The Phoenix Rises Again: Reo’s Ribs Will Re-Open

reos-ribs-after-fire-construction-hollywood-district-portland-oregon

It still looks pretty much the same since 2017.

You heard that right: Reo’s Ribs is reopening, sometime in September 2023, according to their Facebook page. The business, which focuses on barbecue and soul food, has endured much over the years in the way of fire, so I’m really impressed to see that they are making a go of it again.

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Four Things I Learned This Week (September 8)

Happy 10th Anniversary, Peter’s Bar & Grill! This month, Peter’s Bar & Grill marks 10 years in business at the corner of NE Fremont and 57th. You can read some reminiscing on Facebook if you have an account, or read it in this screenshot. Honestly, I was surprised to learn that they’ve been open for only 10 years; it feels like so much more than that. My husband and I love eating there—we were there for lunch today, in fact, and the food was as good as ever. I did hear that they are going to change up the menu in a couple of weeks. Hopefully some of my favorites will not disappear into the ether. In any case, congrats, Peter’s! 5701 NE Fremont Street, Portland

Update: looks like food trucks in the Grant Park neighborhood may not happen. Back in January 2022 I wrote about the proposal/project to bring a food truck pod to the old Burger King space there on NE Broadway near 35th Avenue. I drive past there often and wonder each time when things are going to start. Well, it looks like they will not get off the ground—an Early Assistance permit was filed in late August for a “New ±16,869 square foot veterinary hospital.” At first glance this is a bummer—maybe they’d have some carts/trucks in the parking lot? Maybe that’s just weird. Since I do drive past regularly, I’ll keep an eye on it. 3550 Broadway, Portland

Rumor mill: The Sandy Jug. Over on Facebook I ran across a comment about a potential future for The Sandy Jug, Portland’s most uniquely-shaped former strip club building. It’s for lease right now and the comment in question goes like this: “Some local bar owners are thinking about buying and fixing it up! Stay tuned!” Intriguing, to say the least. 7417 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland

PoMo’s “Top 50 Restaurants” list is here. At the end of August, PoMo dropped their 2023 list of the top 50 restos in Portland, as they see to be true. They’ve divided it into five quadrants: North, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Northwest. It’s a fun read and there are a bunch of places I’d like to check out, like Davenport, Thom, G-Love, Akadi (I went to the old location a while back), Berlu, Fermenter, Kaede, Luce, Rangoon Bistro, and Toki. And it was nice to see places on there that I really enjoy, though there are too many to list here, though I’ll make an exception for Oma’s Hideaway, my go-to place to take out-of-town guests, and truly one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Portland. Anyway, check out the list!

Goodbye, Frog & Snail

Photo credit: Frog & Snail

Last week I saw the news on Instagram: Frog & Snail, one of the best places for French-style crepes (including Breton-style buckwheat crepes) in Portland, closed abruptly. The reason behind that is that the owner, Chad Bernard, died on August 15 in what seems to be a sudden event. My heart goes out to his friends and family on his untimely passing.

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Four Things I Learned This Week (July 28)

Pono Brewing has closed. In the “I’m Late to the Party Club,” I saw while walking around the Hollywood District this week that Pono Brewing closed their Hollywood pub in late June. Very sorry to see that storefront is no longer active. That said, it must have been hard to operate at such a weird time of the pandemic. Judging from their Instagram, it seems like they are doing ok! I’m glad. 1728 NE 40th Avenue, Portland

Update on Lazy Susan. Over at Montavilla News they have more details on what’s going to happen at the Lazy Susan restaurant, which closed earlier this month. It’s going to turn into a Thai restaurant, probably named Yaowarat (Eater has details on Earl Ninsom’s concept). 7937 SE Stark Street, Portland

The Portland Polish Festival returns this year. The Portland Polish Festival is likely one of the most popular festivals in Portland, and between the pandemic and some safety issues from last year they’ve been inactive for too long. But they are back! Enjoy the music, dance, and food of Poland—like pierogi (dumplings made with either cheese & potato or cabbage & mushroom), kielbasa (sausage), or placki ziemniaczane (potato pancakes). And beer! 3900 N Interstate Avenue, Portland

Fancy burgers at Coquine as “Johnny Burgs.” “For the next few Wednesdays we’ll be cueing up The Clash, and offering a concise dinner menu with an all Burgundy by the glass list. Come for a few different burger options, crab rolls, frites, and a menu for which we’re leaning into classic French cuisine for inspiration.”

A few of the things you might see on the menu include Burger “Le François”: Comté, rosemary griddled shallots, Dijon; Burger “La Marie-Louise”: Cantal Jeune, crispy Tropea onions, Jimmy Nardello peppers; a Dungeness crab roll, gougère fritters, and of course, the Coquine Cookie. You can make reservations on their Tock page. 6839 SE Belmont Street, Portland