Small Bites: Pinolo Gelato, Nam Tao Huu, No Sabo, and More

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The superb Pinolo Gelato.

Pinolo Gelato celebrates 10 years. These guys make some of the best gelato in Portland. It was started by Sandro Paolini, who is originally from Pisa in Italy. He moved to the PNW a while back, but his path eventually led him back to Pisa to learn how to make gelato from his friends and mentors there, Ilaria and Omar of @ioegelato.

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Small Bites: Kachka, Bar Nouveau, Mayor Millie, and More

Mayor Millie's Mexican Lager label at Montavilla Brew Works.
Mayor Millie will be there at this Saturday’s event!

A new cocktail bar from Kachka is coming this summer. The Portland Business Journal reports that Kachka will open a “full bar concept” in what was the Aimsir Distilling space. Aimsir closed in early January; you may be aware of the tension between them and Jade Rabbit, who are now operating on SE Belmont and 23rd.

Anyway, the article indicates that “[Owner Bonnie] Morales had already leased 2,100 square feet in the same building for a production facility. Half of that space was earmarked for distilling Kachka’s horseradish vodka. The vodka production started in the new space in February, Morales said. By taking over the Aimsir lease, Kachka is adding another 1,500 square feet, but more importantly, the space comes with a fully built out kitchen and distilling equipment.” No name for the bar yet, but I’ll keep an eye on it. 2117 NE Oregon Street, Portland

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Small Bites: Screen Door Happy Hour, Vandalism, Palomar, and More

Happy hour offerings at Screen Door in Portland, Oregon.
Screen Door happy hour yums.

New! Screen Door Happy Hour in the Pearl. From Monday to Friday from 4:30pm to 5:30pm and again from 8pm to 9pm, you can enjoy happy hour at the Screen Door. What will you find on this menu? Things like shrimp remoulade, smoked alligator sausage, pulled pork sliders, and Cajun poutine. Plus $2 off drafts, $5 house wine and wells, and a selection of cocktails and low/zero-proof drinks (the NA Violet Beauregarde sounds good: lemon, grapefruit, orange, rosemary simple syrup, and butterfly pea tea). 1131 NW Couch Street, Portland

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Four Things I Learned This Week (September 17)

Dolce de Leite now available. Favela, a Brazilian cafe in SE Portland, is producing jars of dolce de leite, AKA dolce de leche in Spanish. “It goes perfect with coffee, toast, apples and simply on your spoon!” You can buy it at the Brazilian market at the cafe. 5300 SE Foster Road, Portland

Limited time for Piggins. Piggins, the outdoor dining spot from Higgins on the terrace by the Oregon Historical Society, will be around for only a few weeks more. “Piggins will remain open until early October, weather permitting. We invite you to experience the changing seasons and revel in the Oregon light and air while enjoying succulent seasonal fresh produce, such as heirloom tomatoes paired with decadent burrata cheese, fragrant roasted chilies and fresh eggplant.” 1239 SW Broadway, Portland

Biergarten menu starts this weekend at Fressen. Fressen Artisan Bakery, a great German bakery in Montavilla has a new Biergarten menu for the Oktoberfest season. On their Instagram they’ve been giving details of what to expect, including sandwiches and spaetzles:  Kaesespaetzle (housemade noodles with smoked Gouda, bacon and pretzel crumbs), Bavarian cheese dip, curry ketchup with fries (very good with their sausage board), Obatzda cheese spread with house pretzel, and Bratwurst sandwich (recommended with a side of fries and curry ketchup). They’ll be updating their offerings on Instagram today. The Biergarten is open Friday to Sunday 5-9pm. 7075 NE Glisan Street, Portland

Palomar says farewell to rooftop service. The good folks at Palomar are moving their operation back to their original space downstairs after many months of rooftop outdoor eating. “We are excited to return to our original space downstairs with new hours, table setup, drinks, and food items. Stay tuned for all that info coming soon.” They look forward to welcoming you back. 959 SE Division Street, Portland 


And on that topic of changes… I will be posting intermittently to the blog for a couple of weeks—I’m undergoing major surgery on Monday. Recovery should go fine but these things are unpredictable. I look forward to getting back to it as soon as is reasonably possible. Thank you for reading!