Tag: openings

Restaurant, bar, cafe, and food truck openings is the subject some of the most read Portland food news on Bridgetown Bites.

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The Lift Off Lounge Is Coming To NE Sandy Blvd in Portland

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Entrance to The Lift Off Lounge

Since I moved to Sumner, I find myself driving the strip of NE Sandy south to the Hollywood District fairly often, and have been really curious about what’s going into the old Stanley Printing building. After all, there is a very visually-appealing neon martini glass sign hung outside the building. I did some digging (and legwork) and found that something called The Lift Off Lounge is moving into that ground floor space, and a familiar name is behind it, according to city paperwork: Casey Maxwell, owner of the late Matador, a West Burnside bar that was open for decades and closed in 2014.

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Black Rock Coffee Bar Is Coming to Portland’s Hollywood District

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Looks like the Hollywood District is getting another coffee shop—Oregon-based chain Black Rock Coffee Bar will open in a ground floor retail space in the new Laurel42 apartment building. They closed their Pearl District location in late February, but had already signed a lease for this space the December prior.

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Scenes From the SE Belmont H Mart Grand Opening in Portland

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The new sign at the new H Mart on SE Belmont. Wednesday, April 10 was the date of their grand opening. Note the Belmont Dairy cow image is still there.

Many of us have been anticipating the opening of Korean grocery store chain H Mart for many months, and it was such a nice experience to finally be able to visit the store and shop there. The place was constantly busy, extremely clean, and very tidy. I’ve shopped at my share of Asian grocery stores over the years (mostly in NYC), and overall really enjoyed my experience here in this shiny new store; to contrast, Manhattan’s K-Town location of H Mart feels like you’re going into a dingy cave.

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Purringtons Cat Lounge To Return in Portland

Back in January when I was heading to Fisk, an art and design studio, gallery, and publisher run by a fellow CalArts grad, I saw the news about Purringtons Cat Lounge closing plastered on the door. I was sad.

So imagine my delight to see that they were purchased and will reopen! About the new owners, the former owners say, “Our little baby is in good hands!” Willamette Week has the details: Portland’s Only Cat Cafe Is Reopening Under New Ownership.

They’ll expand the cafe and redesign the bar area, and “the food and beverage menu will also be revamped.” I’m also excited by the idea that more cats may find loving homes through the cafe’s adoption program (as of today, the number of cats that have been adopted is 628). It’s unclear when they will open, but my guess is that their Instagram account is where that info will be found. Good luck to new owners Garrett Simpson and Helen Harris as they prepare to reopen.

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Top 5 Posts On Bridgetown Bites, January 2019

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It’s time to bring back this old chestnut—the top five posts on Bridgetown Bites in January 2019. Of the five, one post was written last year, and keeps showing up in my analytics—the closing of Salt, Fire & Time (I still miss that place). Anyway, here are the five posts you read most often this past month; and thanks to Eater and Reddit for the traffic.

5. It’s Official: Gado Gado Is Coming to the Hollywood District

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Photo credit: Gado Gado

Earlier this week, I mentioned that a restaurant named Gado Gado will move into the now-shuttered My Canh space later this year, and wondered if it was the same Gado Gado as the robust and popular Asian food popup. Today I learned via Eater that Portland Monthly confirms it. This is pretty exciting news for the Hollywood District! Their food looks and sounds delicious. Continue reading “Top 5 Posts On Bridgetown Bites, January 2019”