There is nothing better than a beer cooler on a hot day. Well, a dip in a pool or a lake is close, but still. A beer cooler is hard to beat. And especially a beer cooler with some real taste! They have a shelving unit of belgians, a rack of appropriate glassware, and rows and rows of special regionals and imports. They have sixes of all your favorites. And they have a great, though small, collection of lawn mower beers, say if your father-in-law is coming by.

I love being cold when it's 100 degrees outside. And I love having a dilemma when picking out beer.

more photos, including the beer garden

So, of course there's beer (Terminal Gravity IPA, Sierra Nevada Pale, Widmer Hefeweizen, Fat Tire, and Guinness, among other things). Pints are $3.50 (Guinness, natch, is more). They offer free WiFi, video games, video crack, pool, and shuffleboard(!), as well as a spacious and excellent beergarden, open noon to dusk. I mean, I wish my backyard looked this good. And, you can reserve it for your party, and/or bring your own grillables, which is great since the food there is limited to snacks.

Oh, and need to take away some beer? They're licensed to sell beer to go.

• BarFly

Walking in the door of Edelweiss on a Saturday can be intimidating. You'd be forgiven for not trusting that there is a deli. You have to walk into the place, past the German speaking shopladies, through the tight aisleways, and squeeze past the hoards of people who are in getting their sausages and cold cuts for the weekend. The whole experience can be a bit overwhelming. And it doesn't help if the shop ladies laugh at you. Remember, it's nothing personal, they mean well, it's just German humor.

Make your life easier, and make an immediate right by the magazines. You'll see the fast food tables set up, as well as a cooler of beers and pop. You can grab something there but keep in mind that there are three beers on tap.

Now, head to the back of the shop, to the Northwest corner, and there's where you can buy lunch, and no, you don't need a number.

When we were there, the Russian or Ukrainian woman behind the counter treated us with soviet efficiency. She glared at us for not ordering something to drink, and then she glared when we changed our minds and went back to get some pilsner on tap. And yes, while it seems like a simple thing to put a sausage in a bun, and then put sauerkraut on top, she'll give you a number and someone will bring it out. Ten minutes later.

For $4, you can get a sausage with sauerkraut on a bun. They have three different kinds, but we were only offered mild or spicy, and honestly, I was afraid to ask for the weisswurst that I love. But our spicy sausages were good, with a nice snap.

You can also get sandwiches and 9 different salads, but I can't speak to that.

Supposably they offer the best reuben in town, and I suspect when it's less busy, they're probably happy to practice German with you. My pal Heather has lots of fond memories of going in and practicing Kinderdeutsch. We overheard someone haplessly telling the shoplady that he was from the Zoo (as in, he lived in the Zoo. No reports on if he looked like a monkey), and to their credit, they didn't laugh at him (though we did).

from our pal Niki at Portlandfood.org

We Are Moving!
Belmont Station is relocating just 3 blocks away to
4500 S.E. Stark St Portland, OR 97215
January 4, 2007

After grueling months of waiting on City Hall, construction is complete. On the first week of the New Year we'll be pleased to welcome you to a new, expanded and updated Belmont Station. What's going to be different?

THE STATION CAFE! The new Belmont Station is two spaces in one. On one side, a bottleshop. On the other, a great little bier cafe. On the menu: any of our bottled beers, plus a few very special beers on draught. It will be a comfortable, neighborhood place to while away the hours tasting the best beers on the planet. We will feature soups, sandwiches, and cheese plates for your nibbling enjoyment.

MORE SPACE MEANS MORE BEER! Lots more space! Our beer selection is just shy of 700, but we're looking to increase our selection to around 900!

SELF-SERVE COOLERS! No more waiting while we fetch your bottles. Our knowledgeable staff will continue to assist you with your selection and any questions you may have. We'll have UV protection on the cooler lights to prevent skunky beer, and we'll be religiously rotating and stocking as usual. Belmont Station will continue to be the place for the freshest beer in town.