Like a breath of fresh air, the Fifth Quadrant beckons

By Liz Colie Gadberry

The Portland Tribune, Feb 17, 2006, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Thank you, Jerry Fechter. The Laurelwood, Kennedy School and Chez Jose rotation of restaurants where I typically take my kids to eat was getting painfully old.

In December, Fechter opened the Fifth Quadrant (3901B N. Williams Ave., 503-288-3996) on Failing Street, behind the second Pix Patisserie location on North Williams Avenue.

This is Fechter’s third such enterprise: The New Old Lompoc came to Northwest 23rd Avenue in 2000, and the Hedge House opened on Southeast Division Street in 2003. And we can expect another brew pub in Sellwood (the Oaks Bottom Pub) by the end of the year.

What’s nice about taking children to Fifth Quadrant is that it really isn’t a kid restaurant. There’s no play area, no paper and crayons, not even an official, written kids menu. Yet kids are allowed (on the west side of the restaurant) and even welcomed by friendly servers (just remember to bring your own stash of paper and crayons).

The beer at Fifth Quadrant is currently brewed at the Northwest location, but a brewery (and distillery!) soon will open on-site. The beer is excellent. Condor Pale Ale (named in honor of the zoo’s Condor Recovery Project) is my favorite, but there’s something for every palate. There’s even Miller Genuine Draft.

The food at Fifth Quadrant is typical pub grub with a few menu items that stand out. The Italian chopped salad is great. Made with young light green lettuces, salami, kalamata olives, tomatoes, small cubes of smoked Gouda and garbanzos, it’s dressed with tangy basil vinaigrette.

The small is large, and the large is as big as a barn. For an appetizer, try the slightly spicy, ale-steamed manilla clams. The clams are served with three big slices of grilled bread just right for dipping in the garlicky, buttery broth. The Fifth Quadrant burger is a flavorful, thick, half-pound monster of beef with onions, lettuce and tomato on a kaiser roll. Irresistible salty fries somehow have a stronger potato flavor than most.

The menu has definite weak spots Ñ neither the breaded calamari nor the deep-fried artichokes have much flavor at all. Eggplant Parmesan is far too mushy, though my vegetarian friend liked it.

The unwritten kids menu includes creamy, penne macaroni and cheese, a grilled cheese sandwich with fries, spaghetti or the burger.

Fifth Quadrant’s service elevates it above McMenamins and Laurelwood. We’ve had three servers at Fifth Quadrant, and each one was friendly, efficient and accommodating.

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