Four Things I Learned This Week (November 8)

Trails End bar is open. There’s a new bar that has opened up in the old Cavern space on SE Hawthorne. I actually lost track of them at one point because apparently Instagram and Meta shut down their original Instagram page; I discovered their new one today. It’s brought to you by the folks behind The Standard and the Bottle Rocket Burgers food cart. Their soft opening was last night. 21+ only. 4601 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland

Goodbye Jim & Patty’s. We wrote about their fundraiser in September, and they raised close to $41,000 but ultimately closed it down. “In light of what’s going on in Appalachia, we want to withdraw. Our concerns are nothing compared to what those folks are going through.” On a personal note, I have had family affected by the floods, and Helene’s disastrous effects really are astonishing and heartbreaking.

One piece of good news from Jim & Patty’s is that they are putting together a cookbook. When I was there today enjoying my last Pig Newton, I wondered to myself, “Could I figure out how to make one of these?” Maybe I won’t have to, maybe it will be in the cookbook

Head to their NE Fremont location on Sunday for a party: “We’ll be in a celebrating mood on Sunday and we’d love to share the day with you. Grant Law is going to provide some live acoustic music, and we’re not sure what else is going to happen…” They will close their doors at the end of business on Monday, November 11. 4951 NE Fremont Street, Portland

Frybread Fest is Saturday. Celebrate Native American Heritage Month at Frybread Fest, which will feature … free frybread from Javelina (while supplies last). There will also be Native American vendors, storytelling and drumming, and cultural tables. Saturday, November 9, 11am to 5pm at Director Park. 815 SW Park Avenue, Portland

Sebastiano’s at Wellspent Market. Stop by Wellspent Market this Saturday from 10am to 1pm to bask in the tastiness fof Sebastiano’s in a pop-up event. Pick up your Big Sweet Woofer pastry box (order here), sample their new Calabrian Chili Marmellata, savory crostatas, and other sweets as available. Caffe Apertivo will feature non-alcoholic drinks from Puff Coffee and Wilderton Spirits. It’s gonna be great! 3402 SE Division Street, Portland


Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:

Chop Chop Food Pod Is Open
Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, October 2024
Broadway Pizza Shoppe Will Open on NE 15th Avenue
The East Side Dining Guide Is Here

And our Thanksgiving guide keeps getting updated throughout the month.

Strawberry Shortcake Week Is Coming

Strawberries, the star of Strawberry Shortcake Week, June 10–16, 2024

Strawberry Shortcake Week is almost upon us! All next week, from Monday, June 10 to Sunday, June 16, enjoy various interpretations and variations of the strawberry shortcake around Portland (with a few spots in McMinville, Oregon City, and Salem). Produced by the James Beard Public Market, it is now in its third year.

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Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, March 2024

Data Analytics Chart

A lower-content month (unexpected disruptions) and the relatively recnet Google algorithmic changes finally hit the blog and there was less traffic in March than February. It happens. We saw about 14,000 page views generated by about 11,200 unique visitors—25% less traffic than last month. For those of you who visited, read, and shared, thank you so much!

Here’s to working on improvements. As for what was popular in March, it was restaurant and bar news, with an older post on the Silk Road in the Pearl popping up in the middle of the popular posts. Always interesting to see what the month presents.

5. Bar Loon To Open in the Old Sweet Hereafter Space

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Folks were dismayed to learn that about the closing of Sweet Hereafter, a vegan bar on SE Belmont. But good news for those looking for new places, who like bars, and who dislike having storefronts empty for an extended time: Bar Loon is opening in this space. [Note: this post has been updated.]

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Sebastiano’s Opens in Sellwood

Sebastiano’s soft opening in Sellwood is today.

Sebastiano’s—that wonderful Sicilian/Italian-American shop, bakery, and deli that started out in Montavilla in 2020—has fully moved to Sellwood. Their grand opening is Thursday, March 7, but they had a soft opening today. I stopped by and was so happy to see how the business has been able to expand and flourish in this much larger space on SE 13th Avenue.

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