Tag: James Beard Public Market

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Small Bites: Il Corso, Melons, The Italian Job, and More

Panzanella salad at Il Corso.
Panzanella salad. Photo credit: Il Corso.

Il Corso is for lunch. They’ve changed their hours, which are now noon to 7pm, Tuesday through Saturday. “Our new menu is definitely what you want for a nice comfortable lunch or your Power Lunch with friends!” Their new chef, Keenan McDonald, has created this new menu.

They have 10 wines by the glass, 5 cocktails (including one NA), beer, cider, NA wine and beer, and soda for drinks. The Il Corso food menu has a nice variety: Marconas and olives, a panzanella salad (you can add burrata to that, too), cured meats and cheese, and “The Tony”—crispy Mortadella, melted Provolone, Dijon mustard, herb aioli, all on brioche with chili crisp. 1204 NW Glisan Street, Portland

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Strawberry Shortcake Week 2026 Is Almost Here in Portland

Strawberry Shortcake from Screen Door for Strawberry Shortcake Week 2026.
Strawberry Shortcake from Screen Door. Photo credit: Screen Door.

Strawberry Shortcake Week 2026—coming soon! It’s a little bit earlier this year, but that just means the strawberries will be on your plate before you know it. Here are all the details about the week, which is one of my top three favorite food weeks in Portland (Dumpling Week and Salad Week being the others).

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Churchill Nines: Watch the Kentucky Derby at The Nines Hotel in Portland

Mint Julep, Straightaway Cocktails, flowers, and a horse for Churchill Nines.
Mint Julep, Straightaway Cocktails, flowers, and a horse for Churchill Nines.

Earlier this week I had a chance to stop in on the 8th Floor of The Nines Hotel to get a sneak peek at the plans for the inaugural Churchill Nines party in May. This is a chance to watch the Kentucky Derby, AKA “the most exciting two minutes in sports,” with a festive crowd under the light-filled atrium alongside the hotel’s onsite restaurant, Urban Farmer.

We tried a few of the scheduled eats, mint juleps were passed around (more on the NA option later), and I had a number of interesting conversations with folks there—on both the upcoming Derby event and some thoughts and feelings about the efforts in service of a vibrant downtown Portland.

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Small Bites: End of Wilderton, Donuts, Good Measure, and More

The end of Wilderton is a sad state of affairs. Here's their final product. We will miss them.
Wilderton during a more colorful time.

The end of Wilderton. Bummer news about this NA distiller in Hood River. They closed their tasting room in August 2025 and the distillery will close at the end of January. One of the founders, Brad Whiting, said this: “We endeavoured to find a new steward of the brand for the past several months, but alas none worked out so the brand/IP etc will be shelved in the hopes to be resurrected at some point in the future. The distillery and tasting room are now closed and decommissioned.” More details here.

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