Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2001)
(uly 20.2001 * j u t M t . , 7 N lu ;ii; ivi mews Beautiful Faces A F iner D iner permanent Cosmetics lips, eyeliner, areolas eyebrows, traditional tattoo tree consultation Chez W hat? brings kink to the Alberta neighborhood by Peter Zuckerman Shawna Holder 503/408-7779 pgr 503/301-7777 10140 SE Pine, Ste. B ^ f o u w ant to Intimate ? T i r e d of Bi g C h u r c h ? Open Fellowship ~ Progressive Beliefs ~ Intimate Worship Lincoln St. United Methodist • Sun. 9:00 Worship • 5145 SE Lincoln St. We call it the '110% any realtors provide Servi y competent service. At Bridgetown Realty, we go one step fu rth e r...w e do it with a level of communication and care that is so formidable that over 85% of our business is through referrals. So if you know anyone thinking of buying or selling, please give us a call., .we're Keri Salim, patron saint to the tattooed and pierced it’s like to be young,” Salim says. “One of them alloween spiders and skulls drip off the ceiling and swing from once told me they found this place inspiring.” The elderly woman keeps chuckling as she side to side. Porcelain poodles line the walls. Plastic centipedes talks to the waiter. It seems like the customers crawl up the display case and really get to know who serves them here. The bal joint’s quirkiness extends beyond the toward the tables. A stack of board games ances on top of a cabinet. Mellow music beats in dining room. Entering the bathroom is like sneaking inside some modem sculpture, with the background. glitter sparkling off the boldly painted walls W hat is this place? “It’s like a coral reef,” waitress Holly Morgan and ceiling. Employees share this zest for Chez What? says. "New layers get deposited every few months. People are like, ‘I don’t want to keep and, like the customers, often return there. They this and I don’t want to get rid of it— let’s give it appreciate how Salim becomes friends with her staff and zooms off to concerts with them. to Chez What?!” ’ “Once you start working for Chez What? you Owner Keri Salim has a different interpreta tion. “It’s like we’re running a welfare program always come back,” Morgan explains. “It’s a sup portive environment, especially if you want to for the tattooed and pierced.” Words escape Salim— who just so happens to pursue a creative effort.” The idea for Chez What? began when Salim have a tattoo of a tarantula scuttling up her leg and a double piercing slicing through her eye was 16 and working for a “feminine-lesbian-veg etarian cafe.” She vowed that she would open brow. She throws her hands up into the air. “Don’t ask me how to describe it," she says. her own restaurant someday. “Cooking was the "I’m just the owner. Ask Holly— she works here.” only thing I did well,” she explains. After cooking school and a stint at the Mar Morgan tosses her pink hair and pauses. riott, Salim opened Chez What? seven years Then she looks pleased. Has she finally figured ago. “Business has always gone well,” she says. out how to describe this place? “It’s a family,” Morgan says. “A stone soup of “We’re not always making money, hut we’re always having a lot of fun. Customers get the neighborhood, a big old hodgepodge.” involved with it. It’s always been like a commu A quick scan of the menu reveals an eclectic array of selections, from the “California Hang nity center.” Chez What? moved to its present location in over” to the “Orteaze Narly Burger” to old-fash ioned pancakes. Chez What? serves lunch, din the Alberta neighborhood three years ago and plans to expand with a lounge featuring a full-serv ner, Sunday brunch and cocktails. ice bar that opens its doors in August. The space However, customers quickly learn this is no ordinary diner. Down-to-earth servers don’t hes will include karaoke, pinball machines, a movie night and a queer night at least every month. itate to plop themselves down at tables while W hen asked about her favorite aspect of taking food orders, making the interaction seem working at Chez What?, Salim proudly tells the more like a polite conversation. One waiter wears a tank top that reads “1 eat story of how she used to keep a shrine to Tully Bevilaqua at the restaurant. One day, the Port cock” and shows a picture of a rooster. He has land Fire basketball player walked in. two button earrings. Tattoos dot his arms, and he “I got to meet her!” Salim exclaims. “I even looks like he might play drums in a punk hand. Another waiter has dreadlocks that stream got to cook her food!” j[7] past his shoulders. He sits down at an elderly woman’s table and starts up a chat session. In CHEZ W h a t ? is located at 2203 N.E. Alberta St. The telephone number is 503-281-1717. addition to the punks, queers, neighbors, black families, baby dykes and trans patrons, Chez P eter Z u c k e r m a n is a student at Reed College What? also seems to appeal to an older clientele. and an intern at Just Out. "Older customers say it reminds them what H always looking for one more satisfied customer. R B 503/287.9370 PA B A íd c e t o W M i K K A I. I Y Member: International Relocation Services w w w . b r i d g e t o w n r e a l t y . c o Here's the best personal financial advice we can offer. Get some. © h a t can a Waddell & Reed financial advisor do for you? Help you define your goals, show you what you need to do to reach them, explain your options, answer your questions and help you create a financial plan specifically tailored to your family’s needs and dreams. We can introduce you to a full range o f investment options to help your plan succeed. - In other words, we provide the expertise you probably want, probably need and probably don’t have. That’s our advise. And here’s where you can get it. WADDELL * waddell.com Financial Services Member SI PC Eric Brown, District Manager 500 NE Multnomah *o' Portland, OR 97232 oD 503.238.6036 A > SI With * ’s iffTiarV ber SM t a n . *
