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Division Winemaking Co. at the Wine Yard
There’s a fine line between looking like an obnoxious wine snob and impressing someone with your knowledge, and Division’s inner Southeast tasting room is the perfect place to walk that line. Co-owners and co-winemakers Kate Norris and Thomas Monroe make wines that are super approachable but also make wine nerds geek out. Their tasting, which includes snack options from Cafe Olli and Olympia Provisions, includes some of the finest examples of Oregon pinot noir and chardonnay alongside trendier styles like gamay, pet nat, and orange wine. Even if your conversation is light or awkward, you can always talk about winemaking, biodynamic farming, and tasting notes with the help of their staff. The coolest part is that all of Division’s wines are made in the same building that houses its hip and sun-washed tasting room. It is also an urban winery, with others in walking distance, meaning you can give your date the true winery experience without trekking out to the Willamette Valley. NEIL FERGUSON. 2005 SE 8th Ave., thewineyardpdx.com. 12:30 pm-6:30 pm Tuesday-Saturday, 12:30 pm-5:30 pm Sunday-Monday.
Hale Pele
Want to give your date the feeling of being swept away on a tropical vacation without leaving town and ending up in one of those disastrous rom-coms? Step into the dark and moody confines of one of America’s best tiki bars right here in Portland. Adorned with glowing puffer fish, bamboo and tiki totems to conjure the feeling of being in a beachside hut, Hale Pele is the perfect escape from the winter gloom. You can indulge in boozy rum-laden classics like a mai tai or a Suffering Bastard while watching the bartenders concoct lively mixologist pyrotechnics to a soundtrack of exotic lounge music and the occasional simulated thunderstorm. Polynesian-inspired small bites give you something to snack on while easing into a relaxed conversation. Cocktails for two are offered, and if you really want to wow your date (or give them an early intro to your alcoholism), you can order the Volcano Bowl that comes billowing fire and smoke for a true spectacle. NEIL FERGUSON. 2733 NE Broadway, 503-662-8454, halepele.com. 4 pm-midnight Friday-Wednesday, 9 am-5 pm Thursday.
Salvador Molly’s
You can learn a lot about a person in a very short time—under a minute, in my experience—after they bite into the Great Balls of Fire at Salvador Molly’s. These are the all-mighty fried habañero orbs of cheese that look innocuous enough sitting in a calm pool of devilishly, um, stimulating habañero sauce on a bright bedpan-shaped piece of Fiestaware and come three or five to an order. You will insist that you get some as a starter, and your date will be impressed with your decisiveness. It starts with a nice innocent crunch, followed by a watery eye or two (bonus if there’s runny mascara). They’ll laugh it off at first. “Well, that was surprisingly kicky,” they’ll blubber. These balls are thought-provoking—as in, “I think I might die.” Then comes the snot-show of the especially tidal kind, and this first date is off and running (literally)! Or maybe they’re the type who licks their fingers clean of all the molten goodness and goes in for another— i.e., a keeper. LIBBY MOLYNEAUX. 1523 SW Sunset Blvd., 503-293-1790, salvadormollyspdx.com. 11:30 am-10 pm Friday-Saturday, 11:30 am-9 pm Tuesday-Thursday.
St. Johns Food and Beer Porch
For a first date, maybe refrain from the pressure of a white-tableclothed candlelit dinner and get to know your companion. A meal is still a great option, but what do they even eat? Come to think of it, what do you even know about this person? All questions that can be answered at this little food haven. It’s the perfect place to learn about your date. Are they a passionate vegan? A carnivore consuming life by the moment? A selection of international foods, wood-fired pizzas and hearty sandwiches as well as a host of vegan options should help connect the dots, and the covered bar offers a nice selection of craft beers, hard ciders, 12 rotating taps, and fine wines. And if things are clicking, jet to the beautiful and sparsely crowded Cathedral Park approximately five minutes away and stroll the small beach, relax on the pier, or bring your meals for a romantic picnic with a spectacular view of the St. Johns Bridge. And if the weather’s gloomy, a brand-new fire pit which can enhance the moment if you’re quick enough to snag the spot. RAY GILL JR. 7316 N Lombard St., stjohnsfoodcarts.com. Noon-10 pm Monday-Saturday, noon-9 pm Sunday.
St. Johns Twin Cinema
What can we say? St. Johns is just too damn romantic for one date-night idea. Intimacy is becoming a lost art in today’s amorphous dating scene, where an online résumé counts more than a genuine gleam of interest. If you’re nostalgic for the days of pre-digital dating, try taking a stroll through St. Johns’ historic downtown district, where you’ll find family-owned vinyl record and used book shops, themed coffee joints, and restaurants around every corner. At the heart of it all is the quaint two-auditorium Twin Cinema, which has been standing for 115 years. The ticket prices are surprisingly reasonable ($9-$11), leaving plenty of change to grab a slice of pizza if a full dinner-and-a-movie evening isn’t feasible. The throwback intimacy of the theater, with a 70-seat auditorium up a red velvet staircase and a 190-seater downstairs, speaks to you through the glowing lights that illuminate overjoyed couples and movie buffs, not ghosts (as some would have it). RAY GILL JR. 8704 N Lombard St., 503-286-1768, stjohnscinema.com.
Suki’s Bar & Grill
Adjoining a downtown motel typically crowded by families of OHSU patients facing extended stays, haunted by the specter of after-hours porno shoots and especially tragic suicides, Suki’s isn’t the sort of place where you’d expect to fall in love. Really, though, couldn’t the same be said for just about every first date? While cozy booths, dramatic vistas, and sharable desserts may tempt paramours already aching to suck one another’s forks, the practical suitor approaches dating more like adventuring, and few bars better inflame the spirit of discovery. Situated at the west end of the Ross Island Bridge amid that awkward stretch between the West Hills and South Waterfront, the lounge has been the de facto hangout spot for a surprisingly large swath of our citizenry without ever serving as a neighborhood bar or recognized destination. The constant assembly line of newfound regulars drawn from Portland State or nearby starter apartments breeds a cheery universality (alongside a raucous karaoke scene and famously bitchy open-mic standup nights), creating an environment where everyone seems familiar and nobody knows your name. If things go well over introductory drinks and the surprisingly tasty Korean-fusion pub grub, the entire city lies at the lovebirds’ feet while nightmarish miscouplings can be seamlessly abandoned via multiple exits opening onto a dizzying maze of a patio (while a semi-hidden interior door leads directly to the motel upstairs, should either the very worst or very best scenario come to pass). JAY HORTON. 2401 SW 4th Ave., 503-226-1181, sukisbar.com. 3 pm-2:30 am Wednesday-Saturday, 3 pm-1 am Sunday-Monday.