"Portland" news and stories

Thanks in part to our breaking story last month, Sinju Restaurant in Portland, Ore., has removed bluefin tuna from the menu at all three Sinju locations.

According to a story in The Oregonian, the sushi restaurant made the change after being pressured by customers and environmental groups when Guido Rahr, president of the Wild Salmon Center went public about being banned from the restaurant after speaking to Sinju's management about the fish's appearance on the menu.

"I felt it was important for Sinju to know that this is not just another declining species, but perhaps the most high profile endangered fish species on the earth," Rahr wrote in a letter to Sinju in August.

Jae en Woo, who spoke to The Oregonian on behalf of her father who owns the restaurant said, "We should have been more up to date on this issue of sustainability and how it lives in the minds of Portlanders. I know this sounds really irresponsible, and I know aquariums often have literature about what's sustainable and what's not, but you're living the bubble of running your own business you're largely unaffected by these issues until a situation like this comes up."

The Great Lost Bear celebrates their 30th anniversary this week. Photo: greatlostbear.com

A weekly look at the draft selection in beer-friendly bars across the country.

Last week, What's On Tap visited Portland, Ore., one of America's top craft beer cities. But there's another Portland on the opposite coast of the country that deserves recognition, in the great state of Maine. Despite a population that ranks 40th in the nation, the state manages to hold its own in the suds department, and is home to such well-known craft brewers as Allagash, Atlantic, Sea Dog and Shipyard.

Boasting more than 60 taps from more than 40 different brewers nationwide, perhaps the most recognizable brew-focused Portland watering hole is the Great Lost Bear. This week, on Sunday, June 28, the pub will be celebrating its 30th anniversary.

"We started adding micro brews in 1986. At that point we only had six beers on draft," says president and co-owner Dave Evans, explaining the transition to a focus on craft beers. The pub broke the 60 tap barrier about six months ago after adding some dedicated Allagash lines.

Evans insists that the Bear is more about having a great bar than about just having great beers. "We also have PBR in cans," he says. "We try to get every beer patron in the world, and we still sell more food than beer."

The Green Dragon in Portland, Oregon. Photo: mrzarquon/Flickr

A weekly look at the draft selection in beer-friendly bars across the country.

According to the past two weeks' worth of WOT, Portland, Ore., might be the most neglected What's On Tap city. And what neglect! Portland has regularly been regarded as one of America's top beer towns, snagging top honors in a recent online poll that beer legend Charlie Papazian put together.

This week, Portland's Green Dragon gets some much deserved attention. It was named after Boston's original Green Dragon Tavern, which was dubbed "the headquarters of the Revolution" due to the proclivity of many rabble-rousing Colonial American groups to congregate there. Proprietors of this modern Oregonian iteration promote relaxation, not rebellion, with a great draft selection that includes a number of hard to find brews, a chill atmosphere and a large selection of bar games.

Last year, the Green Dragon was purchased by Rogue Ales, but that hasn't changed its commitment to offering a unique range of beers. Assistant Manager Samantha Sugar (who calls herself the "Beer Gazelle") tells us the Dragon still aims for that "neighborhood bar appeal" with an always rotating selection of beers.

• Re-thinking greens and ending the reign of bad salads.
• Battling back against tight wallets and the ramen stronghold, OSU opens a student-run food bank.
• Cinco de Mayo recipes such as Goat Cheese and Poblano Pepita Pesto Quesadillas.
• A look at Chef Gabriel Rucker and Le Pigeon plus his recipes for Cured Bay Scallop Salad and Pan-Seared Pork Chops.
• A mango by any other name is not the same -- deets on the Tommy Atkins variety.
• Pure, clear wines: Pierre Sparr Pinot Blanc Reserve "Alsace" 2007 and Chianti Rufina 2007, Selvapiana.
• Holding back on the cream and cheese for a lighter Springtime Spaghetti Carbonara.
• Recipe: Pea and Mint Risotto
• Reader Cookbook Reviews: "Kneadlessly Simple," "Modern Spice" and great recipes with hard-to-find ingredients for "Bottega Favorita."
• Turning rosti potatoes into an eggy dinner salad.

Josh Elliott is obsessed with chicks.

Three in particular -- Pot Pie, Salad Sandwich and Noodle Soup -- have turned his head. A pro freelance shutterbug turned urban chicken farmer, he has devoted a blog to their adventures (and misadventures) called Three Chicks a Day that will break your heart with cuteness.

It all started when a friend introduced Elliott to home-raised eggs -- "definitely better than store-bought" -- four years ago. When he and roommate Chrissy Morgan finally adopted three dewy little critters last week, he decided to snap their portraits daily until they are old enough to move outside in about four weeks. The blog features photos with brief notes about the chicks' modeling preferences: Noodle Soup, for example, is a "strutter."

Elliott is among a growing number of city dwellers from coast to coast building coops in their yards. They are holding social events and even chat groups where forums range from incubating and hatching eggs to lively discussions about predators and pests.

In Portland, Ore., where he lives, three chickens are the legal limit without having to obtain a permit. With the blessing of his landlord, a teacher who found the idea adorable, he began building a coop and enrolled in a weekend-long seminar called Chicken Fest at a local nursery. Classes included Chicken 101, coop-building and chicken health and boy, was it popular: "I went to one class and there must have been 30 people [there]."

Why is Elliott going through all this?