Published June 24, 2014 | By Shawna
OK, so I decided to try to break my blogging dry spell by doing a blog series on cool stuff in the Portland(ish) area. Figure half of the locals know about these things, but it’ll probably be a different half each time. So, for locals, some stuff you might want to check out. For non-locals, a glimpse into the cooler, geekier side of Portland and some stuff you might want to check out if you ever make it out here.
Ground Rules:
1) The definition of ‘cool stuff’ is up to my highly biased opinions and will possibly be highly slanted toward, though by no means limited to, Things to Do With Irish Music, Things to Do with Steam and Victorian Architecture and Things to Do With SF and F Geekery.
2) Portland(ish) area is very loosely defined as ‘within a day’s drive, more or less, of Portland.’ 3) ‘Stuff’ includes places to go, things to do, things to see.
4) Cool stuff will appear in no particular order. I don’t take bribes, but if there’s something cool you think I might like and might not know about, feel free to drop me a line.
With no further ado: my first cool place is Mississippi Pizza and its Atlantic Lounge. Not the fanciest place by any means, but if you like very-thin-crust pizza, the food is good and reasonably priced. I’m not a huge fan of thin crust, but the sauce won me over. The attached lounge is pretty, with some lovely stained glass and attractive carved-wood paneling that reminded me of the interior of a steam-era rail car. I visited on a sunny Sunday, with the shadows of the trees outside dancing across the stained glass, very summery.
The best part of the Mississippi is their live music. All ages, no cover, and some of Portland’s finest acoustic artists have played there. I went there particularly to catch singer/songwriter/fiddler Kathryn Claire, who deserves a place on the Cool Stuff list all her own. (Irish trad and Americana. Rich, powerful expressive voice. Look her up on YouTube, and then at her website http://www.kathrynclairemusic.com.)
If you go, be aware that you will need to order your food at the counter at Mississippi Pizza; there is no table service. The line may be long, so pack your patience.
If you want great music on the cheap in a relaxed atmosphere, it’s worth checking out. (3552 N. Mississippi Ave, Portland http://www.mississippipizza.com/about/)
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