Kooks Sports Bar Will Open in North Portland

Kooks logo.

A new sports bar called Kooks will open in the space that was most recently home to the Portland Pickles Public House on North Mississippi Avenue. Another venture from Stephen Chao and his wife Vy, as well as Chris Mateja, they look to open their doors in early February for your convivial sports watching needs. I do love me a good sports bar (mostly to watch baseball, but it’s great to catch tennis, too), so I’m definitely curious about this place.

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Alma PDX, a New Balkan and Turkish Restaurant, Is Coming to NE Portland

Photo credit: Alma PDX

I recently became aware of a new restaurant called Alma PDX (not to be confused with Alma Chocolates), which will move into the old Masala Lab space when it vacates at the end of January. It looks to be a Balkan and Turkish restaurant, a cuisine that is less common in Portland than a lot of other places.

I’ve updated this article since it was initially published, but I’m still here to share with you the fruits of my additional research on Alma.

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Four Things I Learned This Week in Portland Food (January 17)

Big pizza news. I learned from the Willamette Week that Old Town Brewing (NE) will welcome Baby Doll to their kitchen. This will be Baby Doll’s second location. Fun fact: Adam Milne, who owns Old Town, also owns Baby Doll, which he bought in 2021. No indication in the article if they are up and running now, but it’s full of other great info—check it out. 5201 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Portland

LA Street Dogs at Niños Birrieria. I was over at the Niños Birrieria cart at Upright Brewing Station yesterday after a meeting and saw they just added what they call “LA Street Dogs” to the menu. They start out as a hot dog, are bacon-wrapped, with the addition of bell peppers, onions, mustard, mayo, and ketchup; jalapeño on the side. You can get them as a combo with fries. 7131 NE Prescott Street, Portland

Toro has temporarily closed. This Mexican restaurant on NW Everett has closed their doors and will reopen in spring 2025. During the closure the culinary team will travel to Mexico to honor “the traditions, techniques, and ingredients that make Mexican food so vibrant and diverse.” Look for an updated menu and redesigned space when they do reopen. 1355 NW Everett Street, #120, Portland

Sandy’s Myanmar Cuisine has left CORE. This is a big loss for CORE and for those of us who enjoyed their food there. No indication as to where Sandy’s Myanmar Cuisine will land—or if they will expand again beyond their catering work—but we will stay tuned to find out. They closed as of January 10. 3612 SE 82nd Avenue, Portland

Bonus: Pan Roast special. I mentioned Pan Roast last week as one of the vendors going into the Flock Food Hall. This weekend you can enjoy a sneak peek of one of the dishes they plan to offer only at Flock, but at their Oak Tree Station location: a loaded clam chowder bread bowl. On top of their New England-style clam chowder are prawns, clams, and a whole lobster tail. That’s quite a meal. Stop by Oak Tree Station this Saturday and Sunday, January 18 and 19, to enjoy, until sold out. 5900 NW Friberg-Strunk Street, Camas, WA


Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:

Restaurants Opening in Portland in 2025: What We’re Looking Forward To
Estes Residency at Broder Nord in Portland Starts Next Week
Getting To Know Speedboat Coffee in Southeast Portland
Valentine’s Day 2025 in Portland: Food and Drink

Also of note: We are starting to update our Portland Area Cultural + Food Festivals list. At the start of the year, details are always at a minimum, but we will update it throughout the year.

Estes Residency at Broder Nord in Portland Starts Next Week

Green pasta from Estes in Portland, Oregon.
Photo credit: Estes

Over the weekend I had a chance to chat with Patrick McKee of Estes, about their new residency at Broder Nord. They are starting up there next week, bringing all their deliciousness with them. Our conversation involved a variety of things, including time at Dame and what’s to come at the Broder residency.

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