The Hercules Salad at Garden Monsters looks pretty dang good.
While I was sick and not on my A-game, the news of the impending arrival of Garden Monsters was reported by Chad Walsh at the Portland Mercury. Full disclosure: I hadn’t heard of Garden Monsters before this post but I’m sure glad I do now. The menu is primarily salads (“mini” and “monster” sizes), with the option to turn any of them into a wrap, and a couple of “Monster Melts.” They will be renting that little space adjacent to Saima Thai & Sushi that used to be Pono Soul Farm Kitchen’s meat market. Continue reading “Welcome to Hollywood, Garden Monsters”
Today is Bridgetown Bites’s six month anniversary! Or is it birthday? Anyway, we thought we’d take this opportunity to roundup our favorite eats of 2017. It’s always fun to look back on the year, and though I tasted my share of straight up duds, there was a lot more that was delicious. Here are some of our favorites from 2017.
Chocolate Chip Cookie | Coquine. This cookie is famous, and there’s a good reason for that, as it is more than just an excellent chocolate chip cookie—it features some additional flavors that elevate the whole thing. Those additional elements would be smoked almonds, salted caramel, and chunks (not chips) of high quality chocolate. The texture is both chewy and crisp, and I’d say it’s one of the top sweets in Portland. coquinepdx.com, 6839 SE Belmont Street, Portland
Well, looks like my suspicions were right—a new restaurant is indeed opening up in the old Pono Soul Farm Kitchen space. Saima Thai & Sushi is moving in and is “coming soon.” There’s been activity inside since the start of December; my guess is that they will open either a) in time for the holidays, or b) after the new year.
Update 1/10/18: Thanks to commenter Gabe below, looks like the people behind Saima Thai & Sushi are the same ones behind King Curry in Milwaukie. King Curry gets high marks on Yelp, and just looking at their menu, it’s full of familiar dishes to the average American Thai restaurant diner—along with what look like some Chinese dishes (e.g., Kung Pao, Orange Chicken). I’ve been keeping an eye on the place, and they have removed some of the window coverings. I hope that means they are opening soon.
Over the past several days, I’ve noticed some activity in the space that used to be home to Pono Soul Farm Kitchen (4118 Sandy Blvd). As you can see, the windows are papered over (that usually means something new is coming); myriad people have been coming and going; also, there was a little box on the side of the building parallel to Sandy Blvd (it used to hold Pono Soul Farm Kitchen’s menu for the day) that contained an ad for the space, and that ad is also gone.
One Kusshi oyster from Puget Sound, sitting atop a bed of rock salt studded with whole spices, accompanied by a ponzu mignonette, chives, and a microgreen. It was plump and meaty, and tasted almost sweet. My favorite oyster to date.
Pono Soul Farm Kitchen, I’ll miss you.
On June 23 I read the news that one of my neighborhood restaurants, Pono Soul Farm Kitchen, will close on July 8. I’ve read three reports on the impending shuttering—from Eater, The Oregonian, and Portland Food and Drink—and none of them indicate the reasons why, not even a touch of speculation. Eater quotes part of the press release from co-owner Ted Nakato, who thanks his customers for their dining and support, but that’s about it. Personally, I wish we knew more.
If you’re unfamiliar with Pono Soul Farm Kitchen, it is a farm-to-table restaurant that primarily serves as a place to showcase Pono Farm’s meats—beef, pork, and eggs raised in Bend, OR. The offerings have been called “Japanese soul food”—dumplings, ramen, and hot pot, to name a few; their sushi is excellent, too. They source their produce from places like DeNoble Farms, Groundwork Organics, and Gathering Together Farm, among others. Menu changes semi-regularly.
