Small Bites: Lawless BBQ, Alpenrausch, Harlow on the Fly, Sandy Jug, and More

nicos-cantina-dining-room-portland-oregon

I’ll miss you, Nico’s Cantina dining room.

Welcome to another edition of Small Bites. Despite being away from this space, I have collected a number of tidbits elsewhere, and am essentially dropping an info load here to share with you. Enjoy!

Lawless BBQ moves into My-O-My. Monster Smash, which gave us many months of delicious smash burgers (and sandwiches and salads), has bid adieu to My-O-My in the Sumner neighborhood, and Lawless BBQ moved into that patio space in early November. Run by Kevin Koch, this is his second location. Their PR contact reached out and here’s what they are offering:

“The second Lawless Barbecue location’s menu will be distinct from the first, and will develop over time as Koch gets to know his new customers’ preferences. The new menu features smoked chicken wings and smoked ribs with a selection of sauces, and will eventually expand to include brisket and other dishes. Koch plans to tailor his recipes to suit the clientele of the My-O-My, known for its tiki-inspired cocktails and mocktails and inviting mid-century aesthetic.” Personally, I’m hoping for burnt ends, cuz I love burnt ends. 8627 NE Sandy Boulevard, Portland

Continue reading “Small Bites: Lawless BBQ, Alpenrausch, Harlow on the Fly, Sandy Jug, and More”

Four Things I Learned This Week (January 6)

El Yucateco is still in business, they’ve just moved. Over the past month or so when I’d drive east on Sandy Blvd, I noticed the El Yucateco food truck wasn’t where it has been for quite some time (the gravel lot at NE Sandy and 131st Place). Turns out the’ve moved just a couple of minutes west on Sandy, next to the motorcycle bar on the north side of the street. I love their panuchos and the folks who run the cart are so nice and friendly. Check it out if you haven’t already. 11807 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland

Prince Coffee’s new location is open. Their NW Portland location is now in soft open mode! Stop on over for a high-quality coffee—for now they are open from 7am to 4pm daily until their liquor license for their upcoming wine program is approved. 915 NW 19th Avenue, Portland

NOLA Doughnuts has closed all locations. Sad news, courtesy of the COVID era (and, frankly, IMO not enough support from the City of Portland). From their Instagram:

“It is with heavy hearts that we are announcing that as of today (1/5), NOLA Doughnuts has closed all locations. The slow rebound from the pandemic and the current economic conditions have led us to make this difficult decision. We have enjoyed serving everyone our delicious New Orleans inspired treats over the years and we want to thank our amazing team members and our customers for being a part of this journey. While we are sad it has come to an end, we are grateful that we had the opportunity to share our doughnuts and beignets with so many incredible people. Thank you all for your support, and we wish you all the best in 2023 and beyond.”

New things coming to Sebastiano’s. Their new year’s email arrived this week and it is chock full of cool things coming to this great Sicilian-American shop in Montavilla. As for good eats, look for a newTangerine-Blood Orange Marmellata, a Blood Orange curd, and hoagie rolls for grinders and meatball subs. On the operations side of things, they hope to open for a fifth day of the week, likely Tuesday.

They also bought a 20-year old Dodge Cargo Sprinter Van to turn into a mobile kitchen for catering and pop-ups (“picture Arancini Pop-Ups, or Sicilian Donuts & Cannoli Towers at weddings, parties, and elsewhere around town”). I send good wishes to Dan, Elise, and all at Sebastiano’s—see you soon. 411 SE 81st Avenue, Portland

Four Things I Learned This Week (January 14)

Madman Pop-Up is back. Last October I wrote about the Madman Pop-Up, a chance to enjoy delicious Trinidadian food inside the Little Griddle restaurant in NE Portland. Well, after a bit of a hiatus, it’s back! He’ll be making doubles (pumpkin and spinach add-ons available), bake and saltfish, and curry chicken plates complete with buss up shot (a kind of torn roti), aloo, channa, pumpkin, and spinach. They’ll also have sorrel and ponche creme (contains rum) for drinks. Monday, January 17 from 3-7pm. 3520 NE 42nd Avenue, Portland

Daily stroopwafels are on hiatus. Prince Coffee, known for their excellent espresso drinks and homemade stroopwafels are changing things up—daily stroopwafels are no more. They broke the news on Instagram: “With the intense labor involved and major price increase on imported ingredients (ahem, Lyles Golden Syrup from Europe that went up in cost 100%), we have decided to take a little hiatus from daily stroopwafels at the shop … While we are sad to say goodbye to daily stroopwafels, we know they aren’t gone forever. You can expect to see them pop up on a seasonal basis or for pre-order throughout the year.” 4523 NE Fremont Street, Portland

Greasers Cafe is now Rockabilly Cafe. Since I wrote about Greasers Cafe, opening up in the St. Johns neighborhood early this year, they have changed their name to Rockabilly Cafe. You can find them online at the following places: rockabillycafe.com, Instagram, and Facebook. Their menu is ready, too, and you can get a video sneak preview of it on their Facebook page. I’m particularly curious about the “Sid’s Caesar” salad—named after the owner’s dad and featuring his father’s Caesar dressing. 8537 N Lombard Street, Portland

MidCity SmashBurger anniversary. Thats right—one of the top smashburger spots (some might say the best smashburger) spots in Portland turns one year old next week on Thursday, January 20. Sounds like they are going to throw a party—think music, beer, and plenty of Smashy Bois. They were also interviewed on TV and you can watch that here. Keep an eye on their Instagram to see what kind of party they have in store for next week. 1015 SE Stark Street, Portland and 1825 N Williams Avenue, Portland