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DROWN YOUR SORROWS
captain ankeny's well
There are three TV screens at this rather nondescript corner pub, but no one's forcing you to watch. The Captain keeps the volume off, and instead fills patrons' ears with an odd mix of music, ranging from Duke Ellington to Styx. While the blue screens flicker with the sports du jour--everything from basketball to skateboarding--grab a slice or sample one of the gooey deep-dish pizzas if you're feeling low on cholesterol. It used to be you could find an eclectic selection of beers here, although on a recent visit, there was nothing unusual enough to entice us away from pints of BridgePort IPA or Sierra Nevada. Nonetheless, the 20 taps offer a regularly changing selection. There are plenty of people here on their own, washing away the trauma of the work week--whether it was spent battling traffic and hills as a bike messenger or papers, phones and computers at a downtown office. (MO) 50 SW 3rd Ave., 223-1375. Open daily. 20 taps. coyote's
With pool tables, dart boards, TVs, barcaloungers and Pink Floyd posters on the walls, Coyote's feels like the ultimate basement rec room. And it's a strange sort of oasis on eclectic Sandy Boulevard, with almost 30 beers on tap, massive plates of fries and a chatty bartender sporting a sundress and platforms. The usual array of local micros appears here, along with some cask-conditioned ales and an impressive selection of imports. Hale's Irish Ale, dark and full-bodied without the bulk of a porter, has enough character to drink solo. One more perk: When you're ready to go home you can take any draft to go in a 32-ounce reusable container for $6.75. (RR) 2809 NE Sandy Blvd., 234-8573. Open daily. 29 taps. shanghai tunnel
Portland can get so annoying. For those times, there's no better place to escape the Columbia Sportswear-clad brotherhood than the Shanghai Tunnel. From street level, steeply pitched narrow stairs lead to an L-shaped cave with a luminous fish tank and tall bar along one side and low tables and a pool table in the other. There are no chai lattes and no windows. There is plenty of smoking and the beer is good but--hold on to your Tevas--not local. Instead, the Shanghai Tunnel seems to be on a one-bar quest to prove that there is beer beyond Portland. The evidence includes Paulander Hefeweizen, Spaten Premium Bock and Boddington's Cream Ale. You can also dream of Paris, New York or Beijing over a neat scotch. The bar sells only premium alcohol. The menu is equally sparse and classy. There are several basic sandwiches, surprisingly good spring rolls--crisp and greasy on the outside but filled with almost raw vegetables--and cold sesame noodles that combine two of the world's most comforting items--peanut butter d pasta. The cavalier attitude toward health should encourage even the most despondent anti-Nature's sufferer: There's no extra charge to add bacon to the veg burger. (AVB) 211 SW Ankeny St., 220-4001. Open daily. 13 taps. |
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