For much of the year, Palomar is at contrast with the gray outdoors. Decked out in cheerful tones of turquoise and pink, the cocktail bar is busy no matter the season, with vivid daiquiris sliding over the white quartz bar top. A popular spot for happy hour, the bar sits on a somewhat quiet corner of SE Division, but develops cheery crowds for blended daiquiris and pineapple gin shots starting at 4 p.m. daily. But Palomar is much more than a daiquiri bar; it’s a testament to owner Ricky Gomez’s Cuban heritage, his years at some lauded cocktail bars, and the cultural legacy of Cuban bars.
While there has been chatter around the rise of Cuban bars as a trend, and even a larger discussion about the cultural complexities of “tropical” bars, Gomez’s Palomar is far from chasing any trend: “I’ve been Cuban since I was born,” he says. His bar is also a hell of a lot of fun, taking itself just seriously enough to provide exceptional table service and brilliantly executed cocktails alongside comforting Cuban dishes. “Every time I go, I leave a little more joyful than when I arrived (and no, it’s not just because of the daiquiris),” says Molly Riehl, the host of More Good Day Oregon on KPTV. “Through Palomar, Ricky is radiating his love for his family, his culture, and his craft, and I do believe you can feel that love within the walls of the restaurant.”
“My family is a big influence on who I am and what I hold dear, so it was a bit of a tribute to them,” explains Gomez. That influence is clear in the portraits that line the walls of the upper floor that overlooks the bar, all framed photographs of his older extended family. The bar itself is an homage to a vintage Cuban aesthetic mixed with Miami Art Deco, designed by Gomez and Brandon Josie, the original bar manager who also designed the stunning vintage menus. The odd, angular shape of the room meant they only had one wall to really work with, so the floor received extra attention in the form of stylish white-and-black tiles. Concrete and piping is almost entirely covered, unlike the industrial chic that defined so many Portland spots for a while, and the space is bright and cheerful with turquoise, yellow, red, green, and lots of white. The whole thing emanates a sense of fun.
The son of Cuban immigrants, Gomez was born and raised in New Orleans. He moved to Portland in 2010, working for the trendsetting Teardrop Lounge and the Argentinian steakhouse Ox. Though he moved back to Nola in 2014, he stayed for only a few years before returning to Portland — a friend recommended a space on Southeast Division, a possible location for the bar Gomez had dreamed of opening. A flight back to Portland and a handshake agreement later, and Gomez had his location: the ground floor of the SolTerra Building on Southeast Division, an unmissable place due to the massive mural of a praying woman outside, her hair composed of thousands of living plants.
Gomez had been percolating on the concept for the better part of five years when it was suddenly on the verge of becoming reality — a cocktail bar that was rooted in historical Cuban bartending, with elements of Miami, New Orleans, and, of course, Portland. “I knew I wanted to do something very personal, something that I have a lot of passion about that was 100 percent authentic,” he says. “I like simple, balanced drinks, and if you look at Cuban cocktail books, that’s what they are.” That simplicity and balance is exemplified by the classic Cuban daiquiri — a famously well-balanced drink and Palomar’s signature cocktail. Beyond an exemplary version of the classic recipe — rum, lime, and sugar — the menu offers a variety of takes, including the Mulata Daiquiri with cacao and añejo rum, and the Hotel Nacional, which adds apricot and pineapple. And while bartenders in the mid-2000s overreacted to the overly sweetened slushy daiquiris of the later half of the 20th century by eschewing blenders for shakers, Palomar embraces the joy of a blended drink, offering each of its signature, not-too-sweet daiquiris blended or shaken. “We have four blenders; I think it’s the most in town. We couldn’t do a Friday night with just two blenders.”
But Cuban bars were far more than just the daiquiri, as the island’s bartending scene in the 1920s and ’30s was shaped by American expatriates fleeing Prohibition. Despite a simplicity-founded approach to the menu, Palomar features over 30 drink offerings, and less than a quarter of that is daiquiri variations. “Even though we have a page dedicated to the daiquiri, I never wanted to be called a rum bar or a daiquiri bar,” says Gomez. In fall and winter, the bar sells fewer daiquiris than in summer, and gin is a major spirit at the bar year round. Martinis made with coconut-infused gin and Old Fashioneds touched with coconut and rum sell throughout the year, especially in the colder months. An unconventional gin and tonic features a pineapple-infused gin, and an otherwise traditional Manhattan is kicked up with a subtle infusion of basil, adding a little savoriness to the drink.
Still, blended and slushy daiquiris never truly go away, even in the depths of winter. “Escapism is a big part of winter drinking,” he says. To that, he promises escapism to everyone at a low price — cocktails generally hover around $10, and rarely, if ever, break $13, a growing rarity in the city. The food is as playful as the cocktail menu, and as satisfying too — Palomar’s menu is rooted in Cuban comfort food, with dishes like croquetas, empanadas, and sandwiches.
And though the bar is fun, one area it takes very seriously is its service. The floor staff are in uniform (unusual in the Portland bar scene), wearing seersucker shirts over black pants. Even rarer, there’s no distinction between the bartenders and servers, with full table service provided by those who tend bar. Even Gomez takes regular serving shifts. “All people working the floor are bartenders, so you’ll have full service from people who understand the menu. There is no ‘I’ll have to check with the bartender.’”
That seriousness doesn’t mean the staff is any way dour or aloof — if anything, they look to be having as good a time as the customers who are knocking back daiquiris and Old Fashioneds. Surely some of it is professional courtesy, but much of it has to be Gomez’s earnest passion coming through.
• Palomar [Official]
• Previous Palomar coverage [EPDX]