IMAGE: Meghann Gilligan

Past 39th Avenue, Southeast Portland seems a land of forbidden pleasures into which I normally dare not tread. I know there are plenty of strip clubs, Mexican restaurants and fast-food joints, but I certainly couldn’t draw them on a map, and I prefer to keep it that way. But Dusty’s Bar and Grill (5902 SE Foster Road, 771-2377), nestled between Mount Scott Funeral Home to the west and Jerry’s Neon to the north (one remains acutely aware of this juxtaposition while playing on the video-poker den’s lone pool table), doesn’t feel shady at all. Watching the Colts fumble a rainy-day loss to the Chargers on one of Dusty’s several high-def TVs and listening to Merle Haggard sing “Okie From Muskogee” on the digital juke seemed about the perfect way to spend an evening, especially when the experience was complemented by a hearty and excellent Black&Blue Salad (basically a huge slab of steak on a Caesar, $9.95). Thousands more drinks will have to be served before Dusty’s really starts feeling like home, but the FoPo joint’s off to a good start with a diverse clientele and friendly staff. Besides, where else can you get drunk, buy customized neon signs and have a loved one embalmed all on the same intersection?