Drink your beer…

…and eat it, too | Cooking with beer is a venerable tradition that is finding new life among culinary craftsmen.
Thanks to the delicious effects of the craft beer movement, using beer as an ingredient has progressed far beyond the basic beer-battered fish and chips we are used to seeing on happy hour menus.

Cheap date

Classy cocktails for the college budget | “You need three ingredients for a cocktail. Vodka and Mountain Dew is an emergency,” says Peggy Olson, Don Draper’s secretary on Mad Men. Words of wisdom if you work at a high-priced advertising agency and can afford good liquor. For the poor college student, sipping a fancy cocktail in a Manhattan executive suite is a few years away.

Beer snobs

From high to low brow A $2 tall boy or a $5 microbrew: What’s the difference? | Last week, the Vanguard set out to solve the mystery of beer snobbery by conducting a good old-fashioned taste test.

The McMenamins franchise of fun

Touring McMenamins on a budget | The owners of the McMenamins chain of brewpubs and venues have been purchasing historically significant buildings and repurposing them for of-age entertainment since the mid-1980s. Their stable of notable properties includes a church, a movie theater, a funeral home, many old saloons, a former brothel, a poor farm, an elementary school and a pioneer homestead. In 1987, they first hit upon the idea of combining a movie house with a pub, the success of which led to an explosion of new additions. There are now more than 60 different franchise locations

Urban picnics

Get away without crossing city limits | Portland is considered a green city for a number of reasons, its landscape being the most obvious. The city—dotted with patches of trees and colored by scenic parks—is nestled between vast forests, mountains and rivers, making it an ideal playground for outdoor enthusiasts and the perfect backdrop for city enthusiasts who appreciate a good view.

A different kind of ‘freshman 15’

15 easy meals each from two simple foods | In a world filled with delicious food, it seems like fine dining has evaded the recipe boxes of poor college students for quite some time. Whether you are an “extreme couponer” or you mooch off of your parents’ Costco card, buying in bulk is the best way to save money on food. For those of us who cannot afford to be picky and go this route, here are two staple foods that, if bought in bulk, can serve many different purposes.

Hitting the sweet spot

A taste of Portland’s most palatable desserteries | Dessert devotees, cupcake connoisseurs and macaroon munchers, take note! Sweet treats aren’t just after-dinner delights—here in P-Town, our desire for sugar rushes strike any time of day. And to appease the sweetest of sweet teeth, here are a few of the city’s most delectable destinations.

Service by the Slice

PSU and downtown Portland offer quality pizza selection | As a recent transplant from Southern California, I’m not exactly used to a wide range of fine dining options. Downtown Portland has a lot fewer junk food franchises and a greater variety of affordable, unique restaurants and food carts—and one thing I noticed right away is the pizza. If you’re looking for pizza, you might be spoiled by choices, especially close to the Portland State campus. Whether you’re looking to dine in, order out or get a pie delivered, the downtown area can meet all your pizza needs.

Culinary classroom

Oregon Culinary Institute offers affordable fine dining opportunities | Just a few blocks from Portland State, another group of students arrives on campus for a day of classes. They set down their bags and books and settle in to study.

Try something uncanny

Portland’s odd and peculiar eateries | Portland’s food scene is a-hopping, a foodie’s veritable Candy Land of five-star restaurants and neighborhood food cart pods. But the scene isn’t all about nationally renowned chefs and restaurants.