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Hot Spot Bars

Pink Rabbit: A Hidden Gem in Portland

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If you’re looking for a unique and stylish bar experience in Portland, look no further than Pink Rabbit Cocktail Bar. This hidden gem is tucked away in a corner of the city and is the perfect spot for a night out with friends or a date night with your significant other.

The bar is known for its playful and colorful interior, which is inspired by the whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland. The walls are adorned with vintage-style posters, and the lighting is soft and romantic, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

The Drinks

But what really sets Pink Rabbit apart is their incredible drinks menu. The bar is dedicated to creating the perfect cocktail, using only the freshest ingredients and expert mixology techniques. Their menu features classic cocktails with a twist, as well as unique creations that are sure to surprise and delight.

One of the most popular drinks is the “Rabbit Hole”, a gin-based cocktail with fresh berries and a hint of rosewater. It’s light and refreshing, with just the right balance of sweetness and tartness. Another standout is the “Caterpillar’s Elixir”, a delicious blend of whiskey, honey, and lemon, topped with a colorful butterfly pea flower.

For those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks, Pink Rabbit has you covered too. They offer a variety of mocktails, including the “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party”, a blend of hibiscus tea, lemon, and honey.

The Food

In addition to their drinks menu, Pink Rabbit also offers a small but carefully curated food menu, featuring small plates and snacks to complement your drinks. Whether you’re in the mood for something sweet or savory, there’s something to satisfy every craving.

Overall, Pink Rabbit is the perfect place to unwind after a long day, or to celebrate a special occasion. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff will make you feel right at home. Their inventive drinks and delicious food will leave you wanting more. So next time you’re in Portland, be sure to check out this hidden gem.

Scotch Lodge

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Hot Spot of the week is sultry speakeasy-style lounge Scotch Lodge! We recently stepped through their somewhat hidden entrance to sample the wares and were thoroughly impressed!

The first thing to note about Scotch Lodge is that the entrance isn’t obvious. Other than the sandwich board on the corner, there isn’t much indication that you should be opening the barred doors nearby. Once you do give the doors a shot, you will find yourself descending a dim staircase. This leads down to a cool and moody vintage-vibe space. The manner of entrance along with all of the decor gives the whole space the feel of a speakeasy in another era and I am obsessed!

Decor

To start, we ordered cocktails from the creative and well-curated list. I tried the Loch Stock, a super rich and smoky blend of scotch, mezcal, and lapsang souchong – infused sweet vermouth with a touch of Ancho Reyes. My dining companion went with the Lotus Espirit with Japanese whisky, lotus orgeat, Genmaicha, and egg white. Both were delightful and went down a little too easily…

Cocktails

Everything on the menu sounded amazing, so we went with the time-proven technique of asking our bartender to guide us. We ended up with some very delicious food and two very full bellies. The Arancini were crispy on the outside and gooey inside, with a lovely avocado crema. The Stone Fruit salad was a perfectly refreshing moment and with the thinly sliced coppa, felt like an Italian summer day. The pappardelle was fresh and perfectly cooked, and the duck breast on top was crispy and rich, the seaweed butter providing an unexpected layer of flavor. The NY strip was a lovely way to round out the meal, cooked beautifully and accompanied by enoki mushrooms and anise.

The Food

In all, Scotch Lodge was a lovely experience and I cannot wait to go back. The combination of great food and cocktails with the sexy and moody decor make it a great spot for a date night or a treat-yourself dinner.

Have you been to Scotch Lodge yet? What should we try out the next time? Let us know in the comments below!

Bellwether

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Hot Spot of the Week this week is the fantastic new Southeast spot Bellwether! We finally got a chance to check out this much-talked-about watering hole. I would say we were quite delighted with what we found!

As soon as I walked in the door, I felt transported. The dark wood, coffered ceilings, deep booths, and low light reminded me of a time and place of the past. The tasteful decor and sultry jazz added to the whole picture. It’s cozy, classic, and definitely a place you will want to bring someone special for a date night soon.

The cocktail list takes a more modern bent, combining interesting amaros and liqueurs with classic drink profiles for a fun twist. I started my evening with the No. 5, a smoky and strong blend of tequila, mezcal, Carpano Antica, and Cynar. This drink has the vibe of a Manhattan, but with the complex interplay of smoky agave and herbal notes it hits a whole other level. I followed that up with the No. 10. Gin, Camparo Bianco, Absinthe, Chartreuse, and Soda combined to make a bright and refreshing sipper. Again, the addition of the anise and herbals adds those extra layers that take it beyond the classic gin and soda.

