Portland food news and views
Small Bites is a roundup post I put together when I have a plethora of Portland food news tidbits in any week. It’s sort of an expanded version of Four Things I Learned This Week but can be published on any day (and sometimes take the place of Four Things. if appropriate).
Gumba soft reopens Saturday. Great news! Gumba soft reopens at their new location tomorrow at 5pm. You can make your reservation on their Tock page. 2203 NE Alberta Street, Portland
Continue reading “Small Bites: Gumba Soft Reopens, Sanguiche, Yen Ha, and More”
República returns. It’s true! They’ve decided to open back up for daytime service, Thursday through Sunday, 11am to 2:30pm. Founder Angel Medina posted the news on his Substack:
“Quesadillas. Tacotes. Guisados. Pozole. Maybe a surprise or two along the way.
No timeline. No promises. As long as you keep showing up, we’ll keep doing it right.
Continue reading “Small Bites: República Returns, Dat Banh Mi, Better Half, and More”
Painful and tragic: The flagship Elephants Deli burns. There’s plenty of news outlets reporting on this, but I’ll share the news releases (first, second) produced by Portland Fire & Rescue. Essentially:
“At 1am on the morning of March 10, 2026, Portland Fire & Rescue responded to a commercial fire at the Elephant’s Deli at 115 NW 22nd Avenue in NW Portland. This was a fire that was human caused on the exterior of the structure that extended to the interior of the building and into the elevated roof structure resulting in significant fire damage.”
Continue reading “Small Bites: Elephants Deli Burns, Mikado, Brunch, and More”
Last raclette of the season is next week. Head to Mayfly on Friday, March 13 to “celebrate the end of winter with one last, gloriously, deliciously, cheesy gathering!” Tickets are $35 (adults) and $8 (kids over 3-years old). The dinner will take place in a long communal table in a heated tent.
Continue reading “Small Bites: Last Raclette, Sicilian Nachos, FIKA, DST, and More”
Welcome, Cocina de Mary. This is another case of two restaurants operating in one space at different times. RJ Skillets is there from 8am to 3pm (starting 10am on Mondays) and Cocina de Mary operates 5pm to 9pm (closed Mondays). They offer Guatemalan food: cuchitos, a type of tamal; churrasco; hilachas, similar to ropa vieja; pepián; and tayuyos, similar to pupusas. They also offer familiar dishes like quesadillas, fried plantains, empanadas, burritos, and more. They officially opened on Friday, February 6. 2529-B NE Alberta Street, Portland
Continue reading “Small Bites: Cocina de Mary, Tariffs, Shorebird Bakery, and More”