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You know what Portland doesn't have that other cities have? Bars and restaurants owned by former NFL players… like that one bar in Buffalo 66 where Vincent Gallo decided not to shoot a fat former Bills field-goal kicker who made a strip club (link highly NSFW).
Sure, there's cabbie haunt Yur's Bar and Grill, quietly owned by Terry Hermeling, formerly of the Washington Redskins. But where's the hometown-fave sports bar? The one with the local hero, where old fans could wander in to bask in remembered glory?
Well, it looks like Duck's Great Joey Harrington is going in on a tavern.
According to documents filed with the OLCC and Secretary of State, the former Detroit Lions quarterback, Oregon Ducks great and Central Catholic all-time hero is a partner on the Pearl Tavern, a planned new Pearl District spot on 11th Avenue, in the location of just-closed oyster and cajun eatery the Parish.
Oyster barons Tobias Hogan and Ethan Powell, owners formerly the Parish and currently of Eat: An Oyster Bar, are also partners on the Pearl Tavern. New partners include Kurt Huffman of the ChefStable restaurant group, as well as local celebrity mixologist (and co-inventor of Aviation gin) Ryan Magarian.
The Harrington Family Foundation—originally funded with part of Harrington's signing bonus to the Lions—which offers leadership-based college scholarships open to all Oregon teens—is also listed as a stakeholder in the tavern.
ChefStable's Huffman says his lips are sealed tight for now on all details, but stay tuned for more as information as it's available.
Willamette Week