Small Bites: Elephants Deli Burns, Mikado, Brunch, and More

Painful and tragic: The flagship Elephants Deli burns. There’s plenty of news outlets reporting on this, but I’ll share the news releases (first, second) produced by Portland Fire & Rescue. Essentially:

“At 1am on the morning of March 10, 2026, Portland Fire & Rescue responded to a commercial fire at the Elephant’s Deli at 115 NW 22nd Avenue in NW Portland. This was a fire that was human caused on the exterior of the structure that extended to the interior of the building and into the elevated roof structure resulting in significant fire damage.”

The fire sounds like it was bad; Elephants said, it was “a significant fire.” They also said, “This is a challenging day for the Elephants Herd, but we remain resolute. Our restaurants are grounded in community, and we are confident in our ability to band together and emerge from this adversity.”

On March 11, PF&R announced they had arrested a person, 56-year-old Catherine E. Stough, and charged then with Reckless Burning and Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree. Apparently, “The suspect arrested was using an open flame torch as a light source to view into garbage cans when the flame unintentionally ignited a combustible material inside.”

This was the very first Elephants Deli that I experienced in Portland. We at Bridgetown Bites wish them only the best and that things can be fixed swiftly and easily. 115 NW 22nd Avenue, Portland

RIP Roger Porter. Jim Dixon wrote about the passing of Roger Porter, who “wrote about restaurants for Willamette Week.” He also was a restaurant critic at The Oregonian and was a James Beard Award finalist in 1989. He was 89. Read more on WW.

Pi Day is tomorrow. That’s March 14, AKA 3/14, AKA 3.14, the first three digits of pi, an irrational number that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. it goes on and on and on. And as pi rhymes with pie, it’s a perfect opportunity to celebrate pie in this city on National Pi Day.

• Bakeshop will have small, individual size pies at the counter (pre-orders are done).
• Decadent Creations in Hillsboro is featuring a special monster pie on 3/13 and 3/14, where they combine their various pie slices into one Frankenstein pie. It’s a big hit with customers and you can pick one up for yourself at the Beaverton Farmers Market this Saturday while supplies last!
• Lauretta Jean’s “will be stocked to the gills with ALL THE PIE!” and you can read more about their plans on their Instagram.
• Great American Video & Espresso is doing BOGO mini ice cream pies from 9am to 9pm or while supplies last on Saturday.

Sincerely, Bagel turns one! Head to their shop tomorrow to help them celebrate one year in business. There will be cake, but it will likely go fast. 525 NE 24th Avenue, Portland

El Rinconcito Yucateco reopens as Lindo Yucatán. They’ve moved from their SE Flavel location to SE Division and 84th Avenue in the space that used to be home to Thăng Long Cuisine, which closed earlier this year. They reopened there on Thursday, March 5. They posted on Instagram, “We’re excited to announce that our restaurant is reopening! We’ve truly missed our customers and can’t wait to welcome you back.” I first caught wind of El Rinconicito via Sam Smith’s Instagram, where he said it was, “my current favorite restaurant in Portland. Always shocked when places this good aren’t getting write ups or on best of Portland lists. 8409 SE Division Street D, Portland

Brunch is coming to L’Echelle. I’ve heard they are putting together a brunch service, so watch for that. 4537 SE Division Street, Portland

Brunch is also coming to Adelleda. This is vegan brunch. “We’ve been working behind the scenes on a full brunch menu along with a new spring menu, and we can’t wait to share it with you.” 103 NE Grand Avenue, Portland

Brunch at G-Love starts Sunday. This is the first time in their history, G-Love will offer weekend brunch. They’ve been working on it for months and are pretty excited; it launches this Sunday, March 15. You can make your reservation on their Resy page. 1615 NW 21st Avenue, Portland

Grand Central Bakery has added two new sandwiches to its seasonal menu: the veg-friendly Crispy Maitake Mushroom and the meat-tacular Smoked Roast Beef. Both sandwiches look hearty and flavorful and are packed with locally sourced ingredients. Multiple locations

Patio pop-ups at Loyal Legion WA. While the interior is probably going to take another couple of months to complete, they are doing events outside on the patio now. This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, they’re doing burgers and sausages on the grill; there will be taste treats from Small Eats, which makes Taiwanese breakfast and street food; baked goods from Dos Hermanos; coffee from Cafecito Coffee Co; and craft beer and cider from the Northbank Brewers Alliance. 1109 Washington Street, Vancouver

