Inside Jenn Louis' Sunshine Tavern, Debuting Tonight

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[Photography by Tim Roth, 4/17/11]

We have a feeling that bar food rarely gets props from the Wall Street Journal's food section, but SE Division's Sunshine Tavern probably isn't the average bar. Brought to you by chef Jenn Louis and co-owner David Welch, the team behind N. Williams' Lincoln, the 45-seat casual tavern exhibits a similar look: It's a rehabbed building swathed in warm, recycled wood (the bar's an old bowling alley lane; redwoods throughout the space came from an old barn in Aurora) that Louis calls "timeless, but modern."

The departure from Lincoln, though, is highlighted in the bar focus: a 14-foot-long custom shuffleboard game saddles up to the standing bar, while arcade games (Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac Man, and Galaga) are permanently set to "free play." A portrait gallery by former Decemberists drummer (and Louis' current drum teacher) Rachel Blumberg adds to the space's homey, familial feel (kids are welcome in the restaurant during all hours, btw).
The menu's been published before, but as far as eats, expect upscale versions of familiar pub fare (fried chicken with yeasty semolina waffles; an iceberg wedge with blue cheese; a Monte Cristo with fried egg and marionberry preserves), as well as some more inventive items. (We're lookin' at you, honey ice cream; baked eggs; and the "french fry salad," with your lettuce, piri piri peppers, rustica, and salami.)

Ready to get your shuffleboard on? Sunshine Tavern opens tonight (Tuesday) at 5pm.
· Sunshine Tavern [Official site]
· All Previous Sunshine Coverage [Eater PDX]
· All Previous Jenn Louis Coverage [Eater PDX]