Goodbye Fermenter, Hello Il Paffuto

Il Paffuto signage with reflection
Photo credit: Il Paffuto

As readers of this blog know, Fermenter closed its doors in March, with the promise of a new concept in its place. That new concept is Il Paffuto, which in the words of owner Aaron Adams, “basically means fat guy, which is one way to describe me for sure.” And while it sounds like this is going to be an Italian restaurant, Aaron emphasizes that the food is “DEFINITELY NOT TRADITIONAL ITALIAN”—but they will serve pasta (so think, “Italian-inspired”). He will bring with him the work he’s done with craft fermentation in the restaurant space. As he told me, “If you liked Portobello and Fermenter, you’ll like Il Paffuto.”

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Four Things I Learned This Week (February 23)

Fermenter is closing, then reimagining. Despite the O’s clickable headline, “Award-winning Portland vegan restaurant to close,” that’s only half the story. Sure, they are (get ready for some shouting) “CLOSING THE DING DANG FERMENTER DOWN ON MARCH 31st” but “OPENING UP SOMETHING ELSE IN APRIL BUT IT’S TOP SECRET BUT ONE RAD THING IS WE DON’T HAVE TO BREAK UP THE CREW. YAY JOBS!” So head to Fermenter to enjoy their current work until the end of March, and get excited for whatever comes next. More on their Instagram post. 1403 SE Belmont Street, Portland

Kure Superfoods Cafe moves into old Hopscotch space. No, not that Hopscotch, but the shuttered place on SE Hawthorne that offered, among other things, New Jersey-style bar pies. I actually passed the empty storefront earlier this month when I was checking out the new location of Michael’s Italian Beer and Sausage and wondered if anything would move in soon. A Bridgetown Bites reader told me about Kure taking up the SE Hawthorne space and it turns out that, despite them being a local chain opening up another location, this is the transition that the OG Kure cart is making—leaving it behind and moving into a real deal brick & mortar, right across the street.

An additional element that crossed my desk this morning was the story of the woman who owns the house in whose front yard the Kure cart was born. She wants to sell her home, but only to “the right buyer.” Is it you? 4380 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland

Frozen custard in a flower shop. I only recently became aware of this setup in NE Portland’s Colibri florist on NE Prescott just west of 15th Ave, across from that little cluster of eateries that includes VilleVello Bakery (home of amazing quiche) and CereusPDX. Now about this frozen custard biz:

Cornet Custard is the wild, inspired child of Mika Paredes and Naomi Pomeroy of Beast restaurant fame. After working together on and off since 2004, the pair came back together post-pandemic at the short-lived (but much adored) Ripe Cooperative. There at Ripe, Mika got to work creating the RICHEST, MOST LUXURIOUS Frozen Custard ever known — with 12 egg yolks in every quart— inspired by CLASSIC FLAVORS using old fashioned methods and the VERY BEST INGREDIENTS.”

Along with flowers and plants at Colibri, you’ll find “a secret espresso counter and a freezer full of Cornet Custard.” They scoop in real time, too: Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4pm. 1454 NE Prescott Street, Portland

Sebastiano’s timeline. Dan and Elise over at Sebastiano’s “tell it like it is” when it comes to transitions, over on their Instagram—a big ball of mixed feelings and memories. They also provided a timeline for their work and locations:

February 21 – 24 – Final Full Week in Montavilla
February 28 – 29 – Last Two Days in Montavilla
March 2 – Come see us @thewildbunchpdx
March 7-9 Opening Weekend in Sellwood
March 11 – Open 6 Days a Week in Sellwood

I’m sad to see them leave Montavilla but at the same time happy for them as they grow and change. Looking forward to hitting them up in Sellwood! 411 SE 81st Avenue (Montavilla) and 8235 SE 13th Avenue (Sellwood), Portland

Thanksgiving 2022 in Portland

It’s almost Thanksgiving! Can you believe it? Here are some options for for eat-in, take-out, meats, baked goods and treats for the holiday in Portland.

Dinner: Eat In

Andina. They are offering a four-course dinner of “local autumn bounty and delicious Peruvian flavors” on Thanksgiving Day from 2pm to 8pm. Vegetarian and traditional options available. Wine will be available by the bottle or via pairing, with Andean fare in mind. Signature and house cocktails will be available to celebrate on this special day of thanks.

  • First course: choice of delicata squash, quinoa, pickled onion, huacatay, parsley, radicchio; or butternut squash soup with salsa verde, pickled aji amarillo, and hazelnuts
  • Second course: choice of oxtail humita or red kuri squash
  • Third course: choice of grilled hen, Bordeaux sweet potato, ahi limo gravy; or gnocchi, hen of the woods, kale, kabocha squash
  • Fourth course: apple pie a la mode
  • All tables will receive root vegetable medley with apples, apple cider vinaigrette and pan d yema

$95 per person. Reserve your seats or get on the waitlist via Tock. andinarestaurant.com, 1314 NW Glisan Street, Portland


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Fermenter Workshop – Exciting Times for Fermentation in Portland

Beautiful vinegars at Fermenter Workshop: Strawberry-Rhubarb Elderflower, Celeriac Leaf Kombucha Vinegar, and Backyard Perry Cider Vinegar.

For a while I’ve been aware of Fermenter, a place devoted to making vegan “craft ferments” (love this phrase) from local, organic ingredients. Fermenter is run in part by Aaron Adams of Farm Spirit fame; Maya Carlile and August Winningham also lead the efforts at Fermenter. And according to Fermenter staff, their Fermenter Workshop is now open to the public!

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Small Bites – Rangoon Bistro, Sebastiano’s Cannoli, Closings, Openings, and Breakfast

The highly-praised cannoli at Sebastiano’s. Photo credit: Sebastiano’s

I came across so many interesting tidbits this week, so here’s a Small Bites in place of Four Things.

Banh Mi Boys update. Back in September (in another Small Bites post) I wrote about the arrival of Metairie-based Banh Mi Boys in the old Doe Donuts space on SE 82nd Ave. Turns out that space has not worked out for them so they are on the hunt for another location. Here’s hoping they stay on the east side (but I’m biased that way). New location TBD

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