Small Bites: Ballots and Brews, Pozole, Jinju, and More

Ballots and Brews at Tomorrow’s Verse. On Sunday, October 25 at 5:30pm, Tomorrow’s Verse is hosting Ballots and Brews: A Community Voting Night.

“Bring your ballot. Bring your voters’ pamphlet. Grab a beer and a table with your neighbors. Research the issues, discuss the candidates, talk through what’s on the ballot, ask questions and fill out your ballot at your own pace. No speeches. No pressure. No telling you how to vote. Just neighbors, community, democracy and beer.”

Be sure to take your completed ballot with you, as Tomorrow’s Verse is not an official drop site. 4605 NE Fremont Street, Suite 103, Portland

Save the date for German food at the German Haus. Their October Mittagessen (Lunch) is all about Krautwickel (cabbage rolls). The rolls come with Kartoffelpüree (mashed potatoes), Salat (salad), and Kuchen (cake). It all takes place on Saturday, October 31 at noon. $15 Adults, $12 Children under 11 years of age. RSVP at info@germanamerican.org. 5626 NE Alameda Street, Portland

Reminder: Friends Share Community Space and Cà Phê anniversary celebration. Monday, October 12 marked their second anniversary and they have done amazing things in this little corner of East Portland. On Saturday, October 24 starting at 6pm they’ll party with a special house phở, drinks, and karaoke all night. 14814 SE Powell Blvd, Portland

It’s been a year since Taste of Sichuan reopened. They were closed for quite a while after a fire, and reopened November 2, 2025. They wrote this update:

“This time last year, we were frantically preparing for what turned out to be the craziest two months we’ve ever had. We never imagined we’d see lines wrapped around the building, with the restaurant full as soon as the doors opened. Since then, things have settled into a steady rhythm, and we’re grateful for the string of great reviews from customers enjoying what our kitchen puts out.”

They’ll be celebrating their one year reopening from Sunday, October 25 to Saturday, November 7 with a free appetizer (one per party) with a bill or $88 or more. Appetizers include #10 Spring Rolls, #11 Fried Cheese Wontons, #14 Potstickers, #15 Green Onion Pancakes, or S8 Sichuan Bean Jelly

“Why $88? In Chinese culture, 8 (八, bā) is the luckiest number, since the word for ‘eight’ sounds like the word for ‘prosperity; (发, fā). Double 8s mean double good fortune, and that’s what we’re wishing all of you!” 16261 NW Cornell Road, Beaverton

Jinju has reopened. They are back in a new location, just a handful of blocks from their old one. Their soft opening was Wednesday, October 21, but they had I guess what you’d call a “soft soft opening” over the past weekend—I saw the lines snaking down the street as I drove to the laundromat last Sunday. The unfortunate reality of a broken dough sheeter yielded their introduction of Korean salt bread items, which is very exciting. Croissants will return.

Portland Maps indicates JINJU DESSERT LLC is the owner of this retail space, so they will not have to worry about lease issues going forward. Welcome back, Jinju! 3494 N Williams Avenue, Portland

Lovely’s Fifty Fifty is a top pizzeria in the U.S. According to Food and Wine and their “27 Best Pizzas in America Right Now” listicle, which is apparently a “complete snapshot of everything that’s great about pizza in America today.” Here’s the blurb on Lovely’s:

“You’re as likely to find Sarah Minnick in a forest foraging for mushrooms, dandelion greens, and flowers as you are behind her electric oven. That’s because she sees pizza as a platform for local ingredients. Her pizzas at Lovely’s Fifty Fifty are iconoclastic and express the terroir of the Pacific Northwest. Think confit tomato with summer squash, orange agrumato, and edible flowers.” 4039 N Mississippi Avenue, Portland

Spotted: Birrieria PDX on NW 21st Ave and Marshall. Over on Reddit, a user posted a photo with a Birrieria PDX truck there on the Astro gas station property. They write, “This cart has been here for a bit, and the hedges have been removed for what will clearly be some sort of platform/waiting area. Bright LEDs along the sides, presumably for safety. This is gonna be huge for this little corner of the neighborhood!” 1111 NW 21st Avenue, Portland

Hotpot Palace has closed. Not sure when, but I thought I’d pass on the news. 11530 SW Pacific Hwy Tigard

The Ridge Grill has a new owner. And his name is Carlos Castaneda (not that Carolos Castaneda). He also runs Taco del Sol in Tigard. Currently The Ridge Grill offers, “Seafood, Steaks, Pasta, Burgers and Sandwiches and great local beer.” The ownership changeover happened about a month and a half ago. Will the menu stay as-is? Change to something else? I’ll see what I can find out. 12345 SW Horizon Blvd #61, Beaverton

I also learned that 1927 S’Mores Company®️ has new owners. Looks like they restarted operating in Portland in July 2025. The ORSOS records indicate they are based in Wyoming. In May 2025 they submitted an Application for Authority, which was then revoked this past July. The “authority” is something you need in order to operate in one state, when your business is technically based in another (again, Wyoming). Stephen Zimmerman, Nicole Tignor, and Bryan Arnold are in the ORSOS records for the company.

Their social media stopped posting in August 2025. It’s a curious thing, and part of the apparent ongoing saga of a business that abruptly closed two years ago. Good thing they are options in this town—more on that soon. Multiple locations

Queen of Pozole Fundraiser. Next Wednesday, October 28 is a pozole fundraiser for the Portland Indigenous Marketplace (PIM). Pozole will be served from 12:30pm to 7:30pm, with the Queen of Pozole competition from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Note: “This is a non-gender-specific contest, so all pozole-loving cooks are welcome to compete for the crown! All Queens Welcome!”

