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Evil Monkey at Hey Luigi
The newest venture from Top Chef alum and Portland native Gabriel Pascuzzi offers an array of playful dishes that skew Italian without being tethered to tradition. Wildly creative dishes are served alongside equally inventive bevvies. Case in point is the Evil Monkey, a devilishly boozy riff that feels like the banana-crazed lovechild of an Old Fashioned and a tropical rum punch. The combination of Planteray OFTD rum, Ron Colon red banana oleo rum, Cynar 70, Marsala, Pairidaeza creme de banane and bruleed banana sounds overwhelmingly sweet, but instead is a potent yet balanced cocktail that feels like a classed-up, sophisticated tiki drink that is still a barrel of fun and packs enough of a punch to have you swinging from the trees. NEIL FERGUSON.
GO: 2175 NW Raleigh St., 971-279-2731, hey-luigi.com, 3 pm—10:30 pm Tuesday—Thursday, 3 pm—midnight Friday & Saturday.
The Winey Zebra latte at Tōv Coffee
The Winey Zebra latte at Tōv Coffee is a decadent winter treat that I tried around this past Valentine’s Day, and I hope this pretty pony gallops back into my heart and belly this coming year. Tōv Coffee on its own leaves this caffeine addict feeling 1-800-WIRED, but the mixes of white and milk Ghirardelli chocolates with strawberry and red wine is a taste of international affordable luxury. Sweet, creamy, heartwarming, a taste of romance. ANDREW JANKOWSKI.
GO: 3639 SE Hawthorne Blvd. #5044, 541-908-2555, instagram.com/tovcoffeeroaster, 9:45 am–4 pm Monday, 10 am—4 pm Tuesday–Thursday, 9:45 am–6 pm Friday, 9 am–6 pm Saturday, 9 am–5 pm Sunday.
Eternal Life at Bar Loon
No cocktail felt more quintessentially summer-ready this year than the tomato-mint gimlet known as Eternal Life at Belmont Street brasserie Bar Loon. The near-perfect riff on the classic combination of gin and citrus arrived, by design, just in time for Portland’s warm weather season. The savory—but not too savory—flavor was achieved by muddling cherry tomatoes and mint with orange bitters and salt before infusing the mixture into Ford’s Gin with a smidge of Accompani Mari Gold giving it a floral note. The resulting concoction served practically glowed with pastel pink color. Taking a sip throws your taste buds in a tizzy as you are greeted with a strangely refreshing burst of citrus and mint that works in harmony with tomato and an herbaceous quality that brings to mind freshly picked basil. It’s a garden of flavors that feels totally different from any cocktail you’ve had yet vaguely familiar and ideally suited for sipping on This was summer in a glass and one of my favorite libations of the year. NEIL FERGUSON.
GO: 3326 SE Belmont St., barloonpdx.com, 4 pm—11 pm Monday—Thursday, 4 pm—12 am Friday, 12 pm—12 am Saturday, 12 pm—11pm Sunday.
Catching Flights at Afterlife
While Afterlife’s darkest cocktails like the coffee-hue Fur Trader or the activated charcoal margarita are tasty, the pink drink Catching Flights was my favorite drink of the summer. It launched at the height of hibiscus season with a fresh homemade syrup with just enough winter spice to both prepare for the current chilly season while being able to harken back to sunnier days. Owner Bobby Hooper is an expert mixologist, but this is perhaps his finest creation. ANDREW JANKOWSKI.
GO: 3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd., afterlifepdx.bar, 2 pm–12 am Wednesday–Sunday .
I Dream of Lychee at Champagne Poetry
Though it’s the same hue as the sandworm juice from Dune—or liver-curdling blue liquors like Hypnotiq Mad Dog—I Dream of Lychee is an expert blend of smoke and tropical fruity sweetness. It’s youthful without flashing back to the worst nights of college. Champagne Poetry’s Alphabet District cocktail lounge is giving Lisa Vanderpump a run for her posh pink money, and I Dream of Lychee is a treat for the eyes and taste. Smoke billows in an hourglass-shaped bell jar as it storms over the electric blue beverage. I love sugar, I love smoke, and I Dream of Lychee features both. ANDREW JANKOWSKI.
GO: 1620 NW 23rd, champagnepoetry.biz, 4 pm–10 pm Friday, 11:30 am–10 pm Saturday and Sunday.
Bloody Marys at John Street Café and Sweet Bacon Cafe
These two Portland cafes’ takes on a Bloody Mary pushed into Best of territory for their willingness to put a little extra emphasis in their glasses. The Bloody Mary at John Street Cafe in St. Johns, for instance, has a slightly aquatic salinity that tastes as if there’s perhaps a tinge of seafood juice in the recipe that makes it stand out among its competitors. Meanwhile, Sweet Bacon Cafe ups its game not only with a healthy pepper dosage, but muddles in its signature spiced, nutty sweet bacon. Admittedly I also get bacon at John Street Cafe for a little extra smokiness, but Sweet Bacon Cafe’s namesake confection is unlike any I quickly recall tasting in Portland. Whether you let it steep in your drink or not is up to you, but if bacon is in your diet, it makes for a very welcome addition. ANDREW JANKOWSKI.
GO: John Street Café, 8338 N Lombard St., 503-247-1066, 7 am–3 pm Wednesday–Sunday.1204 NW 21st Ave., 971-383-5086, sweetbaconcafe.com, 8 am–2:30 pm Monday–Thursday, 8 am–3 pm Friday–Sunday.