Oscar Food & Wine soft opening is soon. This little spot next to the Plaid Pantry on Southeast 26th Avenue is getting closer to their soft opening, which should be next week. There’s about 20 seats in there and they specialize in serving natural wine along with “contemporary cooking.” They’ve been advertising for cook and server jobs on Poached. It’s a curious location, and I’m excited to see what they do with the place. 2425 SE 26th Avenue, Portland

Corbett Taphouse opening soon. They’ll serve beer, cider, and wine to you, via their 20-tap glycol-chilled system, and in cans/bottles, too. Food is by Tamale Boy. Their location is the historic Johns Landing Water Tower building. Look for them to open in the next couple of weeks. The trio behind the taphouse includes Gabrielle Anderson-Kahana, Sam Johnson, and Adam Clutter. 5331 S Macadam Avenue, Suite 270, Portland

Say When will open spring 2026. A couple of people have told me about this project from the Sit Tite team of Paul Francis and Robert Thomas. They’ll offer, “blue collar French food and drinks.” I believe this is the old Lightning Will Bar & Grill space. 305 NW 21st Avenue, Portland

The Mikado Building has a new owner. And it’s the folks from Luc Lac. This is according to an article on the Portland Business Journal; they have a paywall, so I’ll share what I know here. The buyer of the property is LUC LAC MIKADO LLC, which was registered on March 26, 2025. They paid 3 million bucks for it (here’s the recorded sales history).

In 2025 there was a Land Use Review permit filed for “approval of exterior alterations to the Mikado Block.” This building was built in 1880. A more recent permit involves a change of occupancy from B (Business) to A (Assembly, which includes restaurants) on the first floor and from B to S (Storage) in the basement. Interior modifications and upgrades are proposed, as well as exterior modification. This permit is currently under review. 837 SW 1st Avenue, Portland

Update: The new Prince Coffee is opening in May. And they’re hiring! Send your resumes and a cover letter to sam@princecoffeepdx.com. 1936 N Killingsworth Street, Portland

Maybe Coffeeshop has opened on SE Morrison. Looks like the old High Score space, and it’s next to Onigiri Gaijin. They use Tostado Coffee Roasters for their beans and Dos Hermanos for their pastries. Looks like they opened March 7. When they are open, it’s from 8am to 4pm, Tuesday to Sunday. 617 SE Morrison Street, Portland

Kulfi will open in Beaverton. They started with a bike cart, opened a brick & mortar on NE 15th Avenue in the Alberta Arts District, and moved to North Williams because they outgrew their space. Now they have a space in Beaverton where they will offer their delicious Indian ice cream to the suburbs. Opening date to come. 12695 SW Crescent Street #120, Beaverton

Snow Moon K-Pop’s grand opening is tomorrow. They’ve been in soft opening mode since March 5, and will have a grand opening celebration on Saturday, March 14. They’ll have $50 gift card giveaways, free samples with purchase (25% off code: OPEN2026), and K-Pop themed activities throughout the day. Snow Moon blends, “the cozy atmosphere of a traditional cafe with the vibrant spirit of Korean culture.” Enjoy bingsu, croffles, coffee, and tea. 9955 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy, Suite 123, Beaverton

Du’s Grill adds a new menu item. And for only the second time in the past 30 years. It’s Gochujang Pork, and Du’s wife created the recipe. “If you like Korean food or a little spicy kick when you eat, try this right here!!” Limited availability right now. 5347 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland

Hiori is leaving Malpractice. They’ll be there through most of March, with their final day of service on Saturday, March 28. “It’s the last time you’ll see a few of these dishes (*wink*) and we’ll have a few specials here and there until we wrap things up!” 77 SE Yamhill Street, Portland

Chef Adrien × Jacqueline: Spring tasting menu pop-up. Chef Adrien Calmels, formerly of Okta in McMinnville, is doing a series of pop-up meals at Jacqueline’s old space, which was recently home to Fair Weather. The meal will be a 10-course spring tasting menu and it happens every Friday and Saturday from Friday, April 10 to Saturday, May 2. 5pm and 8pm seatings are available.

Tickets at $140 per person.
There will be an optional wine pairing, designed to complement the menu, at an additional cost. Or, bring your own bottle for a $30 corkage fee. Buy your tickets here, plus there’s more information on Chef Adrien’s approach to cooking.

