urdaneta Archives - Bridgetown Bites

August 10, 2026August 10, 2026

Feli Will Open in Northwest Portland’s Slabtown Neighborhood

The folks behind Urdaneta, Javier and Jael Canteras, are opening a second restaurant called Feli in a new space in Northwest Portland’s Slabtown neighborhood. A bit larger than Urdaneta, which celebrated 10 years in business last month, Feli will offer a cozy and upbeat atmosphere in which to enjoy food from the Andalusian region of southern Spain, as well as a full bar.

They look to open in September 2026. I had a really enjoyable conversation with Javier, and here are some of the things we talked about.

March 26, 2026March 25, 2026

Vya Brings Tapas, Vegan Paella, and More To Southeast Portland

Vegan paella, view from the side, at Vya. — Vegan paella at Vya.

In late February, a new tapas restaurant called Vya (pronounced “Vye-uh”) opened in the old Palomar space on SE Division. Paella—including a vegan version—is an important part of their menu. They also offer, of course, a variety of tapas, some desserts, as well as cocktails, wine, beer, cider, and no-proof drinks. We had a chance to try some, too.

I chatted with Vy and Steve Chao, the owners of Vya, to learn more about the restaurant, and here is what I learned.

February 6, 2026February 6, 2026

Small Bites: Stumptown Fil, Citrus, Pears, Irene’s, and More

The Portland beaver Stumptown Fil enjoys some vegetables. — Stumptown Fil is a beaver. Photo credit: Oregon Zoo.

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

December 23, 2025January 4, 2026

Favorite Bites of 2025 in Portland

Welcome to our list of favorite bites of 2025 in Portland! While Bridgetown Bites is not primarily a restaurant review site, we do comment here on things we like. And, like most humans, we are happy to tell you what we think tastes good in Portland.

So here’s a list (and a map) of our favorites for the year—plus, some things we’d consider as superlatives in 2025. Enjoy!

August 28, 2025August 28, 2025

Urdaneta: Making the Unfamiliar Familiar in Portland

The front of Urdaneta in NE Alberta Street in Portland, Oregon.

A little while back, I received an email from the PR person who works with Urdaneta. In it, she mentioned there was a chance to speak with Chef Javier Canteras about his work, and this topic caught my eye: “How his team is reviving lesser-known tapas traditions for a new audience.” As someone who, as a musician, was passionate about a similar thing (bring to the public music from lesser-known composers from the late Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods), this resonated with me.

We arranged a time for me to stop by—my friend and colleague Kathleen Bauer from Good Stuff NW joined me—and try some things. I had been to Urdaneta before and was confident the food was going to be the high quality I was accustomed to there; it did not disappoint. However, in honor transparency, I must tell you that this meal was comped (however, it’s important to tip well, and we did) but my thoughts are my own.