The Blue Blog: ‘A Fool’ at The Alibi, the Joys of Izakaya Dining and the Mediocre Wines of Southern Washington

I woke up this morning with “What a Fool Believes” in my head. The song continues to haunt me since butchering it last Thursday during karaoke. What was I thinking trying to pull off Michael McDonald? Not only is his voice totally out of my range but I hardly know any of the lyrics to the song. I was up there hitting every eighth line, wishing I would just evaporate under the bright lights. I keep thinking about it and now I am determined to learn how to sing it. Years may pass but one day I will nail that song (or at least put on a respectable showing).

We had no idea it was going to be a karaoke night but when we saw the blinking neon lights of The Alibi, there was no doubt in our minds. While having drinks and snacks earlier at the prohibition style Secret Society Lounge, the debate over dinner raged on for a solid hour. After deciding on 2-for-1 sushi, we headed that direction before realizing it was closed. C’nC pulled a rabbit out of their hat with the suggestion of Miho – an Izakaya Japanese pub-style restaurant in the North Mississippi zone. Serving the equivalent of Japanese tapas, Izakayas are perhaps the most exciting new culinary trend on the west coast. These are the kind of places where Japanese people really eat and where serious chefs go for authentic flavors. They sat us in a tatami room and I could have done a backflip upon seeing the menu. Even the simplest dishes – like miso-butter grilled asparagus and calamari salad – lassoed our taste buds and held on tight. I have hardly ever had ramen – even as a broke college student – but I believed Phil when he claimed it as some of the best in town. Izakaya dining definitely veers to the salty side, but man is it satisfying.

From what I can gather, The Alibi has been around since 1927 back when tiki bars were entering the cultural vernacular. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a better name for a bar. Unfortunately their cocktails can’t hold a candle to Thatch – another Portland tiki we visited back in October – (my mojito was barely drinkable) but the décor is top notch. Not many dive bars have fountains inside. It’s definitely dark and rough around the edges, but the Polynesian charm more than compensates. The place had a professional karaoke jockey who would run up and sing whenever there was a gap in the action. The guy had a beautiful voice. We ended up closing out the bar after a typically strong showing by our crew; especially Phil on Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” Christine on “Sara Smile” and Raven (with C’nC on “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing”).

After my Doobies’ train wreck, the Beasties’ “Paul Revere” left me panting before Raven and I wrapped things up with “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” Our posse shared a mutual admiration with two other karaoke mavens – Kale and Taya; the epitome of a hipster, Portlandia couple. Her sexy strut to Inxs set the bar high. I complemented another chick who pulled off a killer rendition of Janis’ “Ball and Chain.” “Thanks. I’ve had seven drinks…and three before that,” she replied.

Driving up to Mike and Merrie’s in Camas, WA on Friday, we squeezed in two wine tastings on the way. Gouger in downtown Vancouver is a working winery with an industrial tasting room cordoned off up front. The viognier blend was a winner and the labels were among the nicest we’ve ever seen, but most of the wines really missed the mark. They were just these odd blends with unappealing flavors. The winery uses flex tanks made out of medical grade plastic instead of oak barrels or stainless steel tanks. The explanation (having more control) made sense but the approach seemed to deplete the wines of their soul. On the bright side, Gary Gouger was super cool and there was a steel drummer entertaining the happy hour crowd.

Moving on to English Estate, the wines were not much better. They served us in these totally inappropriate, clunky glasses with microscopic pours. The whites were a bore and all three of the pinots were akin to ruby water. I know the style is different up here but these wines had no character. The cabs provided a sliver of redemption but it was hard to tell with the eyedropper pours from the bland tasting room manager who was obsessed with “not getting us drunk.” There were two notable aspects about English Estates: 1) they served their wines from three-liter bag-in-boxes which aid in freshness and eco-friendliness. 2) the casbah-type ambience – with a bunch of comfy couches and chairs in an old-farmhouse – would be particularly inviting if you could find a great wine to drink in it. Being the wine connoisseurs we are, it’s about time we seek out some of the better destinations this part of the northwest has to offer.

It was a lovely weekend of laughter, yummy food, hiking and football with the Distante family in Camas. It couldn’t have been much more of a pleasure to hang out with them and their daughters. A few days with Aby and Bella definitely would make a lot of people want to have kids. “You’re the best Tylie,” cooed little Aby as I said goodnight. Our hike on Saturday to a waterfall on the Lacamas River was an unexpected treat as we basked in the moss-laden surroundings.

Back in Wendy’s flat in the Pearl, we are happily reconnected with the pulse of the city. Last night we walked several blocks to meet Chrissy, Dan and Becca for happy hour at Blue Hour. The place was about as happening as it gets with a mix of business and hipster crowd. Huddled at a tiny table in the back, we took advantage of the deals on moan-worthy bites like a house-baked soft pretzel dipped in truffle aioli. Amazing but still no match for the previous night’s Maiale flatbread pizzette, yet again, at Fratelli. Adorned with roasted tomatoes, olives, prosciutto, hazelnuts and arugula, this is a prince among flatbreads; especially for $5. Burnt crust never tasted so good thanks to the wood-fired oven.

From there we hoofed it to the movie theater to catch Biutiful – a Spanish film for which Javier Bardem is nominated for Best Actor. Movies don’t get much more depressing but it was worth seeing for his performance alone. Shot in Barcelona, it really puts a spotlight on the atrocious conditions there for illegal foreign laborers. As bad as it is, they are better off there than China or Senegal. It’s inconceivable for most of us to imagine how dire the living conditions are for much of the world’s population. Unfortunately, no matter how good we have it, we find ourselves taking things for granted. I guess that’s why it’s not a bad idea to tune in to the news or watch a challenging film like “Biutiful” every now and then.