Small Bites: Tastebud, Costa Rican Food, Radicchio, and More

Tastebud gets review-bombed. This week some folks took issue with statements Mark Doxtader, owner of Tastebud, posted on the pizzeria’s website. This led to articles posted about it on conservative outlets like Fox News, the New York Post and the Daily Mail (UK). That, in turn, inspired the practice of “review bombing” by some invested in protesting against statements like “Release the Trump/Epstein files.” and “The Holocaust was real.” GoodStuffNW has more details. Find additional info on this developing story in The Oregonian.

Tastebud makes wood-fired pizzas and more in Multnomah Village. 7783 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland

Budget-friendly eats in Vancouver. Here’s a roundup of 10 places located within our cousin to the north, entitled “Serving Big Taste On A Small Budget.” There’s a variety of cuisines on the list: Thai, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Vietnamese, and more. Multiple locations

Pod 28 layout application. There has been a Design Review application waiting for approval by the City of Portland having to do with the Pod 28 food cart pod in the Buckman neighborhood. The application wants to reorganize the layout. The proposed changes to this 7,560 square foot lot include:

• New structures providing covered seating, consisting of a raised deck and pavilion.
• Trash management, storage, and utilities.
• Restrooms.
• Food carts arranged to create a central courtyard.
• Communal tables, benches, and flexible seating clusters.
• Two uncovered crushed rock seating areas centered around gas firepits.
• New landscaping throughout the site.
• Three sides of the building visible from the street (east, south, north) will be painted with murals.

Status of the application is Pending. 113 SE 28th Avenue, Portland

Crave Crêperie is moving. Currently they are at Pod 28 and will be moving to the Farmhouse Carts by SE Division. In their explanation for the move they cite the infrastructure changes they anticipate happening at Pod 28, which we outlined above. They are open there through the end of February, then they’ll shut down to do their move and reopen at the Farmhouse Carts (which is right next to Allgood Brewing). Official March opening date TBD. 113 SE 28th Avenue to 2415 SE 35th Place, Portland

Jet Set Lager is here! This beer was brewed by Binary Brewing.co in honor of Bill Oakley’s upcoming Airline Dinner event. “Bright and crisp, Jet Set is a smooth American Lager that feels right at home with its craft brothers or the macro beers that inspired it. Notes of light biscuit are balanced by a hint of citrus zest from its light Oregon hops.”

And you can enjoy it even if you’re not attending the event. Bill says you can get the beer “all across Portland wherever fine craft beers are sold, such as Loyal Legion, Uptown Beer Co, John’s Marketplace, and at BinaryBrewing.co’s pub in Beaverton.” BTW, Binary Brewing.co is also participating in Tap Season in the Tualatin Valley and was involved with bringing the Ale-Paca IPA to life. Multiple locations

Slow Food’s March Convivium is about radicchio. This gathering in March is called “Radicchio, Terra Madre & the Power of Connection.” Portland loves radicchio and the other chicories, and the folks at Slow Food want to help you understand the interest a little better. They can say it better than I can:

“Join Slow Food Portland for a free event on March 3 from 6–7:30 PM at Cookshop for a conversation with Lane Selman of the Culinary Breeding Network and farmer Josh Volk of Slow Hand Farm. After connecting with growers in Italy through Terra Madre, Lane and Josh helped bring radicchio varieties and growing know-how to the Northwest, turning a niche chicory into a regional signature crop. Come hear how relationships built through Slow Food continue to shape what we grow here at home.”

There will also be radicchio to taste and other seasonal snacks. RSVP here for this free event. 2625 SE 26th Avenue, Portland

And on the topic of radicchio … Save the date of Saturday, October 24 for the Sagra del Radicchio e Fagioli, “a celebration of radicchio, beans and the beautiful passionate people who grow, cook and gather around them.” 831 SE Salmon Street, Portland

Price gouging on groceries could be a thing of the past. Senator Jeff Merkley with Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico) wants to end grocery price gouging. They recently introduced the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act of 2026. A line I liked was from Page 3, Line 13: “An operator of a retail food store may not engage in surveillance-based price setting.” There’s more info here in the bill’s text. This KOIN article is also helpful.

