Anyone who lives in Portland knows the Greek Cusina. Anyone over 21 in Portland has been there (please, if I'll admit it you can too) at least once. Today the news reported that the infamous Greek Cusina may be losing it's prized liquor license. Normally I would point a menacing finger at the OLCC for being too overbearing, but for once I applaud them. I'm amazed that a place where it's own staff are regularly sent to the hospital because of brawls they have to break up has lasted this long under the OLCC rule. In fact, I'm wagging my finger at them for not taking action until now. But for all of you scantily-clad, glitter addicted Cusina fans there is still hope. The report is that they might revoke the liquor license. The Cusina will file for a hearing to prevent the OLCC members from voting on it's drunken future (oh and they have an April 10th hearing for a separate incident where a man was beaten unconscious by Cuisina staff in 2005).
Other than the two times I patronized the Cusina back in my early 20s, my experience with the Cusina has been dealing with the crowd that stands outside it (this includes the classic and unsurprising meathead security folk) as Paper Brain often plays at a venue next to the Cusina. I have to say it hasn't changed. The girls are still wearing exactly the same "club" clothes they were wearing 10 years ago. The bouncers are still goons with big egos. Two of the three times we've played there we've been hindered by a barrage of police cars that seem to be waiting around the corner for a Cusina issue.
Shouldn't the, "drunken fights, public urination, hair-pulling, patrons biting one another and overzealous security guards" be enough to pull the license without a hearing or vote?? This is the same institution that, on a whim, decided that underage musicians couldn't play in 21+ venues (numerous lawsuits have been filed against this law) and who's director resigned after being caught driving with a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit. Oregon is one of only 18 "control states", where the state controls the sale of alcoholic or distilled beverages. Basically, all alcohol that is sold, is the property of the state thus they control the rules and make a profit.
With all of the restrictions issued by the OLCC (which they claim are mostly aimed at the conduct of strippers and keeping those strippers who are not 21 out of venues that sell alcohol) over the last 5 years I'm confused as to how the Greek Cusina has kept it's license for so long. It couldn't have anything to do with some back-handed deal or exchange of money and/or favors could it?? Noooooo, no one in a state office would ever do anything that would mar it's pristine reputation. cough. newsome-spitzer-kilpatrick. cough.
