CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: JAMIE MERCURIO; ELYSE CHILAND TIPTON; COURTESY PHOTO; COURTESY FATHOM COMPANIES
RESTAURANT REVIEW
Hit the Roof Taste the breeze with all of Portland at your feet.
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BY NANCY E NGL ISH
ith a kingdom of water and courageous harbor lights spread out before you, flames licking stones in the fireplaces, deep cushions in the sheltering couches, and lap robes for the chill, you may find it hard to leave the sixthfloor patio at Luna Rooftop Bar hotel on Commercial Street. The black window trim and non-gendered bathroom’s bronze tiles (with individual stalls) are a stage set of understated cool, and this restraint is echoed in the cocktail list, where sugar is never the starring ingredient, and jazzy supporting actors like rosemary, coffee, and ground chili get spotlights. Hades ($14) turns out to be a mound of poppy seed-speckled crushed ice (has Hell frozen over?) cresting the rim of a cup holding chilled rum and lime faintly fla-
vored with banana and tea. More intense and seductive, the smoky Adonis ($16) comes rimmed with spicy ground chili, tequila and mezcal dominating the pineapple, grapefruit, and lime. Two women by the window delight in the Persephone ($14), as if in preparation for some later descent, but we’re all in agreement that the Demeter ($16) stands out in the pantheon for its whiskey, Cocchi Dopo Teatro, clove, and coffee extract locally brewed at Rwanda Bean Coffee. This was the most original drink we tried, but all showcased the same
light hand with the simple syrup. Demeter’s roasted marshmallow was the only sugar bomb of the night—a welcome excess.
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hile some of us are still dithering about shared food, a serving spoon would be welcome with the small plates meant to be shared, along with more toasted bread. Between the whipped goat cheese APRIL 2022 69
