Small Bites: Whit's Pizza Pies, Dear Sandy, Mekong Bistro, and More

A lot of tidbits crossed my desk this week, so it’s time for another Small Bites. Let’s go!

Bar Asha closed temporarily. This successor to The Sudra posted on Instagram that they are taking time “to rethink what we do here.” I noticed comments are invisible, as they got some pretty intense reactions to the closing, some of which were pretty critical. Wishing them the best as they figure things out. 28 NE 28th Street Portland

New pizza restaurant coming to Argay. I’ll be doing more research on this, as my initial inquiries yielded … not much. But I wanted to mention it anyway. The city permit indicates “TI FOR NEW PIZZA RESTAURANT.” The location used to be home to TCA Creative Minds; it’s a couple doors down from the Venture Inn (which is for sale). I’ve reached out to Ziad at nearby Hummus Vitality to see if he knows anything. 13852 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland

Whit’s Pizza Pies at Upright Beer Station Friday, Hollywood Farmers Market Saturday. Whit’s Pizza Pies, a pop-up pizzeria, will be at the Upright Beer Station on NE Prescott at 72nd, and the Hollywood Farmers Market. So who are these people? “Whit’s Pizza Pies started in NYC in 2020. We are a married team doing gourmet pizza using local grains and ingredients with small gas fueled ovens.” Catch them at Upright today, July 12 from 4pm to 9pm and at the Hollywood Farmers Market Saturday, July 13 from 8am to 1pm.

Also coming to Upright: Schmunch Burger. Burgers and schnitzel are joining the carts at Upright! Schmuch Burger is making a big move from The Original pod (SE Powell and 35th Place) to Cully/Roseway. I’ve learned that it’s an expensive endeavor to make a move like this, so they are running a fundraiser to help defray costs. Arrival is TBD.

Fallow’s Rest Wild poised to open. Fallow’s, the dinner restaurant from the good folks at Bastion, posted some updates on social media. Their first night of full service will be Wednesday, July 17; the first night for reservations will be Wednesday, July 24. All the vegetable dishes are vegan; all the meats are regenerative/wild caught. “The kitchen is 100% seed oil, refined sugar, gluten and BS free.⁣” Here’s their OpenTable page for reservations. 6637 SE Milwaukie Avenue, Portland

Hit the Spot wants to open a new cart. From their socials: “Happy Sunday ya’ll! We started as a food cart – they are near and dear to our hearts so we would like to open another one. We are reaching out to see if any of ya’ll know of a good spot where we could set up shop? Any ideas are much appreciated, thanks so much!” Unknown location

Supermarket woes—planned divestiture of grocery stores in Portland. This topic has been a hot one in my online circles this week, and it is worrying. 186 stores in Oregon and Washington will be sold so that Kroger and Albertsons can complete the “urge to merge.” The list for Portland is most, if not all Safeway, QFC, and Albertsons supermarkets in town. Here’s a list of what’s closing. Various

Dear Sandy narrowly avoids being burned down. On the morning of Wednesday, July 10, the building next to Dear Sandy burned to a crisp. It’s a miracle that Dear Sandy did not, as it looks like someone put a burning object through their mail slot. Update: a suspect has been arrested—read the relevant details in this clip from Portland Fire & Rescue. 814 NE 28th Avenue (Marina’s Kafe)

Handy Portland farmers market list. Over at PDX Parent they have put together a nice, straightforward list of farmers markets in the Portland area, and when they are open. Check it out! Various

Restaurants for sale. I was over on Craigslist and noticed a few Portland restaurants are for sale. Note: these Craigslist links are temporary.

El Indio de Oro: “Nice Mexican restaurant for sale, beautiful restaurant, $150K” [Craigslist] 1473 NE Prescott Street
Venture Inn: “The property includes a fully-equipped bar, comfortable seating areas, and a well-maintained kitchen, with a Biscuits & Gravy and The World’s Famous Cheeseburger (Recipe and training included).” [Craigslist] 13900 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
Daily Fuel: “This restaurant is seriously clean & turn-key ready. Nothing to do but put up your own sign & start serving your food. No work on the restaurant is needed at all.” [Craigslist] 3342 SE Belmont Street, Portland

Stop By Bakery & Deli in Montavilla. Over on the Montavilla News I learned about the Stop By Bakery & Deli. “The owner and chief baker migrated from Iraq in 2016, bringing traditional baking skills first honed in his youth. The menu features halal-compliant foods and many freshly baked items, including samoon, an Iraqi bread enjoyed by many cultures throughout neighboring regions.” Read more, here. 8245 SE Division Street, Portland

Bruno’s is open. “Foster’s newest cocktail bar & restaurant” had their soft opening on Saturday, June 22. You can see their menu over on Instagram—that wedge salad sure looks good.

Speedboat Coffee is moving. Thanks to the Foster Area Business Association for this news: “Now that it’s official, we’ll also look forward to the eventual move of Speedboat Coffee into their new and renovated space on the corner of SE 60th & Foster. For now, you can still find them in their current home at 5115 SE Foster Road, but stay tuned for updates on the move.” (soon to be) 5923 SE Foster Road, Portland

Living Room Wines to open in University Park. I saw this news via a permit list—this is new wine bar and wine shop coming to North Portland’s University Park neighborhood. From their Instagram: “We’re thrilled to announce the upcoming opening of Living Room Wines, your new neighborhood spot for quality, sustainable wines in North Portland’s University Park neighborhood! While we’re still in the early stages, we couldn’t wait to share the news with you.” They hope to be open by November 2024. 4818 N Lombard Street, Portland

Tuesday deals at Mekong Bistro. From 4pm to midnight on Tuesdays, get 50% off appetizers at Mekong Bistro, a Cambodian restaurant on NE 82nd Avenue. Dishes like beef skewers, fried quail, “Crazy Wings,” salad rolls, and frog legs, among other things. 8200 NE Siskiyou Street, Portland

Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:

Moully’s Will Join Carnelian Coffee With Wine
Harder Day Coffee Is Opening a New Cafe in the Hollywood District
Nam Tao Huu To Open in NW Portland, Offering Soy Milk and Healthy Desserts
Say Cheese: Caseus Diem Is Coming To SE Division