One of the many reasons we moved into the Eliot neighborhood was its proximity to so many great businesses, downtown Portland, and the Rose Garden.  My husband and I have been half-season Portland Trailblazer ticket holders for several years now and love going to games.  My Blazer fan co-workers who mostly live on the west side tend to complain on game night since they know they have a long drive or max ride ahead of them and have to fight with the crowds and traffic in order to get to the game.  Not us however!  It’s so easy for us to leave our house just 15 minutes prior to tip-off and either walk or catch the number #4 or #44 on North Vancouver for a short bus ride to the Rose Garden.

My favorite weekend post-game hang-out is Gotham Tavern, one yellow max line stop away on Interstate.  It’s a uniquely designed restaurant serving great eclectic American food with a full bar.  An open-weave timber wall separates the dining area from the bar and provides a peak into the kitchen.  They feature rotating art from local artists, which are always great conversation starters.  Gotham is perfect when we invite a bunch of friends to join us as it has several over-sized booths and two beehive shaped semi-private wooden “pods.”   The pods are so popular that they’re usually the first seats to fill up, so you have to be patient or arrive early to get those coveted seats.  Dinner is served late so we know even if the Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets in overtime on a Saturday night; we’ll still be able to catch a good dinner afterwards.  Gotham also hosts live music by local performers on weekends so it’s a great place to sit back and enjoy music, food, and drink.

My go-to meal is the artichoke dip to share as a starter followed by a mixed green salad with their home-made blue cheese and bacon vinaigrette and a plate of deliciously spicy Cajun chicken linguini.  My husband has a variety of favorite meals including mom’s meatloaf, the southwestern chicken sandwich, and the Gotham burger.

Relaxing at Gotham Tavern, enjoying a nice meal, and listening to live music on the weekends is a great way to top off another Blazer win.  If we’re lucky this year, maybe we’ll get to do our Blazer/Gotham evenings all the way through June!  Gotham Tavern is located at 2240 N Interstate Avenue, open daily.   ●