Portland food news and views
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).
I spent some time at the Fremont Fest earlier today, on a comfortable Portland summer day—cloudy and mild and without rain, the kind of weather that’s easy to spend time in. There was a generous showing of frozen treats: shave ice, gelato, kulfi, and soft serve options, which makes me think that the weather was very hot when vendor registration happened. Continue reading “Scenes From Fremont Fest 2021”
Need a custom vegan cake? Ben & Esther’s, Portland’s own vegetarian (soon to be vegan, I believe) bagel shop, can make your vegan cake dreams come true. In their own words: “Need a custom vegan cake for your next event? We got you! Shoot us an email at info@benandesthers.com and let us know what you’re thinkin’!”
Blind Ox Fremont is closing. According to their Facebook page, they are closing their Fremont location due to “failed lease negotiations.” People are super bummed. Join them for a last hurrah at this location (their N Interstate location remains open) on Saturday 8/29 and Sunday 8/29 for $2 pints, $8 growler fills, 50% off packaged beer.
Delta dashes indoor dining hopes for Pip’s. The folks at Pip’s posted on their Instagram, “Our dining room is closed and we are offering to-go only. This will be our business model for the foreseeable future. It is frustrating, it’s not how we hoped things would go, but it is the reality.” We respect their decision and are grateful that they have made it through the COVID-19 pandemic so far! Their donuts and chai remain excellent, so go get some to-go.
Bee’s is still wholesale but you can find her stuff all over the place. Rebecca of Bee’s Cakes reminds us that they are still a wholesale bakery, but with definite plans to open as a cafe in the future (interior renovations continue). Meanwhile you can find her pastries at a lot of spots around town, including Sullivan Gulch’s Steeplejack, Roseway’s Rosebridge Coffee, and Parkrose Heights vegan coffee house Jet Black Coffee Company.
A plate of Kenyan food I ate at 2018’s Fremont Fest.
Very happy to see that the Fremont Fest is back again this year—it’s a really fun way to celebrate this commercial/mixed strip in NE Portland neighborhoods of Beaumont-Wilshire and Cully. Head over there this Saturday, August 21 from 10am to 4pm. The Fest takes place on NE Fremont Street from 42nd to 51st Avenues. Continue reading “Fremont Fest 2021 Is This Weekend”
Yesterday morning I stopped in at the Rocky Butte Espresso Bar—the space has changed quite a bit and all for the better. The most prominent adjustment is the presence of indoor seating settled around the edges of the room. They’ve also moved the counter further back and to the right. Continue reading “Changes at Rocky Butte Espresso Bar”
While hanging out with The Watermelon Man yesterday, I snapped a photo of the nearby former auto repair shop that’s slowly making its transformation (it’s a little hard to see but I love the art on the grey patch). Last time I reported on this, the news was that Upright Brewing was moving in with a couple of food trucks. Eater reported last month that Portland coffee roaster Junior’s will join them in that space.
This is a very cool development, and just adds even more value to what’s in store. Probably my favorite detail from the Eater article was this: “Upright and Junior’s feel personally invested in the Roseway and Cully area, as both owners and employees of each company live within walking distance of the new spot.” I absolutely love this.
Last night I perused a bunch of city permit documents about the space and it’s pretty interesting; I love nerding out on this stuff. It’s gonna be a great addition to the neighborhood. Here’s to a fab 2022 opening!
