Category: News

News, analysis, and current topics in the world of food.

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Four Things I Learned This Week (December 6)

Monty’s Red Sauce. A new restaurant from the Montelupo folks is going to open in Sellwood-Westmoreland called Monty’s Red Sauce. Presumably it will be an Italian red sauce joint. The location was previously home to Rue Cler Marketplace, and before that it was Laurelwood’s SE pub location. You can see a reel of the space as it is now, on Instagram. 6716 SE Milwaukie Avenue, Portland

East Glisan Pizza Lounge’s eggnog has arrived. Each year the folks at East Glisan Pizza Lounge offer house-made eggnog for the holidays. They will serve it as a flight, in a cocktail, or with cookies; you can also buy some to take home. There are three flavors: traditional, butterscotch, and Morganthaler (tequila and sherry). 8001 NE Glisan Street, Portland

Crush is closing. The closure of this LGBTQ+ bar in SE Portland was big news this week. They’ve been around for 25 years; New Year’s Eve will be their final night in business. Read more about it at Willamette Week. 1400 SE Morrison Street, Portland

Bialy Bird returns to Wellspent Market. Head to this wonderful little independent market tomorrow morning (Saturday, December 7) from 10am to 1pm to enjoy Bialy Bird’s celebrated sweet and savory bialys. Flavors include chanterelle and black garlic; cacio e pepe; apricot-honey-feta; and za’atar + olive oil. There will be breakfast sandwiches and mimosas, too. 3402 SE Division Street, Portland

Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:

Side Eye, a New Bar, Will Open in NW Portland
Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, November 2024
A New Restaurant From Chookiat Saenguraiporn Is Coming To the Pearl
Better Days Cafe Is Open
Plus, my latest Benable list is all about the best in Portland products.

It’s a big weekend for holiday season festivals, too! The Mt. Angel–Silverton Hazelnut Festival from Friday to Sunday; the German Christmas Market tomorrow; and the Portland ScanFair on Saturday and Sunday. More details in our Portland Area Cultural + Food Festivals & Events list. And while it’s not a festival per se, if you stop in at Fressen Artisan Bakery (7075 NE Glisan Street) tomorrow morning, you’ll probably run into Krampus.

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Better Days Cafe Is Open in Portland

Pouring steamed milk into a latte.
Photo credit: Better Days Cafe

Today is the first day of the soft opening of Better Days Cafe, located on SE Division and 35th Place. This is a project from Kim Dam of Portland Cà Phê and Mémoire Cà Phê, a new brunch spot on NE Alberta that recently received a 2024 Eater award for Restaurant Team of the Year; and Melody Rin, who has been a roaster and the very first employee at Portland Cà Phê.

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A New Restaurant From Chookiat Saenguraiporn Is Coming To the Pearl

330 NW 10th Avenue in Portland, Oregon.
Photo credit: Crexi

The address 330 NW 10th Avenue for a number of years was known as the location of Isabel, a popular Latin-Asian fusion restaurant. But, according to ORSOS records, it will be the future home to a new restaurant from Chookiat Saenguraiporn, the Thai restauranteur who is behind a handful of popular eateries in Portland. Update 7/28/25: The restaurant’s name is Guay Tiew (registered under KUAY TIEW, LLC; the first word is often spelled in English as “guay.”)

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Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, November 2024

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Welcome to another edition of our monthly top 5 posts list—November 2024 was another good month for Bridgetown Bites. Over 22,600 unique visitors generated almost 30,000 page views. Popular posts included our list of Thanksgiving resources at the top of the heap. Interestingly enough, our article on Fancy Baby was also in the top 5, along with a long-time restaurant closing, a far-future opening of a new public market, and some pizza.

As always, thanks to you for reading, sharing, and commenting—and for your tips!

5. Fancy Baby Will Bring “The Craziest Champagne List” to NW Portland

The logo for Fancy Baby, a wine and Japanese-inspired listening bar opening in Portland's Pearl District.

Thanks to a Bridgetown Bites tipster, I’ve learned that new wine and Japanese-inspired listening bar called Fancy Baby is going to open in the Pearl District. This location on NW Glisan used to be home to CULT, a store that sold art, collectibles, ephemera, and more. Update: They are now open.

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