What's Going In the Old Papa G's Space? Fantino.

The exterior of the old Papa G's space on SE Division in Portland, Oregon, which may become Il Fantino.

Last month I received a message from a Bridgetown Bites tipster about the old Papa G’s space on SE Division. It sounds like a new bar called Fantino (previously Il Fantino) will open up there, possibly later this fall. Note: this article is somewhat speculative based on research from multiple sources, but there is an update at the bottom from early January.

Here’s what the tipster told me:

“I was just walking down Division and someone is finally moving into the old Papa G’s space. I talked to him for a minute and he said that they’re planning a bar named Fantino and they’re hoping for an October open, but that’s subject to permitting. Looks like very early stages—all the old signage is still up.”

I stopped by this past weekend and indeed, old signage is still there, albeit looking a little bedraggled (see above). I also snagged a photo of the interior, which has a ways to go. There was no action when I stopped by and it was kind of eerily quiet.

The interior of the old Papa G's space on SE Division in Portland, Oregon, which may become Il Fantino. — The interior of 2314 SE Division Street, obviously under construction.

The most recent permit for this property involves work including installing a type 1 hood, exhaust fan and makeup air unit; installing a grease duct; and some fire protection and electrical work is also planned.

As for Papa G’s, they shut down during the pandemic, and and the business was acquired by the Secret Pizza Society folks.

Interesting comment from three months ago on Reddit about this space: “My barber, whose landlord also owns the Papa G’s building, said he (landlord) is waiting for the right tenant to come along. He’s had a lot of offers, but he turns down anyone who would compete with other nearby businesses, so no coffee shops. Papa G’s itself is long gone and never coming back.”

Researching Fantino

During my research I found that the domain ilfantinopdx.com has been registered, and what I’m about to tell you next, I gotta say—I did not see this coming. According to the ICANN Lookup, the domain is registered to Kells Brew Pub.

If you’re like me, you might wonder what the Irish Kells Brew Pub and an Italian phrase (“il fantino”) have in common. Garrett McAleese, who is the son of Kells Irish Pub founders Lucy and Gerard McAleese, started a pizza joint in the Seattle area called Coltiva. A quote from The Stranger is on the Coltiva Pizza Press page:

“Coltiva is an authentic Italian-style pizzeria featuring thin-crust pizza with handmade dough and craft cocktails from local restaurateur Garrett McAleese…. McAleese has carefully considered sources for the ingredients, including hard cheeses from producers in Sardinia, organic, farm-grown and canned Oregon tomatoes, and humanely raised beef from Oregon’s family-owned Nehalem River Ranch.”

According to ORSOS records, Garrett McAleese is the main contact behind Ippodromo Group LLC, registered in June 2024, so it’s relatively new. “Il fantino” means “the jockey,” and jockeys raced horses in the Hippodrome—the Hippodrome of San Siro (Ippodromo di San Siro) is a horse racing venue in Milan. In ancient Greece also, hippodromes were places where horse racing took place (chariot racing, too). Later on, hippodromes also were places to see theater/stage performances and circus shows.

Interestingly enough, Portland was home to a venue called the Hippodrome Theater, located at SW Broadway and Yamhill where the current Nordstrom is. It operated between 1916 and 1922 and served as both a vaudeville and film theater during its lifespan.

I have reached out to Garrett McAleese multiple times to confirm all of this, but have not heard back from him. It’s very possible that the messages have not been getting to him. When/if I hear from him, I’ll update this article.

UPDATE 1/3/25! While Garrett McAleese has never responded to my messages, I’ve learned on their Instagram that they are doing a kind of soft opening on Friday and Saturday, January 3, and 4, 5pm to 9pm. “Welcome to Fantino! We wanted a chance to meet our neighbors before we open our doors for full service. Enjoy some personal-sized bites and house drinks!” They offer wine, cocktails, a couple of NA drinks, plus food: foccaccia, hamachi crudo, personal meatball, personal pappas, and a mini broccoli salad.