Portland food news and views
A new bakery, focusing on the world of oatmeal cookies, will open tomorrow, June 7 on SE Belmont and 33rd. Nate’s Oatmeal Cookies will offer a number of variations on this American staple of a baked good—and is a kind of “pandemic success story,” if you will.
Continue reading “Nate’s Oatmeal Cookies Opens June 7 on SE Belmont”
Photo credit: Battle Grounds Gaming Cafe
A few weeks ago, I stopped in at the new Battle Grounds Gaming Cafe on NE Sandy in the Hollywood District. My husband is a big D&D fan and plays with multiple groups throughout the month, so this place was on his radar early on. It’s pretty great inside—there are games and related items to buy, games to rent, games to borrow, separate rooms in which to play, a chill vibe. And a very nice cafe!
Continue reading “Battle Grounds Gaming Cafe Has Coffee and More”GrindWitTryz opening in old Nico’s Cantina space. Last year I wrote about Nico’s Cantina closing and that space on NE Cully Blvd being empty … again. Well, good news—GrindWitTryz is taking over the space. This restaurant is classified in various places online as a Hawaiian restaurant, but they offer dishes associated with other cultures as well, like chicken katsu (Japanese), pork bulgogi (Korean), and lechon kawali (Filipino), among others.
On January 2 they announced their closing to many sad fans … but less than a week later, they shared the news about their relocating: “If y’all thought we were closing, you thought wrong! Absolutely no one can stop us from spreading aloha in PDX! We are taking over Nico’s Catina! This space is giving us so much opportunity to grow and expand! Our grand opening will be in February.” Welcome to Cully, guys! 4318 NE Cully Blvd, Portland
New menu at Three Fifty Cafe. As they say, “New year, new menu.” The lovely little Vietnamese cafe has changed things up and you can see the new menu here. Stop in for one of the best banh mi sandwiches in town, have some fish sauce wings, and get yourself one of their excellent egg coffees to go with it all. 6205 NE Prescott Street, Portland
Get your Valentine’s treats at Bee’s. Although the cafe is closing, you can still order some of Bee’s fabulous treats for the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday. Head to the website to order—you can order things “Bento Box” style (one of each item offered in a premade box) or build your own box with just the items you want. Orders will be open until Monday, February 6 and you can choose to pick up on Tuesday or Wednesday, February 13 or 14. 7137 NE Fremont Street, Portland
Angel’s Donuts & Ice Cream seems to have closed. A neighbor online asked, “Anyone know what happened to Angels Donuts on Alberta? I walked by Friday and it was dark during business hours, then I drove by today and still dark.” Another neighbor confirmed it. I called, no answer. Yelp also says they have closed. Bummer. If anyone has more insight, drop a comment or an email. 2805 NE Alberta Street, Portland
Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy: The Three Wise Men” (named Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar). Detail from: “Mary and Child, surrounded by angels,” mosaic of a Ravennate italian-byzantine workshop, completed within 526 AD by the so-called “Master of Sant’Apollinare.” Photo credit: Nina-no on Wikimedia Commons
Over the years I’ve talked about the Galette des Rois, the king cake popular in France. This year I thought I’d expand the article on two other kinds of king cakes—the NOLA-style king cake and the Rosca de Reyes, popular in Mexico. Here’s the rundown of how to access these tasty treats in the greater Portland area.
Continue reading “King Cakes for 2024 in Portland”
Dang that meat is good.
I’ve written about the Middle Eastern Festival before (2019, 2022) and can’t resist writing about it this year, as well. It’s my favorite cultural/food festival in Portland all year long and you better believe I’ll be there on Sunday. As the band Nu Shooz says, “I can’t wait.”
Continue reading “The 44th Annual Middle Eastern Festival Is This Sunday”