Sweet, Sweet Kennedy School...

This can by no means be considered an "adventure," given that on each trip to Portland it's never more than a few days before I head over there, but I had lunch yesterday at the Kennedy School McMenamins and figured I'd go ahead and post about it. The service was some of the worst I've ever had there and they changed the recipe on my favorite menu item to make it not as good as it once was, but the beer is still fantastic and I can't help but love this place.

For those of you not from the Portland area, Kennedy School is my favorite McMenamins restaurant/pub, located in an elementary school building that had sat empty for over 20 years after closing in 1975. McMenamins moved in 11 years ago and converted the building into a bed & breakfast, movie theater, restuarant, several unique small bars in various old classrooms, and a brewery. The combination of ambiance with delicious beer makes it definitely worth a visit.
I am always torn between the Terminator Stout (pictured at left below), which is probably my favorite stout that I've ever tried, and the Hammerhead Pale Ale (second from the left), which is a highly drinkable yet complex beer and was my order on this visit. My mom traditionally goes with the Ruby (the other beer in the picture, next to the water), which is made with raspberries and is fresh and tasty but a bit too fruity for a kid like me on a winter day (though I could see it being nice in the summer).
The fries at Kennedy School tend to be a safe bet. I'm not a big french fry person, but I am a fan of the ones at Kennedy School.
In tragic news, they've gone and changed the recipe on my favorite burger while I was away. The Captain Neon, which features bacon and blue cheese (along with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and pickles) used to be made with creamy blue cheese dressing and is now just made with blue cheese crumbles. The new version is much less messy to consume, but at what cost to flavor? This made me sad. I guess I'll stick to making Captian Neon burgers at home from now on (Emily-style Neons often feature avocado, too, which adds to their awesomeness...), but I'm sure I'll keep coming back to Kennedy School whenever I come back to Portland...