See Page 43 For Event Information - SCN Research

NEIGHBORHOOD
or all of them eventually while spending the
day in the ‘hood. So what if there’s a hint of
Starbucks (2803 E Burnside, 238-1408) and a dash
of Wild Oats (2825 E Burnside, 232-6601, wildoats.
com)? People gotta eat, right? Slight intrusions
aside, Upper Burnside’s treasure trove of food,
drink, fashion and cheap movies will keep all
members of your party happily occupied all
day and into the wee hours.
For starters, there is an astonishing
amount of options for breakfast. That first
essential wake-up comes at Crema (2728 SE Ankeny
St, 234-0206), with faithfully blended coffee
and freshly baked pastries. Holman’s, which
holds Oregon’s second oldest liquor license,
has traditionally been known for their own
Kept at bay by the prestigious gates of the
hotsy-totsy Laurelhurst neighborhood, Music
Millennium (3158 E Burnside, 231-8926, musicmillennium.com)
continues to hold its ground as the
Northwest’s oldest place to shop for music
that just can’t be found elsewhere—and, if
you’ve got good timing, quite possibly shake
the hand of the artist that brought it to you
(the store is known for in-store performances).
Even if you’ve never set foot inside, you’ve
seen Music Millennium’s influence all around
town in the “Keep Portland Weird” bumper
stickers that show up, well, everywhere. It’s
Music Millennium’s way of supporting local,
homegrown businesses like many of its Burnside
compatriots.
to depend on return trips in order to taste everything.
Known especially for their desserts,
saving room will be difficult, so take home a
chocolate cigar or settle for a strong cup of
coffee that is a source of national pride.
At the other end of the strip is wine bar
Noble Rot (2724 SE Ankeny St, 233-1999, noblerotpdx.
com). You’ve probably heard of their famed onion
tart, but the menu changes so frequently
that we’re pretty sure it’s a crime punishable
by sad taste buds to stick only with what you
know in this case. And when it comes to
wine, do yourself a favor and just trust them.
You’ll also want to put your faith in the cooks
at Esparza’s Tex Mex Café (2725 SE Ankeny
St, 234-7909), who serve up exotic meats like
Noble Rot
Laurelhurst Theater
hearty, ‘round the clock breakfasts and for the
famous—or rather, infamous—Meal Wheel,
which gives diners a chance to win a free meal.
It’s best to take a spin with friends nearby—
they’ll vouch for your honesty if by some twist
of fate you win, and they’ll hold you back from
ripping the wheel off the wall if you don’t.
Another favorite neighborhood bar is
Beulahland (118 NE 28th Ave, 235-2794), which has
garnered what some may politely refer to as a
“reputation.” It’s loud at night, with bands,
beer and general rowdiness—but next to Wine
Down on 28th (126 NE 28th Ave, 236-9463), with
their fireplaces, lazy couches and long, relaxation-inducing
wine list, even Neil Diamond
might come across as a rebel. In the morning,
however, Beulahland transforms into a quiet
place to nurse that well-earned hangover. With
a fresh new expansion complete, they now
offer breakfast, a far cry from the lonely beer
menu that graced the bar when they opened.
The Plant Peddler (3022 E Burnside, 233-
0384) is as homegrown as it gets; owners Ken
and Kathie Blackburn offer a jungle of services
including event rentals and maintenance.
After browsing through their shop, you’ll
surely be craving hot dogs—most likely because
you will have caught the scent from The
Dog House (2845 E Burnside, 239-3647) across
the street. Everyone has a favorite dog, veggie
or not, and accompanied by a root beer and
some potato salad, you’ve got yourself a cheap
meal sure to keep you full—until you realize
that NE 28th Ave right around the corner has a
concentration of some of the best, most varied
restaurants in a single Portland neighborhood.
For the purposes of this article, we’ll
mark the end of the NE 28th corridor with the
kaleidoscopic Pambiche (2811 NE Glisan St, 233-
0511, pambiche.com). They offer small samplings
of their sizable Cuban menu, but you’ll have
buffalo and boar—and even offer off-the-wall
choices like cactus for vegetarians—surrounded
by Southwestern kitsch. Both adventurous
and traditional dishes are well-portioned for a
great price. More experimental Mexican cooking
can be found at Tacqueria Nueve (28 NE
28th Ave, 236-6195).
Back on the main drag, Tabla’s (200 NE
28th Ave, 238-3777, tabla-restaurant.com) specialty is
Mediterranean food, meticulous and affordable;
try their $24 three-course prix fixe menu
available six nights a week. Just a bit down the
road is narrow Navarre (10 NE 28th Ave, 232-3555,
eatnavarre.com), which serves artfully-created
tapas and wines to match. The menu is a
checklist, both literally and metaphorically.
Rounding out our culinary tour of this little
corner of Portland is La Buca (40 NE 28th Ave,
238-1058) with their simple, rich Italian menu,
and Chin-Yen (18 NE 28th, 231-7781) offering standard,
but tasty, dishes of China.
24 PDXmagazine.com / August 2006