My friend Sascha has invited me to his local: “The beer here is good and I’d like to hear what you think,” he said. Old Town Pizza, here I come!
The layout of this place is weird; balconies that are unconnected from other balconies, nooks and crannies connected via narrow doorways or walls that have clearly been moved to make space for people. It’s obvious that this used to be someplace else, maybe even two someplaces but what the hell it was I couldn’t tell you.
Old Town Pizza is the kind of joint that you’d have to be lucky to stumble on or live in Portland to know about. Because there’s nothing inherent to the name nor the look of the place that says, “We make our own beer and it’s tasty.”
Yet, here I am with their Sun Dazed Kolsch.
This beer tastes exactly what it’s supposed to taste like; it’s crisp and light with a bready note on the finish, the nose a little funky, like yeast on pizza dough rising. There’s a little nudge of lemon on the finish too, shouldering its way onto my palate like a child insisting on getting dessert. It’s a damn fine kolsch and I am enjoying it a whole bunch.
OTB may have stepped up their game lately. It’s been awhile since I’ve been here and I don’t remember the beer being this good.
Sitting here is unusual. It feels like the other people here have earned their space here already, familiar gnomes carving their place out of the social rock. I’m at someone else’s local, a newbie who found a used cave and sat down. I don’t feel unwelcome but it’s pretty clear that the attention is rightly on the patrons behind me, waiting for crispy slices and that the regulars on the rail all have a relationship.
I haven’t felt like there was a community at the rail in a few stops. It’s nice to experience.
I’m taking the next week off, because I’ll be visiting family for the holiday. I hope everyone has a safe & pleasant Thanksgiving!
A pint for Dionysus 