Changes

Looking back, last week was a pretty interesting week. My time at Beaker and Flask seemed to just rush by, and the more time that I spend there the more I realize just how lucky I am to be working with such great people. If you haven't stopped in yet, I'm there Mondays and Tuesdays at 727 SE Washington (the corner of 7th and Sandy).

In other news, I'm no longer with 50 Plates. I truly enjoyed my time there and I'm really going to miss that barstaff, but when Andrew Finkelman moved on, I think it signaled a different direction in the bar program. It was actually rather nice to have a rare weekend off to myself, and now I'm well rested and ready for a busy night at Beaker. I wish the whole team at 50 Plates continued success and I'll probably still be in that bar quite a bit, but as a patron rather than a bartender.

Finally, I'm rather excited to announce that I'm actually going to have the opportunity to work with my good friend Andrew Finkelman again, at his new venture, Branch. Branch is going in where the Alberta Street Oyster Bar used to be and is going to be a "whiskey tavern" for lack of a better description. Given Andrew's knowledge and love for whiskey, this is going to be a fun adventure for me and I'm really looking forward to being an all-East side bartender. I'm not sure about what nights I'll be there, and to be honest, I'm only going to be playing a minor supporting role to Andrew behind the bar, but its an exciting opportunity nonetheless. Look for it to open in the very near future.

Today, I was walking my dog Huck, and I wandered past the old Bodega space at 1325 NE Fremont. There is an OLCC posting in the window for "Free House Bar Llc". My curiosity is piqued, and I could really use a decent bar within walking distance of my house. As it is, all of my current options are either sans hard liquor (County Cork) or really bad. I always liked the Bodega space and hope that this new place does well.