I've thought of starting a blog for awhile now, but my life isn't interesting enough to really just have one about what I'm doing. I like my life right now and I'm happy, its just that I don't have anything considered exciting going on. So, I've decided to dedicate this blog to the restaurants, pubs, bars, venues, movies and music that I enjoy in Portland. I'm going to dedicate this first entry to three of my favorite places in NE.

The Moon and Sixpence is one of my favorite places to go. Its a heavenly little slice of Britain in the heart of the Hollywood District. A very traditional English pub, the Sixpence offers 20 beers on tap with a great rotating selection of brews. My favorite right now is the Ninkasi Total Domination from Eugene. Its a hoppy, citrusy IPA that, if you get there when they put a new keg on, tastes like fresh squeezed orange juice. They also have a great menu, with homemade soups. If you want the best of what they offer get an order of Welsh Rarebit (baguette topped with aged cheddar and ale). Then finish off with some bread pudding topped with whiskey sauce. You won't be disappointed.

They also have three dart boards, which make for a great way to pass an evening with friends or random dart aficionados. It can get pretty smoky inside, but they have a huge, fantastic patio out back for those wonderful Portland summer evenings. The one complaint I've heard about the Sixpence is that the servers aren't friendly enough or fast enough. Since I consider many of those people friends, I can't agree, though it did take a little while to break into the in crowd.

The Mash Tun is a great neighborhood brew pub on 22nd and Alberta. Here you will find an ever-changing selection of house beers and some great guest taps as well. They have a great menu full of vegan and meat loving choices. The best part about the Mash Tun, besides Kim, is Tuesdays. Every Tuesday they serve 20 oz. house pints for $2.50 and 60 oz. pitchers for $7.50. That combined with a free juke box, free pool, a dart board and covered patio makes for a wonderful Tuesday, every Tuesday. Additionally, the first Tuesday of every month is Ugly Hat Night, where people bring in the ugliest hats, bought as cheaply as possible, to parade about the bar. Should you show up on the first Tuesday of the month and forget a hat, there are plenty from past Ugly Hat Nights to choose from.

Binks was once my second living room when I first moved to the Alberta area. They have arguably the best juke box in Portland and at least one or two tasty beers on tap. They also have a pool table and sidewalk seating. Their food menu is small, but tasty and I recommend the Sweet and Spicy pizza. This is another place where I've heard complaints about the service, but I don't share those sentiments. If you're in need of being out until 2:30 in the morning on a Wednesday (or any other day) this is the place to be.