Opinion Archives - Bridgetown Bites

May 6, 2026May 6, 2026

Departure: New Chef, New Menu, and Great Eats in Portland [Photos]

Looking out the window onto Portland's east side. — The views from Departure are absolutely gorgeous.

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.

January 29, 2026January 30, 2026

National Shutdown: Restaurants Open and Helping in the Portland Metro

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.

January 27, 2026January 27, 2026

Carina’s Bakery Brings Standout Flavor to Beaverton’s Vegan Scene

Kneeling by the counter at Carina's Bakery.

As January comes to a close, there’s still opportunity to try Portland’s vibrant vegan food scene in celebration of Veganuary. If you’re new to the concept, Veganuary is a global movement inviting people to explore vegan food—and a plant-forward lifestyle—throughout January and beyond. Think of it as a delicious, clean way to start the year, and an ideal place to begin is with Carina’s Bakery in Beaverton, featuring delightful vegan treats.

January 6, 2026January 7, 2026

Summary: Portland Restaurant Openings and Closings, 2025

The dining room at ZabPinto Thai PDX. Portland Restaurant Openings and Closings, 2025 — The dining room at Zabpinto Thai PDX.

Welcome to the summary of our coverage of Portland restaurant openings and closings, 2025. Our Portland Restaurant Openings and Closings List is the source (here is the 2025 archive), which we update throughout the year. It’s fun and interesting to look back and get that broader view of just exactly what restaurants did open and close. Here are our thoughts and observations.

December 30, 2025January 6, 2026

Restaurants Opening in Portland in 2026: What We’re Excited About

Restaurants Opening in Portland in 2026 - YUI is one of them and here are some of their shumai. — Shumai at YUI. Photo credit: YUI.

As we head toward the end of the year, a lot of things come to mind—and that includes looking forward to the restaurants opening in Portland in 2026. Here are the ones (that we know at this point in time) we’re particularly keen on in the new year.