Portland food news and views
The other day—actually, it was on my birthday—I stopped in at Northport in the Kenton neighborhood in North Portland. I was eager to check it out, as I’d been following the progress of the restaurant for many months. An early July media tasting had to be postponed, so I caught up with them a couple weeks later, for a nice solo lunch.
Note: This meal was comped but opinions are my own.
Continue reading “First Tastes: Northport (Review)”
At the end of last year, Swift & Union closed their doors after nine years in Kenton. That space looks like it is going to welcome a new tenant: Northport, opening on Wednesday, June 26. (Note: this post has some updates since originally published.)
Continue reading “Northport To Open in Old Swift & Union Space”
We are comfortably into January 2024 and it’s time to take a look back at 2023’s most-read posts on Bridgetown Bites. They mostly involved openings and closings of restaurants and bars, but there was one article on an Asian market opening in SE Portland that made the list.
I’m happy to say that from an analytics POV, traffic almost doubled between 2022 and 2023 here on the blog. Regarding 2022 I said, “Over 55,000 visits were recorded, and almost 35,000 of those visits were new to the site.” In 2023 we had 106,000 unique visits, with 86,000 new to the site; these visitors generated almost 142,000 page views, too. Not too bad for this little independent blog.
I also read somewhere online that this blog skews toward NE Portland. That is a true statement. I also read in the same source that some readers would love to see more coverage of the west side of Portland. This is good feedback. will see what I can do about that, and diversifying geographically in general.
Thanks to all who have read, commented, sent tips (keep ’em coming!), and shared these articles/posts on social media and with friends. Here’s to another great year of delving into the Portland food world!
10. Yuginong Offers Gluten-Free Korean Fare in St. Johns
When I was at dinner the other night, my friends who live in St. Johns said “a Korean restaurant has finally opened in our neighborhood.” Of course, my interest was piqued so I asked more questions. The restaurant is Yuginong (or Yu Gi Nong), located in the space that was previously home to Sol Bowl and a Starbucks. They opened this past weekend.
Update: I hear only good things about Yuginong, with modifiers like “fresh,” “tasty,” and “very good.” I’m happy to know they are still going strong.
Continue reading “Top Posts on Bridgetown Bites in 2023”
Photo credit: Ba Mee Thai Noodle House
While I was perusing city documents, I saw that something called Ba Mee Thai Noodle House is slated to open on North Williams—the website says they are “opening soon.” Looking into this new business brought up memories of a number of now closed and beloved restaurants in two drastically different areas of Portland.
Continue reading “Ba Mee Thai Noodle House Is Coming to North Williams”The 52nd Annual Gingerbread Masterpiece at The Benson Hotel. At 6pm on Wednesday night, The Benson Hotel revealed their annual gingerbread house—a giant replica of Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle—at a free event for kids (of all ages). It featured, of course, the amazing gingerbread castle, along with holiday music, children’s crafts, cookies, beverages, and a special appearance by Santa. Check it out in their lobby—it will be up until Saturday, December 30. 309 SW Broadway, Portland
Wonderwood Springs has re-opened. You can stop by this cafe, now run by Mike Bennett and continuing to feature his cartoon art, in the St Johns neighborhood. The cafe closed for a while as the business transferred ownership (and some former employees were dismayed by the process), but now it’s back. I visited them in their previous incarnation and to be honest, I was a bit disappointed in the food options. Happily, it looks like the food aspect of the cafe has evolved: Pastry Chef Victoria Ascencio is making a variety of things in-house, and there are new savory options on the menu. Look for pastries, breakfast sandwiches, popcorn, hot dogs, pretzels, cheese plates and more. They are open Wednesdays to Sundays from 8am to 10pm. 8811 N Lombard Street, Portland
A Franz Bakery outlet store is closing. Reported on Facebook about the closing: “The Franz Bakery Outlet Store at 14510 SE Stark Street ([open]since 1980) [is closing]. Other locations will remain open. Last day for this store will be December 6th.” 14510 SE Stark Street, Portland
New holiday drink menu at My-O-My drops tomorrow. Glad to see more seasonal drinks being developed at this great east Portland bar. One of the new drinks is the Frosted Candy Cane Slushie, which happens to be non-alcoholic. It’s made with coconut milk, white chocolate, milk chocolate, and peppermint. If you want to make it boozy, they recommend adding Rumplemintz. I can’t wait to see the rest of their festive holiday cocktail menu! 8627 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
