Purim 2026: Tasty Treats and Celebrations in Portland

Edie and a plate of hamentaschen for Purim 2026.
My then 7-year-old Edie who is now a pre-teen but still loves their hamantaschen.

The holiday of Purim is almost here—a joyous holiday filled with tasty treats and celebrations, observed by Jews around the world. Purim begins on the evening of Monday, March 2, and continues through March 3 (and through March 4 in Jerusalem). The holiday commemorates the story of Queen Esther, whose courage helped save the Jewish people from Haman’s evil plot to kill the Jews of ancient Persia.

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Pan Kobo Is Dedicated to Making Shokupan in Portland

A loaf of shokupan bread, which is made at Pan Kobo in Portland.
Shokupan bread. Photo credit: Gregor Halenda Photography.

Oyatsupan owner and baker Hiroyuki “Hiro” Horie has been quietly developing a new Portland production space called Pan Kobo, dedicated entirely to shokupan, AKA “milk bread,” a beloved bread from Japan. The facility is located in the Central Eastside Industrial District. I had a chance to speak with Hiro the other day about Pan Kobo, among other things, and here is what we talked about.

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Rhinestone Celebrates One Year In Portland Tonight With a Pop-Up (Just Like Old Times)

The Rhinestone Cowboy cocktail from their first pop-up.
The Rhinestone Cowboy cocktail from their inaugural pop-up a year ago. Will we see it again? Photo credit: Rhinestone.

As you probably know, Rhinestone opened a bar last October in Southeast Portland (in the old Houston Blacklight space), but they started their life as a pop-up. So, why not celebrate a year of the concept … with another pop-up‽ Tonight’s the party and you are invited to stop by to help them celebrate right there were it all started—at Too Soon.

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Small Bites: Tastebud, Costa Rican Food, Radicchio, and More

Tastebud wood fired margherita pizza
Photo credit: Tastebud Pizza.

Tastebud gets review-bombed. This week some folks took issue with statements Mark Doxtader, owner of Tastebud, posted on the pizzeria’s website. This led to articles posted about it on conservative outlets like Fox News, the New York Post and the Daily Mail (UK). That, in turn, inspired the practice of “review bombing” by some invested in protesting against statements like “Release the Trump/Epstein files.” and “The Holocaust was real.” GoodStuffNW has more details. Find additional info on this developing story in The Oregonian.

Tastebud makes wood-fired pizzas and more in Multnomah Village. 7783 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland

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