—Sarah Egeland (sommelier, Smallwares)

30. Willakenzie 
2011 Pierre Leon Pinot Noir
Yamhill-Carlton, $48 

97 With flavors of cherry cordial, orange, and anise, this bright, easy-drinking pinot is about as sessionable as a red wine can get. 

31. De Ponte Cellars
2012 DFB Estate Melon de Bourgogne
Willamette Valley, $25 

97 A perfect match for fresh Northwest oysters, this bright wine’s salinity draws its spiritual lineage back to Loire muscadet. 

32. Winderlea
2012 Dundee Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir
Dundee Hills, $38 

97 Smooth and seamless, this wine is all about texture. While the flavors stay safely in cherry country, this is one you’ll keep coming back to for the mouthfeel, with a finish that just won’t quit. 

33. Grochau Cellars
2013 Pinot Noir Rosé
Willamette Valley, $16

97 Bright and easy-drinking, notes of raspberry and strawberry are balanced by a savory edge of white pepper and mouth-puckering acid. 

34. Hyland Estates
2012 Gewürztraminer
McMinnville, $28 

96.75 Balanced by a creamy undertone and a backbone of spice, this wine’s flavors of lychee, rose petal, honeysuckle, and poached peaches make it perfect for everyday drinking. 

35. Ledger David 
2011 Syrah
Rogue Valley, $35 

96.75 Fruit-forward and full  of blueberry boldness, this accessible wine won’t overshadow anything on your plate.

36. Andrew Rich
2013 Croft Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
Willamette Valley, $22 

96.74 Savory and spicy, this certified-organic wine has hints of lime, green chiles, and white pepper. Pour it with Mexican food, Asian takeout, or pasta.

37. Delfino
2011 Tempranillo
Umpqua Valley, $24

96.6 Herbaceous and perfumed with aromas of rose and eucalyptus, Jim and Terri Delfino’s juicy, playful wine shows the bright and light side of tempranillo. Said one taster: “I could smell this all day long—it’s a pinot drinker’s big red.”

38. Jasper Sisco 
2012 Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir
McMinnville, $32

96.5 A newcomer to the pinot scene, Alabama transplant Justin Paul Russell crafts this wine at the SE Wine Collective using fruit from the renowned Demeter-certified Biodynamic Momtazi Vineyard. To get the most out of this young wine’s flavors of clove, dried cranberries, and chocolate, decant before drinking.

39. iOta 2011 
Pelos Sandberg Vineyard Pinot Noir
Eola-Amity Hills, $38 
96.5 Aromas of sweet, rich cherry give way to a palate of smoked meat and crunchy red fruit.

40. Trisaetum
2013 Wichmann Riesling
Dundee Hills, $24 

96.5 This classic offering boasts clean flavors of honey, petrol, and white flowers, with a vibrant acidity that draws a line from the nose to the finish. Pair with ceviche or oysters.

41. Trisaetum
2013 Pinot Noir Rosé
Willamette Valley, $24 
96.5 This light copper pour is rounded out with peaches and a long, smooth finish.

42. Griffin Creek 
2011 Cabernet Franc
Rogue Valley, $40 

96.2 A bright red beauty with zippy acid and flavors of tea leaves, jasmine, rose hips, and ripe red fruit, this bottle pairs well with Indian food, braised short ribs, or coffee-infused desserts.

43. Roco
2012 Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, $24  

96 Easy-drinking and approachable, this pinot should be sipped on the front porch, where you can savor its notes of roses, brown sugar, lilacs, and dried cherries as the world goes by.

44. RoxyAnn
2010 Claret
Rogue Valley, $26 

96 This juicy, Bordeaux-style blend rounds out with punches of black cherry, espresso, dark chocolate, and dark raspberries. Pour it with a grilled steak and make the most of its creamy oak profile and soft tannins. 

45. King Estate 
2012 Domaine Oregon Pinot Gris
Willamette Valley, $28 

96 Balanced with aromas of wet stone and grapefruit, this easy-drinking wine is accented by a warm note of cardamom.

46. BergstrÖm
2012 Silice Pinot Noir
Chehalem Mountains, $65 

96 A versatile, food-friendly pour ripe with fresh raspberries on the nose, this glass reminded our tasters of rich, warm marionberry cobbler.

