Dig a Pony (bar)

Dig a Pony (DAP)[1] was a bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon.[2] Named after the Beatles' song of the same name,[3] the business opened in mid 2011. Dig a Pony closed in June 2022, following an ownership change.

Dig a Pony
The bar's exterior at night, 2022
Restaurant information
EstablishedJuly 28, 2011 (2011-07-28)
ClosedJune 2022 (2022-06)
Owner(s)
  • Elizabeth Elder
  • Devon Treadwell
  • Tyler Treadwell
  • Bryan Wollen
Previous owner(s)
  • Jacob Carey
  • Aaron Hall
  • Page Finlay
Food typeAmerican
Street address736 Southeast Grand Avenue
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97214
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45.5174°N 122.6605°W / 45.5174; -122.6605
Websitedigaponyportland.com

Description

Dig a Pony was a popular bar on Grand Avenue, at the intersection with Morrison,[4] in southeast Portland.[5] Named after the Beatles' 1970 song of the same name, Dig a Pony had a 40-person horseshoe-shaped bar, as well as a century-old piano, vintage church pews, and stained glass.[6] According to The Oregonian, the walls were "decorated with vintage pictures, animal skulls, color-coded books and a two-tiered bar lined with glittering bottles".[7]

The menu included American cuisine[8] such as sautéed mushrooms with soft egg and French fries, chicken thighs with stewed tomatoes and almonds, and a barbecue tempeh sandwich served with avocado and citrus coleslaw.[9] The drink menu included a Bloody Mary called Blood on the Bayou,[10] and the Lomo (bourbon, ginger drinking vinegar, yellow chartreuse, orange bitters, soda water).[11] The bar began using cheese from Bandon-based Face Rock Creamery in 2015.[12] The business has served pie and Montel Spinozza for Thanksgiving.[13]

When Burger Stevens moved into the kitchen, the menu included hamburgers, fried chicken sandwiches, a Cuban-inspired sandwich with barbecue pork, ham and pickles, and broccoli with green ranch and pickled peppers.[14]

History

The bar replaced longtime Greek diner Niki's Restaurant.[15] Partners Jacob Carey, Aaron Hall, and Page Finlay opened Dig a Pony with Gregory Gourdet as consulting chef.[16] The bar opened on July 28, 2011, with Josef Valoff as kitchen manager.[9] Within a few months, several interior decorations were stolen, including a taxidermy pheasant nicknamed "David Bowie".[17] The bar hosted an anniversary celebration featuring free music.[18]

In 2015, the bar and Face Rock Creamery's president Greg Drobot hosted Mongers' Lodge Night featuring cheese samples, cocktails, music, and happy hour specials.[12] Don Salamone, owner of the food cart Burger Stevens, moved into the kitchen in 2018.[14] A walk-up window for Burger Stevens opened on the Morrison Street side of Dig a Pony in 2019.[19] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Salamone served takeout Italian meals as Stevens Italiano; the meals included chicken cacciatore, rigatoni in tomato sauce, Caesar salad, and garlic bread.[20]

In 2022, the business was sold to Elizabeth Elder and Bryan Wollen of Lose Yr Mind Fest, as well as Devon and Tyler Treadwell of the Tulip Shop Tavern in north Portland.[21] It closed in June 2022.[22]

Reception
The bar's exterior at night in 2022

Michael Russell included Dig a Pony in The Oregonian's 2014 list of Portland's 100 best bars.[7] The business was also included in Samantha Bakall's 2016 list of the city's 10 best "high dives (aka the hipster bars)",[23] and Lizzy Acker's 2017 list of "23 places to go dancing in Portland".[24] 101 Places to Get F*cked Up Before You Die (2014) said the bar's staff were "easy on the eyes".[25]