Seating is limited, making for an intimate evening encouraging connection and community. You can see details on the menu on Chef Adrien’s Linktree under “Spring Menu.” 2039 SE Clinton Street, Portland

There’s a speakeasy in Oregon City. I saw a post on Instagram by Samantha Swindler about The Hardware Store and its whiskey bar speakeasy. Something to check out next time you’re there. 602 7th Street, Oregon City

Shop Halo Halo has a new home. Last year we spoke with Geleen Abenoja of Shop Halo Halo, about what was next for her after closing the bakery in Woodstock. At the time she had been looking for a new location, and this week she told me that she has found one! And it is where she wanted to be: Union Way in downtown Portland.

Along with that they are continuing to fundraise so they can continue to share their Filipino-inspired treats, host community centered events, and showcase local artists and makers, all at the new space. They’d love to reach their goal of $15K by March 31, which is their 6-year anniversary. They welcome your support; no amount is too small. 1022 W Burnside Street, Portland

Hafa Adai Hands and Dibina Coffee are looking for a cafe space to lease together. What are they looking for? 1,000 sf, a type-1 hood, and some outdoor space. They’d love to stay in NW but are open to other locations—for example, the old Taco Pedaler space on NE Broadway could be a fit. This would allow them to bring more Chamoru food—that of Guan and the Marianas Islands—to Portland.

FYI Vertical Diner is not closing. “At least not for a while. We might close in another few months but are still trying to figure that out. We will announce that when or if that is happening.” 8124 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland

SNAFU at the Mad Greek Deli. There was a PCC picket line there this week, by the location near the PCC Rock Creek Campus. Unfortunately, it affected the economics of the day for the Mad Greek Deli, who supports the employees of PCC—it was a 75% decrease in sales for the day. Mad Greek said, “Ownership and management was not informed or included in any planning of yesterdays picket line around our business.” You can read more on their Facebook page. 18515 NW West Union Road, Portland

The Northwest Liquid Arts Festival is next month. Hard to believe April is almost upon us, but it is and that means the Northwest Liquid Arts Festival is on the horizon. The producers call it, “The ultimate Pacific Northwest beverage + food experience” and is on Saturday, April 18 at the Portland Expo Center. There are two tickets: General ($63) and VIP ($146) and the times are different: General admission from 4pm to 9pm and VIP admission starting at 1:30pm. More info and buy tickets here. Hall A, 2060 N Marine Drive, Portland

Oscars viewing party at the Living Room. That’s Living Room Wines. Starting this Sunday at 3:30pm they’ll be streaming the Oscars live. “Whether you’ve seen every nominee or just want an excuse to drink wine and judge celebrity outfits, you’re in the right place.” 4818 N Lombard Street, Portland

Affogatos for Whit. Whit, of Whit’s Pizza Pies, is dealing with the onslaught of cancer again. It’s stage four and in his brain. Today through Sunday, head to Bialy Bird for an affogato—all $9 sales of this coffee and ice cream miracle—a shot of Past Time espresso poured over a scoop of Salt & Straw Ice Cream—will go to Whit. 1412 + 1414 SE Morrison Street, Portland

DesiPDX is moving to Modhaus. They will be leaving the Prost! Marketplace pod and heading to Modhaus, hoping to open there in the first week of April. The final day of service at Prost! is Sunday, March 22. 4237 N Mississippi Avenue, Portland

Le Fragole will also be at Modhaus. They are reopening there on Friday, March 20. Strawberries will still be a big part of the menu, but they’ve expanded their dessert offerings, and I can’t wait to see what’s new. 3829 SE Division Street, Portland

Block party tonite at Mako Matcha Mill. Gazin posted about a house-music-focused block party happening tonight from 7pm to 11pm, “where rhythm, flavor, and community come together for a unique evening in Portland.” She’ll be spinning House and Deep House there at Mako Matcha Mill. She says, “Expect warm grooves, layered rhythms, and an uplifting atmosphere to carry the night.”

Along with the music, there will be $1 drinks of matcha, hojicha, and yuzu beverages. This is an alcohol-free event. 414 SW 13th Avenue, Portland

Reminder: Flour Market Cafe is back! Their soft reopening is Sunday morning, February 15 at their new location. 4932 NE 30th Avenue, Portland

And the CSA Share Fair is this Sunday. Head to the Redd on Salmon to check out all the CSAs and various vendors there. Hopefully, the baby animals will make a return. Free to attend. 831 SE Salmon Street, Portland

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Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:

Slow Pour Reopens in Sellwood
St. Patrick’s Day 2026 in Portland: Food, Drink, and More
They’re Here: Zeppole in Portland for St. Joseph’s Day
First Look: Honorable Mention Lounge Opens at The Benson Hotel in Portland