Beaker & Flask

Like most food loving souls in Portland, I was eager for Beaker & Flask to open. It was a lengthy and laborious process, one that owner Kevin Ludwig chronicled faithfully on Twitter, keeping Portland foodies and drinkies alike twitching anticipatorily with updates like “i don’t impress easily, but the opening cocktail list is nice” and “Ben’s doing cool things with Terance Major (look it up) food here is getting me real excited.” There were obstacle updates–”maybe the only joy in a govt’ workers life comes by making it difficult for the rest of us,” mischevious ingredients updates–”A ginger beer bomb just went off in my nice clean fridge” and messages of affection and hope for all impatient onlookers–”I love all you potential drinkers coming by, we’ll be open soon. I promise.”

Beaker & Flask is a scintillating addition to Portland’s ultra-energized dining and drinking scene, the kitchen and bar functioning as a good-looking gastronomical power couple. 

On June 8, frustration with the OLCC and the languid pace at which they were issuing B&F’s liquor license reached a boiling point and Twitter followers read a defiant “ah screw it, tired of waiting on someone else to do their job. Booze or no booze, we open June 25. See y’all then.” Calendars were marked, fingers were crossed, and evidently some effective prayers were said, because at 3:48pm on June 24, came the Tweet read ’round Portland–”OLCC comes through!!! We be sellin’ booze all legal like.” Then came the tired but proud tweet following Beaker & Flask’s opening day, “took it on the chin, but after 12 rounds we’re still standing. Thanks all for showing up.” 

It would seem all the waiting and drama were worth it, because Beaker & Flask is a scintillating addition to Portland’s ultra-energized dining and drinking scene. The kitchen and bar function as a good-looking gastronomical power couple, displaying an adroit balance of fine drink and fine victuals, the devotion and inventiveness demonstrated by its bartenders/mixologists deftly matched by Executive Chef and super sweet guy Ben Bettinger’s unstuffy but sophisticated menu, which both surprises and delights with dishes like pickled octopus salad with caramelized green beans and tasso ham, a silky foie gras-cherry torchon with sweet summer peaches, pillowy little ricotta gnudi, and a grilled romaine salad with salsa verde and smoked feta that made my whole table sigh collectively.

Beaker & Flask was designed by architect Mark Annen, the creative mind behind Park Kitchen and Rocket, and the handsome space is at once refined and classic, hip and laid back, with a masculine Grasshopper pie-esque mint green and black color scheme, plenty of booths, and several full-sized barrels placed in the void between the booths and the bar. I half expect someone to ride in and urgently navigate them on horseback at any second, but they serve a less exciting if more functional purpose–as giant coasters when the bar reaches standing room-only status.

The crowd is a curious medley of the staff’s friends, service industry folk, well-dressed foodies, random pretty people, neighborhood hipsters, and those just following the buzz, which makes for superb people watching. Sit at the bar and observe spellbound as one of the whiz kid barkeeps effortlessly mixes you up a powerful 12 Gauge Cocktail (Rye whiskey, orange, Rammazzoti, sweet vermouth), or sip Night and Fog cocktails (Cynar, Oloroso sherry, ginger beer, bitters) out of vintage stemware in one of the U-shaped banquettes that follow the curve of the circular front room, a vantage point which affords you beautiful views of the West Portland skyline and enough sun exposure to leave you with a bit of a sunburn on summer evenings.

Equally satisfying as both a bar and restaurant, Beaker & Flask is a go-to Portland destination no matter what your mood , craving, or company–meet your girls (or guys) for drinks and gossip, join your parents for a nice dinner, down a solitary after-work drink at the bar, or grab a snack after your barrel-racing lesson…and since they stay up late at Beaker & Flask polishing their volatile ginger beer bottles and Tweeting, it’s an excellent spot for a nightcap too. 

Details

Cuisine: Regional

Executive Chef: Benjamin Bettinger

Owner: Kevin Ludwig

Atmosphere: Cool, classic Southeast bar and restaurant with a laid-back vibe, great views, and an eclectic mix of patrons

Outdoor seating: No

Best Seat: If the sun isn't blazing through the front windows, I love to sit in the curved booths lining the front wall. The bar is also great fun.

Noise Level: Normal to Energetic, depending on the crowd

Dress Code: Casual or swanky, the atmosphere can go both ways

Bring the Kids: No

Bathrooms: All the way to the back, past the kitchen, through the back door, and down the hall

Parking: Parking is free and easy to find on surrounding streets

Cocktails: An outstanding cocktail list that is seasonally driven and always interesting

Beer: A half dozen West Coast beers on draft ($5), a dozen-plus domestic and international brews by the bottle

Wine: A well thought out wine selection with roughly a dozen glasses of wine by the glass ($7-$13)

Vegetarian Friendly: Yes

Good for the following occasions: Dinner with Friends, a Damn Good Cocktail, Girls' Night Out, Nightcap

Reservations: Yes, make them via email at info@beakerandflask.com

Take-Out: No

Delivery: No

Wi-Fi: Yes