Tony Smiley

Tony Smiley is one of the most entertaining and talented musicians in the Portland area. He is dubbed the loop-ninja and, when you witness his verbal throwing stars and his black belt in smooth riffs, you’ll understand why. Tony plays every instrument by himself, one at a time, while his assistant Kevin helps loop and mix the new sounds. OK, I know it doesn’t sound that difficult but until you see him live, don’t knock it. He makes it look easy but I can assure you it’s not. His wide range of sounds can have you feeling good, like on “My Love” and “Storybook” or have you up out of your seat rockin’ with “Neighbor” and “Thea Thea”. Either way, watching him at least once in your lifetime and/or picking up one of his CD’s (Sand Paintings or Driving Myself Sane) is recommended. He plays anywhere from the Buffalo Gap in Portland all the way up to the 15th St. Pub in Vancouver. If you go see Tony be sure to give him lots of love and he will be sure to give it back.

http://tonysmiley.com/
http://www.myspace.com/tonysmiley

Siam Society

Some enterprising individuals have converted what was once an old electrical station on Alberta Street into a great Thai restaurant. The night my friends and I went to check out Siam Society, the food was great but the service was a little slow, albeit friendly and helpful. The cocktail selection was good, with some interesting items like the Jalepeno Pear Cosmo. I recommend a few of those! We shared plates family-style for dinner, ordering the Drunken Noodles, Sexy Beef, Garlic Shrimp and Pnang Curry. Everything was very good except the Sexy Beef which was bland compared to the great flavors of the rest of the dishes. We all agreed the curry was the best dish of the night. The atmosphere was hip and interesting. The dinner was not cheap but not too expensive either: four adults with a few cocktails each and tip for around $200.

Siam Society
2703 NE Alberta St
Portland, OR 97211
(503) 922-3675

Sushi Mania

With so many sushi places in Portland, it’s tough to choose. For those of you tired of the restaurant groupies that congregate around hip spots like Yoko’s or Saburo’s, Sushi Mania on NE Broadway offers a welcome relief. At Sushi Mania, most times you can walk right in and get fast friendly service. In addition to the standard sushi fare, they have their own specialty items, a few bottled Asian beers and Deschutes Mirror Pond on tap. I especially recommend the Pink Lady roll.

Sushi Mania
914 NE Broadway
Portland, OR 97232
(503) 288-5149

Mr. Brooks

I rented the film Mr. Brooks last night. Good old Kevin Costner stars as a prominent Portland business man who is named Man of the Year. Little does anyone know he is a serial killer by night. This film is essentially about Mr. Brooks and his alter ego, Marshall, who talks him into committing these brutal acts. Throughout the film, Marshall struggles through his addiction and truly wants to stop. There is also a twist involving some family drama, which is a bit chilling.

Obviously the psychotic murderer is not a typical role for Kevin. With that said, he did a good job of thoroughly creeping me out. All in all, I would give this movie 3 out of 4 stars. It was an exciting thriller, but I thought the ending was lame. I won’t give it away, but spilling blood for 5 minutes doesn’t exactly give the movie the proper closure. I was also not too impressed with the writing.

I almost forgot, the movie was supposed to take place in Portland. It was pretty obvious about half way in that not much of it was ACTUALLY filmed here. At one point the camera flashes to the Cup and Saucer on Hawthorne. Then as Kevin Costner goes in to have a cup of coffee, it’s a totally different restaurant. That drove me crazy. It didn’t even resemble the Cup and Saucer in the slightest. It would’ve been nice if the director had done his homework on Portland a little bit more. That said, this movie is not completely hopeless. It’s worth renting. And it does have a great cast: Kevin Costner, William Hurt, Dane Cook, & Demi Moore.

Alotto Gelato

Right in front of the pig statues on NW 23rd (between Lovejoy and Kearney) you will find Alotto Gelato, one of the true artisans of this Italian specialty in town. Alotto Gelato sports a wide variety of flavors, some classics and some not-so-classic. Over the weekend they had Maple Bacon, which no doubt pays homage to the classic Voodoo Donut gem the Bacon Maple Bar. The first few bites were good, but I think its best to just sample this one so you can say you tasted it. After that, get a nice fruity raspberry or lemon. Enjoy the flavors Alotto Gelato has to offer while people watching on one of the best streets in Portland.

