Portland food news and views
República returns. It’s true! They’ve decided to open back up for daytime service, Thursday through Sunday, 11am to 2:30pm. Founder Angel Medina posted the news on his Substack:
“Quesadillas. Tacotes. Guisados. Pozole. Maybe a surprise or two along the way.
No timeline. No promises. As long as you keep showing up, we’ll keep doing it right.
Continue reading “Small Bites: República Returns, Dat Banh Mi, Better Half, and More”
ICYMI: Stumptown Fil said we’ll have six more weeks of winter. And that’s despite Feb 2 being the start of spring on the old calendar. Guess that means there’s more time to complete your Winter Soup Bingo card. Multiple locations
Continue reading “Small Bites: Stumptown Fil, Citrus, Pears, Irene’s, and More”
Tomorrow—Friday, January 30, 2026—is a National Shutdown day across the country, in response to the killings by ICE. The campaign’s subtitle is “No Work. No School. No Shopping. Stop Funding ICE.” It’s a kind of general strike.
However, in Portland there are a lot of small businesses that simply can’t shut down for the day, due to economic reasons. And while “no shopping” might mean “don’t spend your money anywhere,” it’s generally understood to mean that shopping at small, independent businesses is ok.
Continue reading “National Shutdown: Restaurants Open and Helping in the Portland Metro”
Tamalada in Portland is back! I attended a tamalada—a group tamale-making party around the holidays—organized by Hot Mama Salsa and Three Sisters Nixtamal pre-pandemic (2019) and loved it. We learned how to prepare the masa, fill the corn husks, and steam the tamales—and we got to take some tamales home. It was fantastic!
So you can imagine how happy I was to see that these same two women-owned and led businesses have brought it back this year. This time it will take place at Hot Mama Salsa’s headquarters in Southeast Portland. There are two sessions on Sunday, December 14: 2pm to 3:30pm and 4pm to 5:30pm. It’s $65; you can reserve your spot and pay them on Venmo. DM them with questions. 333 SE 2nd Avenue, Portland
Continue reading “Small Bites: Tamalada, Crispy Cones, ZabPinto Thai, and More”
Change in Peter’s Bar & Grill ownership. This past week, the Facebook page for Peter’s Bar & Grill posted a goodbye message: “After a little over 11 years, today was our last day as the owners of Peter’s Bar & Grill. We feel so fortunate to have had this experience. We are so grateful to everyone who welcomed us into this community …. Because of all of you, we’re excited for what Peter’s will be in the future.” It was signed by Tim, Tara, Alex, Piper, & Casey.
I’ve reached out to learn more. My hope is that they do not end up closing. 5701 NE Fremont Street, Portland
Continue reading “Small Bites: Peter’s, Pears, Pizza, and More”