It’s not just true of New York. Even in Portland, all of us here at Besaw’s are otherwise creatively employed. Check out these events this February, featuring your favorite Besaw’s faces:

One of our favorite servers left us earlier this month to finally pursue a full-time acting career. She is greatly missed, but we’re so excited for her. This month at Theater! Theater!, Our fabulous Eleanor O’Brien is performing her solo show, Good Girls’ Guide: Dominatrix for Dummies:

Eleanor O’Brien’s one-woman show Good Girls’ Guide: Dominatrix for Dummies dances with the desire we all have to be wanted.  From junior high proms to NYC nightclubs, O’Brien weaves a story of waiting to be picked, and discovers the ultimate antidote to shame and rejection.

Tickets for her show are available here.

Three of our other resident talents have events this month. Check out our Rock & Roll man Johnny as he plays next Tuesday night in his band, A VOLCANO with The Singing Knives and Stellar’s Jay at Plan B: 1305 SE 8^th Ave, 8:00pm.

Our very own American Idol contender Suzanne Tufan opens for Her Ghost Kickstarter Benefit Show at Kelly’s Olympian: 426 SW Washington, Sunday, Feb 19^th at 7pm.

And bartender Bobby Bermea invites you to My Soul Grown Deep: Reloaded! Free at the Kenton Library: 8226 N. Denver, Wednesday, February 22^nd at 6:30pm.

The title comes from a Langston Hughes poem, perhaps his most famous, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”. In My Soul Grown Deep, Langston Hughes himself guides the audience through 300 years of African-American poetry. BaseRoots captures these poems alive, in the air, still changing, still growing, bumping into things and finding a soaring moment before they settle into who they are. My Soul Grown Deep celebrates the breathing heart within these poems. And we use these poems to explore the breadth and width of African-American history. From Phyllis Wheatley to Saul Williams, this is not your granddad’s poetry reading!

For more updates on all Besaw’s doings, follow us on facebook & twitter! And as always, our fabulously creative staff performs for you every day at Besaw’s: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner! Hope to see you soon!

Beth makes us a cocktail after work.

Before there was Twitter or Facebook or Pinterest, people followed bartenders. Seriously. Bartenders were the original social connectors that knew the buzz of a neighborhood, knew the local gossip and remembered that all-important detail about you: your favorite drink.

In our little neck of the woods, that person is Beth.  Former owner of the much-missed Green Room just around the corner, and mercenary beer-slinger around town, Beth brought her following with her to Besaw’s. When I first started working here and the customers didn’t know me, I’d sit down at the bar after work and strike up a conversation with whomever was beside me.  More than once, my neighbor would avow that Beth is the finest bartender in Portland.

She’s one of those faces out-of-towners return to see. If you travel through Portland and are dining alone, Beth’s bar is always welcoming and warm (possibly because she insists on setting the thermostat somewhere between “Boiling” and “Hades”.)  She’s soft-spoken and tall and graceful, blunt and authoritative when circumstances require, with a dazzling smile and bedroom eyes. She definitely has a following.

Our general manager, one of the most vocal lamenters of the Green Room’s demise, recalls spending unhealthy amounts of time there.  Some days he’d be across the bar from Beth, waxing randomly about the Blazers or football; other times he’d be on a stool beside her, trying to elbow his way in on her crack-like addiction to the MegaTouch Luxor game. The neighborhood’s loss turned into a gain, as we successfully poached Beth to the Besaw’s crew.

Belly up to her bar sometime.  She’ll make sure you feel like a regular.

As many of our friends and patrons know, the staff members at Besaw’s are crazy about our pets. Our GM and his girlfriend have four cats and a dog between them! When we were looking for our non-profit for the month of Love, we thought: what better way to show ours than through Animal Aid? After all, it’s organizations like this that introduced us to all our most beloved kitties and pups.

The thing that tugged our heartstrings most of all was the idea that our donation will go directly toward Animal Aid’s Fund for Urgent Veterinary Care. When we’re snuggling with our canine companion on our day off, it’s good to know that we’re helping others to take the very best care of their furry friends, too.

The story of how this organization was founded is so inspiring, and truthfully we teared up a lil’ bit when we read about the founder, Jack Hurd, and his wife, and their commitment to helping stray animals find homes, lost animals get home, and all animals in need getting the loving care they deserve. Please check out their website, here.

Join us for dinner during the month of February, and a portion of our sales will go to Animal Aid. Cheffy’s got an amazing Valentine’s Day menu planned, Beth’s serving a beautiful pink cocktail, and we’re featuring several lovely pours, as well. Stay tuned! We’ll also be sharing our favorite Adoptable Pets on our Facebook page this month!

Besaw’s Eleanor from Matthew Ross on Vimeo.

I’ll never forget the night I met Cana.

I’ve loved Besaw’s since I was a teenager. Growing up in Lake Oswego, driving to North Portland was a BIG DEAL. Especially at 3am to get curly fries and malts. Very outrageous.

