Small Bites – Closings, Anniversaries, New Menus, Consolidations, Ice Cream, and More

ensalada-bomba-g-love-portland-oregon

Ensalada Bomba at G-Love. Photo credit: G-Love

A whole raft of tidbits have crossed my desk this week, so welcome to another edition of Small Bites (in place of Friday’s regular Four Things I Learned This Week column). Also: have a great Labor Day Weekend, too!

Best bars and restaurants for wine lovers in PDX. Decanter published a delightful listicle of their favorite spots for wine lovers in our fair city. Included on that list are Davenport, Canard, Coquine, Providore, and more.

Continue reading “Small Bites – Closings, Anniversaries, New Menus, Consolidations, Ice Cream, and More”

Four Things I Learned This Week (August 19)

MidCity SmashBurger must leave its Stark Street digs. Looks like MidCity SmashBurger, which has had their cart serving “smashy bois” on Stark Street for a couple of years now, is going to have to move. “We are beginning a move to create space for a new pod which has certain requirements for cart owners and I do not meet the proper ‘owner criteria.'”

I noticed back in January that there was something going on at that location but beyond there being a new food cart pod arriving and improvements to the building, that’s all I knew. In late July, PoMo wrote an article about the newcomers taking over the space—a pod that will be operated by BIPOC and LGBTQ restaurant owners. The building will be home to the incoming Fracture taphouse, and that building will provide indoor seating for the pod adjacent, called Lil’ America.

MidCity will be looking for a new location—lots of fan suggestions in this Instagram post’s comments, but the PoMo article indicates “just a block away.” And it will have to happen by end of summer if the projected opening of Lil’ America happens in September as they would like. MidCity SmashBurger’s Cartside and Bend locations are staying put. 1015 SE Stark Street, Portland

Montelupo Market offers pasta night tote bags. For $65 you get “everything you need for a pasta night at home, ready to grab and go.” That includes a box of their house dried pasta, jarred sauce, wine & olive oil, all pre-loaded into a toma-tote. Nice. 344 NE 28th Avenue, Portland

Bag-O-Crab is open in Portland. Occupying what was the Original Taco House (locals still lament its closing) and more recently El Palenque (sadly, closed during the panedmic), Bag-O-Crab is now open in that space. They are a franchise, established in 2010 and have locations in CA and WA, and bring all sorts of seafood yums to the table—here’s their introduction:

“In Bag O’ Crab, you can enjoy a wide range of selected seafood including Dungeness Crab, Lobster, Shrimp, Crawfish and more in family inherited receipts. These seafoods are handpicked every day to ensure the highest standard is provided to our customers. Don’t like the seafood? Sorry to hear that. Although Seafood is our specialty, we also have something for you! Our Cajun style wings and Grill beef short ribs with French fries are gorgeous! And you can always explore the menu for more!” 3255 NE 82nd Avenue, Portland

Portland Polish Festival—on, then off again. The Portland Polish Festival, arguably one of the most beloved and popular cultural festivals in Portland, was planning on coming back after being on hiatus during the pandemic. However, they have since changed their minds. On their Facebook page they posted, “The Portland Polish Festival will not be held in September 2022 in our North Portland Neighborhood due to unforeseen circumstances (primarily related to safety concerns associated with the homeless encampment located in our neighborhood).”

They are, however, planning a smaller event—perhaps Dozynki, like last year? I’ll keep an eye on it. If you’re interested in knowing about other cultural festivals in the area, keep this list handy.

Head to the Fremont Fest This Saturday

strolling-fremont-fest-2021-portland-oregon

Walking the Fremont Fest 2021.

There are a lot of street festivals in Portland, but Fremont Fest is one of my favorites (here’s my 2021 writeup). I love spending time on NE Fremont, whether it’s driving on the way to the Rocky Butte Farmer’s Market (with a stop at Rocky Butte Espresso Bar)l; walking up from the Rose City Golf Course to catch a smoothie at Fresh Love; stopping in at Peter’s Bar & Grill for their incredible food (and ice cream a couple doors down at Nico’s); or grabbing a latte at Prince Coffee after perusing the games at Puddletown. Then there’s the whole Guilder/Lucca beauty further west. What I mean to say is Fremont Street is awesome and what a better way to celebrate a chunk of it then at this Saturday’s Fremont Fest.

Continue reading “Head to the Fremont Fest This Saturday”

Four Things I Learned This Week (July 1)

The Portland Craft Beer Festival starts today. Today through Sunday is the 6th Annual Portland Craft Beer Festival at the Fields Neighborhood Park in NW Portland. Online ticket sales are over as at 11:59am today, otherwise they are $40 at the door. Admission gets you a keepsake tin cup with 10 beer tickets and access to a lot of great beer and food. Non-drinkers: enter for free on Sunday during Family Day. 1099 NW Overton Street, Portland

Yonder becomes Hissyfit next week. There’s a lot of details behind this, but I’ll share this in particular: “The kitchen will carry forward some of Yonder’s personality, with Southern flavors and ingredients nestled alongside globally-inspired goodies with a focus on freedom from constraint. We will be sourcing gorgeous local produce and sustainable meats and fish from local farms and purveyors, continuing our relationships with stewards of Southern cuisine like Allan Benton and Anson Mills, and casting a wide net to capture our favorite flavors and techniques from all over the world.” Hissyfit opens Wednesday, July 6. More info, here. 4636 NE 42nd Avenue, Portland

Changes at Moonstruck. The chocolate company has been bought by Freeport, NY-based Chocolate Works, and “will close the Moonstruck Chocolate retail stores in Beaverton, St. Johns and downtown Portland on July 8.” There is an expectation that there will be “growth and transformation” for Moonstruck under the baton of Chocolate Works. I’m just sorry that any jobs will be lost with the closure of the stores.

Gartner’s Meat Market is back open. A couple of weeks ago they re-opened their indoor retail shop, but it only occurred to me when I drove by and saw folks heading inside. Gartner’s Country Meat Market is a great place to shop for your meat grilling needs on the upcoming holiday. 7450 NE Killingsworth Street, Portland

Bonus: Bridgetown Bites turns 5 on July 3! Yes, that’s right, this little blog will be five years old this Sunday. It has—and I have—been through a lot since 2017, with breast cancer (diagnosis in 2018) being the biggest de-railer to consistent posting over the years. But I’ve been in “keep on, keepin’ on” mode, never giving up on it. (“Never give up! Never surrender!”) So, happy birthday, blog! And thanks to all who have read and continue to read my writing and reporting on Portland food.