Small Bites: Hearth & Vine Opened, Nyamazo, Spotlight Brewing, and More

Hearth & Vine opened yesterday. We covered this restaurant last year when it was shrouded in mystery. I can’t deny that doing the research at the time was a lot of fun, uncovering details incrementally. There are a couple of publications that got the first bite of info right before Hearth & Vine opened, but here’s a condensed version of the press release we received yesterday, with tidbits we think you’d like to know.

• Overview: Hearth & Vine, in the historic Henry Weinhard Brewery Building, is a New American restaurant and bar launched by NYC hospitality company Apicii in collaboration with global real estate investment firm BentallGreenOak (BGO). HW’s Malt & Hop House is the accompanying private event space that includes an outdoor patio coming later this year. It accommodates 110 seated guests or 225 for standing receptions. Their target is corporate gatherings, celebrations, and hosted events.
• Staff: H &W’s Executive Chef is Brian Cooper (previously at Dosalas on the Water in Vancouver, WA) and General Manager is Brendon Martin. Front of House Manager is Maureen Ott (WSET Level 2) and Event Manager is Jennifer Ertler (Certified Sommelier, WSET Level 3).
• Eating and Drinking: Food, focuses on seasonality and PNW bounty that includes a raw bar, pasta (e.g., Rigatoni Bolognese, Pasta Primavera), pizza (e.g., Truffled Jamón, Margherita) , salads (e.g., Cobb, Mediterranean Chopped, Ceasar) small and large plates (e.g., meatballs, burrata, roast chicken), and they will have a dedicated happy hour menu, which includes an “Afternoon Delight” cocktail, and things like olives, shishito peppers, garlic knots and more. Beverages include more than 50 wines by the glass, including 24 on tap, and over 30 bottles from the Pacific Northwest. PNW beer and mocktails are also available.
• Decor/Design: You’ll see a new mural created in partnership with the Portland Street Art Alliance, and custom hand-blown glass pendant lights by Portland artist Justin Parker.
• Hours: They are open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch, dinner, and happy hour. Happy hour is 3pm to 5pm and bar seating is first come first served. On Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday they’re open from 11am to 10pm; Friday and Saturday open from 11am to 11pm. You can make reservations for the dining room on their OpenTable page.

10 NW 12th Avenue, Portland

Spotlight Brewing Company plans to open next week. They thought they’d open this week but they hit a snag. This is the brewery and taproom in the Hollywood Q Food Hall that has been getting ready to open in the Hollywood District at the corner of NE Sandy and 40th Avenue. Next week’s planned opening is a soft one; they plan to “throw a big fun grand opening party in the near future.”

And as far as Hollywood Q goes, their aim was to open Wednesday, April 1, but that aforementioned snag may have had an effect on their opening. I stopped by on Wednesday after chowing down on sourdough bread and it looked like they still have some things to do. I’ll keep an eye on it. 4035 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland

National Caramel Day is April 5. That’s also Easter this year. Wildwood chocolates is running special: 20% off caramels until Sunday, April 5. Discount applied at checkout. You can place your order here. Online

Marsh & Mallow Co. has s’mores and goats for you on Easter. I learned that Goat It Solutions is pairing up with Marsh & Mallow for GF s’mores (their family flight) and a chance to hang out and play with some goats (for free). It’s happening on Sunday, April 5 from noon to 4pm at Director Park. They’ll have firepits, too, though as I write this the prediction is that the day will see a high of 76F. Could be a nice way to spend sometime together on what could be the warmest day so far of 2026. 815 SW Park Avenue, Portland

Libre is closing. Their final day of service is tomorrow, Saturday, April 4. They wrote, “Libre was never just a bar to us. It was late nights, loud laughs, quiet conversations, and so many beautiful, unexpected moments in between.” They will be missed. 2601 SE Clinton Street, Portland

Spotted: Nyamazo. A Bridgetown Bites tipster shared a photo of a sign installed at the building at 600 SE Belmont Street: Nyamazo. According to ORSOS, Dele Okedara (Morrison Market, Meridian 7) and Eutychus Kangaruaele Okedara (Latha African Style BBQ) are behind it. My research says “nyamazo” means “the animals in Nyanja (or Chichewa), a major Bantu language in central African countries (e.g., Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique). This location was once home to Modern Times Beer, which closed in 2022. 600 Belmont Street, Portland

Two things at Keeper Coffee. First, they now have their favorite syrup flavor: strawberry. You can add it to any iced drink of your choice.

And starting today, you can hunt for the eggs they’ve placed throughout Southeast Portland and Milwaukie. “They’ll be filled with things like a BOGO coupon, a % off your next order, or EVEN a few coupons for a bag of coffee from our retail stock.” There will be some clues on their Instagram. One egg per customer, and if you find more than one, they encourage you to post about it so others can find it. 4515 SE 41st Avenue, Portland and 10722 SE Main Street, Milwaukie

“The Big Portland Bake Show” is coming this summer to Portland. According to Lizzy Acker at The Oregonian, this is a project from Pix Patisserie. They will host this baking competition— locals-only—version of the “Great British Bake-Off.” It will take place in a tent in the bakery’s courtyard during the weekends of June 27 and 28, July 18 and 19 and August 29 and 30. Read more here.

