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).
As I walk to and from the gym, or Trader Joes, or the Hollywood Theatre, I always check out the progress at Saima Thai & Sushi, opening up at 4118 NE Sandy Blvd. All papers are down from the windows, hours are posted, menus are up and the interior—which looks quite a bit like the old Pono Soul Farm Kitchen’s decor—is looking RTG (ready to go). If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say they are ready to open this coming week.
Continue reading “Saima Thai & Sushi Portland Opening Update”Well, that’s the end of an era—Blackwell’s Grub Steak Grill is closed here in the Hollywood District. First, the owner Jan dies (RIP), and that led the family to decide to close Blackwell’s this past Sunday.
According to the Willamette Week, Charlie De Lorme, Jan’s son, says “The family had considered selling the place before now, and had heard rumors that others were interested. ‘Now that we’re actually closing,’ he says, ‘they’re coming out of the woodwork.'”
I was unaware it was a Chinese restaurant way back when, too. That means the Mandarin and nearby Chin’s Kitchen were operating at the same time 35 years ago. And not far away was the Chinese Pagoda restaurant. So much Chinese-American food in a small area.
I’m also curious to know who is interested in the space now—it’s a good location and no doubt will fetch a pretty penny.
I’ll miss hearing the live blues music there on Wednesday nights. Thanks for the memories, Blackwell’s.
Earlier this month I learned about Departure Restaurant + Lounge’s new dry menu—AKA nonalcoholic cocktails. It’s a common thing these days for some people to cut out alcohol during the first month of the year, but there are also some of us that simply have a low tolerance for alcohol—being a “lightweight,” to use a term in common parlance. Personally, I love to try drinks made with interesting fruits, juices, essences, and other ingredients untouched by alcohol—it’s an interesting flavor world and you can drink it without having to worry about your blood alcohol level as you head home from the bar. Continue reading “Departure’s New Dry Cocktail Menu in Portland”
Last week I attended a media event (full disclosure: all drinks were comped) with the Portland Cider Co. at their taproom on SE Hawthorne, and had the chance to taste some of their cider offerings, both new and established. We were there to get familiar with a few specific things: the debut of their Sangria cider in cans; a chance to taste their new Concord Grape cider; and to get a look at their new six-pack packaging in 100% recycled corrugated cardboard that leaves behind the previous packaging, a recyclable plastic Pak-Tek carrier.
Continue reading “New Offerings From Portland Cider Co.”Although it might seem like nothing’s happening behind the closed doors and chain link fencing, people are hard at work getting Reo’s Ribs back up and running.