47. Utopia
2012 Utopia Estate Chardonnay
Ribbon Ridge, $38 

95.41 Complex, with flavors of pine needles, white pepper, and nutmeg, this savory wine features integrated oak and bright acidity. Bring it along on a picnic with cold roast chicken.

48. Hyland Estate
2012 Estate Pinot Noir
McMinnville, $38 

95.5 Tis user-friendly wine is perfect for a dinner party—its bright cherry pie flavor will pair well with anything your hosts are serving. 

49. Dancin Vineyards
2011 Syrah Danseur
Southern Oregon, $30

95 Light ruby in the glass, this pretty wine will appeal to lovers of pinot and gamay, with its notes of sweet green herbs, red currants, and cherry skins. 

50. Cliff Creek Cellars
2010 Merlot
Rogue Valley, $22 

94.5 Ripe and rich, this über-drinkable merlot offers clean flavors of sweet orange peel, cherries, and roses.

For more wine tasting discoveries, check out our behind-the-scenes slide show from the 2014 blind panel!

Image: Stuart Mullenberg

The food arrived on plates. Otherwise, nothing was predictable in a year when Portland dining cracked open old cuisines and fresh ideas in entirely new ways. Rigorously old-school Thai recipes went underground, Russian classics got positively giddy, and even ritualistic Japanese kappo cuisine got free-style and farm-grown. Mostly, in 2014, the best menus were invitations to plunge into cooks’ personal worlds—deliciously, without a crumb of pretension. Pull up a seat.

Restaurant of the Year: Langbaan

Chef of the Year: Ataula's Jose Chesa

Rising Star Chef: Nodoguro's Ryan Roadhouse

Cuisine of the Year: Kachka and DaNet's Russian Party

Destination of the Year: Maurice

Best Bar: Pepe Le Moko

Best Case for Simplicity: Davenport

Restaurant Dream Team: John and Giovanna

Best Sequel: Bollywood Theater

Trend of the Year: Pop-Ups

and

How to Devour Portland's Restaurant Scene in 7 Days

When it comes to your child’s education, we think it’s OK to be a nerd.

That’s why, once again, we’re crunching the data* for about 600 public and private schools in Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, and Clark Counties to show you how your school measures up. In our comprehensive grids, we focus on the Portland area’s achievement scores, showing you how our schools are doing in math, reading, class size, diversity stats, enrollment numbers, and extracurriculars. Sure, numbers don’t tell the whole story. But they’re a good place to start.

Check out the 2015 rankings:

Top Public Schools | Top Private Schools

We also share some stories spotlighting current issues and curiosities—woodland archery!—in local education:

Did Portland Public Schools Get Its Transfer Policy Right?

We check in on the city's big decision on student shuffles—and the neighborhoods that may be impacted the most. 

How Hood River Students Help Run Their Super-Green School 

An architectural lesson in earth science, where kids "eat their conservation vegetables before their solar cookies.”

Academic Success, Hunger Games-Style?

Trackers Earth, a radical homeschool program, teaches archery, blacksmithing, and survival with an "unschooling" philosophy.

Making a Case for Shop Class in the Twenty-First Century

Dan Ryan—CEO at All Hands Raised, the independent fundraising group for the city’s public education—talks vocational training for the real world.

 *Oregon data reflects the 2013–2014 academic year; Washington data reflects 2012–2013. Data is from the Oregon Department of Education, Washington State Board of Education, and Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Private school data is voluntarily self-reported for the 2013–2014 academic year. Schools offering only preschool and/or kindergarten were excluded, as were schools that did not complete Portland Monthly’s survey. 

On a typically wet Wednesday evening in late October, seven doctors and nurse practitioners sat around a conference table in Portland Monthly’s downtown office. The discussion was heated, appropriately fueled by Willamette Valley pinot and carbonara from Grassa. At 9 p.m., the debate, unfolding within a growing landscape of papers and laptops, did not seem to be slowing down. 

The panel’s mission? Scrutinize, investigate, and finalize Portland Monthly’s ninth annual list of top medical professionals in the area. No small task.