Perfect pints in Portland

Say that three times fast! Three days in Portland (Oregon) shooting videos for the new website means I'm going to have to try something other than the lamb stew. Quite a few locals listed, but most are out in the burbs. Only a couple are convenient to the downtown hotel I picked. Fortune has it that one is Kells, the Portland location of an old favorite from San Fran and Seattle. We finished taping early in the day. But breakfast was a long time ago in Maryland, so it looks like the lamb stew is a late lunch -- and maybe I'll get back later for the live Irish entertainment.

The young waiter is the same lad Britney-yo tried to hire back to Maryland as a marketing assistant a year ago. He's still here, so I guess he's committed to the West Coast. The menu includes Ulster Champ as a side, so I give it a go with a Guinness and the stew. No disappointments here! The pint is creamy, the stew is near perfect, and the champ is a delight. For those unfamiliar with Irish recipes, champ is a traditional mash of potatoes with butter and scallions. At Kells of Portland, they serve it with a demi-glace sauce using a red-wine reduction that gives a traditional dish a little energy.

Next morning, I'm out early to another taping at a newly-built hospital in Newburg, maybe 20 miles south of the city. We finished up interviews before lunch, so I head back into town. The Guinness sensor must be working today, because the sign for "Historic Old Sherwood" catches my eye and I detour. A quick spin around the little town and begorrah, "Clancy's" jumps right out to meet me. Nothing special here, unless you love great little out-of-the-way corner bars in small towns with Guinness and Harp on tap, and a regular lunch crowd. The owner stops by the table to chat a minute and I learn that he is celebrating 19 years running his little pub in Sherwood this week. I ask him if he's "Clancy", but he tells me that he named it after his friend who helped him get the place going. Works for me! No lamb stew on the menu and it isn't today's special, so I opt for the fresh Pacific halibut and chips. I end up having a second pint of Guinness with lunch, so I have to pass on the bread pudding today. The owner seems to know about everybody who comes in, but I might fit in that group the next time. And there will be a next time!

Next week, Missus Seamus-yo and himself are traveling to find a few pubs, some traditional music, and the object of my obsession on the Emerald Isle. So we'll be posting a few from Galway, Killarney and Bantry Bay.

Slainte!