Tag: Mcmenamin’s Passport

Cornelius Pass Roadhouse

Dear Liza,

We discovered another McMenamin’s! This one is west of Portland, out by the stadium where the Hillsboro Hops minor league team plays baseball.

Most of the McMenamin’s venues have some history, and this one does, too. It was the house, barn and fields of the Imbrie family for six generations. When the family needed to leave the property, the McMenamin brothers bought and began to work their magic. First they refurbished the farmhouse and octagonal barn.

Then they built a brewery, because of course they did.

Imbrie Hall, where we ate a delicious dinner, was built in 2001 with salvaged parts from barns all over the country. I think it is very nifty that the rafters for the roof came from the Blitz-Weinhard brewery in Portland, where the Imbrie family sold their barley!

Our dinner was salmon salad for Auntie Bridget and a trio of hamburger sliders for me. I indulged in a ‘cider flight’, which was small glasses of Blackberry, Blueberry and Peach, and Apple cider. Delicious, and I got to share!

We wandered the property for a bit, enjoying the way the paths wound around and opened up to lovely outdoor rooms.

I know we will return to the Roadhouse, for a dinner or just to walk around the grounds and enjoy the garden.

Love,

Grandma Judy

A Very McMenamin’s Holiday

Dear Liza,

I have told you about the McMenamin brothers and all their interesting restaurants created in historical buildings. Last night, we visited another one! Auntie Bridgett drove us through the rain and dark to the Chapel Pub.

It all started with Grandpa Nelson’s Christmas gift to Auntie Bridgett, a McMenamin’s Passport. This is a little booklet, like a real passport, which has a page for each region in Oregon. When you visit a restaurant (or bar, or hotel) on that page, you get a stamp.

Some larger venues have lots places to visit and get stamped. Edgefield has a dozen! When you have filled a page, you get a prize. This can be a free appetizer or drinks, but mostly what you get is the fun of going out.

This is, of course, a very clever marketing scheme, sort of an adult version of “Collect ‘em All!” We know this, and we don’t care. It is fun. We always have a good time at a McMenamin’s, enjoying the artistic renovation, the historical preservation, friendly service, and reliably tasty food and drink.

The Chapel Pub started life in the 1930s as a mortuary and chapel, which may explain the green “spirit orbs” in one of my photos. I imagine any mortuary would have a few lingering ghosts.

Another charm of The Chapel Pub is its historic pipe organ, and last night we got to hear it played. The talented and versatile Steve Kerin brought his giant suitcase of music and played requests for an hour and a half. Enjoying a Terminator Stout at the bar while listening to Steve play Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy” on the organ was a high point of the 2022 holiday season, for sure.

Have a wonderful new year!

Love,

Grandma Judy