Meg Cotner

May 18, 2026May 20, 2026

A Commercial Conversion in NE Portland: House To Cafe

Commercial Conversion in NE Portland: looking at the house from across the street. — View from the south side of NE Glisan Street.

This spring I came across a project that I find, for whatever reason, fascinating: A commercial conversion in NE Portland, with the goal of transforming a house into a cafe—and possibly a bookstore. It’s a triplex that was built in 1905 and sits on the corner of NE Glisan and 30th Avenue in the Kerns neighborhood.

Now, will it actually happen? As the Magic 8 Ball often says, “Outlook Good.” Here’s what we know.

May 15, 2026May 16, 2026

Small Bites: Greek Street, Pizza Baron, Strawberries, and More

A Mythos and a gyro at Greek Street in Portland. — Photo credit: Greek Street.

Greek Street has opened. This is in the space adjacent to Tréla that was going to be more bakery-focused (Yiayia’s), but they chose a different path. You can see their menu here. I’ll be by soon for some tyrokefteri, a chicken gyro (with fries!), and a lemon lime Vikos soda. 6010 NE Glisan Street, Portland

May 14, 2026May 14, 2026

Aura Dorada: Bringing Coffee, Cocktails, and Chill To Portland

A project called Aura Dorada crossed my desk this spring, and I was particularly drawn to the name, which means “golden aura” in Spanish. I reached out to co-founders Jorge Andrade and Natalia Martinez to hear more about the project, and Jorge was able to join me in conversation. Here is what I learned.

May 13, 2026May 12, 2026

Score, A Baker Fair Returns This June in Portland

Some of the breads last year from Tooth Butter.

I’m so happy to tell you that Score, A Baker Fair is back! This is now their second annual sale and it takes place again at Zenger Farm. There are some new things for this year, and here is what you need to know.

May 12, 2026May 12, 2026

Bad Habit Pizza Is Now Available at Living Häus Beer in Portland

Tavern-style pizza from Bad Habit / Saraveza. — Tavern-style pizza from Bad Habit/Saraveza. Photo credit: Saraveza.

The other day, Jake Flanagan from Saraveza emailed me with the news that now you can get their pizzas at Living Häus Beer’s taproom in Southeast Portland. This is the same location that has been host to Whit’s Pizza Pies, but Whit is currently undergoing cancer treatment and had to take a pause on his pizza work. Selling their tavern-style pies under the Bad Habit moniker, the Saraveza team is keeping Whit’s seat warm until his glorious return.

But I wanted to learn more, so Jake and I had a chat about their residency, their tavern-pies, Far Cry, and more. Here’s part of our conversation.