Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, March 2024

A lower-content month (unexpected disruptions) and the relatively recnet Google algorithmic changes finally hit the blog and there was less traffic in March than February. It happens. We saw about 14,000 page views generated by about 11,200 unique visitors—25% less traffic than last month. For those of you who visited, read, and shared, thank you so much!

Here’s to working on improvements. As for what was popular in March, it was restaurant and bar news, with an older post on the Silk Road in the Pearl popping up in the middle of the popular posts. Always interesting to see what the month presents.

5. Bar Loon To Open in the Old Sweet Hereafter Space

Folks were dismayed to learn that about the closing of Sweet Hereafter, a vegan bar on SE Belmont. But good news for those looking for new places, who like bars, and who dislike having storefronts empty for an extended time: Bar Loon is opening in this space. [Note: this post has been updated.]

4. Taqueria La Bamba Is Coming to Cully

[Update 3/19/24: They are now open! I drove by yesterday and saw the open sign lit up.] In late February, Three Fifty Cafe closed, taking their delicious egg coffee and banh mi sandwiches with them. Neighbors soon wondered what was going to replace it, and relatively quickly a new sign went up for Taqueria La Bamba.

3. A New Bar, Silk Road, Looks to Open in the Pearl

While doing some research, I came across a liquor license application for a new bar/restaurant opening in the Pearl District, called Silk Road. From what I can gather, the people behind it are also responsible for LULU (beautiful cocktails) and Jarana (Nikkei food) in SE Portland.

2. Sebastiano’s Opens in Sellwood

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Sebastiano’s—that wonderful Sicilian/Italian-American shop, bakery, and deli that started out in Montavilla in 2020—has fully moved to Sellwood. Their grand opening is Thursday, March 7, but they had a soft opening today. I stopped by and was so happy to see how the business has been able to expand and flourish in this much larger space on SE 13th Avenue.

1. Battle Grounds Gaming Cafe Has Coffee and More

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A few weeks ago, I stopped in at the new Battle Grounds Gaming Cafe on NE Sandy in the Hollywood District. My husband is a big D&D fan and plays with multiple groups throughout the month, so this place was on his radar early on. It’s pretty great inside—there are games and related items to buy, games to rent, games to borrow, separate rooms in which to play, a chill vibe. And a very nice cafe!