Portland food news and views
Sunday is for cannoli at Cartopia. Over at the Cartopia food pod Holy Shannoli is doing a cannoli pop-up on Sunday from noon to 8pm. You can see their menu here—much more elaborate than the traditional cannoli decorated with chocolate chips, nuts, or candied citrus peel. 1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
Continue reading “Small Bites: Cannoli, The Richmond Bar, The Deck, and More”
The Jim & Patty’s return. It’s true, they posted the news this week on their socials: “BIG NEWS, PORTLAND!!! Jim & Patty’s Coffee is BACK!! (under new ownership).” From what I can tell, Paul Ceserani, owner of Spielman Bagels & Coffee, is the new Jim & Patty’s owner. They opened yesterday, August 14, at their previous location on NE Fremont. 4951 NE Fremont Street, Portland
Continue reading “Small Bites: Jim & Patty’s Return, Kolaches, Bonta Gelato, and More”Belle Époque Pies is leaving the 23rd and Alberta Pod. Home to excellent square pies (Sicilian-Detroit), Belle Époque Pies is moving on from their location on NE Alberta and 23rd Avenue, to a currently undisclosed location in the new year. Their final day of service at the pod is Wednesday, December 25. As they said on Instagram, “Stay tuned for updates as we prepare to bring Belle Époque Pies to a brand-new home. Thank you, Alberta, for all the love and support—you’ve been incredible. 💛” Looking forward to seeing where they land in 2025. 2231 NE Alberta Street, Portland
And in other pizza news … this time in Milwaukie. Pietro’s Pizza is moving from their current location (10300 SE Main Street), setting up shop at 11050 SE Oak Street, which was home to McGrath’s Fish House. So why is this happening? A “developer of a 178-unit multifamily project in downtown Milwaukie is the new owner” of this property, according to the Portland Business Journal.
Pietro’s Pizza (opened in 1957) is part of an informal crowd of regional, old-school pizzerias that would include Stark Street Pizza (opened in 1965) and Pizza Baron (opened in 1983). I’ve heard from a number of old-time Portlanders who have happy memories of these places from their youth—maybe it was a birthday party or a little league season celebration at these pizzerias. Over on Reddit, a user calls this “Oregon-Style pizza.” 10300 SE Main Street/11050 SE Oak Street, Milwaukie
Jim & Patty’s is writing a cookbook, but you can see it digitally now. Over on Facebook the Jim & Patty’s folks wrote that although putting together the published cookbook (“Jim and Patty’s Family Recipes”) will take some time, you can access a “proto PDF version” of it now. It’s available for download for $10. It is “filled with our Roberts family recipes, pictures & back stories.” Instructions to access this PDF are in the Facebook post.
HeyDay has closed their shop. Over on Instagram, I learned that Lisa has closed down their brick & mortar space in the CORE food hall. The last day open was this past Sunday, and she said this about the decision to close without advanced notice: “I’m sorry that we didn’t announce it but I wanted to make sure that the team had the most normal last Sunday. I wanted to protect them from answering any questions about our decision to close.” I respect this decision.
She also tells us that this is not the end of HeyDay! “We have some really cool and exciting things for you to look forward to,” she says. Their donuts have been available at Better Days Cafe this year and I imagine they will be in 2025, too. Best of luck to Lisa and HeyDay, and I look forward to what they have planned for next year. 3612 SE 82nd Avenue, Portland
BONUS: Portland vs. Seattle. Redfin reached out to me for input on their article about Portland vs. Seattle, including when it comes to real estate, cost of living, and culture. I am Portland all the way (no surprise). Redfin observes this about our fair city: “Portland is known for its creative energy, green spaces, and more affordable cost of living.” You can read the article at the link, including a variety of quotes from Portland locals on food and other topics: Portland vs Seattle: Which City is Right for You? Comparing Real Estate, Cost of Living, Culture, and More.
Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:
Tréla Greek Kitchen and Taverna in Portland: First Look
A Dairy Queen Grows in Portland: An Opening Update
Hanukkah 2024 in Portland
Sincerely Bagel Is Setting Up Shop in Portland
Portland’s 3 Doors Down: A Chat With Matthew Stiles
Trails End bar is open. There’s a new bar that has opened up in the old Cavern space on SE Hawthorne. I actually lost track of them at one point because apparently Instagram and Meta shut down their original Instagram page; I discovered their new one today. It’s brought to you by the folks behind The Standard and the Bottle Rocket Burgers food cart. Their soft opening was last night. 21+ only. 4601 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
Goodbye Jim & Patty’s. We wrote about their fundraiser in September, and they raised close to $41,000 but ultimately closed it down. “In light of what’s going on in Appalachia, we want to withdraw. Our concerns are nothing compared to what those folks are going through.” On a personal note, I have had family affected by the floods, and Helene’s disastrous effects really are astonishing and heartbreaking.
One piece of good news from Jim & Patty’s is that they are putting together a cookbook. When I was there today enjoying my last Pig Newton, I wondered to myself, “Could I figure out how to make one of these?” Maybe I won’t have to, maybe it will be in the cookbook…
Head to their NE Fremont location on Sunday for a party: “We’ll be in a celebrating mood on Sunday and we’d love to share the day with you. Grant Law is going to provide some live acoustic music, and we’re not sure what else is going to happen…” They will close their doors at the end of business on Monday, November 11. 4951 NE Fremont Street, Portland
Frybread Fest is Saturday. Celebrate Native American Heritage Month at Frybread Fest, which will feature … free frybread from Javelina (while supplies last). There will also be Native American vendors, storytelling and drumming, and cultural tables. Saturday, November 9, 11am to 5pm at Director Park. 815 SW Park Avenue, Portland
Sebastiano’s at Wellspent Market. Stop by Wellspent Market this Saturday from 10am to 1pm to bask in the tastiness fof Sebastiano’s in a pop-up event. Pick up your Big Sweet Woofer pastry box (order here), sample their new Calabrian Chili Marmellata, savory crostatas, and other sweets as available. Caffe Apertivo will feature non-alcoholic drinks from Puff Coffee and Wilderton Spirits. It’s gonna be great! 3402 SE Division Street, Portland
Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:
Chop Chop Food Pod Is Open
Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, October 2024
Broadway Pizza Shoppe Will Open on NE 15th Avenue
The East Side Dining Guide Is Here
And our Thanksgiving guide keeps getting updated throughout the month.
Welcome to our (mostly) monthly roundup of top 5 posts on Bridgetown Bites. September’s top articles were an interesting mix of stories last month, and writing them involved my implementing both seasoned and new communications strategies. I’m grateful to those who shared information with me so readily.
September 2024 was the most successful month on Bridgetown Bites to date, from a traffic standpoint. Close to 22,000 unique visitors generated over 27,000 page views. Thanks to all of you for reading, sharing, and commenting—and extra thanks to my tipsters, who have quite the eagle-eyes in this town.
5. The Wooden Chicken Pub Returns
As we reported in June, Argay favorite the Wooden Chicken Pub closed after over 40 years in business. But recent paperwork filed with the City of Portland gives indication that this popular watering hole could come back from the dead. In answer to that speculation, I heard confirmation on August 1 that this is indeed true—The Wooden Chicken is returning! Note: This article has major updates.
Continue reading “Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, September 2024”