Well-known for its namesake park and fierce, century-old Joan of Arc statue, the Laurelhurst neighborhood is a lovely blend of family fun sprinkled with a little Portland pizzazz. Along with neighboring Kerns, the area is home to countless walkable coffee shops, cocktail bars and unique neighborhood hangouts.
Pairings Wine Shop and Bar
Looking for a side of pop culture with your wine pairings? Look no further than the aptly named Pairings — a fun, funky wine bar that is serious about having a good time.
Owner Jeffrey Weissler got the idea to do unconventional wine tasting tie-ins after two women visited the shop back when it first opened in 2013. The duo was shocked Weissler had never seen the classic fantasy film “The Princess Bride” and came back with the DVD the next day.
When one of his wine friends heard he was going to watch the flick, they gave him a Sicilian wine to drink while he watched it. When he did, the lightbulb went off in his head.
That December the shop hosted its first five-wine Princess Bride-themed flight based on quotes from the movie.
Now Weissler and his wife Megan pair everything from TV shows to Taylor Swift albums to the natural wines in their shop.
Weissler said he saw an uptick in interest when they paired wines with the immensely popular romantasy series A Court of Thorns and Rose by Sarah J. Maas.
“I took a picture of me reading the first book and two weeks in we sold 452 flights,” Weissler said.
The pairing tied to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour was even more popular.
“We did 730 flights in three weeks. It was crazy.”
Weissler said he’s committed to carrying inventory that is organically-farmed, minimally-filtersed and fermented with natural yeast.
In addition to being a fun place to try new wines, Weissler said he prides himself on holding a safe space for the community. He often ties in a charitable donation with themes. For example, whenever they do a Harry Potter flight, they donate 10% of the proceeds to a trans-positive organization.
“We want to be a safe space where people can express themselves, be themselves, make friends and remember what life was like before everything was about our phones,” he said.
Weissler said it doesn’t matter if the flight is about emo bands or Dungeons and Dragons, every flight has a camaraderie around it that makes Pairings a super easy place to make friends.
This month’s featured flights include a back-to-school tie-in with 10% of the bottle sales donated to donor’s choice and a Severance pairing based on the four main characters.. Customers get two glasses at a time with each one representing each character’s ‘innie’ and ‘outie’ personalities from the show.
Flights average $30-$45 depending on size.
Address: 455 N.E. 24th Ave. Website: pairingsportland.com Instagram: @pairingspdx Don’t miss: Wine and food pairing classes are back this fall. Be sure to follow on social media for updates on class dates, prices and more.
Collector Bar
What started out as a design collaboration turned into a bar takeover for designer team Jesse Morrow and Elliott Snyder.
They decided to call the spot Collector Bar and they are now collecting compliments from visitors from all around the city for the eclectic space that’s part bar, part gallery and all good vibes.
“It’s beach house meets your most interesting friend's loft,” said Morrow. “That was kind of what we were going for.”
Situated on the corner of Northeast Glisan and 24th, the bar lives in the former home of restaurant 24th and Meatballs and former clients of Old Friend, Morrow’s and Snyder’s branding and design firm.
“We've helped a lot of people in the hospitality world do their thing, and that was our first example of us doing it ourselves,” says Morrow.
The chic interior is made up of Snyder’s own artwork, personal heirlooms like a horseshoe from Morrow’s sister’s farmhouse and various treasures found at thrift stores from around the city.
The result is a delightfully elevated yet laid-back and welcoming space that’s perfect for meeting up for a date or a catch-up with friends over one of their deliciously curated cocktails. Collector has a limited food menu, but patrons are welcome to order food from nearby spots like Tropicale and Rollin’ Fresh and enjoy it with their drinks.
Speaking of drinks, Morrow said their eclectic menu has something for all palettes.
Looking for a date night starter? Morrow recommends sipping on the Sundial, their riff on a lemon drop.
“It's a ricotta washed vodka with lemon, lavender and peach– it just kind of takes the lemon drop to this elevated level,” he said.
Catching up with friends? “Definitely the Night Swim,” he said without hesitating. “It's our espresso martini riff that has tequila, coffee, amaro meletti — all that stuff.”
Looking for a good conversation starter? Look no further than the Foreign Panache, which looks simple but packs a smoky, mescal-like punch.
“This is probably one of my favorites,” Morrow said. “It’s clear so when you’re drinking it you’re like, ‘what exactly is this?’”
Looking for a different kind of buzz? You’re in luck. Slow Haste Coffee brews up coffee drinks seven days a week in the morning. Be sure to stop in for their unique spins on classics like their Banana Caramel or Black Sesame and Date lattes.
“It's just been awesome,” Morrow said of the collaboration. “I always wanted the place to be rolling all day because it's so nice and light in there in the mornings with all the windows. There's no way I could have started a coffee operation on top of all this stuff so I’m super grateful.”
Address: 2341 N.E. Glisan St. Website: collectorbar.com Instagram: @collector.bar Don’t miss: Happy hour is every day from 4-6 p.m. Keep an eye out for their new fall-forward drink menu now that the weather is changing.
Flying Tortoise Academy
You may have heard of flying pigs, but flying tortoises?
Kate and Joey Haber run Flying Tortoise Kung Fu Academy in Laurelhurst and say the name came from one of Joey’s kung fu masters in China.
“He said having martial arts of this quality in Oregon was as likely as a tortoise flying,” Kate said.
The couple seem to have proved him wrong.
They’ve been teaching students of all levels since 2015 out of their studio on Northeast Glisan St.
She said a tortoise represents longevity and wisdom in Chinese culture.
“Everyone can take kung fu and they just enter where they're comfortable entering,” Kate said. “We've taught kung fu to teenagers and we've taught kung fu to 80-year-old people.”
She said the academy is all about building community through martial arts.
“Community is the driving force in all that we do,” Kate said. “That's the most valuable thing that we have to offer. We have world class martial arts and a martial arts studio, but the most important thing to us is the quality of the community.”
Joey has been practicing since 1988 and became the first American Master of Cheng Baguazhang formally recognized by the Chinese family in a generation in 2024. According to their website, in the Cheng family he is called Yi Biao, or The Resilient Three Knifed Tiger.
In addition to running the academy, Joey goes to China two months out of the year to train with his masters.
Students can train in a variety of styles at the school including Bagua, Taiji, Pigua and Capoeira.
“We have a robust Taiji program, which is really, really high quality,” Kate said. “We have really nice direct lineages and we remain in constant contact with our masters in China. We teach several different kinds of Tai Chi in our program, and we do remote classes as well.
“So that's one that's really easily accessible for people, and it could be surprising. They get really good responses in their bodies and it can be really healing.”
Kate said Pigua is made up of more of the long fist forms people are familiar with in the movies.
Kate said some beginner students might feel like they won't be good at it because of their bodies or their own limitations, but she stresses that Flying Tortoise has a class for everyone.
“No matter your body or your expert level, there's something for you at Flying Tortoise,” she said. “There's no chauvinism. There's no discrimination. It's a very safe place to practice.”
She says one of Joey’s teachers explained it best.
“If you're going to build a house, it's most important to have a solid foundation,” she says. “And once you have that solid foundation, you can build a house, and then you paint the house.”
Address: 4400 N.E. Glisan St. Website: flyingtortoise.org Instagram: Don’t miss: Kate Haber teaches a parent/kid Capoeira class on weekends. All ages and abilities are welcome.
