HAM BUMMER:Hamburger Mary’s
was worried its grim garage door was an eyesore on a street that
already has problems with drugs, loitering and petty crime. So on March
16, managers got 10 graffiti artists to turn the door, which faces
Ground Kontrol, into a mural. Better enjoy the streetwise burger-and-fry
art while it lasts, as co-owner Ian Cooke was quickly asked by his
landlord to remove the mural. “Old Town businesses are working hard to
change the reputation of Old Town,” he says. “It is sad that some can’t
see the art that was given to us.”
TAIWAN DINE: Portland’s
conquest of exotic lands continues unabated. Paris has a
Portland-themed festival planned. Now, investors in the Taiwanese city
of Hsinchu have imported former Bar Avignon chef Jeremy Eckel to
open an “Oregon-style bistro.” Bistro302 will sell only Oregon wine and
serve dishes like cauliflower soup, smoked spareribs and a warm apple
crisp. So far Eckel has been able to find all the essentials, “from
fennel bulbs to edible flowers.” Which is, obviously, all we eat.
MILE AWAY: Northeast Portland artist community Milepost 5
appears to be outsourcing its cafe and performance space
Eat.Art.Theater. An ad on Poached Jobs says the organization is looking
for an “experienced restaurateur/promoter” to lease the space and take
over the business. We question how much money there is in slinging food
to starving artists—with the current menu charging $9 for a hummus
platter and $7.50 for a turkey sandwich, we imagine most of them remain
starving.
DECISIVE DRINKING: Yetta Vorobik
is opening a bottle shop at 1465 NE Prescott St. The shop’s name is
“Undecided” (so, presumably Vorobik is undecided, though “Undecided”
could be a bar name) and will be right next to the Grain and Gristle. >>Vino Vixens,
an oddball wine bar and shop on Southeast Powell Boulevard that
recently started serving nuts, olives, cheese and the like, has applied
to start serving liquor.
SLIP CITY:
The NBA’s March 15 trade deadline day was tough for Trail Blazers fans.
A day after losing to the New York Knicks by 42 points, the ailing
Blazers traded away two starters, the aging Marcus Camby and the spendy Gerald Wallace, waived a promising young big man (Chris Johnson), and finally dropped former top draft pick Greg Oden. Portland also canned once-untouchable coach Nate McMillan.
None of these moves addressed point guard Raymond Felton, perhaps the
least beloved Blazer on the roster. Significant lineup changes are sure
to take place this offseason—and, barring a strong finish for a team
currently out of the playoff picture, it’ll be a long offseason. The
trades “set us up for this summer,” Blazers president Larry Miller told
the media. Translation: “Let’s tank the season and get some good draft
picks.”
BURGER BATTLE - IMAGE: Ian Cooke
