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]
A while back I saw that something called “Mi Familia Cafe” was going to open in what I knew to be Que Pasa Cantina. I set it aside because it did not make sense to me at the time. Fast forward to June and I was delighted to hear from the people behind Mi Familia Cafe—who did indeed open in the Que Pasa Cantina space!
So what’s going on? Here is, as Paul Harvey used to say, “the rest of the story.”
Continue reading “Mi Familia Cafe Has Opened in Portland’s Buckman Neighborhood”
Pinolo Gelato celebrates 10 years. These guys make some of the best gelato in Portland. It was started by Sandro Paolini, who is originally from Pisa in Italy. He moved to the PNW a while back, but his path eventually led him back to Pisa to learn how to make gelato from his friends and mentors there, Ilaria and Omar of @ioegelato.
Continue reading “Small Bites: Pinolo Gelato, Nam Tao Huu, No Sabo, and More”
Cutie Pie Pizzeria is opening on the southern edge of the Cully neighborhood on NE Fremont Street. They’ll be sharing a wall with the Mad Hanna bar; Cutie Pie will be in what was once the pandemic-era Hannex cafe and general store.
Continue reading “Cutie Pie Pizzeria Will Open on NE Fremont in Portland”
The 2025 James Beard Awards winners have been announced, the gala commenced, the medallions given. Portland and Oregon had six entries in four categories, and of those six, two went home with an award—one from Portland and one from rural Oregon. Congratulations to both!
Continue reading “The 2025 James Beard Awards Winners in Portland and Oregon”Lil Barbecue will open in Portland. The Oregonian has the details: “In a social media post Sunday, Ali Clem, owner of the Michelin-starred Austin barbecue joint La Barbecue, announced her ‘right and left hand’ man, GM and pitmaster Ben Vaughn, was ‘moving to Portland to start an extension of our beloved La Barbecue.’” Read more here, plus, here is their Instagram. Location TBD
Tréla celebrates 6 months. It feels like they’ve been around forever, but it’s true: Tréla has been in business for 6 months at the end of June. They are celebrating on Monday, June 16 with a new dinner and drink menu, and live bouzouki music from 5pm to 9pm. 6000 NE Glisan Street, Portland
You can now order Red Sauce Pizza at Tomorrow’s Verse Taproom. The Tomorrow’s Verse folks have partnered with Red Sauce Pizza so that you can order their pizza and eat it at the bar. The two businesses are less than a block away from each other, so it’s an easy run. “We have QR codes for you to order from at the bar, just order and they’ll run it over for you. It’s that simple.” 4605 NE Fremont Street, Suite #103, Portland
New menu items at Urdaneta. I’ve learned that Urdaneta has put together a new menu after their annual staff trip to Spain. It “reimagines traditional Basque bites through a seasonal Pacific Northwest lens.” Some of the new dishes are:
3033 NE Alberta Street, Portland
Reminder: The James Beard Awards are Monday. Next Monday is the day the James Beard Awards finalists gather together in Chicago for the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony. There’s going to be a virtual press room and yes, I plan to be there. I am considering “live skeeting” it on Bluesky Monday afternoon/evening, but no promises. I’ll let you know. Here are the finalists from Oregon.
Stories you may have missed on Bridgetown Bites this week:
The Inaugural WasabiFest Is June 14 in Portland
Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, May 2025
Opening Soon: Yellow Line Food Cart Pod, Navigator Coffee, and Alma in Portland
Enjoy Summer Nights 2025 in Parkrose in East Portland
The Portland Midsummer Festival and WasabiFest are Saturday. Strawberry Shortcake Week continues until Sunday. It’s also Father’s Day on Sunday, so happy day to the dads of all kinds. More events throughout the year can be found on our Portland Food and Drink Festivals and Portland Area Cultural + Food Festivals lists.
