News Archives - Page 25 of 117

January 3, 2025January 5, 2025

Four Things I Learned Last Week in Portland Food (January 3)

Javelina has found a place to call home. Indigenous pop-up-turning-restaurant Javelina announced late last year that they have found a place to land in Portland—the Lil’ Dame space in Northeast Portland. On Instagram, they said, “We have secured a hosting space to open the FIRST indigenous dining restaurant in Portland, Oregon.”

They will run two services at the new location—the original Javelina concept offering “classic powwow comfort food,” and a new dinner concept, which they will say more about this year. A soft opening will be on Monday and Tuesday, January 13 and 14, and full service starts Thursday, January 23, operating Wednesdays to Saturdays. Very exciting! Reserve on OpenTable. 5425 NE 30th Avenue, Portland

Pip’s Original closes Beaverton location. Unfortunate news for one of our western suburbs—Pip’s closed up shop in Beaverton. Sounds like it has to do with rent increases and the stance of the landlord and property management company. They were “ultimately unable to reach an accommodation,” and that meant shutting down in Beaverton. They are still operating at their NE Fremont location. 12400 SW Broadway Street, Beaverton

And Blue Star closes its Lake Oswego and Mississippi locations. The Mississippi location was my first encounter with Blue Star, and I’m sorry to see them leave that space. On their Instagram they posted, “These spaces have been home to countless sweet memories, joyful celebrations, and deep connections. While this decision was incredibly difficult, it’s one we had to make to ensure the long-term stability of Blue Star as we head into our 13th year.” You can still find them at South Waterfront, Goose Hollow, Division Street, and PDX Concourse D. 3753 N Mississippi Avenue, Portland and 350 1st Street, Unit C-4, Lake Oswego

Giveaway! Support the local small business community. Former bartender Matt Kesteloot is organizing a giveaway of $5 gift cards to support local small businesses. How to participate? Enter from Friday, January 17 to Friday, January 31 by posting a picture of yourself at your favorite, bar, restaurant, coffee shop, vintage store, etc. Tag the business and use the hashtag #BeThereForPDX. On Saturday, February 1, winners will be chosen randomly to split the pot. Read more on Matt’s Instagram, including updates on what businesses are participating. Multiple locations

Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:

Summary: Portland Restaurant Openings and Closings, 2024
Landing Paper Planes Will Bring a Pay-What-You-Can Cafe To Portland
Zero Proof Portland: Dry January 2025

Updated January 5, 2025.

December 24, 2024January 9, 2025

Toasted S’mores Bar Will Open in Downtown Portland

The makings for s’mores. Photo credits: Joy (marshmallows), Scott Ackerman (graham crackers) and James White (chocolate) on Flickr via a Creative Commons license 2.0.

Over the weekend I had the pleasure to speak with Nico Vergara about his newest project, Toasted S’mores Bar. It will open in the same location as the abruptly shuttered 1927 S’mores Company in downtown Portland.

December 20, 2024December 26, 2024

Four Things I Learned This Week (December 20)

Belle Époque Pies is leaving the 23rd and Alberta Pod. Home to excellent square pies (Sicilian-Detroit), Belle Époque Pies is moving on from their location on NE Alberta and 23rd Avenue, to a currently undisclosed location in the new year. Their final day of service at the pod is Wednesday, December 25. As they said on Instagram, “Stay tuned for updates as we prepare to bring Belle Époque Pies to a brand-new home. Thank you, Alberta, for all the love and support—you’ve been incredible. 💛” Looking forward to seeing where they land in 2025. 2231 NE Alberta Street, Portland

And in other pizza news … this time in Milwaukie. Pietro’s Pizza is moving from their current location (10300 SE Main Street), setting up shop at 11050 SE Oak Street, which was home to McGrath’s Fish House. So why is this happening? A “developer of a 178-unit multifamily project in downtown Milwaukie is the new owner” of this property, according to the Portland Business Journal.

Pietro’s Pizza (opened in 1957) is part of an informal crowd of regional, old-school pizzerias that would include Stark Street Pizza (opened in 1965) and Pizza Baron (opened in 1983). I’ve heard from a number of old-time Portlanders who have happy memories of these places from their youth—maybe it was a birthday party or a little league season celebration at these pizzerias. Over on Reddit, a user calls this “Oregon-Style pizza.” 10300 SE Main Street/11050 SE Oak Street, Milwaukie

Jim & Patty’s is writing a cookbook, but you can see it digitally now. Over on Facebook the Jim & Patty’s folks wrote that although putting together the published cookbook (“Jim and Patty’s Family Recipes”) will take some time, you can access a “proto PDF version” of it now. It’s available for download for $10. It is “filled with our Roberts family recipes, pictures & back stories.” Instructions to access this PDF are in the Facebook post.

HeyDay has closed their shop. Over on Instagram, I learned that Lisa has closed down their brick & mortar space in the CORE food hall. The last day open was this past Sunday, and she said this about the decision to close without advanced notice: “I’m sorry that we didn’t announce it but I wanted to make sure that the team had the most normal last Sunday. I wanted to protect them from answering any questions about our decision to close.” I respect this decision.

She also tells us that this is not the end of HeyDay! “We have some really cool and exciting things for you to look forward to,” she says. Their donuts have been available at Better Days Cafe this year and I imagine they will be in 2025, too. Best of luck to Lisa and HeyDay, and I look forward to what they have planned for next year. 3612 SE 82nd Avenue, Portland

BONUS: Portland vs. Seattle. Redfin reached out to me for input on their article about Portland vs. Seattle, including when it comes to real estate, cost of living, and culture. I am Portland all the way (no surprise). Redfin observes this about our fair city: “Portland is known for its creative energy, green spaces, and more affordable cost of living.” You can read the article at the link, including a variety of quotes from Portland locals on food and other topics: Portland vs Seattle: Which City is Right for You? Comparing Real Estate, Cost of Living, Culture, and More.

Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:

Tréla Greek Kitchen and Taverna in Portland: First Look
A Dairy Queen Grows in Portland: An Opening Update
Hanukkah 2024 in Portland
Sincerely Bagel Is Setting Up Shop in Portland
Portland’s 3 Doors Down: A Chat With Matthew Stiles

December 18, 2024December 28, 2024

Sincerely Bagel Is Setting Up Shop in Portland

While over at Providore last weekend (they have finger limes!), I noticed a new sign up on the old Tails & Trotters space: Sincerely, Bagel. My first thought was, “Whoa, something new here!” And then it was, “Awww, so cute!” The logo is adorable. Note 12/28/24: we have updated this post significantly since it was originally published.

December 16, 2024December 16, 2024

A Dairy Queen Grows in Portland: An Opening Update

A drawing of the incoming Dairy Queen. — Plan drawing for the DQ slated to be rebuilt on SE Division and 56th. Image credit: Dairy Queen

A Bridgetown Bites reader emailed me the following observation about the Dairy Queen (DQ) on SE Division and 55th: “It’s been years since hearing any word on the empty corner lot … yesterday I noticed that preliminary work had been done to level the plot and some new (uninformative) warning tape/signs had gone up.” I’ve got an update.