After I graduated from high school – I only came back to Portland on holidays. But I still loved to drive over to Besaw’s for special occasions. I have celebrated many birthdays in this place.

So when I saw the ad on Craigslist for a server position, I thought, “Well, that’d be a lark.”

I was working at South Park at the time, having moved back to Portland from NYC. I’d gone to New York after grad school to begin my career as a professional actor, but ended up spending three years polishing my waitressing resume.

I had awesome restaurant jobs in NY. I was lucky enough to work for a man named Danny Meyer, who has a string of fabulous places. I got to work at Tabla (where Chef Floyd Cardoz just won Top Chef) and Union Square Cafe, the flagship property that has topped Zagats list several times. Danny Meyer is known for legendary hospitality – the hallmark of his fame.

Working for him was a gift. I learned so much about service, and what it means to really take care of people. When I came back to Portland, I didn’t think I’d ever find a restaurant job, or boss, that I’d like as much.

And then I met Cana.

Cana and I just clicked. If you’ve met her – you may have had that experience yourself. Most people do. She is the warmest, most engaged person I’ve ever met. Our interview went on for hours, because we had so much in common. She’d been a server for years – and buying Besaw’s was the craziest thing she’d ever done. She’d never run a restaurant, and had learned everything on her feet, the hard way. But she and I shared a really fundamental belief in that what makes a restaurant special is making people truly feel welcome and seen, and dare I say it? Loved. We both love people. Getting to serve them, to take care of them, fulfills a fundamental desire.

Plus, she really cared so deeply for the place. It was evident in so many small details – the flowers, the menus – always trying to make it better, nicer, warmer. You might think a place that’s 109 years old would be a little ragged around the edges – but Cana doesn’t let that happen.

She offered me the job on the spot, and I immediately accepted. That was almost 5 years ago. Coming to work at Besaw’s was kind of like coming home. For a while I worked two jobs, but after a few months, I knew I was done with the kind of high-end places I’d thought were the pinnacle of my serving career. I love the sense that I could be myself at Besaw’s. I could wear colorful socks, flowers in my hair, and still be professional.

But the real revelation was breakfast.

I got cast in a play and could no longer work dinners. At many places, taking a few months off to do a show means losing your job, or scrambling madly to find people to cover your shifts. Cana just said, “Why don’t you work breakfast?”

Oh God, I thought – starting a shift at 6:15am? I’m a night person! 4 days a week? Is that even possible?

But almost from the first week it felt like the perfect fit. Turns out, I’m a morning person! (I started typing this at 6:30am). I love getting up and being on the road before anyone else. I love being the first person to bring you coffee. Seriously, no $300 bottle of wine comes close to the reaction that a coffee-starved person gives me when I fill their cup. It’s truly precious.

And the regulars! Oh, they’re something special. There are people who have been coming to Besaw’s for years. To become a part of that – to share this long-term relationship with dozens, if not hundreds of people, has been a gift. I will miss them – YOU – so much.

I will miss being a part of creating new regulars – those people who stumble into Besaw’s for the first time – from out of town, or just always intimidated by the line outside the door on weekends – who feel like they’ve discovered the place. I know how they feel.

I’m leaving Besaw’s next week, not because I am burnt out or unhappy, though the truth is I have been a server for 20 years (I started my career at 19 at Kornblatt’s – the deli just up the street!). I am making this leap to live my life as a professional artist. I plan to run my theater company, Dance Naked Productions, full time.

I have been an actor since I was a child. I come from a theater background (my mother is actress Vana O’Brien, and my grandfather is actor Van Heflin – and there are many others in my family). I have two degrees in theater (and a lot of student-loan debt?). But I never quite believed it was possible to make art for a living. (To be honest, I’m still not sure). Somewhere along the way I subscribed to the belief that you have to pay your dues in the restaurant industry.

It’s 2012. I turn 40 this year. My dues are paid up. It’s the time to leap into the unknown.

I will still pick up shifts here and there, and I so much look forward to reconnecting with you when I do. But for the next year anyway, I’m going to make theater.

(Shameless promotional pitch – feel free to skip this paragraph)

My next show is a 3-week run of a solo show I wrote called Good Girls’ Guide: Dominatrix for Dummies. It’s adult material – so not for the kids or easily offended – but it’s funny, touching, and a play I’m really proud of. I am touring it to several cities this year, but I wanted to start in Portland, my hometown. The show runs Thurs-Sun from February 10th-26th at Theater! Theater! and you can find more about it here.

I also look forward to coming back to Besaw’s as a CUSTOMER! I’ll be waiting in line, right along with you, my steaming coffee cup in hand, wishing those people sitting inside, with amazing looking eggs benedict in front of them, would HURRY THE HELL UP!

Thank you so much for being part of our family. Thank you for helping to make Besaw’s the place that it is – an institution, a Portland landmark, an amazing place to come home to. (And Cana – I look forward to seeing what you do with Wildwood, another Portland treasure).

Much love (and coffee!),

Eleanor

It’s been snowing off and on for two days now in Portland, and we keep waiting for the news to announce ARCTIC BLAST 2012! At least we’ve got enough food stored up–for all of us, and for all of you!

