Willkommen to Prost-landia 🇩🇪

Where to eat and drink like a German in Portland, OR

Portland is gearing up for the most German season in the year: beer season | Photo by PDXtoday

Hallo, Eva here. On Sat., Sept. 17, the original Oktoberfest will return to my hometown of Munich after a two-year pandemic hiatus. So, to wash down a tiny bit of homesickness, I started roaming around Portland to look for German cuisine. Here are some of my favorites.

🥨 Baked goods

Fressen Artisan Bakery, 7075 NE Glisan St.
Making a crusty-but-soft, salty-but-not-too-salty German pretzel is an art form that even in Germany, not every bakery excels at. But owner Edgar Loesch, who leans on his training in the Bavarian baking guild — and his mother’s cookbooks — is a master of the craft. These salty twists, slathered in butter, are the ideal pretzel experience.

Duck leg confit at Stammtisch restaurant in Portland — It has the juice - entenconfit with kartoffelknödel at Stammtisch.

🍖 Other foods

Stammtisch, 401 NE 28th Ave.
This establishment gets its name from a weekly gathering of friends at a traditional tavern, or the “regulars’ table.” Its super authentic German food and rewards program certainly create a cozy atmosphere. The schweinshaxe (slow-roasted pork shoulder) is crispy, greasy, and enormous; you also should try their entenconfit (duck confit leg) with the famous yellow potato balls called kartoffelknödel.

PDX Dönerländ, 625 NE Killingsworth St.
“Döner macht schöner” — döner makes you more beautiful — is the slogan of German kebab snack bars, which got really popular thanks to the vibrant Turkish community in Germany. In Portland, you can have a hearty lunch at the Dönerland food cart in the Piedmont neighborhood — it even uses the original, cult-status wrapping paper.

🍺 Beer

Zoiglhaus Brewing Company, 5716 SE 92nd Ave.
“Zoigl” is an eastern Bavarian homebrewing tradition which translates to “showing” — basically signaling there is beer ready to be drunk. Zoiglhaus can really show off their beers too, most of which are brewed using German hops and malts. My picks are the classic Zoigl-Hell and the Fresh Hop Kölsch (a taste of Cologne with a certain West Coast twist).

5 MORE SPOTS

Don't just dine and Deutsch — make sure to share this story with all of your freunde.

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Today

A Night With Ghosts | Fri., Sept. 16 | 6 p.m. | Anna Bannanas, 1214 NW 21st Pl. | $40 | Do you dare join this tour of Portland’s paranormal heritage and spookiest ghost stories? 👻
“Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” in Concert | Fri., Sept. 16-Sun., Sept. 18 | Times vary | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall | $35+ | Darth Vader is even more powerful with the Oregon Symphony at his disposal. 🎶

Saturday

Oregon Angel Food 2022 | Sat., Sept. 17 | 1-6 p.m. | Redd East Event Space, 831 SE Salmon St. | $15+ | Meet Oregon’s food and beverage innovators and watch “Shark Tank"-style presentations where investment money is up for grabs. 💰
Ikebana International Chrysanthemum Show 2022 | Sat., Sept. 17-Sun., Sept. 18 | Times vary | Portland Japanese Garden | $13.95+ | Marvel at beautiful arrangements of these flowers, called kiku in Japanese.

Sunday

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party | Sun., Sep. 18 | 2:30 p.m. | Veterans Memorial Coliseum | $20+ | Pack up the kids for this engine-roaring extravaganza complete with spectacular laser light shows and toy giveaways.
Interpol + Spoon | Sun., Sep. 18 | 6 p.m. | Pioneer Courthouse Square | $55 | Catch these rock bands downtown on their “Lights, Camera, Factions Tour.”
Portland Fall RV & Van Show | Sun., Sep. 18 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Portland Expo Center | $15, children 12 and under are free | Browse all the offerings so you can hit the road in style and comfort on your next trip. 🚌

Monday

Karaoke From Hell | Mon., Sept. 19 | 9 p.m. | Dante’s, 350 W. Burnside St. | $5 | Live out your rock star fantasy by belting your favorite tunes with seasoned musicians backing you up.

