Panucho party report. Michael Russel at the Oregonian went in search of panuchos in Portland recently (accompanied by Gary Okazaki aka Gary the Foodie during some of it). Panuchos are tasty—they are essentially “hand-pressed tortillas puffed up on a comal, carefully opened, stuffed with a black bean puree then gently fried.” I’d call them cousins to tlacoyos, which I also enjoy. Anyway, this article is a great rundown of the panuchos in Portland. My current favorite is at Ki’ikibáa, deemed “best modern panucho.”
Arden turns 5. Happy birthday to Arden! This “seasonal, wine-driven restaurant located in Portland’s Pearl District” turns 5 years old in February. Hats off to them for making it through the pandemic. On their menu throughout February, they will be “featuring some of the greatest hit dishes from over the past 5 years” of course, with wine picked by the owner, Kelsey Glasser. Think black truffle pierogis, butter poached Mary’s Chicken for two, and housemade chorizo sausage. Or, there’s a prix fixe menu, too ($70/per person), where the chef picks the items.
Fun fact, and one I did not know: Arden is named after Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” The “forest of Arden was a female-led, idyllic place, for those who escaped to live off the land and to live a simpler life.” Arden is also participating in Chocolate for Congo this year. 417 NW 10th Avenue, Portland
Maple Leaf Restaurant is doing repairs and a remodel. I noticed in city documents that the Maple Leaf Restaurant, a Chinese and American diner in FoPo, is doing some repairs. Apparently there was a fire; last time I was in the area, I noticed it was closed. The work includes: repairing fire damaged walls and replacing insulation + drywall; roof modification and a new wall support; new kitchen hoods and vents, exhaust fans; roof repairs, including fire protection. Personally, I’ve never been there, but it’s beloved by many Portlanders. Best of luck to them as they do this work. 7129 SE Foster Road, Portland
Groundhog Day aka Candlemas aka La Chandeleur aka Día de la Candelaria. February 2 (yesterday) is a significant date for a number of cultures. In the U.S., it’s Groundhog Day (or, Ground Hog Day as one of my favorite plays on words) and our own Stumptown Phil tells us we will have six more weeks of winter. But it’s also Candlemas, significant to Christians and as you can imagine, candles are a big part of it. It’s also a cross-quarter holiday, Imbolc, important to pagans.
For the purposes of this blog, what I learned this week about this day is that in France it’s called La Chandeleur. One of the things they do on that day is eat crepes, as the round golden crepe resembles the look of the sun and the anticipation of more light as we head toward the Spring Equinox. In Portland, I like to eat crepes at Frog & Snail (3553 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland); RIP Suzette. And for something completely different from the French approach to crepes, head to the Bing Mi cart (1845 NW 23rd Place, Portland) for a delicious jianbing treat.
I also learned that in Mexico there is a tradition that also connects itself to Three Kings Day. The folks at Masienda posted this: “On Candlemas in Mexico, tradition dictates that whoever cuts through the rosca de Reyes cake on Día de los Reyes (Three King’s Day) and finds the baby Jesus figurine must host a party on February 2 and bring tamales for everyone.” You can find Masienda’s excellent masa harina at Providore (2340 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland).
Here’s to the increasing light each day!
Meg Cotner
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Maple Leaf Restaurant has been closed since late 2020. Has anything changed? Seemingly not much has happened on-site since the except some kitchen equipment being taken out of the place. They closed when COVID hit and then only finally put up an outdoor dining structure late fall 2020, once the nice weather had passed. A few weeks later there was a fire and they’ve been shut since.
Yeah, it seems like it’s been a while. The permit dates are all from January 2023, so it seems someone is doing something in there.