Portland food news and views
Portland! It’s where I live, work, and play. It’s where the food news happens (at least most of it). This category is one of the real constants on Bridgetown Bites and is probably a part of almost every post on this blog.
That’s right—Berlu Bakery reopens this weekend! As I mentioned in yesterday’s Small Bites, Berlu Bakery is back after a months-long hiatus since last October. Their soft opening is Sunday, June 29. I reached out to Vince Nguyen, the man and James Beard Award-winning chef behind this treasured Vietnamese bakery, and here is what I learned from him via an email exchange.
Continue reading “Berlu Bakery Reopens in Portland”
Farewell, Orange Julius. The Oregonian reported that Portland’s last remaining Orange Julius, located in the Lloyd Center, was closing (by now, it’s in the past tense). The franchise’s owner, Bob Slayton, died from cancer on May 19. This Orange Julius had been around for 42 years. I have fond memories of going to the OJ in the mall near me in SoCal during my youth, enjoying one of their drinks along with a pretzel from “Pretzels and Cheese.” Read more about Bob and his business over on The O. 2314 Lloyd Center, Portland
Continue reading “Small Bites: Orange Julius, Beer, FIKA, El Mercado, and More”
The other day I received a press release about ZabPinto, and while reading it, a detail caught my eye: There is a new location at Cascade Station, where big box stores reign. I reached out to their PR person and arranged a time to stop by and find out more about this new ZabPinto, called ZabPinto Thai PDX. Here is what I learned.
Continue reading “ZabPinto Thai PDX Has Opened at Cascade Station in Portland”
A while back I saw that something called “Mi Familia Cafe” was going to open in what I knew to be Que Pasa Cantina. I set it aside because it did not make sense to me at the time. Fast forward to June and I was delighted to hear from the people behind Mi Familia Cafe—who did indeed open in the Que Pasa Cantina space!
So what’s going on? Here is, as Paul Harvey used to say, “the rest of the story.”
Continue reading “Mi Familia Cafe Has Opened in Portland’s Buckman Neighborhood”
We’ve got a Trung Nguyên Legend Cafe update!
For whatever reason, I had the urge to go check out the status of the Trung Nguyên Legend Cafe that’s going to open on SE Powell Blvd just east of 82nd Avenue. So I stopped by Sunday afternoon, and it turned out to be a timely visit—I was able to see the interior, see the uncovered signage, and speak to the owner of the franchise, Dume Tran.
Continue reading “Trung Nguyên Legend Cafe Update, Summer 2025”