03/05/09

What makes SE Portland great

by texasmuldoon

The Morrison Hotel takes it's name from the Doors album - and that it's on Morrison street.

The atmosphere is great, exactly what one desires from a SE Portland bar; it's casual and stylish, has a great Jukebox and the bar staff are second to none.

The Beer selection is wide, and well chosen, I challenge any afficionado of hops and barley to find a beer they do not love. Owner Chris Joseph, who was a founder of the PDX beer festival, has a passion for beer and this eminates through the selection on offer here.

Which brings me to the food. As owner of the Blue Monk, Joseph has already established a reputation for quality and excellence in his menu, and Chef Ryan Gengler (formerly of the Monk) has brought the same high level of passion, creativity, and an astute understanding of what makes food great, to the Morrison Hotel. A good balance of bar snacks and more substantial dinner choices, the highlight of the menu must surely be the Turkish Pizza, for me it was packed full of well blended flavours, and near impossible to put down.

I have always been a fan of SE Portland bars, it's true, however the Morrison excels; if you live east of the river and west of the mountains, you simply HAVE to make this your local.

• Pros: Fantastic beer selection, even better food!
• Cons: There isn't one in every city on the planet

07/25/08

red sox games at 5pm? huh?

by goose11

why would a west coast bar which claims to be a red sox bar (whose games start at 7 pm eastern) leave its doors locked until 5 pm pacific? that, my friends, is three whole innings! yes it does have a big screen, but you have to crane your neck to see it and you've already missed 1/3 of the game. i'll go somewhere else for baseball. not to mention, by opening at 5, you've already missed a portion of the after work crowd ~ some folks get out as early as 3:30.

as for the beer, its a pretty good selection, but it really bothers me that there are only four taps. that's a lot of empty bottles ~ pretty wasteful. i would suggest that the most popular or big name beers like leffe and hoegaarden etc. be put on tap.

other than that i have to say the service was pretty friendly and the tables outside are a nice place to sit and drink good beer. the traffic noise is surprisingly minimal.

• Pros: good beer selection, knowledgable staff
• Cons: not open until 5pm, not enough taps

06/07/08

Best Bar Food I have Found

by dog4care

I used to think the Blue Monk had the best bar food in Portland, until I discovered this place. The menu is really simple and not complicated but the food is simply incredible. Last night I had garlic prawns and a 3 bowl combo, and almost fell off my chair. I would expect that type of food from a gourmet restaurant in the NW , but here in the SE, it is simply not heard of. The three bowl is a daily special of what ever the chef thinks is fresh and worthy of going inside. What impressed me most was how authentic the food is. Great beers and a really nice flat screen tv for sports. Check this place out because if will not remain hidden for long.

• Pros: Food ,food , food and did i say food
• Cons: none