Mendelssohn’s sets the stage for dancers and karaoke / operoke.
In almost every type of music, there is a bar in Portland where you can taste it live. From almost-night jazz in 1905, dark DJs at the Coffin Club, to DIY performances at Big Water, our town has a closed base for fans of all genres.
Well, almost any species. Lovers of traditional music have long been excluded from the live music scene enjoyed by the local villagers, forcing them to donate everyday costumes to watch their favorite artists perform in the studio (if a child taste) Keller or Schnitz meeting rooms.
Luckily for us Beethoven-heads crawlers, this is about to change. Entry: Mendelssohn’s, Portland’s first major music bar. Living on N. Mississippi Ave in the building and bar Sidecar 11 once called home, it will feature room music three days a week, to enjoy with regular drinks in a clean environment- but regular.
Mendelssohn’s is the brainchild of Lisa Lipton, a descendant of OG Romantic-era Felix Mendelssohn. Lipton has cut its teeth in the service industry for more than a decade at its favorite venue in the Rimsky-Korsakoffee House, and currently works as the executive director of both the Newport Orchestra Symphony and the Oregon Opera Theater. In the spirit of her intriguing offspring, she began playing the clarinet in orchestra in the fifth grade, and has been playing the flute since she was 17 years old.
“There has never been a break in playing music,” Lipton said. “Or it doesn’t penetrate my soul so it doesn’t become a part of my life.”
Like many of us, Lipton spent the first months of the epidemic exploring the cocktail world. She used her love of bitters, her “super-tasting” power (something), and the knowledge of the drink she gained from her time at the Rimsky-Korsakoffee House as a spring for experimentation. But in the end, she found herself in love with books.
“The core structure is the core because it is connected to the best version itself,” she says. “I’ve been involved in food issues and trying new things, but I’ve been more creative to find the best version of something.”
Picardy III, Mendelssohn’s version of New York Sour
Many of Lipton’s locksmith recipes will be on display at Mendelssohn’s cocktail menu, including “Bach Talk,” Lillet Rouge jalapeño martini, and “The Red Mendelssohn,” a Manhattan orange wine that Felix Mendelssohn has long imagined Stradivarius. which “looks like it was painted with blood”.
The food menu will include collaborations with other local venues, including the Rimsky-Korsakoffee House, Henry Higgins, and the Olympia Reserve. Expect affordable prices: hot sandwiches, snacks, charcuterie tablets (including vegan selection), and other regular snacks.
Lipton, a karaoke announcer, knew she wanted to host a karaoke night in Mendelssohn early. Guests will sing on the second level in the back corner of the bar, where they can enjoy the stairs and the rail to bring more exposure and excitement to their work. In addition to traditional karaoke nights, Mendelssohn’s will also host a monthly opera karaoke – or “Operoke” – featuring dance music. (Will “Nessun dorma” be the sum total?)
Traditional music inscriptions line the wall in Mendelssohn’s.
Karaoke may be Lipton’s favorite, but traditional music is definitely her passion. “I live and breathe this world,” she said. Live music has been at the heart of Mendelssohn since its inception. The weekly concert will include traditional musicians, strings and wind quartets, soloists, and more. Learn, don’t come expecting to hear the same traditional songs you’ve heard over and over again.
“It’s an invitation to a world where after hours they are with traditional musicians,” Lipton explains, “where we play what we like to do when we’re not under a stick, or at a party, or getting a job . Do something … I like this mid-range gray display and don’t fit yourself in a box declared by an authority. It’s a celebration of old and new. “
Mendelssohn’s is located at 3955 N Mississippi Ave, and is currently scheduled to open on July 9, just in time for the Mississippi Street Fair. It will be open seven days a week from 6 p.m. to 1 p.m.
