Handsome Pizza and Seastar Bakery Are Closing

Inside Handsome/Seastar in those heady pre-pandemic days.

I saw the news that Handsome Pizza and Seastar Bakery are closing and my first reaction was, “no way, this can’t be true.” But it is, and now it’s time to accept it. I enjoyed my times there, eating their pizza, and attending a very interesting and memorable tomato tasting event back in 2018. They will be missed, and the comments on their Instagram post are proof as to how beloved they are in this city for their outstanding pizza and pastry work.

Here’s what they posted on Instagram:

“Almost exactly seven years ago, we opened Handsome Pizza and Seastar Bakery, a quirky, collaborative restaurant project that tested our creativity and connected us with our neighborhood. It was a challenge beyond what we could have imagined, and it was lovely, too. On August 14th, we’ll be running our final service and closing our doors.”

There’s a set of photos there that gave me a bit of a “Cheese Board Collective” vibe, and that’s only a good thing. They also posted in the comments some remarks from the owners (Annie, Katia, Will). It’s clear that they all loved this place and the community they built. The place actually started out as Seastar Bakery, opened up by Annie Moss and Katia Bezerra-Clark, both of whom worked previously at Tabor Bread; Will Fain of Handsome Pizza, had been doing popups at Seastar and joined them fully after leaving his location in North Portland. They all had very strong opinions about masking and vaccines during the pandemic in 2021.

Their closing is also a loss for the local “farmers, millers, roasters, and distributors who plant, cultivate, harvest, wash, store, prepare, and deliver our ingredients.” Their absence will also leave a hole in Portland’s bread scene, not to mention the diversity of pizza styles in town (naturally fermented, wood-fired). Seastar’s wonderful pastries—cinnamon rolls, muffins, biscuits, coffee cake, etc—will also be missed.

Now, why they closed isn’t really evident, at least from the Instagram post. I will reach out and see if they are open to sharing their reasons. Regardless, I wish them all only the best on what is next for them. And get over by August 14 to enjoy what they have to offer.

Handsome Pizza and Seastar Bakery [closing August 14, 2022]
1603 Northeast Killingsworth Street, Portland
handsomeseastar.com | Instagram