News Archives - Page 102 of 122

December 3, 2021December 3, 2021

Four Things I Learned This Week (December 3)

The Woodsman Tavern is back. That’s right, after three years on hiatus, this beloved spot is back. They are now open Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 4 to 10pm; Friday and Saturday from 4 to 11pm; happy hour is 4 to 6pm each day. Look for cask ales, stiff cocktails, a raw bar, a wedge salad and a serious burger, among other things. 4537 SE Division Street, Portland

Find Your Gingerbread Dreams at The Benson Portland. On Wednesday, December 1 they unveiled the 2021 Gingerbread Masterpiece—a 4-foot by 8-foot Christmas village, complete with a 3-foot, 45-pound lit up iced tree in the center—on the event’s 50th anniversary. And even if you missed the official reveal, you can still visit the gingerbread house—it will be on display in the hotel lobby through December 26. 309 SW Broadway, Portland

Adios, Stacked Sandwich Shop. Another one bites the pandemic dust: “After struggling through the past 2 years of the pandemic, we looked at the rising labor cost, food cost, meat prices, and supply chain issues; and have decided to go out on our terms on a high note!” Stacked Sandwich Shop will close on Sunday, December 19. More details via PoMo. 1643 SE 3rd Avenue, Portland

Christmas treats at Sebastiano’s. Head on over to the Sebastiano’s Tock page to see what they have in store for the Christmas season via special order. One thing that caught my eye is the Cassata al Forno (not to be confused with Cassata Siciliana)—“a Sicilian cake filled with ricotta cream, orange zest, and chocolate chips.” Yes, it sounds kind of like a cannoli, which Sebastiano’s also does very, very well. 411 SE 81st Avenue, Portland

Bonus: head to the Fremont Holiday Fest this afternoon. The Fremont Holiday Fest starts at 4pm and goes to 7pm. Hang out on Fremont Street from NE 42nd to NE 46th Avenues, get a selfie with Santa and Mrs. Claus, do some shopping, and enjoy hot cocoa and snacks while listening to live music. You can also pick up a wreath. Sounds like a great time!

November 5, 2021November 14, 2021

Four Things I Learned This Week (November 5)

Free coffee with beans at Jim & Patty’s. One of my favorite spots in NE Portland, Jim & Patty’s, has a holiday special through December. If you buy a 12oz bag of coffee beans you get a free 16oz house coffee. And if you buy two 12oz bags of beans you get a free 16oz latte or mocha. Sound good to me. Get yourself a Pig Newton (I like the SuperJack version) while you’re at it. 4951 NE Fremont Street, Portland

100 Days of Babkas. Carly Tonini at Queen Croissants launched a project earlier this year called “100 Days of Babkas.” Yes, she’s making different kinds of Babkas for 100 days total. Here’s what she said at the start: “I knew I wanted to make something decadent for Day 1 of 100 Days of Babkas. What could be more fitting than an Oreo Cheesecake Babka! Babka is layered with Oreo cookie crumbs and Oreo cheesecake batter. It’s decadent. It’s a classic. Oreos just make me feel like a kid again.” She’s almost done (at Day 84 as of this writing, the Lasagna Bolognese Babka) but you can see her trail of creative babkas at the hashtag #100daysofbabkas on Instagram.

Moon Room opens to the public. Ecliptic Brewing is opening their second location to the public tomorrow, Saturday, November 6, in SE Portland (today is the media/industry event). They will have an “extensive tap list” eventually (up to 30 handles), a gin-focused cocktail program, and sandwich options via the Moon Room food trailer just outside the building, featuring fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. The Moon Room opens at noon tomorrow. 930 SE Oak Street, Portland

Ben & Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli opening date. Announced on social media, Ben & Esther’s will open at their new location on Alberta Street on Saturday, November 20, 7am. It will be totally vegan in there, plus some GF options. Look for kosher-certification (both location) soon, too. 1800 NE Alberta Street, Portland

Bonus: Mystery Restaurant coming to Roseway? While reviewing city documents I came across this tidbit: a restaurant to open at 6520 NE Sandy Blvd, which right now looks like a house hidden by trees. Their paperwork is recent (set up 10/29/21; under review 11/01/21) and includes a Change of Occupancy request (from residential to business), plenty of reconfiguring of the interior (e.g., dining, lounge, game room), and structural work. My first wave of research didn’t pull up much more than that. If you know anything, please shoot me an email.

November 4, 2021November 13, 2021

Portland’s 2022 Good Food Awards Finalists

Portland area food artisans did well this year in the Good Food Awards, a project of the SF-based Good Food Foundation, with a strong showing in the West region (there are five regions total). According to the Foundation, “crafters from 42 states and D.C. rose to the top across 17 categories after a Blind Tasting of 1,966 products. They then passed a rigorous vetting to confirm meeting Good Food Awards sustainability standards.”

November 3, 2021November 14, 2021

Montelupo Introduces Indoor Dining and Monty’s Caffè

Photo credit: Montelupo Italian Market

The news is out but I wanted to chime in with how thrilled I am that Montelupo Italian Market is going to open its indoor dining room this Friday—plus Monty’s Caffè on Saturday! It’s been over a year since they opened and I am sure they are excited to move forward with dining service for their customers inside their space.

November 2, 2021November 14, 2021

Get Chicken Nanban Rice at Tokyo Sando’s Pop-Up Tomorrow

Chicken Nanban Rice from Tokyo Sando. Photo credit: Tokyo Sando

Self-billed as “The best Japanese sando in Portland,” the Tokyo Sando cart has really made a splash in Portland’s food scene. And now they are hosting a pop-up starting tomorrow, Wednesday, November 3 as Tokyo Rice, offering “Vol. 1”—Chicken Nanban Rice.