Bridgetown is a nickname for Portland because of all the bridges that span the Willamette River – 12 in all (of those, one is dedicated to rail and one prohibits private cars and trucks).
The news came out last week: a new eating and drinking establishment is coming to the Portland Art Museum, and its name is Coquelico. This bistro was born of a partnership between PAM and Providore Fine Foods, and looks to open in September.
A tasting spread at last year’s Circle V Portland. Photo credit: Josh Chang.
Tickets are on sale now for Circle V Portland 2025, Portland’s premier vegan tasting event. It will take place at Castaway, where you an enjoy all kinds of vegan food, beverages, and products. If you eat a fully vegan diet, eat vegan part time, or are vegan curious, this is a great opportunity to get to know the Portland vegan scene—Portland is considered by many as one of the best cities to access the breadth of vegan food and drink.
Paradox Cafe has closed. After over 30 years in business, Paradox Cafe and its plant-based menu has closed at their longtime spot on SE Belmont and 34th Avenue. They posted on both their website and social media:
“Like so many other food service businesses, we can no long sustain operations and have served the final plate. So many contributing factors, that have been intensifying since COVID, have made this a necessary decision….” You can read more here. Very sorry to see them go. 3439 SE Belmont Street, Portland
A new bar called After Ours will officially open today in Northeast Portland. Located in the former Scholar space on NE Broadway, they are a vinyl bar with a modern Vietnamese-influenced menu, “a gathering space rooted in Vietnamese culture and analog nostalgia.”
Last month I stopped in at Social Kitchen in downtown Vancouver to learn more after learning about them from a colleague. Described as a “culinary experience venue,” it offers personalized culinary experiences with the goal of education helping to create connection and community. I had a chance to chat with Gene Fritz, one of the founders, and here is what I learned.