Four Things I Learned This Week (February 18)

Akadi will return, and with new offerings. Portland Monthly published an article this week about Akadi, one of Portland’s great African restaurants, which went on hiatus in 2020. The gist of the article is: “First, [chef-owner Fatou Ouattara will] open an African grocery store in North Portland called House of Flavor, focused on teaching the public how to use African ingredients in everyday cooking. Later this spring, Akadi will reopen in a bigger space on SE Division with a broader menu.” Read more over on PoMo. 3901 N Williams Avenue (store) and 1001 SE Division, Portland (restaurant)

Tasty will also return. Portland Business Journal reports that a group of restaurant partners will open House of Tasty, a “community supper club and culinary gathering space” that brings the Tasty brand back to Portland. You may remember that in 2020 the Toro Bravo restaurant group was dissolved (aside: John Gorham is backing Rancher Butcher Chef in Bend, OR). The name was purchased by some former Tasty employees and they opened a Tasty in Lake Oswego in 2021. Look for the new Portland Tasty space to open in the former Bar King location this spring. You can also follow their progress on their Instagram. 726 SE Sixth Avenue, Portland

Furmint Fest tonight. Over at Bar Norman they are hosting a celebration of wines made from the Furmint grape, “Hungary’s darling white grape.” If you’ve ever had Tokaj dessert wines, you’ve likely had a taste of the Furmint grape, which Bar Norman calls, “expressive as hell, entirely unique.” Local importer/distributor, Lone Wolf, knows a lot about Central and Eastern European wines, and will be on hand to pour for you and answer questions about wines from the region. So stop by tonight from 7-9pm to taste a range of Furmint bottlings (note: the party’s on the patio, so dress appropriately). DJ Broken Arrow will be spinning, as well. 2615 SE Clinton Street, Portland

Two soft openings. A couple of spots I’ve written about are now operating in the “soft opening” stage: Wu-Rons and Wallflower Coffee. Wu-Rons is the celebrated ramen restaurant from Charlotte, NC that moved to Portland last year. Wallflower Coffee, a “community-centric coffeeshop,” ran an Indiegogo campaign last year to fund their efforts. Glad to see they are both open. 1430 SE Water Avenue, Portland and 3158 SE Division Street, Portland