If you need to get out of Portland and can't afford a flight, but you can spring for a few $10 cocktails, Departure is ready to take you away. Ride the elevator to the 15th floor of the Nines and walk into a world where men shave, women wear nylons and people work 40 hours a week. The ambience is even more alien—a starship mashed with a Miami Vice set. The crowd is moneyed and the Asian fusion cuisine overpriced, but the views from the deck over downtown are inspiring. Like New York, it's a fabulous place to visit—you just don't want to live here. JAMES PITKIN.
What to drink: Tacho Macho (Thai chile vodka, muddled basil, fresh citrus, Cock 'n Bull ginger beer).
Happy hour: $5 drink and appetizer specials 4-6 pm daily.
Entertainment: Views, trippy bathrooms, hot servers.
WWeek 2015