Two Brothers: 20 Years of Classic Balkan Food in Portland

Mixed Grill at Two Brothers.
Mixed Grill. Photo credit: Two Brothers.

Earlier this summer I chatted with Valdan Vlaski, current co-owner of Two Brothers Rakia Bar & Grill (Fun fact: He is one of the “two brothers”). I love food from the Balkans and have enjoyed meals at Two Brothers. Also, I had read some assertions online about the restaurant, and I wanted to get his take on them. Here’s what we talked about.

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The Great Portland Grape Stomp: Portland Wine Company Celebrates 20 Years

Wines at Portland Wine Company.

Portland Wine Company marks their 20th anniversary this year! And they’ve decided to celebrate their two decades in business with a good old fashioned grape stomp—The Great Portland Grape Stomp—and they invite you to participate. There are still spots available for teams of four to stomp on grapes in a barrel (registration link is on this page) at the event on Saturday, October 10.

I recently chatted with Portland Wine Company owners Matt Berson and Angie Reat to learn more about their 20 years, the company, and the upcoming grape stomp. Here’s what I learned.

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Second Annual Portland Craft Chocolate Festival Is This Weekend

Shelves of chocolate items from Ranger Chocolate Co., the organizer of the Portland Craft Chocolate Festival.
Shelves of chocolate items from Ranger Chocolate Co., the organizer of the Portland Craft Chocolate Festival.

The second annual Portland Craft Chocolate Festival starts this Friday, October 2, with the main festival activity on Saturday and Sunday. It is produced by local bean-to-bar chocolate maker Ranger Chocolate Company. Tickets are $35.

I attended the festival last year—it was a robust experience and I enjoyed it. This year they’ve added some new things, including a chocolate chip cookie competition. Here’s what you should know about the event.

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Small Bites: Dolly Parton Day, Apple Pie Week, and More

Not Dolly Day, but apple pie for Apple Pie Week. I think she loved apple pie.
Bellepine’s Seasonal Apple Pie with basil and whipped cream, for the inaugural Apple Pie Week. Dolly liked apple pie, too. Photo credit: Bellpine.

Today is Dolly Day. On Wednesday, September 23, City Council President Jamie Dunphy read the proclamation for Dolly Parton Day in Portland, which takes place today, September 25 (9/25, nine-to-five). You can watch that here. And businesses are celebrating the day with specials, which you can find here. Happy Dolly Day, everyone! Multiple locations

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