Category: Restaurants

first-look-dining-room-grand-stark-deli-portland-oregon

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]

Posted on

Four Things I Learned This Week (September 20)

DB Dessert Company’s grand re-opening is coming. Cupcake and cake wonderland DB Dessert Company is re-opening their cafe on NE Alberta Street on Saturday, September 28. “We’ll have a brand new menu featuring not just our famous desserts, but also savory bites, a few surprises, classic favorites, and yes, our wine bar is OPEN! That means mimosas!” Noon to 5pm on the 28th. Here’s the Facebook event page. 2624 NE Alberta Street, Portland

Burned up Pacific Market deconstruction and removal has started. Last spring Pacific Market burned down due to an electrical fire. Over on Nextdoor a neighbor remarked, “Right after the fire the family was finding salvage and loading it into trucks. I asked them then and they said they owned the whole block and would rebuild. They had no intention of selling to developers. I haven’t seen any for sale signs since it burned.” A disturbing detail is that the fire and burnout generated an increase in bugs and flying creatures. Very happy they are cleaning things up. 6750 NE Broadway, Portland

NFL Sunday breakfast is back at Peter’s. Head to Peter’s Bar & Grill on Sunday mornings to enjoy their football season breakfast. It’s a very tasty small but well-curated menu: biscuits & gravy, a fried egg sandwich, pancakes, and a two-egg breakfast with meat & toast. Plus specials! 5701 NE Fremont Street, Portland

Hello Pho, Banh Mi & Boba is open in The Zipper. Andrew Jankowski at Willamette Week wrote about Hello Pho, Banh Mi & Boba, a new Vietnamese place that has opened up in the space that used to be home to Sari Ramyun. Here are some details:

“Hello Pho, Banh Mi & Boba opened in July, serving what its sign says and more. The expansive menu includes Vietnamese standards like vermicelli noodle bowls, rice plates, milkshakes and an array of appetizers like calamari ($10), salad rolls ($8) and crab puffs ($6). Hello currently comps your drink if you spend $25 or more, which can be done if you’re strategic or ravenously hungry—it’s possible to slurp down eye of round steak and brisket pho ($16.50) after chomping on a bulgogi bánh mì ($9) if your first meal is coming way too late in the day. A more responsible combo for bargain hunters might be pho with calamari, or a bánh mì with a couple of appetizers.” 2713 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland

Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:

1927 S’mores Company Abruptly Closes
PDX Food Pod To Open in Outer Northeast Portland
Mermosa PDX’s Location in NW Portland Has Closed

Events this weekend include Oktoberfests and a celebration of Turkish culture:

Portland Oktoberfest, Friday and Saturday, September 20 and 21, 2024, Saturday 5:30pm to 9pm, Sunday 11am to 9pm, Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 SW 6th Avenue, Portland. Portland Oktoberfest website.

Oaks Park Oktoberfest, Friday to Sunday, September 20 to 22, 2024, Friday 4pm to 10pm, Saturday 11am to 10pm, Sunday 11am to 7pm, Oaks Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland. Oaks Park Octoberfest website.

Oktoberfest, Sunday, September 22, 2024, 11am to 5pm, McMenamins Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey Street, Troutdale. McMenamins Oktoberfest website.

Türkiye Day, Sunday, September 22, 1pm to 5pm, PBOT, 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 1100, Portland. Türkiye Day website.

Posted on

Four Things I Learned This Week (September 6)

Santa Fe Taqueria will close. Longstanding westside taqueria will close its doors by the end of September after a 40-year run. They started out selling tacos out of a converted flower cart at 4th and Morrison. Then in 1986 they opened what they consider to be the first taqueria in Portland on August 4th of that year. Their current location is to be there last location, and September 30, 2024 is their final day.

