#1512 - Marathon Taverna, Portland OR - 7/15/2011

A large bar with a curious mixture of classic dive bar patrons and 22-yo girls.  Chatted with Steve, who was reading a book at the bar, and has been coming here since '68 or '69, when it was The Acropolis.

1735 West Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97209 - (503) 224-1341
Est. year - Building constructed: year
barfly - mercury - yelp - urbanspoon  

#1511 - Kingston Bar and Grill, Portland OR - 7/15/2011

2021 Southwest Morrison St, Portland, OR 97205-1600 - (503) 224-2115
Est. 1982
kingstonsportsbar.com - barfly - yelp

#1510 - The Bitter End, Portland OR - 7/15/2011

1981 West Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97209-1918 - (971) 222-2000
portlandbitterend.com - facebook - barfly - yelp

#1509 - Tony's Tavern, Portland, OR - 7/15/2011

1955 West Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97209-1918 - (503) 228-4574
barfly - mercury - yelp

#1508 - Ella St. Social Club, Portland OR - 7/15/2011

A small club in an old mortuary in the Goose Hollow portion of town, the Ella Street Social Club hosts live music in an intimate, almost-speakeasy sort of setting.

714 SW 20th Pl, Portland, OR 97205 - (503) 227-0116
ellastreetsocialclub.com - barfly - yelp

#1507 - The Matador, Portland OR - 7/15/2011

1967 West Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97209-1918 - (503) 222-5822
thematadorbar.com - facebook - barfly - yelp

#1506 #S901 - Ba Bar (Capitol Hill), Seattle - 7/7/2011

Ba Bar serves upscale Vietnamese street food and some very fine cocktails in the former space of Watertown Coffee across from Seattle University.  I had a fantastic pork belly, along with a Sazerac and then a Gilded Age (Domaine de Canton, Noilly Pratt Dry, Stone Pine liquer, Ricard, maple honey).  Ba Bar is from Eric Banh, the owner of Monsoon and Baguette Box, named for his Chinese father ("Ba" = father), and designed to reflect the spirit of a Vietnamese quan (cafe).

Despite some early drama with the folks manning the bar, he has created a very comfortable space to enjoy just a drink and snack or a nice dinner.  (The bar is now run by Even Martin, formerly of Chantanee.)  12th Avenue seems to be becoming something of a bourbon mecca -- Ba Bar stocks 175 types of bourbon alone and Jamie Boudreau's Canon which opened right down the street shortly after Ba Bar.

550 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 328-2030
Est. July 7, 2011 - Building constructed: 1920
Other bars at this location:  None known
babarseattle.com - facebook - seattleweekly - eater - seattletimes - seattlemet - seattlemag - yelp