I’ll drink to that!

Completely on a whim several months ago, I bought concert tickets to see a band I had heard of but never heard. Pink Martini is a “little orchestra” from Portland with fame and fans worldwide. Remembering how fun it was to see The Pointer Sisters at the Oakland Coliseum back in the ‘80s…when they were so excited, they just couldn’t hide it to be back on their home turf for a show…I thought it could be similarly friendly and cozy to see Pink Martini for the first time in Portland’s main concert hall.

Of course, any occasion involving heels and a desperate attempt to remember how to apply eye make-up also necessitates scouring the web for a fun, new, out-on-the-town restaurant to try. With much thanks to my Portland Monthly magazine subscription and all those enthusiastic reviewers on TripAdvisor.com, I now have a new favorite restaurant in Portland. It’s a good thing we live 45 minutes away; otherwise my Annual Fair Feasting wouldn’t be as novel a change in my diet.

Called Screen Door, this culinary treasure boasts southern-style cuisine with a Portland twist…meaning deep fried organic this, smothered and buttered farm-fresh local that. The menu had a font similar to Country Time Lemonade and the decorations inside the restaurant consisted of canned pears and beans and such. Fearing it might be our last night of 2011 to do so, we elected to eat outside on the patio at a picnic table. I knew I was home when I found each table offered a caddy with an array of hot sauces including one very kicky homemade concoction. My only complaint about it was the bottle's opening was too small.

Having no idea the size of the portions but also wanting to sample as many things as I could, I decided to order three appetizers instead of an entrée. Rob ordered a special and an appetizer. When our food finally came out, a server complimented us on how we approached the menu and suddenly our table was covered in deliciousness.

Fried green tomatoes, sweet corn pancakes, butter leaf salad smothered in creamy dressing and bacon nuggets, hush puppies, rice, broccoli, and a braised pork chop with a tangy sweet sauce Rob made sure I tried so I would understand what real stew meat is supposed to taste like. I finished absolutely nothing but made delighted happy sounds with just about every bite. We noticed other tables…those in the know…were sharing entrees. I also noticed them stealing appreciative glances at our unabashed feasting. Well before my first refill of sweet tea, we had perused the brunch menu and made plans to introduce Screen Door to Rob’s southern-gentleman dad on an upcoming visit. There was something called “Bananas Foster French Toast” that caught my eye…and I don’t even like French toast.

Licking fingers and not wanting to pop a breath mint for fear of losing the scrumptious aftertaste too soon, we got our to-go box and headed to the other side of town to the concert hall. We ended up with seats not far from where we sat for Kathy Griffin’s comedy show, near the row that had been home base for the bevy of drag queens. No drag queens last night. In fact, I was really surprised that Rob and I were probably in the youngest third of the audience. We were surrounded by lots of older, spunky Portlanders who also dusted off their heels and eye liner.

The concert lasted about 3 hours. Pink Martini is a 12-piece orchestra founded by a piano player and a vocalist. The vocalist is recovering from throat surgery so their tour this year has featured another Portland talent made good…a smoky singer named Storm Large. The Oregon Symphony played back-up. And then it just got awesomely weird.

The music was all over the place. Literally. Turkish songs, Croatian songs, French songs, songs with Brazilian elements, reinterpreted Schubert compositions. The piano player (Thomas) was the host for the night and he had an easy, unassuming, approachable style in front of the microphone. In front of the keyboard, however, he was all flourish and handsweeps and showmanship. As the evening went on, it really felt like Thomas and his friends had decided to throw a little party and had invited us…and some random others…to join in the fun.

As one song started (made famous by Doris Day) and Storm started signing, it suddenly became a duet with a male voice coming from somewhere in the darkness. Then the conductor…the conductor of the Oregon Symphony…turned around as the spotlight hit him and his microphone. Turns out the man has a great voice!

A few songs later, another guest vocalist took the stage. Also with an impressive voice and stage presence, Portland native now living in Washington DC, NPR White House Correspondent Ari Shapiro held his own with Storm. And wow, he’s tall.

A Turkish folk song was sung. Thomas asked if there were any Turks in the audience. House lights up, applause, and suddenly a woman in a shimmery gown and heels and with a name nobody could pronounce was on stage and in the chorus and having the time of her life singing a native song from her homeland. I don’t think she could have smiled bigger; I could see it all the way from the lower balcony.

It being the 10th anniversary of 9/11, there was then a song about New York City composed by a homeless blind man named Moondog who used to dress as a Viking on a corner in the Big Apple. To introduce the song and say a few meaningful words about the past decade, U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer was welcomed to the stage as if it was no big thing to have a big time politician join the party. As he spoke, I reflected on the idea that perhaps the best way to honor the dead is to live, to embrace life, not waste a moment, and find and create as much joy as you can. I decided me and Rob and Pink Martini were doing an excellent job of just that last night.

And then, just when I couldn’t imagine there would be any other moments prompting me and Rob to stare at each other in amused disbelief, one last guest singer. Storm was particularly excited about this one. As she literally jumped for joy as he came to the stage, she hugged him like a beloved teddy bear from her childhood. “Ladies and Gentleman…Emilio Delgado, otherwise known as ‘Luis’ from Sesame Street!!” And yes, Luis can sing, too. In Spanish even. I was mesmerized.

The concert ended with an upbeat Brazilian number, with Storm doing some enviable Zumba dance steps and the Symphony's string section doing a conga line though the mezzanine. Best concert encore ever.

Fried green tomatoes, hush puppies, singing conductors, crooning NPR correspondents, Luis from Sesame Street, and a conga line of violinists. Just another random, quirky night in Portland. Good gracious, I LOVE IT HERE!!