In the past week, two friends have spontaneously and independently recommended that I check out Vino Vixens, on SE 29th & Powell (one of them sent me the above cell-phone photo). Now, I knew Vino Vixens was a wine shop that hosts tastings and accessible-sounding classes (like “How to Look Like a Wine Snob in Under Two Hours”), but apparently behind the retail wine space is a very comfortable lounge area with couches, board games (Scrabble!), a pool table, a TV so you can bring in DVDs, plus I believe you can bring your own food. One friend described it as as “like my living room, but better” and “a great date spot,” while the other (a former bartender & foodie type) raved about the knowledgeable service. Wine by the glass and bottle, and I’ve been told that the prices are very reasonable. I’m looking forward to checking it out, it sounds cool.

Here’s an interview with owner Erin Marie-Palmer that portlandfoodanddrink.com ran earlier this year:

Vixens was born of many needs; the first of which was that Portland desperately needed a hip bar that’s comfortable for the non-smoking 30-60-ish crowd. The second was that Portland is only minutes from the some of the best wines in the world and we should show our support for their businesses. The third need was continue to run businesses that are values based to show other business owners that it can be done.

Vino Vixens, 2929 SE Powell. 231-8466