Bar Guide 2014: Black Book

By MITCH LILLIE

(NEW!) Black Book

20 NW 3rd Ave., 241-2157. 8 pm-2:30 am daily.

There are no books at Black Book, a thin hallway of a microclub stuck on Northwest 3rd between Tube and Dixie Tavern. Black is the only theme at the former Yes and No space, and the new resident has higher, artsier aspirations than its forebear or any of its neighbors. In between nights with weekly resident hip-hop and house DJs, Black Book hosts RSVP-only art and fashion events, including one recently where the dress code was simply "grayscale." It's ripe for a drink menu as staunchly highbrow as its attendees. The Jam and Gin ($8) is just a tasty gin lemon drop, but new cocktails are rumored to be on the horizon. Black Book is the long-weekend destination for a modish crowd that doesn't mind other patrons who, like the black bathroom tiles, occasionally crawl up the walls. MITCH LILLIE.

Happy hour: Things never get started at Black Book until the hour is far beyond happy.
Entertainment: Nu-goth performance artists, trap DJs and the Portland fashion vanguard all make appearances. Ask around.

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