Portland food news and views
Bread Fest, an annual festival that celebrates the world of bread from flour to loaf, is in its second year in Portland. Head there this Sunday, October 20 for a delicious carbolicious time.
Continue reading “Second Annual Bread Fest Is October 20 in Portland”
I was happy to learn that the 2024 Portland Fermentation Fest is back this October, offering all sorts of wonderfully fizzy, funky, and stinky food and drink, all thanks to friendly bacteria and their metabolic partying. Think yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, pickles, tempeh, and more, all beautifully featured right here in Portland. It’s pickling and preserving season, too, so this is a great time to learn about this form of food preservation, or grow your appreciation of it further. Note: As of the afternoon of October 10, tickets are sold out.
Continue reading “The 2024 Portland Fermentation Festival Is Almost Here”“The best Yucatán restaurant in Portland.” I love following Sam Smith‘s eating adventures on Instagram, and in particular his love for what I call “Mexican comfort food.” He knows were the great ones are, as well as key spots for seriously tasty Vietnamese food in this city. He recently ate at El Rinconcito Yucateco on SE Flavel and deemed it the best he’s had as far as Yucatecan cuisine in Portland. I trust his recommendations; check it out. 8202 SE Flavel Street, Portland
Ben & Esther’s on The V Word. Ben & Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli is featured on an episode of The V Word, “an ongoing docuseries about plant-based chefs who are redefining their cultural cuisines and breaking through the stigmas that surround modern day veganism.” See them on WaterBear Network on Thursday, September 26, 2024. Here’s a preview.
Eating all the Phở in Portland. A Reddit user posted that he’s trying each of the 54 spots serving Phở in Portland; he’s made it to 28 so far. And he’s ranking them. Check out his introductory Reddit post, plus his Github page with photos.
APEX Bar is closing for real. Back in July, I posted about APEX Bar losing their lease and looking for a new space, but the results of that search hasn’t panned out. So, they are closing up shop. On Instagram they posted that they “need your help to lighten our cellar as we pack up and plan our next move.” Last day of business is Saturday, August 31. “Come by for a beer, grab some bottles, and share your ideas for our next home. Cheers to 14+ years and 3,319 unique beers!” 1216 SE Division Street, Portland
Bonus: Updates. A number of businesses I’ve written about here are opening/reopening in the next week or so, so I thought I’d update you on them here. Desi PDX is open at the Upright Beer Station. Moully’s opens their doors this evening at 6pm, and they’ll also be there tomorrow, too, pouring wine and enjoying your company. Caseus Diem opens tomorrow (Saturday) and will offer a 10% off grand opening discount. And the Wooden Chicken Pub (soft) reopens on August 29 with a big bash on Monday, September 9.
Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:
Another Fire: 42nd Ave Fish & Chips
Malpractice, a Cocktail Popup, Will Open a Brick & Mortar
Harder Day Coffee Co. Acquires Water Avenue Coffee, Opens in Spin Fremont
King Harvest Hummus Is Moving on From SE Morrison
As for festivals this weekend, there are several in the area:
Viking Beer Fest. Friday and Saturday, August 23 and 24, 2024, 3pm to 10pm (Nordic Northwest Members entrance: 2pm), Nordic Northwest Campus, 8800 Southwest Oleson Road, Portland
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/viking-beer-fest-2024-tickets-899550659237
Marianas Festival. Saturday, August 24, 2024, 10am to 7pm, Blue Lake Regional Park, 21224 NE Blue Lake Road, Fairview, OR
https://www.marianasfestival.com/
Ukrainian Festival. Saturday and Sunday, August 24 and 25, 2024, 11am to 7pm, Westmoreland Park, 7530 SE 22nd Avenue, Portland
https://ukrainianday.org/
Middle Eastern Festival. Sunday, August 25, 2024, noon to 6pm, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 2101 NE 162nd Avenue, Portland
https://www.stgeorgepdx.org
Maybe there is life for Water Avenue Coffee Hollywood after all. Over the past couple of months, I’ve seen some trucks visiting the site of a potential Water Avenue Coffee in the Hollywood District, located in the old Joule/Wholesome Blends space. And their permit situation woke up this year—the most recent one was set up in February 2023 and was “Approved to Issue” in January 2024. What’s on it? “New Tenant — Converting a restaurant to a coffee shop.” Among other more mundane things (drains, grease interceptor, grab bars in the WC). I’ll continue to keep an eye on it. 4615 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
PDX Sliders to open on N Williams. Looks like they’ll be taking over the Shine Distillery space in North Portland. Look for them to be open every day, 11am to 11pm, except Sundays when they close at 10pm. I know their website indicates a new NW Portland location but I think they will be a good fit in that hip section of North Portland. I tried to get more info this week but their email and contact form both pooped out on me. So it goes. 4232 N Williams Avenue, Portland
April is Filipino Food Month. All month long, you are encouraged to try some Filipino food, which you can find in Portland, Gresham, and Beaverton. In the words of the organizers, “To celebrate, we’re hosting Portland’s first-ever Filipino food tour called ‘Sobrang Sarap,’ which means ‘very delicious’ in Tagalog. Also: “April was designated Filipino Food Month to appreciate and preserve Filipino culinary heritage, as well as the farmers and fishermen who make it all possible.” For more information and to check out the participants, head to the Sobran Sarap website. Various
Chaat Wallah reopens today. Lately, every time I stop in at Junior’s Roasted Coffee, I look over at the Chaat Wallah cart and wonder when they will return. Well, I no longer have to wonder: they’re back open today! Starting at 4:30pm you can get some of their delicious food from an updated menu—one item that looks really tempting is the Butter Chicken Sandwich, made with Mary’s Chicken thighs (covered in a GF dredge), chilli oil-tossed arugula, Makhani sauce, and pickled onions. You can get it on a Dos Hermanos potato bun or a New Cascadia GF bun. A cold beer from Upright Brewing would go nicely with that sandwich. 7157 NE Prescott Street, Portland
I could hardly believe it when I read about this upcoming festival—Dongzhi: Tangyuan vs. Jiaozi—that combines dumplings and glutinous rice balls with the gorgeous Lan Su Chinese Garden. Dongzhi is the winter solstice or “Chinese Thanksgiving Day” and this celebration sounds like something great in the city of Portland.
Continue reading “Dongzhi: Tangyuan vs. Jiaozi at Lan Su Chinese Garden”