Portland food news and views
When I lived in Astoria, Queens, I always looked forward to the arrival of St. Joseph’s Day pastries in local bakeries in March. Whether it was a zeppole or a sfingi, I was ready for them. Here in Portland, there are a couple of places you can get them this time of year, and I want you to know about them.
Continue reading “Get Your St. Joseph’s Day Pastries in Portland”
It’s almost time for king cakes! King cake season usually starts on January 6—Epiphany—and continues in some cases until Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday. There are three main kinds of king cakes you can find in Portland: the northern French galette des rois, NOLA-style king cakes, and rosca de reyes, which is popular in Mexican and other Latin American countries.
Here’s our roundup on where access these delicious king cakes in Portland in 2025.
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This year I ate at a variety of places—some fancy, some more modest. But they all served me excellent, tasty, wonderful food. Here are my favorite bites in Portland in 2024.
Located in Cully on Cully Blvd, this is one of two Native-owned cafes in Portland (the other being All Your Heart Coffee in South Portland). I was there for a meeting with a neighbor and ordered a latte. One of the things I was offered by the barista was a choice of espresso roasts, and I chose a medium roast—this meant the Shoshone Blend, a coffee bean from Honduras medium-roasted by Native Coffee Traders. It was lovely, with notes of chocolate and nuts; plus expertly streamed milk. This is one of the best lattes I’ve had all year. 3941 NE Cully Blvd, Portland. Bison Coffeehouse website
Continue reading “Favorite Bites in Portland in 2024”I hope you had a great Thanksgiving yesterday! We had a very chill holiday and made turkey chili along with traditional sides. And welcome to the official start of the holiday season! Remember: shopping local is good; and The Benson Hotel unveils its gingerbread masterpiece on Tuesday, December 3.
FIKA pops up Friday to Sunday. Head to the Stark Street Holiday Sale today, tomorrow, and Sunday to check out the work of 10 local artists, one jeweler, and delicious baked goods by FIKA, AKA the wonderful local bakerJoe Futschik. I’m particularly fond of his empanadas because of their irresistible flaky pasty. 11am to 6pm each day. 2809 SE Stark Street, Portland
The best cheddar in the world comes from Oregon. The World Cheese Awards 2024 happened earlier this month and the Tillamook Maker’s Reserve 2014 Extra Sharp White Cheddar cheese won the Trophy for Best Cheddar Cheese. Cheeses from 47 countries competed for the award. Over at Allrecipes, they include this tidbit:
“Tillamook was awarded two bronze accolades for its Tillamook Farmers’ Collection English Style Sweet Cheddar (another of my favorites) and Tillamook Farmers’ Collection Hickory Smoked Extra Sharp White Cheddar. The hickory-smoked Cheddar also won “Best USA Cheese Any Variety” in the International Cheese and Dairy Awards (ICDA) competition earlier this year. “
Lone Star Burger Bar will open next to Podnah’s BBQ. On Tuesday evening, a tipster emailed me with “I checked out the Lone Star Burger pop up yesterday at La Taq and was told they will be converting La Taq full time into a burger spot by mid-December. The burgers were great and were thick pub style.” I inquired with La Taq about these changes, but received no response.
But no worries—Michael Russell at The Oregonian is on it. Burgers are moving in but the bar remains, and they are looking to adjust their cocktails to be compatible with “more of a steakhouse vibe.” They will re-open as Lone Star Burger bar on Wednesday, December 4. 1625 NE Killingsworth Street, Portland
Super Joy Coffee Lab is under new management. Topher Ou posted on the Super Joy Instagram that he has moved on from the company he founded:
“Superjoy is now under new management, and I am no longer involved in its operations. This decision was mutual and made with deep respect and love for the business. While stepping away wasn’t easy, I’m extremely proud of what Superjoy has grown to represent and the many lives it has touched. I sincerely wish this community cornerstone all the best in the future and truly hope it continues to thrive.”
He is still passionate about coffee and will continue to roast and experiment with techniques and creativity. As he says, this is not goodbye, but the start of a new chapter. Best of luck to Topher on his new path. 1401 SW Yamhill Street, Portland
Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:
Face Plant Wants To Take Down McDonald’s
Win Big: Shop Small This Holiday Season
Additionally, over on Benable, I created a couple of lists this week: Signature Foods of Oregon and Underground Portland: Bars, Tunnels and More.
Earlier this month I saw someone post on Facebook about a new food cart called Devilishly Delicious Delights. I didn’t know what to think at first, but I saw the words,”chimney cake,” holy business, I was totally stoked! I hadn’t had one in forever—last time was back in 2012 in Long Island City.
Continue reading “Eat Chimney Cakes at Devilishly Delicious Delights in Roseway”