Big game vs. PSU Wed.

I haven't seen or heard much about the Vikings this year other than UCLA really took it to them. Anybody know anything?

I really look forward to this game each year, and this rivalry could get a lot of attention in the city if both programs were to improve in the next few years. Remember, it wasn't that long ago that PSU won the Big Sky regular season.

The Vikings are solid - probably the best team the Pilots have faced so far this year. They have a legitimate shot at winning the Big Sky and could give us fits with their speed. Here's their results so far:

@ UCLA: L 48-69
IUPUI (Top of the World Classic): W 75-73
Akron (Top of the World Classic): W 66-63
Colorado St. (TOW Classic Championship): L 63-64
Linfield (Division III): W 93-50
@ UC Davis: L 68-76

At the TOW Classic, the Viks led CSU for the entire game, losing on a bank shot with 15 seconds left. Oregon State placed sixth in that tournament. Linfield is a perennial loser in D-III, so that win doesn't really say too much.

If the Pilots can pull out a win here it would be HUGE.

One has to believe that PSU's emotions will be running pretty high, too... with all the transfers there from UP. I hope that we can also show up emotionally pumped!

I look forward to watching JD play again, in person.

Go Pilots!

I gotta say, although the Viks may be respectable this year (and are probably even better than the Beavs), I'm pretty sure that Oregon is the best team we've played so far this year. The Ducks might even be the best team we face all year long; only that school up in Spokane could give them a run for their money.

Whoops. Forgot about the Ducks . . .

Greetings from across the river. :-)

I've got my tickets and I'm pumped for this year's River City Rivalry. Should be a good game. I think we'll come out with a little more energy than we did this weekend against UC Davis since we have the Portland Rivalry as well as a couple of UP transfers on our squad.

Any recommendations on a place for a pre-game meal and a couple of pints on or near campus?

Go Viks!

Nothing on campus...maybe the St. John's Pub?

Hey MartyMoose! I'm looking forward to this one as well for sure!

As for pre-game recommendations... unfortunately the area around UP is still a bit lacking in that department.
If you're into the McMenamins scene, the St. John's Pub is a nice spot for a pint and a pre-game meal - it's between Willamette and Lombard off of Richmond Street (I think technically it's on Ida). The T-Room (at the corner of Lombard and Portsmouth) is a favorite of UP students... typical bar, but with a gastronomical wonder known as the T-Burger. If you're looking for something a little more high-end, there is a nice new restaurant on Lombard (across from the T-Room and east a few blocks) called Encanto, which has New Mexican food and a pretty cool bar. The Mock Crest Tavern on the corner of Wabash and Lombard (about a mile away from campus) has awesome food and is a cool, though small, bar that usually has live music. That's a good spot too.

Besides that... other than dive bars and small family restaurants, that's about it. Anybody else have an suggesions? I suppose there is Yorgo's on Greeley too.

Tom's Pub/Pizza (in the old Skippers building) has decent grub... On N Lombard between Interstate and Chatauqua.

I end up at the St. John's Pub for the majority of pre-game meals as it is the only non-smoking pub in the area that I know of...

Sal's is good Italian food. yummy, in fact. It's at corner of Killingsworth and Greeley -- Katy-corner from Yorgo's. There's a sushi bar next door (never eaten there) and new restaurant a few blocks East of Sal's on Killingsworth that has pretty good New Orlean's type food. Bon Temps, I think.

Mio sushi is the sushi place next door that geezer is referring to. If your a fan of sushi its a pretty good place.

Yeah, that's it. then there's the whole Mississipi scene--sort of on your way up to campus..

Starts on Russel with the Widmer place, the White Eagle and a couple other places and heads up Mississippi past Fremont to maybe Alberta. - lots of places there.

Yes yes... I forgot about those places. There's Sagittarius too, across the street from Sal's. Only been there once, but they had a good happy hour and decent menu from what I remember.

Sigh... my little North Portland is all grows up!

Stoney, you gotta get out more..

So true, so true...

As far as holes in the wall go, its tough to beat The Perch on Lombard. If I recall correctly, they used to have ~$3 pitchers of Rainier... but I dont really recall most of the trips to The Perch...

Oh the Perch and the Portway... now THOSE are some classic places. And don't forget about Jack and Jerry's, the Two Point, or of course, the Mouse Trap!

Rochin54 can back me up on this one... nothing better than playing some shuffleboard at the Tavern on Denver!

Great culinary suggestions all. My sushi-loving wife thinks Mio on Greeley is the greatest. How about the gastronomical wonder of the Yorgo-burger? Easily twice the calories and three times the colesterol of the more mundane T-Burger. And Tom's has just about the best pizza I have ever had.

But frankly I'm a little suprised no one has mentioned Nicola's. That's some of the best Italian food in Portland. Not to mention the calzones! Nicola's is a little lacking in the beer department, however. It's on Lombard just to the east of Portsmouth - which means you can stop at the T-room or the P-club for a pint (or pitcher) on the way to the game.

...if you look closely at the drummer in the pep band...the blue bottle isn't just soda.

Ahhh, the Tavern on Denver. No doubt in my mind that this is the BEST hole in the wall bar in NoPo. AND, all the regulars were always very friendly. But of course, the main attraction is the shuffleboard. How freakin awesome was that!

The next closest shuffleboard table that I was aware of was out in Sellwood - quite the hike.

Oh yea, and as for eating establishments, if you're looking for a quick, cheap burrito before the game, go to King Burrito on Lombard...not a better mexican joint in town.

Mmmm... breakfast burrito from the King. The best $3 you can spend in the city, probably.

Sad news though - El Burrito Loco on Portland Blvd. (um... I mean Rosa Parks Way) closed down a while ago. They were forced out by their landlord for inexplicable reasons, turned in to a big nasty fight, and now they are gone. A new Mexican restaurant is about to open in the same location, but I don't know if it will be able to match El Burrito.

Oh... I just remembered anohter place on Lombard - Sliders. It's in the same building as the short-lived Big Daddy's (though Big Daddy's sign is still up) and before that the Pietros. I've actually never been inside, but I've heard it's a pretty cool spot.

Super Burrito up in St. johns is similar to El Burrito Loco.