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]
I’ve learned that a new bagel shop is opening up on NE Sandy Blvd next to the Mom & Pop Wine Shop—Ben & Esther’s Bagels. It’s slated to open in October 2019 with a variety of bagels, schmears, salads and beverages.
Continue reading “Ben & Esther’s Bagels Coming to Sandy Blvd in Roseway”
On my way home the other day I caught part of this interview on OPB with Cindy Louis and her father, Fred Louis, who run 75-year old Canton Grill on 82nd Avenue near SE Division. It was so interesting and heartfelt, so I’m glad to have found the link to the entire interview via a Facebook post.
Continue reading “Happy 75th, Canton Grill! Interview On Think Out Loud”Call me naive, but I didn’t expect this—looks like Cafe TBD is closing today. “We’ll, it was fun while it lasted but today’s our last service. Get it while you can, friends.”
View this post on Instagram
We’ll, it was fun while it lasted but today’s our last service. Get it while you can, friends.
Yesterday PDX Eater published an update related to the Beeswing situation—turns out the owner, Kevin Dorney, shut the location down and opened it up again at Cafe TBD, which I plan on checking out (love supporting food biz in Cully). All the Beeswing staff is there at TBD… except for Marissa Lorette and Ian Watson, the two chefs who launched the Kickstarter (and were part of the original Beeswing).
The opening of Cafe TBD is great news for the tiny world of Cully brunching, and I wish them only the best. But I can’t help but think there’s a whole load of stuff we just don’t know… the rest of the story could be pretty interesting. We (Kickstarter backers) did get an email from Marissa and Ian yesterday clarifying Cafe TBD is a totally separate business from Beeswing, which is helpful, and that they are working hard to find a new space.
I wish everyone involved only the best and look forward to putting all their delicious brunch food in my belly… like this “savory black sesame scallion waffle with sweet fermented chili glazed fried chicken, topped with a sunny egg.”
While perusing the latest liquor license applications, I ran across the intriguingly-named Black Seed Burger Cult; they’ve applied for a limited on-premises license. They’re opening up in the old Verde Cocina space (3746 North Mississippi), which closed last January. Their lighthearted attitude, displayed in their Instagram account, reminds me a lot of Flattops, a burger joint that was open on Ditmars Blvd in my old Astoria neighborhood. This post made me laugh:
View this post on Instagram
Permits are for nerds! Watch how real pros do it. #comingsoon #whichwiredoicut #wecanfixthatlater
Chefs Michael Williams and Donovyn Collins are putting the place together on the food end, and artists Mike McKennedy and John Black are in charge of the design. Hours will be 9am to 10pm every day and you can start to get liquored up at 4pm. They will also have one vintage arcade game there on site.
There’s not much out there regarding the menu but you can be sure they will serve… burgers. Keep an eye on their Instagram for now; more will no doubt come later. UPDATE 8/29/19: Michael Russell at The Oregonian has more details—Black Seed Burger Cult will offer burgers, fried chicken and breakfast sandwiches; along with the meats there will be vegan and gluten free options as well.
