We aren’t sure why there are suddenly several bars in
Portland that also sell merchandise, or whether combining shopping and drinking
is really a good idea for either shoppers or sellers—what of the inevitable
damage to and theft of stock, or the hangovers made worse by the discovery of
yet another tear-stained copy of Candy-O? Nonetheless, this is a
thing now, and I actually hope the young trend continues. One day, we may be
able to purchase luxury vibrators, Warhammer miniatures and power tools while
pie-eyed.
Hall of Records
3342 SE Belmont St., hallofrecordspdx.com.
Hall of Records is exactly what it sounds like—a boutique
record store, stocked with soul and funk rarities and standards, with a DJ and
five microbrews on tap.
Palace of Industry
5426 N Gay Ave., 477-7313, facebook.com/palaceofindustry.
Sip on a lavender Champagne cocktail while poring over
coffee-table books and perusing the assortment of incredibly well-priced
vintage clothing, lovely pieces of furniture and quirky knickknacks.
Record Room
8 NE Killingsworth St., 971-544-7685,
recordroompdx.com.
Rachael Rhymes (her real name, we think) owns Portland’s
second record store/bar. This one not only sells but also buys vinyl and
cassettes, for cash or credit. We cannot recommend stealing your roommate’s New
Wave collection for beer money.
Loopy Knitters Yarn Bar
5591 SW 116th Ave., 336-0887.
It sounds like the invention of a writer for Leno, but Loopy
Knitters is no joke. This King City yarn store pours Oregon wine to weeknight
knitting circles. We’ve yet to hear of a resulting spate of crooked scarves.
Cheese Bar
6031
SE Belmont St., 222-6041, cheese-bar.com.
Is it a stretch to consider that spending a few hours drinking
and nibbling at a bar that also sells fine cheese and assorted culinary goodies
in quantity might result in the purchase of an unreasonable amount of cheese?
It is not.
