Sebastiano's Is Leaving Montavilla

sicilian-ricotta-cake-sebastianos-portland-oregon

One of the best cakes in all of Portland, the Sicialian Ricotta Cake (so good, I had it at my wedding reception).

The news came via their newsletter this morning: Sebastiano’s, the wonderful Sicilian-American bakery and deli, is leaving Montavilla. They will be gone by the end of 2023.

This is a big blow to Montavilla’s food scene, and it is clear that Dan and Elise know that it has an effect on the neighborhood—plus they admit it’s hard for them to leave. As they say, “Montavilla birthed Sebastiano’s and the neighborhood is in our DNA.” Here’s more on what they say about leaving:

“We’ve survived, at times even thrived, during 3 1/2 years of really challenging times to be in the restaurant business. Our success is entirely a result of the community support, and repeat customers, that seek us out in Montavilla. The idea of uprooting our business and letting our immediate community down weighs very heavily on us.”

One of the reasons it makes sense—sad, as it is—is that they have outgrown the space on 81st Avenue. They’d love the opportunity to offer indoor and outdoor seating, more baked goods and pantry items. In their words, if they accommodated their business to the space they have, “we’d have to dumb down the product, cut corners, lower our quality standards, and/or spend a lot of time driving back and forth across town transporting things every day, and that just doesn’t make sense to us.”

But all is not lost. Of course, there is their new location in Sellwood, which means Sebastiano’s is still a Portland business, plus they can offer a lot more there. And you will see them at the Montavilla Farmers Market—weekly on Sundays from May to December, and every other Sunday from January to April. The neighborhood can also expect to see the Seb’s Party Wagon for pop-up events.

So, you have three months to visit them at their shop on 81st Avenue, then its on to Sellwood full time. At the Montavilla shop, they mention that they had just reconstructed their front covered area (helpful for pick-ups in the rain), and the tent in the back will be up through the month of October—stop on by for some warm weather cocktails and snacks.

I am definitely bummed about this loss in Montavilla, but I also know after spending many years on this Earth that the only constant is change. Best of luck to Dan, Elise, and the Sebastiano’s staff as they finish up in Montavilla. I’ll see you soon—and I can’t wait to check out the Sellwood spot!

Sebastiano’s [closing end of 2023 in Montavilla]
411 SE 81st Avenue, Portland
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