Portland food news and views
News, analysis, and current topics in the world of food.
Photo credit: The Arbor Lodge
The subject line puts it out there: The Arbor Lodge Coffee and Community Space, which is closed right now, and will re-open as Futura Coffee Roasters. This will become the second location for Futura, which opened up in the northern reaches of Montavilla about a year ago (in 2022).
Continue reading “The Arbor Lodge Will Reopen as Futura Coffee Roasters”
Earlier this month I mentioned that a new Vietnamese restaurant, Pho Le Nguyen, was opening in the old Catalina’s space on NE Sandy Blvd. Turns out they opened last week on February 14 and are running a special until this Friday, February 24.
Continue reading “Pho Le Nguyen Is Open in Parkrose”
The speculation is over—the old Prescott Cafe, which closed at the end of September 2022, is not being razed for housing but is being reborn into Three Fifty Cafe, a new bakery and shop (which looks like it started as a home-based bakery where you order then pick up baked goods at the baker’s home; it was a very popular kind of commerce during the pandemic). They will sell Vietnamese food and drink. More specifically, to quote their Facebook page, they are “offering a unique blend of traditional and modern Vietnamese flavors.”
Continue reading “Three Fifty Cafe Opening in Former Prescott Cafe Space in Cully”Upright Brewing is now open in Cully. Finally, they are up and running, along with Junior’s! The New School has a nice article on the opening, and these were the details I fuond particularly interesting: it’s called the Upright Beer Station; Junior’s will be open 7am to 2pm, Upright from 3pm on weekdays, from noon on weekends; pints and beers only, with 11 taps, including a cask beer; “Upright has designed a brand new beer called Spellbinder Pils that is specific to the Beer Station location”; Chaat Wallah cart opens in March; collabs include a Chai Stout and Coffee Stout. 7151 NE Prescott Street, Portland
Food system issues summary. Over on goodstuffnw, Kathleen Bauer has summarized some of the food-related legislation in front of Oregon’s 82nd Legislative Assembly, which is important to know about. Topics include raw milk sales (HB2616), improvements and clarifications to Oregon’s Farm Direct Marketing Law, (SB507), and a factory farm moratorium (HB 2667).
Whole animal, wood-fired Korean BBQ is coming to Portland. Gary Okazaki (aka Gary the Foodie) announced this news on his Instagram:
“@hanoakpdx and @tokipdx’s @talktospark and @petecho will be opening a NEW restaurant at 626 SE Main Street in what is @renatapdx but will be transitioning very shortly to Peter & Sun’s restaurant. The name of the restaurant has yet to be determined.”
Haitian pickleez pop-up this weekend. At Wellspent Market on Sunday 2/19 from 1 to 3pm, stop in for some pickleez made in Portland by Haitian expat Elsy Dinvil from Creole Me Up. I love slaws of all kinds, so this is making my mouth water as I write about it. Pickleez is “a zippy, tangy, spicy cabbage slaw that is an integral part of Haitian cuisine. Perfect alongside fried foods and braised meats, pickleez adds a bright pop of flavor to every meal, and further demonstrates the possibilities of our favorite vegetable.” There’s a good chance she’ll bring some akra-fried taro fritters, too. 935 NE Couch Street, Portland
A Bridgetown Bites tipster send me this yesterday: “I just walked by Bar Dune on E Burnside, who’s been closed for some time. On the door there’s a handwritten sign that says ‘USPS, please deliver mail to Sizzle Pie-Charliebird.'” At first I thought this was a project from Sizzle Pie but my updated guess is that they are doing a solid for Charliebird (638 E Burnside Street) and receiving their mail, for whatever reason.
Charliebird appears to be a new restaurant from Collin Nicholas, a local “bar veteran” according to Eater, so no doubt the cocktail program will be very good. Last spring, Eater also said this about Nicholas, “The current owner and manager of the electrifying Pearl District cocktail bar Pink Rabbit, he also helped open the Hoxton Hotel’s three bars, developed the cocktail program at G-Love’s opening, and managed operations for Bamboo Sushi.”
Filed state records indicate his “fearless partner, ” realtor Lauren Hasson, is on record for being behind this new spot. The two of them will no doubt bring something beautiful to the old Bar Dune space. I really enjoyed my time at Bar Dune and am sorry to see it has shuttered. As for Charliebird (Named after Charlie Parker? That’s the first thing that comes to mind), not much is online about it and their Instagram is in the first baby steps of a holding pattern. I’ll keep an eye on it.
