M
20
WWW JUSTOUT COM
OCTOBER I 2010
FEATURE
The BiAsihesj
erf ComwAhftu
A roundup of LGBTQ
establishments offering a
little something different
We re informed, more so with every pass-
ing day, that the dreaded, now de rigueur R-
word is behind us.
Try telling that to the hard-working folks
who facilitate our livelihoods and very exis
tences— and fight to do so.
Ah yeah, it’s business time. W e’re talking
about forward-thinking, onward-pushing
LGBTQ_proprietors who nurture our health
and well-being (and that o f our pets), furnish
our homes, satiate our appetites (for food
and more) and connect our own businesses
with the community at large.
Jill Nelson, business owner and president
o f the Portland Area Business Association
(PABA), chalks our ongoing daily triumphs
up to a devoted customer base, and a mutual
fan club among owners. “We support each
other, and we’re pretty ferocious about it,”
says Nelson, adding that she’s “guardedly
optimistic about the post-Recession cli
mate. PABA has suffered its challenges but
we have seen our members hold relatively
steady.”
J
A civic organization made up o f L G B T Q .
entrepreneurs and their allies, PABA is as
valuable a resource to the community as its
businesses and as strong. “We are active in
the community, says Nelson, who owns Step
Beyond Coaching in Vancouver, Wash, and
co-owns Empower Fitness in Portland. “I
think th at’s why we’ve seen our businesses, in
general, survive. Local is im portant.”
We re grateful for that comm unity-m ind
ed spirit, and (we should be) loyal to these
leaders, who take pride in their businesses
and whom they serve. Some are well-estab
lished entities, others have only recently
opened their doors, but all are carving out
their own worthwhile niche in these still
shaky economic times.
And for that, we’re fortunate.
In the following pages, we offer a look at
just a few o f the vital and visionary LGBTQ.
businesses that keep us coming back for
—
Nestled between the bustling streets of North
west 21st and 23rd and the ever-elegant Pearl
District sits a somewhat sleepy, mostly residential
several-block stretch lined with houses, apart
ments, dive bars and a coffee shop. The stretch is
an unassuming place to house one o f the city’s
most exciting adventures: a daring drag and din
ing combo. There, across from the Mission The
ater on Northwest 16th and Glisan, you’ll find
queer-owned Oasisba, a newly reinvented Asian-
fusion restaurant focused on great food and allur
ing entertainment.
Formerly Sweet Basil Thai, Oasisba emerged
after owners Tony Chulacharitta and Supree and
Rasamee Smithynunta shuttered Sweet Basil’s
doors in mid-September. Signs appeared soon
thereafter promising a dramatic (but, at the time,
notably vague) shift from restaurant to lounge— a
revamped venue with “spicy entertainment.” The
public soon learned what the proprietors had in
mind: nights filled with “gender illusionist” drag
and cabaret shows, coupled with delectable meals
and a vast, satisfying bar menu.
Upon his visit to Thailand last year, Chulacha
ritta—while scouring the country for great dishes
to bring back to Portland—happened upon the
'M S
!
r >'
- n
V:
A
Am anda Schurr
infamous Tiffany’s Show in Pattaya. According to
co-owner Supree Smithynunta, the destination
boasts one of the “most beautiful transgender
shows in all of Asia,” incorporating drag, cabaret
and other queer performances. The world-re
nowned show has been featured in travel maga
zines and blogs as a “must-see” event.
During the 90-minute show, which started at 6
p.m.— dinner time— Chulacharitta cooked up
the perfect pairing: W hy not combine home
grown cuisine with such an act? W hen he arrived
home, he raved about Tiffany’s Show to his busi
ness partners. Inspired, and determined to bring
the idea to life themselves, the team decided to
launch the concept in Portland.
On September 23, Oasisba’s Asian Fusion
Restaurant and Bar officially replaced Sweet Basil
Thai— and the gender-bending, drag extravagan
za began. In addition to live entertainment, the
owners strove to maintain the integrity and in
ventiveness of the original restaurant’s menu.
“Not only have we added nightly entertain
ment, we have created dishes like the House Spe
cialty Curry and the Game Hen on Fire, the sort
of cuisine that made Sweet Basil well known
among Oregonians,” Smithynunta says. (Sweet
CeliaLyon.com
South Mt Tabor
Sellwood Beauty
4 bed/2 bath. Hardwoods, den/ family room.
New dishwasher, great yard, patio, dog run. VERY RETRO.
3219 SE 67th Avenue $285,000
3 bed/2 bath. Must see inside, classic craftsman
features. Built-ins, hardwtxxls, lush back yard. Master
Suite. Family rm/den. 7629 SE 13th $365,000
Visit my favorite, G0LDRUSH COFFEE BAR
at MLK & Russell. Buy a Panini or lunch
and get A FREE COFFEE ON ME.
Stunning Craftsman. One of a kind
5 bed/3 bathrooms. Bonus Rtxim. Built-ins, renovated
kitchen, huge rooms. Charm of yesteryear with
modem conveniences. 4104 SE Pine $599,000
Be sure to take a copy of the ad in with you or mention the ad
and my name. ENJOY! (Goldrush Coffee Bar - 2601 NE MLK Blvd)
i
in
Celia J. Lyon ,
503-260-6231
fax 503-296-5540
cell
—7k — 77
P rin c ip a l B ro k e r
' FKR-S7 ' *
( l i c e n s e d i n O r e g o n )
503-238-1700 ext. 635
email CeliaLyon@aol.com
office
1902 SF Morrison St. Portland, OR 97214
MeadowsGroup.com PortlandHomesGuide.net
MWHjjSJ
PRACTICING SUSTAINABILITY