Best Place to Pretend You’re Ernie Hemingway or Shirley Jackson: The Cellar
By Jared Rasic
Listen, I would never say that drinking helps with writing. There's an old quote that was falsely attributed to Hemingway that one should "write drunk and edit sober," but, in Hemingway's case, it was more like he wrote and edited hungover and in need of hydration. I'm not good at either, but whenever I'm in the mood to write some poetry or some fiction and would like a flagon of ale to help unstick those hard-to-reach feelings, I usually want to do so in a room that feels unattached to the ills of the modern world. A room that, if it existed 100 years ago, probably wouldn't feel much different than it is today.
So, I go to The Cellar in downtown Bend. Whether it's to read a novel, write a poem or reflect on my place in the world, the combination of timeless ambience, a deeply kind and intelligent staff, a wonderful rotating selection of fine English ales from the always-great Porter Brewing and a constantly shifting sampling of fascinating customers, it's impossible to go to The Cellar and not find inspiration.
My personal sweet spot when I'm just looking to relax and not work? A pint of the sweetly dry Irish Red Ale and a few chapters of Márquez's "A Hundred Years of Solitude." This, right here, is the best combo since cheese and tortillas.
