If you've driven down Sandy, you've seen it—the Zipper building at the intersection of NE Sandy and 28th. It might not be clear from the Sandy side of the building (the striking design of which has received polarized reviews), but there's a terrific patio behind the building, potentially one of the most hospitable in the city, complete with fire pits and plenty of seating. And there are some cool things going on inside the Zipper building as well, all of which you can check out tomorrow evening at the Zipper's grand opening celebration, starting at 6 pm with food/drink specials and live music.
For booze, there's Paydirt, the brand new bar from the folks at the Old Gold (and former Mercury music editor Ezra Caraeff, full disclosure). There was a lot to talk about back when the bar's opening was announced in June, and there's even more now that the bar is open and fully functioning. It still has that new bar smell. (Mmm. Whiskey. It smells like delicious whiskey—which makes sense, as they've got a huge list of whiskeys, easily one of the finest selections in town. No price-gouging either. Hear that, Librarians?) There's an old-timey phone booth that you can use to order champagne, and they've got Fernet Branca on tap along with 11 beers. There's also a secret bathroom (for secret bathroom doings!) that boasts a magnificent photo of Dolly Parton. You kind of have to see it.
There's no food at Paydirt, but there are four micro-restaurants inside the Zipper (it's the same developer who did the Ocean cluster of micro-restaurants, nearby on Glisan). I've heard great things about the falafel from ChickPeaDX and the Vietnamese food from Rua, and you can also get pizza from Slice and po' boys from Bywater Grocery. There's a coffee roaster in there, too. But perhaps most famously, the Zipper is also home to Finger Bang, the "Bishops of nail salons," as I've heard it described. Their business is already off the charts, with appointments booked weeks in advance.
Nails? Whiskey? Food? Outdoor patio? You can check all this stuff out at the Zipper's long-awaited grand opening bash tomorrow at 6 pm. It's bound to become not only a citywide destination but a hub of the developing neighborhood, as NE Sandy evolves in step with the rest of Portland.
