Matt Hart knew exactly one person in Portland before he moved here from Oakland about four years ago, and she lived in St. Johns. He settled on that neighborhood, too. During his first week in town the two of them took their dogs to a very cozy (read: small) beer bar on North Lombard Street that’s festooned with Philadelphia sports fan paraphernalia. At Lombard House, NFL team the Eagles looms largest, and Gritty, mascot for the Flyers NHL team, makes many appearances. 

How it started: “I remember the first time coming in and thinking, ‘Oh interesting, it’s a little sportsy,’ which is not my thing in any way, shape, or form. But I was thinking, ‘You know, the tap list is great.’ Everyone was very kind, very sweet,” Hart recalls. The next time he came in, with the same friend and a guest visiting from out of town, people at the bar recognized him. “Everyone was like, ‘Oh, welcome in, welcome back.’ It was very warm and inviting…. After that, I started poking my head in here solo.”

Howdy, neighbor: “The set of folks that come on a regular basis are neighborhood folks. I literally met my direct neighbors here before I actually
met them at my house. I didn’t know who they were, I didn’t know they lived next to me, but I met them here,” Hart says. It was easy to fall into conversations at Lombard House, and some of the people he ended up chatting with have become good friends. “It truly turned into a ‘creating your community’ place.”   

Expanding the palate: Hart, who grew up in Colorado, had always been an IPA guy. Living in Portland, though, has widened his tastes, and he’s learned to trust Lombard House owner Brian Koch’s curated tap list—even when something doesn’t sound like it would be his thing. “For example, there is an orange-peach mimosa hard cider up there right now. Sounds gross. Actually quite lovely. My horizons have opened up a little,” he says. “I know that, if nothing else, I’ll be able to get a really good IPA…and then if there’s something fun up there, why not?”

Power to the people: After a storm knocked out power nearby but left Lombard businesses unaffected, Hart, who usually works from home, set up at a coffee shop with a few friends. They were worried about overstaying their welcome and planned to spend the day relocating every 90 minutes. Koch happened to stop in for coffee and soon invited the whole group to come work in the bar while it was closed, no caffeine overload required. 

Size matters: Would he have had the same experience in a bar with more square footage? Probably not. “In a good way, you’re kind of forced to interact with other people, where at bigger bars or other spots you might not get that opportunity,” Hart explains. “I don’t want to say ‘forced.’ It feels like a negative word, but, you know, encouraged to interact with each other.”

Out of your shell: Though an introvert, Hart has found himself engaging with strangers just as the bartenders did for him on his first visit. “I want to reciprocate some of that openness. You don’t have to be scared or nervous. I’m not into any of that sports-related stuff, either. You can exist here, too.”

Mi casa, su casa: For Eagles games, Koch mounts a big projector screen by the front window, so anyone coming through the door is met by the stares of a crowd of football fans. Last spring, Hart asked Koch if he could use the setup to have a watch party for another keen competition: the finale of the Eurovision Song Contest. “People walked in, saw us all weird and dressed up, then sat here a little confused but also intrigued,” he says. “It’s kind of fun to have an additional living room, for yourself and your friends and the neighborhood.”

Loki’s castle: “He thinks this is home,” Hart says of Loki, his 9-year-old schnauzer, though the Lombard House might be a little better than home when it comes to treats. Not only does Loki usually get a treat when he comes in, but every time another dog pops by, all the pups already there get a bonus one. “It gets a little crazy sometimes: ‘All right, you’ve had 16 treats today, we can slow the roll,’” Hart says with a laugh. “He loves it. He’s obsessed.”