If you want to participate, you have to register for an in-person interview on Saturday, May 30 or Sunday, May 31. Registration opens on Monday, May 4, at 8am. The winner will be dubbed the “Star Baker.” 2225 E Burnside Street, Portland

Alolia Café has opened in Gresham. It’s located across from the Gresham Arts Plaza in a little detached building. Owner Esmerelda Ruiz describes the space as, “cozy, chic, feminine and floral.” They use a light roast for coffee, which she says bring out the floral notes. You can read more about them in the Gresham Outlook. 310 NE 2nd Street, Gresham

Niños Birrieria is opening a brick and mortar in Wilsonville. They’ll have their great food, beer, cocktails, and places to sit. This is their third location. Opening (possibly) mid-May or June. Address unknown at this point

The Portland City Grill is sticking around. They signed a 5-year lease at Big Pink. I was there recently and had a delicious Lychee NA drink made with lychee-lime sour, soda, and hibiscus crystals. 111 SW 5th Avenue, 30th Floor, Portland

FIKA pop-up at Puff Coffee. Joe at FIKA is doing a pop-up tomorrow morning at 10am (and ending when sold-out), and some of the products he’s selling are made with Puff Coffee! He’ll also have some of his most popular items, like his handpies/empanadas and bars. 2816 SE Stark Street, Portland

It’s Matcha Week at TANAKA. They also call it the Tokyo Spring Experience and it’s been going on since Wednesday, April 1. All of the matcha and tea beverages are 50% off, there are $10 make-your-own matcha experiences, some local artist and pottery pop-ups, and free samples (while supplies last) of Honey Toast, Strawberry Matcha, and Melon Matcha. Keep up with the week’s activities on their Instagram. 7237 SW Bridgeport Road, Tigard; 678 SW 12th Avenue, Portland; and 1493 NW Civic Drive, Gresham

First cat cafe ever in Vancouver will open this summer. Milky & Coco’s Kit-Tea Cafe officially has a home. As they said, “We’re feline thrilled to start bringing our cozy cat café to life, full of coffee, cuddles, and adoptable kitties.” 5000 E Fourth Plain Blvd, Suite E101-103, Vancouver

Achoun’s Bread is doing a pop-up with malasadas etc. On Saturday, April 11 from 10am to 4pm, they will join a handful of other vendors at a space on NE Broadway with malasadas and other bread/donut-related items. There will be handmade and vintage items for sale, too. 2419 NE Broadway, Portland

Snack Wine! It’s a new wine spritzer project using wine made with family-grown fruit from Fresno County: red, white, and rosé wines. You can get cans at Cherry Sprout Market and starting on Sunday, May 3 they’ll be at the Montavilla Farmers Market. 722 N Sumner Street and 7700 SE Stark Street, Portland

And on the topic of the Montavilla Farmers Market. Their location, a lot at SE Stark Street and 76th that has been their home since 2007, is for sale. On Facebook they wrote, “While we are operating as usual and no sale is imminent we are preparing now in case a move becomes necessary. We’re grateful for the past 19 years in our location, and want to plan carefully for what comes next.”

They are looking for a site, and have a search committee in place, but they are looking for community input via this survey.

ForeLand Beer has a pop-up tasting room. A liquor license application was filed by ForeLand Beer for 240 N Broadway. The Google says this location is a “Pop-up tasting room for ForeLand Beer for Moda Center and area events.” Weekday hours are 3pm to 10pm, weekend hours are noon to 10pm, and all those hours adjust depending on what’s up at the Moda Center. 240 N Broadway, Portland

New yums at Sebastiano’s. They’ve got a new sandwich called “Getting Figgy With It,” created in collaboration with their friend Ariele of “Cooking with Rel” fame. It’s a fig jam turkey melt on griddled sourdough with a radicchio salad, red onions and dill mustard drizzle. For every salad sold, $2 of that will go to support Urban Gleaners. They also have a pistachio bombolini this month, which I expect is amazing. 8235 SE 13th Avenue, Suite 7, Portland

Kitchen Table Magazine’s latest edition is almost here. It’ll be out in May 2026 and it’s all about bread. You can pre-order it and get more info on it, here.

Wajan x Veganizer: Nasi Padang Feast. Veganizer’s next event is a vegan and gluten-free meal inspired by the cuisines of Sumatra and Java, Indonesia. This feast is a vegan take on Nasi Padang style dishes, and is their first one-on-one collab dinner with award-winning Chef Feny.

