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Pago-Pago, Portland, OR (restaurant) |
puamana
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 02, 2002
Posts: 291
From: Seattle, WA
|  Posted: 2005-01-18 12:57 pm Permalink
Name:Pago-Pago
Type:restaurant
Street:525 S.W. Stark St.
City:Portland
State:OR
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct
Description:
Here's a postcard from the Pago-Pago:
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TikiMaxton
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 556
From: Portland, OR
| Posted: 2005-01-18 3:55 pm Permalink
Puamana, thank you for posting that postcard! I've only just learned of the existance of the Pago Pago And I want to know more! Apparently it was a real den of iniquity, with a gambling club (the Turf Club) upstairs, complete with mob-supplied race wire feed and everything!
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tikibars
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 11, 2002
Posts: 2014
From: Aku Hall, Chicago
| Posted: 2005-01-18 3:59 pm Permalink
Gorgeous postcard, Mimi.
What's at that address now?
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puamana
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 02, 2002
Posts: 291
From: Seattle, WA
| Posted: 2005-01-19 09:23 am Permalink
James, I'm not sure what's at that address now... I did a quick online search, but didn't find anything at that spot. Maybe one of the Portland TC ohana could drive by and let us know ? TikiMaxton, I'm curious to know more about the Pago Pago, too. I also have an old menu from there. I'll post some pics in a day or two.
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TikiMaxton
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 556
From: Portland, OR
| Posted: 2005-01-19 11:20 am Permalink
Everything I know about Pago Pago I read while skimming through the book "Portland Confidential". I haven't had time to sit down and actually read the book yet, but it sounds like it was both swanky and seedy at the same time...
Can't wait to see the menu.
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tigertail777
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 25, 2004
Posts: 504
From: Oregon
| Posted: 2005-02-13 12:40 pm Permalink
I go by the stark street area once in a while, I will try to cruise by there one weekend and let you know.
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Rum Demon
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 20, 2005
Posts: 254
From: Portland, Oregon
| Posted: 2006-06-08 2:51 pm Permalink
Anyone got $600K? That's the estimated value of the building that formerly held the mysterious Pago Pago.
[pic removed]
The street entrance is apparently different from what would have been there in the 50s, but this is for sure the same building, built in 1890. The door on the left is marked 525, but looks to be blocked by a cement wall. I think the last working address for the space was from the door on the right, 517. The building looks forgotten, but the city sales records show it's changed hands three times in the last decade. The price seems pretty damn low, so it's probably got serious problems.
Meanwhile, I went to a party the other night at a quirky house in the NE....
The story is, the place was a heavily modified (formerly) one-room cottage that had been occupied by a couple of crazy swingers from the 60s until just a few years back. One of their favorite hangouts had been the Pago Pago room, so when it was 'decomissioned', they rescued alot of the raw materials.
I spent most of the time in the back porch/laundry room area. This was the most tikified part of the dwelling. I'm sure there were many other treasures hidden from my glazed eyes by the numerous partygoers. This one definately merits another visit. Unfortunately I didn't ever meet the host and hostess (it was a pretty crazy party and we left early).
TikiMaxton has apparently been in contact with them and even visited their place last year in hopes of getting it on the crawl. Here's to hoping for 2006!
Meanwhile, any more Pago Pago info would be much appreciated. Does anyone have any clue as to when it first opened? Tiki history tells us most such places came about after WW2, but Portland was a pretty busy maritime hub before that. Maybe, just maybe this was a pre-boom establishment.
-Joe
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[ This Message was edited by: rum demon 2008-03-25 09:01 ]
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tikibars
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 11, 2002
Posts: 2014
From: Aku Hall, Chicago
| Posted: 2007-01-03 12:08 pm Permalink
Seems there's a place called the Miracle Theatre there now.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10561
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2007-01-03 1:18 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2006-06-08 14:51, Rum Demon wrote:
Tiki history tells us most such places came about after WW2, but Portland was a pretty busy maritime hub before that. Maybe, just maybe this was a pre-boom establishment.
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In the other threat on the Disney Pago Pago in Burbank I mention that, judging by all of the material collected so far, Pago Pago as a night club name was popular in the PRE-WWII and in the war years, the 30s and early 40s (It was clearly a Pre-Tiki period term). There was a popular song (year?), and a 1940 movie that might have inspired restaurateurs:
http://www.geocities.com/~themistyone/images/sopp_ad.jpg
What a cool place, I love that they resurrected the diorama!
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VampiressRN
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Nov 23, 2006
Posts: 5085
From: Sin City Lincoln Hills (NorCal)
| Posted: 2007-02-05 8:55 pm Permalink
Wow indeed....and the postcard is awesome. Makes me want to cover my tiki room walls in bamboo. 
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naugatiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 806
From: Port Angeles, Wa
| Posted: 2010-06-26 11:54 am Permalink
Here's a matchbook from the joint and like the post card it also boasts of "Americans Most Beautiful Tropical Room." It has the address on it but not sure if Broadway 9013 is a phone number or a crypic code.
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