Alotto Gelato
931 NW 23rd Ave
Portland, OR 97210
(503) 228-1709

Duff’s Garage

Duff’s Garage is all about Americana. This is the type of place where a High Life tastes just right and the girl smoking across the room looks like a young Linda Ronstadt. Duff’s is a bar/live music venue that knows its niche and fills it well. The walls are plastered with pictures of country outlaws and early rock ‘n roll icons, as well as relics and memorabilia from halcyon days of the American roadside diner. It’s a great place to hang out and see some of Portland’s finest roots musicians–from country to blues to surf and garage. A Portland gem.

Duff’s Garage
1635 SE 7th Ave
(503) 234-BEER

Portland’s Wonder Ballroom

As we walk up in the dark, I don’t really notice how large the building actually is. The front looks fairly unassuming with its humble community center feel and small, almost undetectable neon sign. This building has served many purposes since its inception in 1914 as a meeting place for the The Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish Immigrant reform group. Since then the building has been used for just about everything under the sun: a Catholic Youth Center, a sports and events facility, a boxing school, an American Legion Navy Post, a WWII news center, a community and child care center, etc. In 2002, the building was shut down, only to be renovated and restored to its current glory as the Wonder Ballroom. They have done a great job turning a once utilitarian building into a beautiful ballroom. This building itself never had any of the baroque splendor of the Crystal Ballroom or the Bagdad Theater, but what it lacks in ornateness it makes up for in humble charm, warm sound and perfect views from anywhere in the room. The huge brightly-colored murals on the walls give the space a touch of class and would fit in with just about any kind of music or event. The drinks are reasonably priced (especially compared to the Crystal or Roseland) and the staff is friendly. The Wonder Ballroom is a great addition to the Portland music scene. I can’t wait to see another show there.

Walk Hard: The Dewy Cox Story

Talladega Nights meets Knocked Up - on crack. This is another one of those “WTF” parody movies except this one really works, unlike the usual barrage of Hollywood crap like Epic Movie or Meet the Spartans.

Personally, I loved “Walk Hard” The movie had a fantastic soundtrack, a completely unrealistic plot, above par acting and some very memorable lines. This is definitely worth renting, John C. Reilly is a ridiculously funny actor who delivers another stellar performance. And if that’s not enough to sell you, it’s directed by the guy behind “Freaks and Geeks” One of the greatest TV shows of all time. IMO.

A solid 8/10 (the soundtrack is a must buy - 9.5/10)

Walking Man Brewery

Walking Man is the best brewery in the Pacific Northwest. Period. Hands down. There, I’ve said it. What used to be a little-known gem to hikers, bikers and beer aficionados has become a microbrew institution. While still rare to find Walking Man on tap in Oregon (North 45 and Horse Brass are the only bars I can think of that usually have a handle) and, from what I hear, literally impossible to find in Washington due to a distribution policy from the brewery, Walking Man has nonetheless succeeded at the grass-roots, word of mouth kind of buzz most brewers only dream of. And believe me, the buzz is well-deserved. I know people who have made the 50 minute drive to Stevenson, WA (the small town on the gorge where Walking Man resides) just to down some pints or fill up a growler or two of this remarkable beer. Last weekend, some friends and I got out and hiked dog mountain. On the way home we filled up three growlers at Walking Man to take back to Portland: the rich chocolaty Dark Cherry Stout, the toasty and smooth Walking Stick Stout, and the hoppy Knuckle Dragger strong pale ale. Let me just say that There is really nothing like sitting around a table with three growlers of fantastic beer after a good hike. Here’s hoping that Walking Man continues to produce this quality of beer for decades to come!

Mario Kart Wii

We (pun intended) camped outside our local Gamecrazy last Sunday anxiously awaiting the release of our all time favorite racing game, Mario Kart, for the Wii.

From the early 90’s on the SNES, through N64, Gamecube and now Wii - Mario Kart has been the definitive family fun racing game yet to be rivaled on any platform. Nintendo yet again delivered the goods with the new Wii version, which includes tons of new tracks (and some of the older tracks from previous platforms!), tons of new Karts (including motorbikes and rockets) AND the Wii wheel for wirless steering. The wheel isn’t just a gimmick either, it transforms the Wiimote into a fully fledged steering wheel and man does it work well! Its ultra intuitive and ridiculous fun.

You can take it online and race against friends or random people online, you can play locally on WiFi or you can just play on your own and unlock funky new stuff. The game caters to everyone. Best of all the wheel attachment is included in the price of the game! (additional wheels attachment are $10.99)

Go and buy this game. you will not regret it, every Wii owner should have this game. An easy 9.9/10

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