Las Brasas Costa Rican Rotisserie is open in Gresham. Their opening was Thursday, February 5. Some of the things on the menu are rotisserie chicken, Casado dishes (plate meals), tacos (reportedly larger than a conventional Mexican taco), burritos (including a breakfast burrito), salad, ceviche, rice platters, vegetarian options, and whole roast chicken family meals.

They also serve “Tico dishes” like gallo pinto and chifrijo. They are planning to offer traditional Costa Rican coffee service, too. Read more in the Gresham Outlook article. 60 NW Division Street, Gresham

Portland Timbers renew their Guest Chef Program on match days. From the Timbers: “Fans with tickets in the Bank of America Signature Club on Tanner Ridge will have access to appetizers served from top Portland chefs before kickoff. The program is highlight[ed] by James Beard nominees, celebrated chefs, and local favorites.” Here’s the lineup (businesses are from Portland unless otherwise noted):

• Saturday, Feb. 21 vs. Columbus Crew: Han Ly Hwang of Kim Jong Grillin.
• Saturday, March 7 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC: Dan and Elise Gold of Sebastiano’s.
• Sunday, March 22 vs. LA Galaxy: Chef Sarah Schafer and Brett Uniss of The Grounded Table in McMinnville.
• Saturday, April 11 vs. LAFC: Matt Sigler of SOHO House Portland.
• Saturday, May 9 vs. Sporting Kansas City: Kasey Mills of Mediterranean Exploration Company.
• Saturday, May 23 vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Richard Le of Memoire Cà Phê.
• Wednesday, July 22 vs. FC Dallas: Chef Melissa McMillan of Sammich in Portland and Ashland.
• Saturday, July 25 vs. Real Salt Lake: Erik Van Kley of Arden.
• Saturday, Aug. 1 vs. Seattle Sounders FC: Mika Paredes of L’Echelle.
• Wednesday, Aug. 19 vs. San Diego FC: Top Chef Contestant Chef Brian Malarkey of The Malarkey.
• Saturday, Aug. 29 vs. Austin FC: Chefs Taylor and Siobhan Manning of Cafe Olli.
• Saturday, Sept. 5 vs. Minnesota United FC: Bauman’s on Oak.
• Wednesday, Sept. 9 vs. St. Louis CITY SC: Kasey Mills of Dolly Olive.
• Saturday, Sept. 19 vs. Atlanta United: Lucy DeLeon of Madrina Cocina Mexicana.
• Saturday, Oct. 17 vs. Colorado Rapids: Chef Carlo LaMagna of Magna Kusina.
• Saturday, Oct. 24 vs. Charlotte FC: Tyler Hansen of Yaowarat.
• Sunday, Nov. 1 vs. Houston Dynamo FC: Josh Dorcak of MÄS in Ashland.

Bank of America Signature Club on Tanner Ridge is an exclusive luxury club space at Providence Park. 1844 SW Morrison Street, Portland

Bánh khọt spotted in Hillsboro. Yvette Chau visited Pho Alley 11 the other day and spoke admiringly of their bánh khọt, little mini crispy savory pancakes. They are not so easily found in the area, it turns out, so it’s good to know about this. They serve a lot of North Vietnamese dishes there, too. 2020 NE Cornell Road, Suite A, Hillsboro

Yosu Sushi has closed. They have been talking about it on Reddit, plus adding quite a number of sushi-related puns. I’ve done some digging and have not found the reason they closed. The last Yelp review is dated January 16 of this year, so it’s a recent closure. This section of NE Broadway is easy to miss, but there are many accolades for the sushi that was in this little spot. 628 NE Broadway, Portland

Ramadan started this week. I’ve noticed a few places recognizing this important holiday in Islam. The Rose City Book Pub is serving iftar—the meal to break the fast during Ramadan—all month, but with a western twist. It will be served all day, not just after sunset. Here’s a bit of the origin story of their iftar:

“We originally started serving iftar to support Muslims who are far from family, like international students, but it turns out that everyone loves kabsah. The meal is a choice of lamb or chicken served with seasoned rice, tzatziki, tabbouleh, hummus, pita, and a date.  My Saudi brother’s wife made the spice blend. I’m donating 20% of the proceeds from our iftars to SOAR immigrant legal services to support their increasingly urgent work.”

