Small and Simple: Binks
A little bit of sanctuary takes hold on trendy NE Alberta Street

By Sam Dodge Soule, pdxguide.com

After hunching through a heavy evening rain, Tri-Met tired and nerves still jangling from a less than spectacular day at work, a cozy, bite-sized neighborhood tavern like Binks practically glows with the holy ambiance of sanctuary.

Not that it takes a bad day to make Binks a good place to unwind. This tavern's growing crowd of thirty- and forty-year-olds from the surrounding upper Alberta Street area is testament to Binks' status as a comfortable haven in a still busily expanding section of town. It has become the scene for a relatively quiet group of micro-brew and wine drinkers -- an area demographic markedly different than, say, the indie-punk contingent that throws down gallons of cheap domestic and blistering wells at the nearby Whatever Lounge.

In short, Binks is a refuge from the ragged trendiness of Alberta Street.

On cold days logs blaze in Binks centrally located fireplace. Couch seating arranged with baby blue cushions nestle a single, low-slung table allowing patrons a communal space to perch and warm themselves.

On sunny days the garage door -- an access point which comprises the entire sidewalk-side wall of the immediately adjoining one-table poolroom, a room barely one table big -- rolls up to give the bar an exultant airieness. A patch of patio on the building's opposite side provides outdoor seating.

Unfortunately, the ability of this tiny space to suit any climate condition does not translate into a likewise skilled kitchen. Binks solid beer and wine selection is supported by a bill of fare consisting exclusively of sloppy personal-size pizzas and large, aptly sculpted salads. That's not to say their reasonably priced menu does not satisfy basic "better" tavern requirements; it's just that the atmosphere and design of this space initially raises the bar on such expectations. Good eats is not always the requirement of good times.

Thankfully, the varied jukebox settles on a downbeat happy medium represented by the likes of cool Velvet Underground, psychedically distressed Beatles and the pining salve of a mournful Neil Diamond. And the bar-side company is well-mannered and chatty, as is the staff. With heavy, varnished galley-style furniture, olive painted concrete walls enlivened by bluish border detailing, decorative light fixtures, hanging Mexican figurines, and cast iron candle-holders, the atmosphere of Binks suggests something of the Mediteranean. Sans tapas and ocean breezes, Binks still retains the feel of a slightly exotic refuge.

The opinions expressed within are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of pdxguide.com or The Columbian Publishing Co.