Gotta Love Portland

We had this Chinese Restaurant in Old Town. When we moved here, it was a rite of passage for immigrant round-eyes from the hinterlands to go there and eat, and it was the kind of place where you most likely did it just the once: I recall the food as so-so, the silverware less than sparkling, and the cigarette smoke so thick you could barely see the plates.

But the place has a name that has been laughed about probably more than any other restaurant in the city for the last seventy-five years. The restaurant moved, but the sign stayed, though it had to be taken down a couple years back because the roof was sagging. Residents wanted it back -- it's also been photographed more than any other Chinese restaurant sign in Portland -- everybody leading friends and tourists on a walking tour makes a pass. There's Powell's and there's this old restaurant sign ...

So folks took up a collection to help pay for sign repairs. The Portland Development Commission provided a big grant to help. It was unveiled day before yesterday, with a crowd and TV stations there to watch. Whatever else, you can't accuse Portlanders of having no sense of humor.

If you speak English well enough to read this posting, probably I don't need to explain why people grin at this one ...