There are a lot of food festivals in Portland but the Soup Festival (AKA Winter Soup Festival) is one of the tastiest. I’ve attended in the past and have tasted a number of delicious soups, and am eager to return for more. This year, the festival is Wednesday, January 25 to Sunday, January 29, all taking place at the Portland Mercado.
It’s 2023! And though we are in a new year, I’m looking back at the top 10 posts of 2022. I realize that the last time I did this was … 2017.
It was, as usual, interesting to see what got the most traffic in 2022—meaning, what readers were particularly drawn to. It’s no surprise that restaurant news was the main driver, and summer seems to be a bit of a theme.
Over 55,000 visits were recorded, and almost 35,000 of those visits were new to the site. Not bad for this modest operation.
Last year I remember coming across something called the “Portland Strawberry Museum” and wondering, “what the heck was that?” I mean, what a great name! Is there some kind of museum dedicated to strawberries in Portland? Turns out it was a month of Saturdays in June of celebrating the strawberry, from Brittany Sigal’s Zuckercreme (then a popup). It is back this year for the entire month of June at her space in Montavilla.
I enjoy seeing what Bridgetown Bites readers gravitate toward and August 2022 was no exception to that. It was a bit of a mix this time around: the sad news of Yohhei Sato’s untimely death; restaurant news; and event info. I did attend the Middle Eastern Festival and it was lovely as always—highlights were the chicken skewers and the ma’amoul that melted in your mouth. And remember: O’Dear opens their doors this week! The grand opening is Thursday at noon.
Earlier this week I was shocked to learn of the sudden death of beloved Portland mobile knife sharpener Yohhei Sato. He sharpened knives under the name Sato Sharpening, and was beloved among so many Portlanders—chefs, food industry pros, and regular people alike. I wanted to take this space to recognize him, honor him, and express my sympathy to those who loved him.
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.
Excellent ghraybeh at 2019’s Middle Eastern Festival.
Back in 2019 I attended the Middle Eastern Festival at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in east Portland and was blown away by the event. Along with the beautiful church, its sanctuary adorned with icons, live music and dancing, and friendly event staff, the food was top-notch. Because of the pandemic they did not hold the festival for two years, and I’ve kept an eye on it, hoping for its return. And it has! It is happening this Sunday, August 28.