Pete Cottell included Dig a Pony in Thrillist's 2015 list of "10 Portland Bars You Should Avoid Once You're 30" and wrote: "The idea of 'bridge and tunnel bars' has caught on in Portland, and with this place being packed out with neon-clad bros from Beaverton aggressively doing laps and Tinder-ing rather than actually talking to humans of the female variety here, Dig A Pony is the terminally hip Eastside's primary offender. Good food if you show up early enough to get a table, though!"[26] In 2017, Tan Vinh of The Seattle Times said the bar "spins soul and has the soul of old Portland".[27]

See also

References
  1. Network, Matador (7 January 2014). 101 Places to Get F*cked Up Before You Die: The Ultimate Travel Guide to Partying Around the World. Macmillan. ISBN 9781250035585. Retrieved 8 April 2021 – via Google Books.
  2. Horton, Jay (2017-05-23). "Dig a Pony is Portland's Late-Night Clearing House". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  3. Russell, Michael (2011-09-24). "Portland Happy Hour: Dig a Pony". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  4. Bakall, Samantha (2014-10-21). "Lutz Tavern owners taking over 36-year-old East Bank Saloon in Southeast Portland". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-12-25. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  5. Peterson, Lucas (2017-09-08). "The Cheap Charms, Altered and Otherwise, of Portland, Ore". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-01-24. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  6. DeJesus, Erin (2011-06-28). "Bar Build-outs". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  7. Russell, Michael (2014-10-29). "Portland's 100 best bars". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-05-15. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  8. Delaplaine, Andrew (11 September 2020). "Portland (Ore.) - The Delaplaine 2021 Long Weekend Guide". Gramercy Park Press. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021 – via Google Books.
  9. DeJesus, Erin (2011-07-28). "Dig A Pony to Debut in Central SE; Pink Rose Blooms in Pearl". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  10. Powers, Colin (2016-05-03). "Bloody Mary battle ends with victory for Dig a Pony: The Cocktail Hour". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  11. Mayhew, Lance (2021-11-02). Whiskey Made Me Do It: 60 Wonderful Whiskey and Bourbon Cocktails. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5248-7604-3.
  12. Centoni, Danielle (2015-04-27). "The Portland Kitchen's Cookoff; Dig A Pony Dives Into Cheese". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  13. Russell, Michael (2015-11-06). "Where to eat Thanksgiving dinner in Portland (updated)". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  14. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2018-07-27). "All-American Cart Burger Stevens Is Moving into Dig A Pony". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2018-07-28. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  15. DeJesus, Erin (2010-11-29). "Niki's Restaurant Closes After 38 Years as Neighborhood Diner". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  16. DeJesus, Erin (2011-03-14). "Greg Gourdet Joins Team Creating New Bar in Niki's Space". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  17. DeJesus, Erin (2012-01-24). "Taxidermy Pheasant Plucked from Dig A Pony's Piano". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  18. DeJesus, Erin (2012-07-27). "Soccer Bar Slated for Mississippi; Two Anniversary Parties". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  19. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2019-08-09). "Portland Restaurateur Troy MacLarty Is Raising Money to Fight Gun Violence". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  20. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-04-07). "Gado Gado Will Start Serving 'Stoner Food' Takeout Thursday Night". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-06-05. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  21. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2022-03-29). "The People Behind Lose Yr Mind Fest and Tulip Shop Tavern Are Taking Over Dig a Pony". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-03-29. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  22. Moore, Jenni (April 1, 2022). "Beloved Bar Dig A Pony Is Closing; Could Its New Music-Loving Owners Make It Even Better?". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  23. Russell, Michael (2014-10-21). "Portland's 10 best high dives (aka the hipster bars): Bar Tab". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-12-25. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  24. Acker, Lizzy (2017-05-24). "23 places to go dancing in Portland". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  25. 101 Places to Get F*cked Up Before You Die: The Ultimate Travel Guide to Partying Around the World. Macmillan. 2014-01-07. ISBN 978-1-250-03558-5.
  26. "10 Portland Bars You Should Avoid Once You're 30". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  27. Vinh, Tan (2017-03-02). "Where to go for dining and drinks in Portland? It's rocking across the Willamette". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2021-02-28. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
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