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Blue Diamond (2016 NE Sandy Blvd., 230-9590) isn't the kind of place you notice at first. It's more of a curiosity. As in, "Hey, there's a gray-haired old man out front, leaning on his walker and taking really sensual drags from a cigarette—so, what's up with that place?" If you ever get inside, though, it feels like home in minutes. The dining section looks kind of like a pancake house—sans pancakes, though the menu is above-average bar fare—and the bar is an after-hours spot for a rotating cast of low-key middle-aged men (one of whom usually has a laptop out at the bar—which I don't understand) who talk about...well, who knows what they talk about. I'm observant, not nosy. I just know there's a picture of legendary Portland drummer Mel Brown on the wall, and often the real-life Mel Brown right under it. If the place is good enough for Mel, it's good enough for me.
WWeek 2015
