A weekend of firsties

pastoralia

Somehow this past weekend evolved into trying four PS places I’ve never been to before…here are my first impressions:

Lucky 13 Bar
I’ve seen this place for years. I like the whole 8-ball, Robert Williams art-inspired, rocker chick with tattoos idea of the place but I don’t exactly “look” like I do. You know in Rocky Horror when Susan Sarandon’s car breaks down and they wander into Dr. Frank. N. Furter’s castle? That’s what my wife and I felt like when we wandered in. The bartender and the few customers in there were a bit standoffish. But after a few PBR’s and cheap-ass whisky shots along with a mutual appreciation of the zombie flick they were playing on the TV everyone mellowed out a bit and we had fun. Too bad the patrons hit on my wife when I went to the bathroom.

Provini
We didn’t go to eat. We just wanted to see the place and have a quick drink. It is undoubtedly beautiful inside. Small but very charming. The built in glass cabinets and the marble bar transports you to Europe. And maybe the service does too because we sat at the bar for five minutes with no acknowledgement. It was not busy with just two other people at the bar with us. We ordered two beers but mine tasted a bit flat. We decided to nosh a little something so I went for the salmon tartar with avocado. What came was salmon and cucumber. 60% diced cucumber to 40% diced salmon. The salmon tasted a bit off and it was very under-seasoned. When I inquired as to where the avocado was I was told it was the kitchen’s mistake so they compted me the salmon. This simply gesture makes we want to try them again. Especially after I saw the gnocchi ragu someone was eating on the way out. Big portion and it looked very tasty.

Black Horse Pub
As my British friend pointed out to me…why is it a British pub with only two English beers on tap? The space is nice. Large and airy. The bartender that night (an attractive brunette) was friendly but there were no buybacks and my friend’s martini was a bit weak. When he asked for another one he watched her make it with almost a full glass of vodka. It was still weak. Draw your own conclusions. It has a very Dram Shop kind of feel to it. For all of the build-up I wasn’t blown away…great expectations?

Get Fresh
Ah…this is more like it. Friendly greetings all around when you walk in. Simple, delicious food. It’s like eating in your favorite aunt’s kitchen. Great Stumptown coffee. My wife had the three tacos plate with homemade tortillas and a side of sautéed greens. I went with a braised chicken sandwich with pickled carrots. Fuckin’ delicious. Can’t wait to go back sometime for dinner.