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TGIF-WORTHY EVENTS

Weather

67º | Mostly cloudy | 8% chance of rain

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 6:50 a.m.
Set: 7:18 p.m.

Coming Soon

More pasta? Yes please. Pop-up shop Pastificio d’Oro has taken over the Gracie’s Apizza space in St. Johns, serving Piedmontese delights like gnocchi al castelmagno Sunday through Tuesday (5-9 p.m.). (Eater Portland)

Festival

Kells Irish Pub will celebrate a Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day Festival this Sat., Sept. 17 at its downtown location with Irish dancing, live music, beer + delicious food. And on Sat., Oct. 1, Paddy’s first ever Oktoberfest will ask the question — can you drink Guinness from a stein? 🍻 (Willamette Week)
No joke, the inaugural CoHo Clown Festival 2022 (Fri., Sept. 16-Sun., Oct. 9) is four weeks of fun, featuring movement arts, humor, and fringe performances from clowns of all kinds. Tickets to all shows are pay-what-you-can, or you can grab a Festival FastPass for unlimited access. 🤡

Announced

More than 70 authors are booked for the 2022 Portland Book Festival, which will take place in person at the Portland Art Museum and other downtown locations on Sat., Nov. 5. Guests include Renée Watson, George Saunders, Colin Meloy, Chuck Klosterman, and more. 📚 (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Sports

Dam, that’s a lot of orange. The Oregon State football team has announced that its game this weekend in Providence Park is officially sold out. If you want to see the Beavers take on the Montana State Bobcats, you’ll have to settle for standing-room-only tickets. 🦫 (KATU)

Arts

Fans of Portland artist Mike Bennett’s Dinolandia exhibit can take home cartoon creature cutouts from the Paleozoic (and prior prehistoric eras) at this weekend’s Extinction Art Sale. From 11 a.m.- 5 p.m., props, banners, and more will be available at the gallery at 710 SW Yamhill St. 🦖

Community

Happy 30 to you, happy 30 to you. On Sat., Sept. 17, the Portland Farmers Market is commemorating three decades of connecting Oregon’s food producers with Portland shoppers. From 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., attendees can enjoy chef demos, live entertainment, and a pop-up history museum with photos + memorabilia. 🧺
Head to Gresham City Hall on Sat., Sept. 17 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for the police department’s first-ever Dog Days of Summer event. K-9 units from all over the metro area will showcase their talents through a series of live training sessions.

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An a-maze-ing message 🌽

Bella Organic Farm’s corn maze spotlights Suicide Prevention Month

An aerial view of a corn maze shows a message that says, "Hope, Dial 988"

Dialing 988 connects you to the suicide and crisis hotline. | Photo via @shotbyphantom

Prioritizing mental health certainly isn’t corny — in fact, it can be lifesaving.

This year, Bella Organic Farm (BOF) chose to highlight Suicide Prevention Awareness Month by designing a 7-acre corn maze with a message of hope for those who are struggling. By dialing or texting 988, anyone can receive 24-hour, confidential support.

BOF will provide mental health resources on the back of its corn maze maps, and it also plans to donate a portion of the proceeds to a nonprofit (exactly who is yet to be decided).

You can learn more about how the intricate maze was made and plan your own trip.

THE WRAP

Today’s edition was written by Ben and Eva, PDXtoday’s Arthur F. Burns fellow.

Editor’s pick: In Germany, American football is something reserved for die-hard sport fans. Here, I found out even college football is aired on national TV.

I am really looking forward to my first in-the-stadium football experience on Saturday at the Oregon Ducks vs. BYU Cougars game in Eugene. What are your recommendations for not being detected immediately as a newbie?

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Learn about the eight-legged house guests that want to visit in the fall.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Cambrie Juarez, Ben McBee, Trevor Peters, Britt Thorson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea, Eva Limmer | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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