Another aspect I appreciated greatly about Bellwether is the lovely simplicity of the wine list. It is short but well-curated, with simple labels telling you what to expect. You can feel safe in your choices of ‘Good Bubbles’ or ‘Bold Red’. Or you can get a little experimental with ‘Orange Wine for the Brave’. Either way, it removes the guesswork of whether to order this or that wine based on what you are looking for.

The visit wouldn’t have been complete without ordering a few snacks. The food menu at Bellwether is minimal but also will fulfill most needs. I grabbed a starter of the meat plate, which had salami, spicy coppa, and pork rilletes, with a variety of pickled veg and crackers on the side. The meats were Olympia Provisions (so you know they are spot on) and I really loved the pickled kohlrabi addition. For my main I went with the pan seared chicken thighs which were served with an Israeli couscous and wild mushrooms. The chicken was super juicy and tender and the couscous was bright and lemony with perfect earthiness from the mushrooms. 10/10 would eat again!

Bellwether certainly lives up to the hype they have been getting and I’m excited to head back and try all of the rest of their offerings! Check out their menu and plan your visit Here.

Where should we check out for our next Hot Spot? Let us know in the comments!

Steeplejack Brewery

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Portland has a ton of breweries, some amazing, some mediocre, so when a new one opens up, everyone gets very excited! The most striking thing about Steeplejack is it’s location. The brewery is on the corner of 24th and NE Broadway in a 110 year old church. The owners kept the stunning architecture that you find in churches, from soaring wooden beams to bright stained glass. The space is really warm and inviting and makes you want to hang out for hours.

Steeplejack bar That Portland Life

Steeplejack is aiming to please and has something on their menu that anyone can enjoy. I wanted to try as many things as possible, so I opted to do the taster sized pours. I tried the Witbier, Travers, Amelia (A smoked beer), and Fletcher. The smoked beer wasn’t for me, but others at the table loved it! The other beers were smooth, true to their style and really delivered on flavor.

steeplejack beers

They also have a full menu, and kids menu, that you can order from. We only popped in for a quick drink, but after looking it over, we will definitely be going back! You can find things like burgers and sweet potato fries, or tacos and avocado toast. They also have a killer looking brunch menu if that is more your speed.

I know we will be going back again and again to see what these awesome brewers are putting together!

steeplejack brewery

Lolo Pass

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This week’s Hot Spot is the perfect rooftop bar to wrap up your summer fun – Lolo Pass! While Lolo Pass is essentially a hip Euro-style hostel, they also have a very cool rooftop space for you to sip, snack, and take in the city views.

We headed over to Lolo Pass this week on a hot sunny day to see how it stacks up. The answer? Excellent! We started with some drinks – the Brut Rose and the Gemini SZN. Brut Rose is always a favorite for summertime sipping, but as far as I’m concerned, the Gemini SZN truly stole the show. Basically an Aperol spritz but with the lovely addition of Combier Pamplemousse, I could drink these all day long.

After finishing our first round of beverages, we ordered some tasty snacks. The fried artichokes were very crispy and served with lemon and a nice aioli. The term ‘fries’ on the menu was rather misleading, as what actually came out was so much more. They were like fluffy fried potato cubes, with shaved Parmesan, fried capers, and an anchovy aioli for dipping. ‘Fries’ did not come close to doing them justice. Next, we tried the Toast. Again, a simple word that falls short of the deliciousness we received. This Toast came with a generous spread of creamy goat cheese, topped with a rainbow of tangy beets, a few kale chips and a dusting of some mysterious and magical green powder. I don’t even really like beets. These beets changed my mind.

We will definitely be heading back up to that lovely and casual rooftop spot at Lolo Pass. We can’t wait to see all of the great things they do and try everything else on both of their menus! You can check out Lolo Pass Here.

Where should we try out next? Let us know in the comments!

Deadshot

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Our Hot Spot of the week this week is outstanding SE cocktail spot Deadshot! We had been hearing about this one for ages, in particular from one of our favorite cocktail-loving friends, so it was time for a pop in. Long story short, it was awesome.

We headed in for happy hour and grabbed a spot on the patio. Like many Portland establishments, they have an extended outdoor dining plaza currently, and we sure do hope those stick around! We started off with the happy hour cocktail of the day, an Americano, in part because Campari is delicious and in part because it was going to take a LOT more time to make our decisions. Deadshot is dangerous, as basically every single thing on both the food and cocktail menus sounds amazing.

Once our thirst had been quenched, we moved on to the slightly higher proof Tom and Artemis. This one was a super delicious blend of Old Tom gin, Genepy (an herbal, Alpine liqueur) lime, and absinthe served over a king cube. It was very spirit forward, but also crisp, bright, and drinkable. We also decided to get some tasty snacks and started with the Cha Gio from the happy hour menu. The description of these as ‘crispy pork and shrimp spring rolls did not prepare us for how delicious they were. We honestly considered immediately ordering a second portion. They were crispy, but also tender, and positively juicy inside. The dipping sauce was a great balance of spicy and sweet and the pickled carrots and daikon on the side was a fresh and tangy complement.

