Portland food news and views
Portland runs on coffee. ☕️
There are over 200 roasters in the Portland area, including Extracto, Heart, Coava, Stumptown, Oblique, Rocky Butte, Futura, Water Avenue, and more.
Photo credit: Mill Park Stories
Thanks to the good folks at Mill Park Stories, I learned about Jubilee Hall, “a non-profit neighborhood cafe in East Portland providing real world skills and English training to new arrivals.” The cafe is the nonprofit wing of Diaspora Coffee & Chai Co. Jubilee Hall PDX’s soft opening was Tuesday, February 1 on the ground floor of Central City Concern’s Blackburn Center.
Continue reading “Jubilee Hall PDX Cafe Is Open in East Portland”Ki’ikibáa Mexican Restaurant makes delicious food. I met up with my friend Keri last night for dinner at Ki’ikibáa and boy was it good. We had the panuchos—best I’ve had in Portland so far—and the Poc Chuc, a platter of pork, cabbage, tomatoes, and pickled onions. It was a satisfying and flavorful meal. I loved how crisp the panuchos were (not greasy, as can be the case sometimes) and how tender the pork was along with fresh vegetables on the plate of Poc Chuc. Really nice staff, too, and great to see so many people enjoying their food. I look forward to my next meal there. 3244 NE 82nd Avenue, Portland
Get yer $150 cup of coffee next month. The Oregonian reports, “Starting Monday, Feb. 6, the menu at [Proud Mary] will feature a $150 cup of coffee.” It’s award-winning coffee—Black Jaguar Geisha coffee from Hartmann Estate in Panama. Apparently only 22 cups of this coffee will be available at each U.S. location of Proud Mary: 11 cups in Portland and 11 cups in Austin, TX. But, there will be a twelfth cup for whoever wins a “Golden Ticket” (here’s how to vye for one). 2012 NE Alberta Street, Portland
Cafe Zamora re-opens tomorrow. On their Instagram, the folks behind Cafe Zamora announced their much anticipated re-opening. They will be open from 7am to 3pm this Saturday and Sunday, but “will start with adjustable schedules for the next two weeks while we get our rhythm back.” Find them by The Original pod off SE Powell. 3602 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
Kitchen Culture had their grand opening this past week. A new kitchen store has opened on the edge of FoPo, offering kitchenware, cooking classes, and food preservation instruction. Traci Hildner is behind it, an educator who has also run the company Lucky Larder, which aligns closely with Kitchen Culture in at least one way: it teaches people about food preservation. You can get a better idea of who she is and her work on the What the Foster podcast from last April. 6300A SE Foster Road, Portland
Late afternoon addition: Junior’s is having their soft opening tomorrow. Earlier this afternoon Junior’s Roasted Coffee (sometimes known as Guilder) announced on Instagram that they are doing their soft opening tomorrow, Saturday January 28 from 7am to 3pm at the location on NE Prescott and 72nd Avenue. On the blog I’ve mostly talked about this location as home to the Upright Brewing space, but Junior’s—and Chaat Wallah plus another food cart TBD—is there, too. Look for coffee, pastries (Jen’s Pastries PDX and Shoofly Vegan Pastries) and Guilder packaged goods.
Upright and the food carts will be joining the opening fun very soon. Best wishes to Junior’s on their soft opening day tomorrow!
Cast Iron Butter Baked Eggs for the returning brunch service at The Observatory. Photo credit: The Observatory
After a sort of sleepy December on my part, I’ve been jotting down various Portland food-related tidbits I’ve encountered this week and am pleased to present this Small Bites post, replacing my usual Four Things I Learned This Week column. Enjoy the variety.
Besaws is opening back up. The Portland Business Journal reports on Eater’s news that Besaw’s and Solo Club will reopen later this month. Sounds like a variety of things have been going on to delay this good news. I’m happy to hear of this reopening—years ago, my family had brunch at Besaw’s (original location) and it was a really good time, so the place has a warm spot in my heart. 1545 NW 21st Avenue, Portland
Continue reading “Small Bites – NA Drinking, Brunch, Awards, Vegan Milkshakes, and More”A good Veterans Day to all, and many thanks to those who served this country. As I write this, the Veterans Day parade participants are arriving and lining up, this year on a new route on MLK Blvd.
Portland’s best Cubano sandwich? This morning I learned that the folks at PoMo have dubbed the Cuban sandwich at newcomer En Vida PDX as “Portland’s best.” They elaborate: “What makes En Vida’s sing is the roast mojo pork, shreds and chunks cooked with oranges, garlic, and cumin, then crisped and caramelized on the edges to intensify the flavor. The pickles, layered on top, are sweet, tangy, and house-made.”
They also mention the medianoche: “the medianoche roll is a little sweeter and softer than a traditional Cuban loaf—and custom-made for En Vida by Portland’s Dos Hermanos Bakery. Before it’s grill-pressed, the kitchen dips the medianoche in a little pork fat to double the pleasure. Take it from Alsberg: ‘It’s a Cubano on steroids. It’s a mouthful of love.’” 1303 NE Fremont Street, Portland
What Futura baristas drink. I enjoyed this little Instagram reel on what the baristas at Montavilla’s Futura Coffee Roasters drink. I think I’ll get a steamed cold brew (something I never considered, warm cold brew) recommended by barista Freedom, next time I’m in. 7201 NE Glisan Street, Portland
Tour the Republic of Georgia with Kachka. This tour of Georgia happening next September sounds absolutely amazing. My first exposure to Georgia was, not surprisingly, via the Georgian cuisine that I ate at the Sunday Night Dinner back in 2009, a supper club that was run by a couple of friends in Astoria, Queens. It remains one of my favorite food memories of my time in NYC, and forever changed my idea of what food was like in the former Soviet Union (it was an SSR from 1921 to 1991). I also fell in love with the look of the Georgian alphabet, and the landscapes there are absolutely gorgeous.
So, this tour should be pretty great, with excellent food, beautiful vistas, comfortable lodging and travel, and terrific guides in Bonnie and Israel of Kachka. The cost is $6,800 and includes: “seven nights at unique four- and five-star accommodations; private travel for all day trips and excursions; departure airport transfer; private tours with local guides and cultural experts; exclusive VIP access and tastings; guided activities, adventures and expeditions; entrance fees; daily breakfasts, most lunches and dinners; local beverages with meals.” To be clear: the price does not include international travel to Georgia.
Frog & Snail brings back the French Onion Meatball Sub. For a limited time, the lovely little french cafe in SE Portland is bringing back one of the tastiest sandwiches in Portland’s history, the French Onion Meatball Sub. This thing is crazy delicious, and when they say “limited time” they mean “very limited time” so I would say stop in before Thanksgiving. You won’t regret it. 3553 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
A new coffee shop has arrived in Portland’s Parkrose neighborhood, named Chik & Chuck’s Coffee. They are located inside the Fork & Spoon, a Filipino restaurant in the neighborhood, and is run by the same people. The coffee shop had its grand opening earlier this month.
Continue reading “Chik & Chuck’s Coffee Has Opened on NE Sandy Blvd in Parkrose”