First Impressions: The Impossible Burger in Troutdale

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My first time with an Impossible Burger was a pleasant stroll through the uncanny valley.

Over the weekend we decided to take advantage of the sunny day with mild temperatures and head to McMenamins Edgefield out in Troutdale. After an easy bus ride we did a fair amount of exploring of the grounds, and decided to get something to eat at the Black Rabbit Bar. And what did I see on the menu? The Impossible Burger. I had been wanting to try it for some time, and this seemed like as good as any an opportunity to do so.

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Four Things I Learned This Week (March 9)

Inspired by the podcast, No Such Thing As a Fish, I am here to tell you about four new-to-me things I learned this week in the world of Portland food.

Vegan cheese can be delicious. Vegan cheese has come a long way from the “Tofutti as an only option” days. I’ve decided to decrease my dairy intake, and these days I’m enjoying Treeline’s soft spreadable cashew cheese with scallions on top of crispy rice crackers (purchased at the Hollywood Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, respectively). Plus, did you know Portland is home to a dedicated vegan cheese shop?

Red Sauce’s Shardell Dues‘ kickass pizza lyfe. She spent a number of years making pizza and managing the kitchen at Apizza Scholls and has worked mostly at pizzerias during her career. Learn more about Shar’s fantastic pizza work and fascinating career on this episode of Portland food podcast, Right at the Fork. Plus, be sure to hit up Red Sauce next Tuesday for their fundraiser for Portland Animal Welfare (PAW)—15% of all sales that day will go towards PAW.

Gravy is opening its second location not far from Bridgetown Bites HQ. Another bit of news I missed while sick—Gravy is comin’ to NE Sandy, just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Hollywood District. I love their veg gravy and biscuits and have personally stood in those seemingly interminable lines up on Mississippi Avenue, so a second location will be a welcome addition to Portland brunching.

On a personal note, I did not get the job. I was a finalist for the Eater Portland editor job. I hadn’t heard from them about their decision, so I took a look and and saw the updated masthead this week. The new editor is Brooke Jackson-Glidden from Salem and I wish her the very best as she takes on this position, and look forward to reading the site under her editorial direction. The application process was a positive experience and I got a lot out of it. I love my freelance career so all is good in the end.

Salt, Fire & Time To Close This Month in Portland

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I was very sorry to hear that Salt, Fire & Time/Broth Bar (115 NE 6th Avenue) is set to close on March 24, after 10 years in the business. Last summer I found their collagen coolers to be very tasty, and over the years I had heard high praise for their bone broths. Owner Tessa Yellig posted a long announcement about the closing on Facebook, which ended with the news that she will be continuing her teaching and consulting at Wild Heart Solutions. Continue reading “Salt, Fire & Time To Close This Month in Portland”

Good Times at SheBrew 2018 in Portland

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Love this poster for the SheBrew Brew Festival.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the fourth annual SheBrew, a beer, cider, and mead festival that features female-identifying brewers. One aspect of the event was to support the work of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) through the $20 admission cost. Full disclosure: I attended as media, so my access to the event was comped; however, I admire the work of the Human Rights Campaign, and after seeing them at the event I decided to set up a recurring monthly donation to them. 

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Hollywood Says Goodbye Mio Sushi, Hello BiBim Bap House

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Photo credit: Spencer T. on Yelp

Dolsot Bibimbap at Salem’s Happy Bibim Bap House

A couple days before I got sick, I was walking home from the gym and noticed that a bunch of guys were taking stuff out of the Mio Sushi restaurant next door to the 24 Hour Fitness. It seemed odd, but I thought perhaps they were replacing old service dishes with new ones. Well, I was wrong—Eater has the details. Mio Sushi is gone, BiBim Bap House will open on March 19. Continue reading “Hollywood Says Goodbye Mio Sushi, Hello BiBim Bap House”