Small Bites: Nelly’s Taqueria, Sausages, The Last Rodeo, and More

Whyte Foxx Burrito at Nelly's Taqueria.
The Whyte Foxx Burrito at Nelly’s Taqueria. Image credit: WhyteFoxx Media.

Nelly’s Taqueria gets hyped. I recently came across this video by WhyteFoxx Media on Nelly’s Taqueria, which is located inside Su Casa Supermercado on Stark and 162nd. The video features some of Portland hip-hop musicians asking for and enjoying the special Whyte Foxx Burrito, created by hip-hop artist Whyte Foxx. DJ94 Prynce, Indo Slim, Smurf Luchiano, and Swiggle Mandela all give it a thumbs up. Note: Nelly’s has a sizable number of vegan items on its menu. 16100 SE Stark Street, Portland

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Four Things I Learned This Week (June 13) in Portland Food

Lil Barbecue will open in Portland. The Oregonian has the details: “In a social media post Sunday, Ali Clem, owner of the Michelin-starred Austin barbecue joint La Barbecue, announced her ‘right and left hand’ man, GM and pitmaster Ben Vaughn, was ‘moving to Portland to start an extension of our beloved La Barbecue.’” Read more here, plus, here is their Instagram. Location TBD

Tréla celebrates 6 months. It feels like they’ve been around forever, but it’s true: Tréla has been in business for 6 months at the end of June. They are celebrating on Monday, June 16 with a new dinner and drink menu, and live bouzouki music from 5pm to 9pm. 6000 NE Glisan Street, Portland

You can now order Red Sauce Pizza at Tomorrow’s Verse Taproom. The Tomorrow’s Verse folks have partnered with Red Sauce Pizza so that you can order their pizza and eat it at the bar. The two businesses are less than a block away from each other, so it’s an easy run. “We have QR codes for you to order from at the bar, just order and they’ll run it over for you. It’s that simple.” 4605 NE Fremont Street, Suite #103, Portland

New menu items at Urdaneta. I’ve learned that Urdaneta has put together a new menu after their annual staff trip to Spain. It “reimagines traditional Basque bites through a seasonal Pacific Northwest lens.” Some of the new dishes are:

  • Tartare de Atún (tuna tartare) served in a savory squid ink cone.
  • Gofre Bravas, a crispy potato waffle play on patatas bravas (they’ve taken a potato waffle dotted it with Bravas sauce and green garlic aioli.
  • Hiramasa Crudo (yellowtail amberjack) with grilled pineapple and piparra (semi-sweet peppers) emulsion.
  • Conejo al Ajillo featuring chicken-fried rabbit with espelette honey and aji amarillo.
  • Additionally they are featuring a strawberry Basque cheesecake topped with a biscuit crumble for Strawberry Shortcake Week.

3033 NE Alberta Street, Portland

Reminder: The James Beard Awards are Monday. Next Monday is the day the James Beard Awards finalists gather together in Chicago for the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony. There’s going to be a virtual press room and yes, I plan to be there. I am considering “live skeeting” it on Bluesky Monday afternoon/evening, but no promises. I’ll let you know. Here are the finalists from Oregon.


Stories you may have missed on Bridgetown Bites this week:

The Inaugural WasabiFest Is June 14 in Portland
Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, May 2025
Opening Soon: Yellow Line Food Cart Pod, Navigator Coffee, and Alma in Portland
Enjoy Summer Nights 2025 in Parkrose in East Portland

The Portland Midsummer Festival and WasabiFest are Saturday. Strawberry Shortcake Week continues until Sunday. It’s also Father’s Day on Sunday, so happy day to the dads of all kinds. More events throughout the year can be found on our Portland Food and Drink Festivals and Portland Area Cultural + Food Festivals lists.

The 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Finalists in Portland

The 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Finalists medal.
Photo credit: Cullen328  on Wikimedia Commons.

We learned back in January who the James Beard Awards Semifinalists were, and now that list has been reduced to the finalists. Portland—and Oregon—have six individuals and restaurants (includes a bakery and a bar) that are on track to possibly winning a James Beard Award later this summer.

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The 2025 James Beard Awards Semifinalists in Portland

2025 James Beard Awards Semifinalists announcement.

I was happy to see the 2025 James Beard Awards semifinalists list released today. And not only did Portland represent well, but chefs from other cities in Oregon were recognized, too. From Portland to Eugene to McMinville and beyond, our beautiful state shows how much we have to offer the world of food, dining, and edible creativity.

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