From the owner, Danny Cardoso: “I am grateful to the hundreds and hundreds of employees who have worked for me these last 40 years and the millions of people who have come through the doors. Thank you Portland, please come and support Santa Fe Taqueria for this last month of operation and grab a taco with our award winning salsa and margaritas!” A farewell party is happening on Wednesday, September 25, 11am to close. 831 NW 23rd Avenue, Portland

What’s next for the Blackwell’s Grub Steak Grill building. This restaurant/dive bar in the Hollywood District closed in 2018 after the death of the owner, Jan DeLorme. Nothing has happened since then. When it was operating it was a place for blues musicians to come and jam together, among other musical things. It had a devoted following. And it looked kinda grimy from the outside, ngl.

The Willamette Week published an article on Blackwell’s and its building—and it looks like the family is going to sell it: “We have been exploring various options for a while and are about to put it on the market,” [trustee Dean] Alterman says. “This is a building with a near-100-year history that has potential for renovation or redevelopment.”

Looking at the building on Portland Maps, it appears the building is more than just the Blackwell’s restaurant, but also includes what was Magnolia on the corner of Sandy Blvd. For me, the shuttering of Magnolia was one of the saddest of COVID closings. My guess is that when it sells, a mixed-use development will be built there. 4071 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland

More on Sortis. OPB published a story on Sortis Holdings (a private equity fund), about how they started out as a kind of “white knight” to various local businesses—including See See Motor Coffee Co., Water Avenue Coffee, Sizzle Pie, Bamboo Sushi, among others—by investing in them. Eventually, what was once a dream turned into a nightmare. Worth a read.

A new king of wings has been crowned. For many months, the wings at the Sandy Hot Wings Cafe were considered the best in Portland … at least to the PDX Wing Guys. But now they have a new champ to reign over all the spicy land: and that place is Jerry’s Tavern. In their words, “BEST WINGS IN PORTLAND BY A MILE!” Check it out—I know I will. 3010 NW Nicolai Street, Portland

Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:

Jacqueline Is Moving Just Up the Street
Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, August 2024
Two Brothers Balkan Restaurant Is For Sale
Jim & Patty’s Coffee Is at Risk of Closing

You can also hit up these festivals this weekend:
Holly Park Multicultural Fair, Saturday, September 7, 2024, 11am, Holly Park Farm, 10819 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland

Serbian Fest, Saturday and Sunday, September 7 and 8, 2024, Saturday 11am to 10pm, Sunday 11am to 6pm, St. Stephen Serbian Orthodox Church, 11447 Southeast 27th Avenue, Milwaukie

Multicultural Kids Festival, Sunday, September 8, 2024, 2pm, Ventura City Park, 11339 SE Stark Street, Portland

Posted on

Two Brothers Balkan Restaurant Is For Sale in Portland

Combo #3 at Two Brothers Rakia Bar + Grill in Portland, Oregon.
A combo of grilled meat, Sudzuka sausage, cevapi, fries, and Greek salad.

A reader emailed me with the news that Portland’s excellent Balkan restaurant, Two Brothers Rakia Bar + Grill, is for sale. Color me surprised—I had no idea this was in the works until then. This could be a blow to the diversity—and deliciousness—of the Portland food scene. But the reason why they are selling is understandable.

Continue reading “Two Brothers Balkan Restaurant Is For Sale in Portland”
Posted on

Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, August 2024

Data Analytics Chart

Happy Labor Day, everyone! I’m happy to say that August traffic on Bridgetown Bites was pretty good—close to 21,000 unique visitors generated almost 27,000 page views. That’s a record for the site and a far cry from the discouraging numbers back in May of this year. The top posts in August were about restaurants—a fire/closing, a couple of closings/re-openings, and a move.

Thanks for reading and sharing, following us on social media (Threads seems to be a bit of a sleeper hit)—and also to those who have sent me tips. I appreciate you!

5. Another Fire: 42nd Ave Fish & Chips

Fire at 42nd Ave Fish & Chips in Portland's Cully neighborhood.

I can’t remember a year when there were so many fires in Portland relating to food businesses. Sadly, yesterday afternoon there was a fire—an external fire—at the 42nd Ave Fish & Chips restaurant. Nobody was hurt, thankfully, but it’s a tragedy just the same.

Continue reading “Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, August 2024”