East Burn: A Whole New World

[April 30th, 2008]

Sometimes drinkers put themselves in difficult positions. East Burn (1800 E Burnside St., 236-2876), a new multidimensional space housed in the former Nocturnal, tries to answer the immortal question that has plagued thirsty patrons since, well, Shakespeare’s days: To drink cheaply or not to drink cheaply? Instead of trying to balance the upscale and the divey, East Burn splits the difference down the middle—or more precisely, down the basement. The upstairs dining room offers live roots and folk music, the walls lined with modern sculptures that wouldn’t look out of place in the Pearl District and old-Portland photos (Portland Parks Building, Broadway, Portlandia) that rekindle interest in the good ol’ days. A small but stately patio is part schoolyard (the seats, hanging from the ceiling, resemble an old swing set) and part back yard (wood-burning stoves that provide needed winter heat). The menu provides an interesting mix of cocktails, microbrews and what this amateur sees as an impressive wine list, highlighted by a white that’s “cloned from a celebrated variety in Dijon...just like Boba Fett.” A trip down the stairs to the lounge reveals a different world—tattooed singles mingling over cheap tall boys, Skee-Ball and a broken pair of slot cars—sort of a middle-school boy’s dream room (if said boy desired a mini-fridge stocked with High Life). Sometimes a little choice goes a long way.