Bail-Out Menu and Dow Drink Deals
lead list of recommendations

Everyone is feeling the pinch of the economic downturn. Retail sales are flagging and people are cutting back on little luxuries like dining out. Doug Smith and Sean Concannon, owners of West Café in Portland, want to help those struggling to keep wine on the table. To help bolster the local economy, they’ve created a Five-Point Plan.

The Five-Point Plan includes:

1. Bail-Out Menu – featuring four fantastic dinner entrées for just $10 each.

Items on the Bail-Out Menu lean towards the comfort-food category to provide needed serotonin for investors panicked about their portfolios. Menu includes:

• Grilled Dijon marinated chicken breast over au gratin potatoes
• Baked spaghetti with home-made marinara and three cheeses
• Grilled turkey Reuben with mashed potatoes
• Acorn squash with brown rice pilaf, spinach and chevre filling (vegetarian)

This represents a significant discount over West Café’s regular dinner menu, which emphasizes fresh Northwest fare with entrée prices ranging from $16 to $25. 

2. Dow Drink Deal – one drink special every weekday priced according to the day’s change in the Dow Jones Index (posted here and on TWITTER by 4:00pm Pacific).

If the Dow ends the day 322 points up, West Café may offer a premium ale for $3.22. If the Dow ends 559 points down, West Café might offer a creative cocktail for $5.59. The Dow Drink Deal of the day will be posted no later than 4:00pm Pacific Time.

3. “Let them eat cake” – free gourmet mini-cupcake with lunch or dinner.

Anyone short on bread will appreciate the sentiment (and the sumptuous experience) of a West Café signature cupcake. Lunch and dinner guests simply need to know the code, “let them eat cake,” and mention that to their servers. Note: Suzanne’s weekly cupcakes go fast so we reserve the right to substitute another sweet treat if we run out.

4. Election Night Extravaganza – Live election results on a big-screen TV with Happy Hour specials all evening.

West Café will stay open on Tuesday, November 4, until a U.S. presidential candidate is declared a winner – even if results go late into the night. Happy Hour prices will be offered all night long, starting at 4:30pm. All party affiliations are welcome.

5. Bootleg Bash on November 15 – a heady celebration of Absinthe and retro-jazz. Party like it’s 1929!

Locals needing to drown their sorrows over dismal economic news are invited to try recently legalized Absinthe at West Café’s Bootleg Bash from 7:00 to 10:00pm on November 1. “Even though Absinthe is no longer against the law, its mystique has made it a bootleg favorite of many international travelers over the years. It’s reputed to have mind-altering properties, so introducing it to Portlanders who need a respite from reality seems perfect,” note Doug and Sean.

Carri Bella will perform retro-jazz standards at the Bootleg Bash to add authenticity to the ambience. There is no cover charge for the event and attendees are encouraged to wear their best 1920’s garb – or bread-line appropriate apparel – if the mood strikes them.

The fine print:

West Café’s Five-Point Plan is effective through November 30 (perhaps longer if extended local assistance is required). The Bail-Out Menu is available during dinner hours, Monday through Saturday. Happy Hour specials are offered in the bar Monday through Saturday, 4:30 to 7:00pm and 9:00pm to close. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, 11:30am to 2:00pm.