There are plenty of reasons for Willamette Week to dis new North Portland bar The Old Gold (2105 N Killingsworth St., 894-8937, theoldgoldpdx.com). For starters, it's co-owned by former Portland Mercury music editor Ezra Caraeff. More important, Old Gold beat WW's
team in bar league softball this year, and the championship trophy now
looms on top of a refrigerator behind the bar. So, readers, know that
when I say the Old Gold is actually a great little bar, I'm not blowing
smoke up your asses. It's perhaps not destination drinking, but a cozy
local watering hole that, after just one month, has already acquired a
genuine neighborhood atmosphere. On the back wall is a large wooden
"Drink in Oregon" white stag sign—an ethos that extends to a localish
tap and bottle menu and a well-priced cocktail menu that's heavy on
kombucha. Pair one with the surprisingly good tofu banh mi and sit back
to admire that trophy—it won't be there for long.
WWeek 2015