“Come enjoy a warm bowl of pozole with all the fixins—available to eat on-site or take to go. There will be several delicious pozole options to choose from, plus beverages, PIM Perch, PIM merch, a raffle, silent auction, and more!” Green, red, chicken, pork, and vegetarian pozoles will be in the mix. Raffle tickets and an auction are a couple of ways they are raising money, too. 3917 NE Shaver Street, Portland

HeyDay returns to Muji tomorrow. From 11am to 2pm on Saturday, October 24, you can encounter the good folks from Heyday. “We’ll have our baked doughnuts, s’mores cookies and introducing our cookie buns in original and matcha flavors ( it’s our version of a melon pan) and cà phê sũa bun (our buttery condensed milk bun with a coffee cookie top)!” 621 SW 5th Avenue, Portland

The new Pronto Gelato soft opens this weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25, head to the new scoop shop from Pronto Gelato. There will be Spella Caffe espresso from 8am to 11am, then gelato from 6pm to 9pm. 232 NE 28th Avenue, Portland

Grasslands Barbecue is in town. They’ll be here all weekend, starting today, at Ruse Brewing. Noon until sold out—here’s what you can expect:

• All weekend: Tasso Pulled Pork, Green Chile Chicken, Pork Belly Burnt Ends, Hatch Chile & Cheddar Sausage, Pork Chile Verde Sausage (our favorite of the year, Brisket Boudin, Garlic Smoked Cremini Mushroomz.
• Sides all weekend: Mac & Cheese, Tex-Mex Slaw, Picnic Potatoes, Collard Greens.
• Friday specials: Pork Belly Banh Mi, Brisket Mohawks.
• Saturday specials: Sliced Brisket, Fiesta Baby Back Ribs w/ Mezcal Jalapeno Glaze.
• Sunday specials: Beef Cheeks, Pappasito’s Beef Back Ribs.

Note: Ruse opens at 11am each day, and they’ll also have some specials: live music, craft vendors, and tattoos on-site. 4784 SE 17th Avenue, Portland

And Lil’ Barbecue turns one year old! This Sunday, October 25, join them to celebrate a year in Portland. They’ll have a special sausage from HarBQ, one-off free merch, and a good time. It sure will be a meaty weekend. 1771 NE Dekum Street, Portland

Canard in Beaverton also celebrates a year there. On Wednesday, October 13, they celebrated their year anniversary in Beaverton, which they marked by the numbers: 45,000 steam burgers; 63,500 oysters; 37,600 cocktails; 25,000 glasses of wine; hundreds of lessons learned and countless memories.

They look forward to welcoming you in for many years to come. 12395 SW Broadway Street, Suite 100, Beaverton

Sunrise is back at the Farmhouse Carts. And they’ve brought their excellent breakfast sandwiches with them. Sunrise Breakfast Sandwiches has a new owner, too. Stop on in when you can. 2415 SE 35th Place, Portland

Project Innerbloom has a new menu. They opened up in September in the old Kainos Coffee space on SE Foster, and released a new menu earlier this month. They, I would say, are part of the wellness space in Portland. You’ll find grain bowls, salads, focaccia, sandwiches, sipping broth, and more, including adaptogens.

In their words, “Our new menu brings together whole-food nutrition, functional wellness, bold flavors, and intentional ingredients with something for every appetite, every lifestyle, and every stage of life.” You can see the menu here. 5300 SE Foster Road, Portland

Celebrate 4 years with Heavenly Creatures on Monday. They are having their 4th birthday party Monday evening from 5pm to 10pm. “We’ll be celebrating with big bottles of Muscadet & Riesling among other special pours, Oysters, Shrimp Cocktail, and Chef’s fancy Focaccia Pizzas plus Birthday Cake for everyone!”

There will also be jazz in the lobby from Beaumont Middle School’s BACO Jazz combo and the Astor Quartet. You can walk in, but they recommend reservations. 2218 NE Broadway, Portland

LatTéa’s grand opening is this weekend. It’s taken its time but the grand opening is here: Sunday, October 25 from 10am to 6pm. They’ll have some new drinks and desserts to introduce to you, too. 8733 SE Division Street, Unit 110, Portland

ALAI House grand opens on Sunday. Previously the location of Cookie Dough Cafe, this place could not be more different, as it is a “wellness cafe.” They describe themselves like this:

“Alai House is built on the belief that what you put in your body, who you surround yourself with, and how you move through the world are all connected.” And also: “ALAI is more than a café. It’s where wellness meets culture, movement meets music, and everyday moments become something better.” They offer coffee, matcha, smoothies, plus a running club and house music events; yoga is coming later in 2027.

Their grand opening is Sunday, October 25, with 10% off drinks all day, with the first 10 guests getting a free drink. They’ll be open at 10am with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and DJ Habibiti there from 1pm to 3pm. 120 NW 13th Avenue, Portland

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Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:

First Taste: Bar Sprezzatura Portland at The Heathman Hotel
AYA Cafe Brings Love to NE Alberta In Portland
Ricky’s Is a New Bagel Shop Taking Over the Division Spielman Location in Portland
The Bartender’s Library: A New Book From Portland’s Multnomah Whiskey Library