History by the Glass Nathan P. Gale and Alfredo Moreno

Fathers. You have 'em, you may be 'em, you probably love 'em, and you may also drink in dark bars because of 'em. But there's no better place in Portland to linger over a stiff pour and big ol' pile of eggs while thinking about yours than My Father's Place aka MFP (523 SE Grand Ave.).



Established as MFP in 1978 (yes, ANOTHER late '70s bar!) and a local watering hole since at least 1935, it features a triple option of drinking/dining/entertainment experience to suit whatever outlook on life you enter with and is known for being one of the best places in town to start and/or finish your drinking day.



The HBTG boys strolled in at 10 a.m. on a sunny Friday, ensconsed themselves into one of the more uniquely designed bars they've ever come across, taught themselves how to use fork and spoon over 18 inches of vaulted padded vinyl, and, as always, enjoyed this episode's rollicking post-bar visit reminiscence.



PLUS, thoughts on the best new-old/old-new bar in town, Jerry's Tavern, and a fond farewell to the incomparable Bill Walton -- forever a champion of Portland and unabashedly optimistic living. Thank you for your life Bill.

Bar visit and episode recording: Friday, May 31, 2024

HBTG theme song: "Frozen Egg" by Lame Drivers Interlude music: "Right Track" by Lame Drivers





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Five 1/2 years ago...two earnest, but slapdash episodes into this grand experiment called the History by the Glass podcast...we were contacted out of the blue...by an actual BAR.

And not just any bar, but an honest-to-god OLD bar who simply said, "Love your podcast!" -- the first inkling we had that maybe this thing might possibly resonate beyond our immediate friends and family.

Of course, that bar was none other than McPeet's Portland Pub (4501 NE Fremont St., Est. 1979), which we had the pleasure of FINALLY visiting on a warm Monday evening to enjoy some cold High Lifes, a damn fine burger, memorable restroom, and great conversation with owner Chris Peterson and bar hype man (and social media manager) Mitch Forness.

You may find plenty of bars in this town that are older, quirkier, more elegant or more divey, but sometimes what you really need most are the simple pleasures of a wonderfully basic neighborhood pub that's been serving up local comfort and fellowship for generations.



Bar visit and episode recording: Monday, April 22, 2024 HBTG theme song: "Frozen Egg" by Lame Drivers Interlude music: "Right Track" by Lame Drivers


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Established in 1907, Dan & Louis Oyster Bar is Portland's oldest family-owned restaurant. Is it really a bar though? Or just a restaurant that serves drinks?

We'll leave that for you to decide. But is it a FANTASTIC place to eat, drink, and connect with Old Portland?

Abso-shuckin'-lutely.

Yes, like Roger Sterling and Don Draper in Mad Men's Season 1 classic "Red in the Face" oyster lunch scene, the HBTG boys were busting after a midday bacchanal of invertebrates, martinis, and cheesecake.

Thankfully for all involved there were no flights of stairs to be climbed en route to the recording studio afterward and the only expulsion was the pure joy of experiencing a Portland classic for the first time.

PLUS, reflections on our visit to one of the newest bars in the city -- Too Soon -- in our April Fool's episode!



Bar visit and episode recording: Friday, March 29, 2024 HBTG theme song: "Frozen Egg" by Lame Drivers Interlude music: "Right Track" by Lame Drivers


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Join us dear friends for another succinct and well produced episode of History by the Glass -- Portland most popular podcast tour of the city's freshest, hottest, and relatively historic bars, pubs, and saloons…whiskey libraries, modern speakeasies, craft brew pubs, and mixology dens.

In this rare commercial-free episode, we asked how soon is Too Soon when we visited Northeast’s 8-week-old Too Soon cocktail lounge -- the oldest bar in Portland serving complimentary warm cookies at last call.



Bar visit and episode recording: Thursday, March 7, 2024 HBTG theme song: "Frozen Egg" by Lame Drivers


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Remember FUN?! Well, thanks to vibrant old locals like The Slammer Tavern (500 SE 8th Ave.) it's BACK.

And, hey, so are WE for a THIRD season of History by the Glass!

We were thrilled to get busy living at one of Portland's most unique, friendly, and fun-loving dives (or is it?), which has been sentencing folks to good times as "The Slammer" since the late '70s on the ground floor of a towering, mysterious 135-year-old building that's featured a neighborhood watering hole since the start of WWII (if not earlier).

Lovingly family owned and operated, we had the pleasure of grabbing a bolted stool alongside owner/bartender/contractor/maestro of bar mojo Christopher -- whose legendary mom, Lizzie Robarts-Dille, has worked and/or owned the place for about as long as it's been The Slammer -- to learn all about the magic of this Portland institution.

There's the refreshing simplicity of the beer selection, the intentionality of games both offered and NOT offered, and...hands down, one of the most memorable bar bathrooms we've ever experienced.

All this, plus reflections from our recent borderland bacchanal in Alfredo's hometown of El Paso, Texas, and more!

Bar visit and episode recording: Friday, Feb. 23, 2024

HBTG theme song: "Frozen Egg" by Lame Drivers
Interlude music: "Right Track" by Lame Drivers

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"It was after Christmas babe...in a Chinese restaurant dive bar...an old man said to me, won't see another one..."



The season 2 finale and annual holiday special found the HBTG boys holed up at St. Johns' historic and wonderfully divey Wishing Well Chinese restaurant lounge (8800 N. Lombard St.), fulfilling a Christmas tradition for Nathan while reflecting on the poetic melancholy of the season and a banner year of old bar adventures.



Thank you all for listening and telling your fellow bar aficionados about us. It's been one of the true creative joys of our lives to be able to celebrate these places and communities with you.



We'll see you all in February of 2024 for season 3 of History by the Glass. In the meantime, may we never let auld acquaintance be forgot and enjoy many cups of kindness yet for auld lang syne.



Happy New Year!!



Bar visit and initial recording: Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023

Special Guest: Bill Clifford HBTG theme song: "Frozen Egg" by Lame Drivers Interlude music: "Right Track" by Lame Drivers


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