Portland food news and views
News and reviews of restaurants in Portland, Oregon.
Some of the most written about places on this blog include:
Portland Mercado [Latin American]
Ben & Esther’s [Jewish/Vegan]
Sizzle Pie [Pizza]
Bee’s Cakes [Cakes and Baked Goods]
Salt & Straw [Ice Cream]
Nepali Kitchen [Nepalese]
Vivienne[Bakery, Wine Bar, Bookstore]
Kachka [Russian]
Chin’s Kitchen [Dongbei Chinese]
Arrowood [New American]
Thunderbird, a bar from the Lighting Bar Collective, will open in the former space of The Uncanny, which closed in May 2026. I first caught wind of all this through their liquor license application, then not long after that I saw the sign above as I was walking around the N Mississippi commercial strip. Here is what we know.
Continue reading “Thunderbird Will Open on N Mississippi Ave in Portland”
Portland’s James Beard Awards winners in 2026—not one, but two! No … three! On Monday night we learned who won the 2026 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards. Portland was represented by two of these awards—one for Scotch Lodge for Outstanding Bar and one for Ryan Roadhouse at Nodoguro for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA).
Continue reading “Small Bites: James Beard Awards Winners, Coffee, and More”
Father’s Day 2026 in Portland is right around the corner, the official day being this Sunday, June 21. If you’re looking for ways to celebrate Dad, or your favorite father figure, Portland offers plenty of diverse options. Whether he prefers a laid-back afternoon at a brewpub, wine tasting in Willamette valley, a relaxing soak at a hot springs resort, or catching a soccer match at a food cart pod, there’s something for every kind of dad.
Continue reading “Father’s Day 2026 in Portland: Brews, BBQ, Carts & More!”
There’s a new pizza pop-up in Southeast Portland called Tony Piezano’s, operating out of the Meat Cheese Bread space during select evenings. It’s run by Tony Hope, who is known for his work at places like Pizzacato, Sunny’s Pizza, and Pizzeria Stellina. He likes to think of Tony Piezano’s as a focacceria more than a pizzeria, and describes his type of pizza as focaccia pizza. They’ve been open for about a month.
I had a chance to chat with Tony—at the time we were both kind of sleep deprived for our own reasons, but had a good conversation, nonetheless. Here’s what we talked about.
Continue reading “Tony Piezano’s Makes Focaccia Pizza in Southeast Portland”
A version of this article about Mama Elvira and El Sombrero Tapatio entitled, “Mama Elvira’ builds loyal following” was printed in the Hollywood Star News in June 2026.
I’ve been eating at El Sombrero Tapatio since I moved to East Portland in 2019. Opened originally in 2002, it’s a mainstay of the restaurant scene in Parkrose. Mama Elvira, the matriarch of the family behind El Sombrero, is the heart and soul of the kitchen, but this restaurant is truly a team effort—relatives and close family friends all contribute to its success.
Continue reading “El Sombrero Tapatio: A Family Affair in East Portland”