Inside Jackknife Bar, Inside the Art Deco Hotel Sentinel

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[Avila, 4/20/14]

Over the weekend, the 4,000-square-foot Jackknife Bar officially checked into downtown's revamped Sentinel (formerly known as the Governor Hotel), bringing an energetic craft cocktail bar to Sentinel's Art Deco-inspired lobby. As previously reported, John Janulis (of the vegan bars Bye & Bye and Sweet Hereafter) and Jake Carey (co-owner of SE's Dig a Pony) have joined forces for the project, whose focal point is a 50-seat, 65-foot-long curved marble bar that dominates the room. Away from the bar (which sits underneath a stained glass ceiling), drinkers can settle in at one of many seating vignettes: upon couches, tables near a double-sided fireplace, or banquettes.
Whey Bar alum Justin Diaz heads up the bar program: its "classics" menu borrows cocktails from famous hotel bars throughout history (the Diamondback Lounge, from Maryland's Lord Baltimore Hotel, features rye whiskey, Laird's Bonded Applejack, and yellow chartreuse). Chef Erik Paulsen, meanwhile, branches out beyond the Bye & Bye's all-vegan menu to include deviled eggs, braised brisket sandwiches, and cheese plates; the vegan side still emerges in dishes like potato and ginger fritters and brussels sprouts with smoked apple, pickled mustard seeds, and maple-bourbon vin. To pair with an Olympic Provisions-laden meat board, a veggie-filled "Hereafter board" features tomato relish, onion jam, smoked walnuts, and roasted olives.

Jackknife is open now. Hours of operation: 11a.m. to 2a.m., daily.
· Jackknife [Official site]
· All Previous Jackknife Coverage [Eater PDX]