Portland food news and views
Personal views and opinion on food topics of the day.
Back in early summer I was invited by Richard Matusow, owner and co-founder of Carioca Bowls, to stop in to the restaurant to check it out and try some things. They recently celebrated 11 years in business there on NE Alberta and 9th (Alberta Market is right across the street from them). I’d heard about this place for a number of years but never made it over. That was an unforced error.
Continue reading “Carioca Bowls: Açai and More in Northeast Portland”
Because I fly a lot for work, I’ve been able to see the Portland Airport (PDX) overhaul as it proceeds, and all the new and returning food and drink options that have come with it. We are blessed with one of the most attractive and hospitable airports in the U.S., and Portlanders take advantage of that. Between the selection and the guarantee of like-street prices, I have eaten many meals before a departure or after an arrival, and I have personal experience of almost all the vendors while dining at PDX.
[Many thanks to Josh Berkus for putting together this guide. -Meg]
Continue reading “A Helpful Guide to Dining at PDX (Concourses D and E)”
TODOS Media has been busy. Founded by Angel Medina of República fame with videographer Braulio Díaz (who has since moved on to other projects), they launched their Youtube channel in September 2024 and their own digital platform later that month. I learned that Angel and TODOS Media are actively producing three documentary series: Humble Kitchen, which premiered on July 23; Her Way, premiering on August 27; and Season 2 of Memorable, premiering on October 8.
I sat down with Angel to chat about his work and here is some of what we talked about.
Continue reading “TODOS Media: New Documentary Filmmaking, in Conversation”
While I was at the Churchill Nines media preview, you may remember that I mentioned meeting Brian Woolley, the Director of Food and Beverage at The Nines hotel. He mentioned that they had a new chef and a recent menu change at Departure, and asked if I wanted to learn more. Heck yeah, I did! Their PR firm helped arrange a tasting for myself and Judith—which means that this meal was comped, but our opinions are our own.
Here’s what we tried and a few tidbits of info about what’s up these days at Departure.
Continue reading “Departure: New Chef, New Menu, and Great Eats in Portland [Photos]”
Tomorrow—Friday, January 30, 2026—is a National Shutdown day across the country, in response to the killings by ICE. The campaign’s subtitle is “No Work. No School. No Shopping. Stop Funding ICE.” It’s a kind of general strike.
However, in Portland there are a lot of small businesses that simply can’t shut down for the day, due to economic reasons. And while “no shopping” might mean “don’t spend your money anywhere,” it’s generally understood to mean that shopping at small, independent businesses is ok.
Continue reading “National Shutdown: Restaurants Open and Helping in the Portland Metro”