The Quince Fest 2025 Celebrates This Glorious Fruit in Portland

A container of quinces.
Photo credit: Shaun Linehan.

Quince Fest 2025 will be here soon—just two and a half weeks at the writing of this article. Last year I heard about this festival after the fact and was really disappointed that I missed it. I don’t want to make that same mistake again, so I am here to tell you about next month’s celebration of this ancient fruit.

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Bangkok Belly: Bringing Thai Skewers, Salads, and Spirits to Portland

Skewers at Bangkok Belly.
Photo credit: Bangkok Belly.

A new Thai restaurant is opening on SE Belmont Street called Bangkok Belly. They’re setting up shop in what was most recently the home to Daily Fuel (they closed this past summer), but I remember it more as the location of Suzette, whose crepes I still miss.

I spoke with Kat Thirakomen, who owns Bangkok Belly with her husband David Fiske, about their plans for the restaurant. Here is what I learned.

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Edan Pizza Will Open in Downtown Portland

A test pizza at Edan Pizza in Portland, Oregon.
A recent test pizza, “The best practice pie yet” in September 2025. Photo credit: Edan MacQuaid.

A new pizzeria is in the works for downtown Portland called Edan Pizza. It will be helmed by Edan MacQuaid, a very respected pizzaiolo know for his work in the Washington D.C. area. We first published a little blurb about his pizzeria in a recent Small Bites column. Since then, I’ve spoken with Edan to hear more about his plans—here is what I learned.

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Small Bites: Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant, Bicho’s, Saraveza, and More

The squash pizza special at Saraveza. Photo credit: Saraveza.

Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant has closed. I learned about the closing of this longtime (39 years) Italian restaurant after I published last week’s Small Bites, so I didn’t include it then, so I’m including it now. But yes, this beloved restaurant is now closed.

Last Saturday, someone on Facebook posted this: “Met up with family today at 11am to order a few last Pizza’s. There is NO parking in their huge lot, and there are people parking in the business next door. There’s a line 2hrs deep to place an order. And just heard at 12:35, they are done taking orders for the day.” The end of an era and many will miss it. 17937 SE Stark Street, Portland

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