Portland food news and views
Did you know that February 2 is an apt time to eat pancakes in Portland? This is the date of of Candlemas, a Christian feast day, that coincides around the time of Imbolc (February 1, so good chance there was some borrowing going on), a cross-quarter day at the midpoint between the Solstice and Equinox. It marks “the first stirrings of spring.” It makes me think of crocuses, stretching toward the sunlight.
Continue reading “Eat Pancakes in Portland on Candelmas (February 2)”We’re back with four news tidbits in Portland-area food this week.
Happy in Happy Valley. Loved learning about this place for hand-stretched (and hand-cut) noodles in Happy Valley, Noodle Man.
Puffy pancake alert. The fluffy, puffy Japanese-style pancakes are available in Beaverton at La Rose Patisserie.
RIP Rip City Grill. Rip City Grill closed last Saturday 9/21 on SE Division at 60th. Good news, though: their truck and SW Waterfront cart are still in business.
Also closing: Laurelwood Brewing. The Sellwood-Moreland/Westmoreland location of Laurelwood Brewing is closing as well; their Sandy Blvd brewery will stay open. This weekend is the end of the road. It comes down to a hike in rent, something we will likely continue to see for some time and that could spell the end for restaurants throughout Portland. Competition will only get more intense.
Conventional wisdom says that the reason Portland’s food scene was able to flourish years ago was cheap rents and cheap land (property) prices. It’s not a surprise that those days are over, for the most part. Plus, some food carts will no doubt close because of new requirements re: cleanliness. Change—it’s the only constant.