Also know that Queen Mama’s Kitchen has updated hours for Ramadan; the Somali restaurant Kismayo does, too. This Ramadan calendar might also be of interest. Multiple locations

Lent started (Ash) Wednesday. In addition to Ramadan, Lent—the 40-day period of reflection and repentance observed by Catholics and other Christians—also began this week. During this time, many Christians traditionally abstain from meat on Fridays until Easter. To help you plan, we’ve rounded up a few great spots to find delicious vegetarian-friendly options this week. We’ll keep adding to this list each Friday.

On that note, check out The Lasagna Project , which offers a handmade sourdough focaccia as well as a hearty white bean minestrone soup. They also make veg lasagnas on select weeks so follow them to check on their latest offering, or simply DM Tommy to ask for one!

Dream Deli on SE Division has a veggie “meatloaf” on their menu, which looks more like a terrine, wrapped in airy milk bread and paired with onions and aioli. What a fun and non traditional meat alternative! 3542 SE Division Street, Portland

Golden Lotus Thai Kitchen is open. Their soft opening day was Friday, January 23. They are located on NE Grand Avenue in a recently revamped building that was a Mattress World for a time. I believe Golden Lotus Thai Kitchen is connected to the folks behind the Wasabi Sushi PDX cart at Happy Valley Station.

Here’s their menu. NB: It is a big file and loads slower than you’d expect. Lots of familiar dishes, but a few caught my eye: the Massaman Curry served with roti; Yam Khai Dao, a crispy fried egg salad; and Khao Soi with crispy duck. 120 NE Grand Avenue, Portland

Meatless Mondays at Fire on the Mountain. They are offering $1 vegan drumsticks all day every Monday. To go or dine in, and for a limited time. Limit 12 per order, too. 3443 NE 57th Avenue, 1708 E Burnside Street and 4225 N Interstate Avenue, Portland

Beaverton Bluto’s had a fire. They are not sure how long it will take then to get back on their feet, but they’ll keep us updated on their Instagram. Their SE Belmont location remains open. 12555 SW 1st Street, Beaverton

Temporary closure of Judah’s Deli. This cart in the Rose City Food Park has become extremely popular, and that has led to the need to change some things. Fiona and Nick posted on their Instagram that they have outgrown their food prep capacity at the current cart, which causes over 30-minute wait times. They do not believe this is right or fair.

So, they will temporarily close the cart so they can upgrade it, “with steamers and set up a new commissary kitchen for our meat production.” They don’t really want to close but they feel this is “a pressing and necessary update and now is the most pragmatic time for us to address it with our full attention.” As for their reopening, that is TBD. 5235 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland

FYI, Oregon Beverage Collective. Central Oregon’s Cascade Lakes Brewing and Crux Fermentation Project (the former acquired the latter) have merged to serve as the basis of this new collective. Silver Moon Brewing, GoodLife Brewing, and Tumalo Cider Co. round out the group. It’s a strategic partnership that OBC says “is more than a business decision.” They say, “it’s a shared commitment to preserving local legacy brands, investing in community, and building a sustainable future for regional beverages.” New School Beer blog has more.

More details on Good Girl, a bar. They are open open “M-F 5pm to 2am, or until we’ve had enough.” A Reddit user said about the owner, “She’s been in the industry for years, and owning a bar has been a dream for a long time.” Also, everyone is welcome; just no creeps. Here’s their Instagram. 719 SE Morrison Street, Portland

Expatriate has closed, it’s official. Their website indicated the closure: “We opened on July 11th 2013. We closed on February 8th 2026.” Ben Coleman over at Eater also wrote about the closure. 5424 NE 30th Avenue, Portland

Also, don’t forget about Dumpling Week, which is in full steam until this Saturday, February 21. Check out our comprehensive Portland Dumpling Week post about this year’s festivities, including participating restaurants and their dumpling specials. Also, not officially on the list but still noteworthy is Norah’s Jiaozi Fried Dumpling (NE Alberta location), which features stuffed wontons, soy curls, spinach and a kick of spicy, sweet gochujang. 1451 NE Alberta Street, Portland.

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Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:

Baka Umai Ramen Den Is Open in Northwest Portland
Attend the 2026 CSA Share Fairs in the Portland Metro
Nana’s Exquisite Confections Opens Today in Portland