Instead, we decided to try out more things from the menu. We went with the Crying Tiger, which was a nicely grilled bone-in slab of short rib, and the Dragon Dumplings. The dumplings were recommended by our server and were outstanding. Ground pork and shrimp stuffed into some nicely toothsome dumplings were tossed in a delicious sauce with grilled long beans and crunchy peanuts. The bowl was nearly clean when it returned to the kitchen. Along with this round of food, we also tested out the Heart of Cyn, a tamarind take on a Whiskey sour that had us puckering but pleased.

We are definitely excited to head back to Deadshot and try out everything else on the menus. Their cocktails are creative and the food is wonderful and we just want more! If you haven’t been yet, check them out Here. If you want to check out our other Hot Spots, you can find them Here. Where should we go next? Let us know in the comments!

Tropicale

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Springtime is here with summer just around the corner, and this week’s Hot Spot -Tropicale – is the perfect place to celebrate that fact! We headed here recently to test out their famous pina coladas, margaritas, and snacks, and were positively delighted!

First, let me say – Tropicale has their patio situation dialed in. There is plenty of space, a festive atmosphere, and different styles of outdoor heaters dotted about to make sure you stay warm enough while you imbibe. We actually ended up between a stand-up heater and a long, low fireplace style, and had to take off a couple of layers! A smart move on their part, as it certainly added to the tropical feel of the place!

Tropicale patio.

We started, of course, with the famous pina colada in a whole pineapple. While everything is better when served in a pineapple, I can say that the beverage itself held it’s own. Delicious! Next, I tested out the spicy mango margarita, which was so tasty I had finished it before I knew what had happened. Based on those two, I want to try everything they have!

tropicale Pina colada in a whole pineapple

Next, it was time for some food to balance the bevvies. We tried a lot of the menu and were quite happy. As is tradition, chips and guacamole to start, which here you can add on dueling salsas (do it) to complement. The shrimp tacos were lovely, bright, and well-made. The tostada ahumada (topped with smoked skirt steak, greens, and caper aioli) had an excellent balance of flavors and textures and was quite filling. We ended up adding on the pulpo at the end, because, how can you not? As many know octopus can be diffficult to cook properly, but Tropicale did it right! It was super tender with wonderful flavors.

Tostada

We cannot wait to come back and spend many summer evenings on the patio here. With their tasty food and fresh, fun cocktails, I think this is going to be a spot we re-visit frequently! Check out Tropicale here.

Where should we visit next? Let us know in the comments! If you want to see our other Hot Spots head HERE

Hammer & Stitch Brewing

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This week we ventured to Slab Town to check out one of Portland newest breweries. Hammer and Stitch opened October 10th with 5 standard beers. The brewery has since added 4 more creations to their collection. The goal of this brewery is to keep it simple, and just make good quality beer. The name Hammer and Stitch is an homage to makers of all sorts, but specifically the late mother and father of some of the partners behind the company. Their mother was an apparel designer and seamstress and their father was an architect and builder. This pairing is what makes up the logo for the brewery.

  • The Front
  • The Deck

The team behind the beer is one of the things that makes this brewery so special. Ben Dobler, who has been making beer in Portland for the past 27 years, brought his skills and expertise to Hammer and Stitch. He isn’t alone in the brew house however. Head Brewer Cam Murphy has been working with beer for several years. These two have worked at many breweries on their way to Hammer and Stitch, those include at places like Widmer, Mt. Tabor Brewing, Laurelwood Brewing and Von Ebert.

  • The Tap House
  • The Brew House

The beers here are all easy drinking and don’t weight you down like so many other beers can. We couldn’t try everything on tap, but we certainly tried. The IPA is hop-forward with piney aromas balanced by citrus notes. The Lager is crisp, clean, and just slightly hoppy in the finish. The Amber has a little bit of everything in it, caramel and chocolate malt flavors with woody floral aromas. The Porter is warm and toasty with chocolate malts but is still incredibly smooth and light in the finish. The Cozy is a Russian Imperial Stout that has bold coffee and chocolate aromas which hit your senses immediately, but it finishes with hoppy, woody, and floral notes. If you’re looking for a fruity finish the Berry Cozy is the same Russian Imperial Stout but they added raspberry puree to it.

Are you feeling thirst for a beer yet? you can get more information about the brewery and their beers Here. If you didn’t quite find what you were looking for you can check out some of our other Hot spot Here