Chef’s got some exciting new changes for the dinner menu this week. We’ve been watching him perfect his Buffalo Confit Duck Wings in the kitchen, and boy, do they look good! Those babies are dredged in a house made spice mix, and covered in a mouth-watering buffalo sauce. And, there’s nothing like a rich, succulent duck in the middle of winter. We were dreaming of roasting a duck at home, but were delighted to find out we could have an amazing duck appetizer at Besaw’s, instead! Paired with Chef’s Roasted Pear salad with arugula, Oregon Bleu and candied hazelnuts, it’s the perfect light and luxurious meal for a cold night like tonight.

A display of winter radishes at Besaw's

It’s a sunny day in Portland, and we’ve suddenly noticed the days are a little longer. And while we’re pining after the fruits of summer, we’re also thankful for Oregon’s long growing season, and the special yields of the winter garden.

If you’re missing that crunch in your salad, that hint of bright color, that unique seasonal ingredient, try experimenting with one of our favorite ingredients, the radish! Radishes are quick growing, good for the soil, and easy enough for even kids to grow. For us, they satisfy that need for beautiful, colorful, variegated produce in the darkest time of the year.

Yesterday Chef Michael spent the day with one of our farmers, Grey Horton of Morgan’s Landing Farm on Sauvie Island, and brought us back the lovely array you see in the photo above. Featured on our menu for January are black, red, white and watermelon radishes, highlighting a juicy Painted Hills flank steak with roasted parsnips and carrots.

Painted Hills Flank Steak, roasted root vegetables, cranberry radish chutney

Like Morgan’s Landing Farm on facebook!

At Besaw’s, we strive to provide our diners with the best local, organic produce. We also love finding new ways to support local Portland farmers. When we read about Zenger Farm, we were really excited to be able to feature them as our non-profit for the month of January. This month, a portion of our dinner proceeds will go directly to Zenger Farm, helping them to grow their educational programming and provide access to quality food for under-served families through the SNAP program.

“Incorporated in 1999, Friends of Zenger Farm is a non-profit farm and wetland in outer southeast Portland dedicated to promoting sustainable food systems, environmental stewardship and local economic development through a working urban farm. Friends of Zenger Farm utilize the combination of a 10-acre wetland adjacent to the 6-acre organic farming operation to provide unique experiential learning opportunities for youth, farmers and families in subjects such as sustainable agriculture ecology, food security, healthy eating and local economic development.”

This January, Chef Michael is proud to showcase Zenger Farm Greens in some of our favorite seasonal menu items. Here’s Chef’s recipe for a popular side; the kale adds a beautiful, bright-green color to the potatoes. It’s a great way to introduce greens to kids, too!

Chef Michael’s Kale Mashed Potatoes

1 bunch kale, stems removed

8 Russet potatoes

1/2 lb butter, cubed

1/2 – 1 C milk

salt & pepper

Boil Russets with skin on until soft, but not mushy. Mash potatoes and stir in butter. Blanch kale for 1 minute, strain well, roughly chop then purée in blender. Add puréed kale to mashed potatoes, incorporating well. Stir in 1/2 cup milk, adding more in order to reach a smooth, creamy consistency. Salt & pepper to taste.

We hope you enjoy making these at home!

Come enjoy an evening out at Besaw’s, and help us support Zenger Farm this January.

I Luzz this place! Artwork from a Besaw's customer

Reading through the comment cards at Besaw’s is always a treat. We get so many visitors from all over the country and beyond, and have the joy of sharing in fond memories of our restaurant from years past. In reflecting on the year as it comes to a close, I felt a bit sentimental as I read this message:

“24 years ago, when we were dating, we used to have a weekly ritual of coming to Besaw’s for breakfast. Today is the first time we have been back. It is still great food, great service.”

Happy New Year to all of you, our dear patrons. May you be lucky in life, and create many happy memories in the year to come.

Besaw's Signature Holiday Cocktail & Pink Bubbles

Finally, the Holidays are over. We’ve gone back to work, the family’s gone home, and it’s time to relax and wait out the long Portland winter.

At Besaw’s, we’re really looking forward to helping all of you to celebrate a quiet and romantic New Year’s Eve. Chef Michael has been planning an extra-special menu–stocking up the larder with  ingredients for the most exciting night of the year.

Imagine a Grilled Oregon Rack of Lamb with Oregon White Truffle Butter, or a Baked Petrole Sole with Wintry Brussels Slaw. Both served with a cauliflower gratin and vibrant roasted green beans.

Beth’s pouring Champagne with a Seasonal Cranberry Reduction and an Orange Twist, and a signature Holiday Cocktail with Grand Marnier, Bulleit Rye and Aperol. Have a glass of our favorite pink bubbles, Chandon Rosé.

We hope you’ll join us for a beautiful meal before the festivities, or as your main event. We want you to kick back, have a glass of bubbly, and enjoy an evening of high hopes for 2012. Cheers!