These dinners are at 5:30pm on Wednesday, April 8 to Sunday, April 12 and take place at Wajan. Tickets are $75 (includes gratuity) for 8 dishes and you can purchase them here. 4611 E Burnside Street, Portland

Briel’s Barbecue Pop-Up at Rhinestone is this Wedneday. “Rhinestone is teaming up with Briel’s Barbecue for a day of Central Texas-meets-Southern BBQ. Pitmaster Briel does 14-hour cooks on wood-fed offset smokers, the kind of low-and-slow craft that’s earned a serious following on the Portland pop-up scene. The menu is coming soon, but if you know Briel’s, you know it’ll be worth showing up for. Swing by for a pint and some smoke-kissed brisket.”

Plus, head to Rhinestone for a monthly (third Wednesdays) Drag Bingo night hosted by Pluto. They start at 7pm on the dot. It’s free to play, and full of creative energy. 2100 SE Clinton Street, Portland

Progress at the old Yen Ha. They’ve got a new paint job on the exterior—a kind of red on the bottom and yellow up top. Exciting! Nice to have some color after years of matte black. 6820 NE Sandy Blvd

Kisune Cantina will open in the Central Eastside. I first caught wind of this spot via a liquor license application. According to a job posting, Kitsune Cantina is “a new 7,000 sq. ft. restaurant and bar in an iconic Central Eastside space. We re launching a high-volume dinner and late-night operation featuring four distinct areas, a year-round patio, and live music/acts.”

One of the persons behind this project is Jasmine Akina of Exoterica PDX, a hospitality collective that hosts and produces events, classes, art, and markets in Portland. Their operations are in a 5,000 square food warehouse. Josh Baker is another person involved with Kisune Cantina; he’s a bartender for Flip and Shaker. More details to come on this one (including clarification of the address). 1800 E Burnside Street, Portland (technically)

Portland Syrups has two new flavors. And they are Orange and Ube. I think the orange syrup would be really good in a latte, giving it a kind of “Borgia” vibe. But the Ube is the focus of an upcoming event, “Purple Spring: Discover Your Perfect Ube Drink” at the Portland Syrups space.

On Saturday, April 18 from 10am to 2pm, you can stop by and try their featured Purple Spring drinks, on the house. They include an ube iced latte, iced ube matcha, and Purple Reign Dirty Soda (cola topped with ube cold foam). More details on their Eventbrite page, where can reserve a spot for the day. 2025 SE 11th Avenue, Portland

Rum Club has a new spring menu, plus tiki. Their new menu dropped last week that Bar Manager Mike Treffehn and owner Michael Shea put together for the season. You can see it on the Rum Club website. I’m intrigued by the Hawaii Style Boiled Peanuts and the Piononos (sweet plantain fritter, pork and fermented black bean, and chile hoisin).

Tiki Monday is this Monday, April 6. The month’s theme is “Tiki Wedding, Something Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue.” Check the website for a special drink menu. 720 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland

New seasonal flavor at Pip’s Original. And it’s Mango with Salted Vanilla Glaze. Dang that sounds good. The put a dollop of fresh champagne mango puree (Honey or Ataulfo) on their smol warm donuts and finish it all with salted vanilla bean glaze. 4759 NE Fremont Street, Portland

F.H. Steinbart is officially-officially closing. They got their second wind after announcing their closure the first time around. But now it’s for reals—America’s oldest home-brew supply shop is truly saying goodbye and today is their final day of business. Stop in today to find plenty of deals, and tomorrow there will be a wake with local craft beer on tap; and it’s all free. And, there’s more—head to the New School Beer blog for more details. 234 SE 12th Avenue, Portland

The Grocery Outlet in Parkrose will close. This is not good. They will close down operations this summer, according to a KOIN article. A Grocery Outlet spokesperson said, “We appreciate the loyalty of the Parkrose community and thank our customers for choosing to shop with us.” This is lip service. The closure of Grocery Outlet contributes to the creep towards Parkrose as food desert. Something needs to change. 10721 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland.

Best Friend reopens today. After being closed since December for repairs, the food truck is reopening! They’ll have fresh juices and smoothies, hot coffee, and more. 1121 SE Division Street, Portland

Portland Monthly has been sold. This week we learned that Hour Media purchased SagaCity Media, Portland Monthly’s parent company, for $1.6 million. Rachel Saslow at Willamette Week has more details. Local folks lost their jobs; it’s terrible. At Bridgetown Bites, we send our best to all at Portland Monthly whose jobs were taken from them on Wednesday.

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Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:

Head To the Portland Sourdough Showcase This Week in Portland
Wyrd Leatherworks and Meadery Has a New Home in Milwaukie
The 2026 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Finalists in Portland
Fwi Makes Coffee and Banana Bread in North Portland
Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, March 2026

Updated April 3, 2026 to correct the address for ForeLand Beer, which is operating on N Broadway, not N Fremont.