A new bar from Sesame Hospitality is coming to Slabtown, according to the Portland Business Journal. The upcoming bar, Angelina’s, harkens back to the fern bars of the 1960s and 70s.
Fern bars gained popularity in the 60s, upscale spaces geared toward young, single crowds, women in particular. Three decades post-Prohibition, the culture was still figuring out what, where and how they wanted to drink. Adorned with greenery (ferns, specifically), these cozy spaces were an early answer.
And fun fact: Before the bottomless mozzarella sticks and Dubai Chocolate Espresso Martinis, T.G.I. Friday’s was founded in New York’s Upper East Side as one of the first major fern bars…