Portland's status as a plant-based haven is undeniable, and that's even more true than usual this week, as the vegan tropical food cart Sharks Cove Like List and the Southern-inspired vegan restaurant South x Northwest Past Event Like List have landed in town. In other food news, the Instagram-famous fried chicken cart Jojo Like List is getting a brick-and-mortar restaurant, Jerry's Pizza owner Jerry Benedetto is opening a spot Like List serving his crackly tavern-style pizza, and Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine Like List has opened a second location. Read on for that and more food-world updates. For more ideas, check out our food and drink guide.
NEW OPENINGS AND RETURNS
88 Seoul Food
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This Korean street food truck launched in Gladstone last week, slinging Korean fried chicken wings, jojos, bowls with pork or bulgogi beef, kimchi, mandu (fried dumplings), and mac and corn salad.
Gladstone
Pickup or delivery
Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine
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The modern San Francisco-based Thai restaurant focusing on the bold flavors of northern Thailand has opened a second location in the former space of Avid Cider in the Pearl District. The spot has gained popularity in part for its takeout packages during the pandemic.
Pearl District
Pickup, delivery, or limited indoor dining
Paddy's Bar and Grill
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Downtown Portland's oldest Irish pub has reopened just in time for St. Patrick's Day. For the holiday, they'll host a socially distanced version of their annual St. Patrick's Day festival
Past Event
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, which features live Irish music, bagpipers, Irish dancers, corned beef and cabbage, Guinness beer, Kilbeggan Irish whiskey, and more. Check out our guide to where to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Portland
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for more ideas.
Southwest
Pickup, delivery, outdoor seating, or limited indoor seating
South x Northwest
Past Event
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The owners of the Seattle vegan restaurants Cycle Dogs and Wayward Vegan Cafe
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teamed up to open this new restaurant offering plant-based Southern and Southwestern fare by way of the Pacific Northwest. The restaurant opened in the former space of No Bones Beach Club
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in late February. Expect hearty dishes like fried "chick'n" sandwiches, Santa Fe dip burgers, fried okra, hushpuppies, and Texas chili with cornbread.
North
Pickup
Sharks Cove
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Kayla Lamberson, owner of the vegan comfort food cart the Mocking Bird
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, has opened a new tropical-themed cart in the new CORE (Collective Oregon Eateries) pod
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. The cart, which will have its grand opening from today through Sunday, will sling dishes like plant-based loco moco, pineapple burgers, jackfruit sandwiches, teriyaki tempeh rice bowls, Hawaiian-style plate lunches, and tropical jackfruit nachos and will also serve as a source for ocean and animal conservation education. Delivery and online orders are not yet available, but will come later.
Southeast
Pickup
FUTURE OPENINGS
Jerry's Pizza
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Tavern-style pizza, a type of thin, crackly pizza cut into squares and hailing from Chicago, is coming to Portland. Jerry Benedetto, who started selling tavern-style pies out of his home kitchen under the name Jerry's Pizza on Instagram less than a year ago, is opening a pizzeria in the former space of the Bear Paw Inn
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. An opening date has not yet been set.
Southeast
Jojo
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The meme-loving fried chicken cart is getting its own brick-and-mortar restaurant soon in the former space of Daily Cafe
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. Owner Justin Hintze will bring his popular menu of over-the-top comfort food like double-fried jojos and smothered fried chicken sandwiches to the restaurant, along with some new specials like a goat cheese patty melt with fig jam and pepper relish. Eem
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bartender Ashelee Wells is developing a "smashable" drink menu, and Hintze is also bringing a pastry chef aboard. The restaurant will open sometime this spring or summer.
Northwest
Sebastiano's
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While many food carts like Jojo eventually spawn brick-and-mortar restaurants, the Montavilla restaurant Sebastiano's, which opened last June, is reversing the typical order of things and is opening its first food cart this summer. Owners Elise and Dan Gold will launch a food cart in the parking lot of their restaurant this May, slinging Sicilian street food snacks like arancini and stuzzichini (grilled meat skewers) alongside spritz cocktails.
East
OTHER NEWS
Karl Holl launches foraging lifestyle company
Chef Karl Holl, who was named Portland Monthly's 2018 Chef of the Year for his work at the pop-up Park Avenue Fine Wines
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, is stepping away from the kitchen to launch a new online business called Forager Goods & Company, selling clothing, gear, and goods based around foraging and the outdoors. Appropriately, the brand will launch on Earth Day (April 21).
POP-UPS AND EVENTS
Giant Squid 2
Past Event
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Longtime best friends and drinking buddies Aaron Barnett of St. Jack and Joel Gunderson of Coopers Hall recently debuted their new natural wine pop-up Giant Squid at La Moule, and now they're following it up with another. Barnett will prepare a five-course prix-fixe dinner with dishes like scallop cru and bucatini with grilled asparagus, black garlic, and black truffle, while Gunderson will supply the wine selection.
La Moule, Saturday, seatings at 6 pm and 8:30 pm
Raiz Pop-Up
The gluten-free and vegetarian pop-up Raiz will serve up dishes like sweet potato gnocchi and vegan French onion dip, as well as a variety of desserts.
Tiny Moreso, Friday, 4:30-8 pm
Puffy Jacket Pop-Up Dining Series
Past Event
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This new pop-up series from Columbia Hospitality is making the best of winter al fresco dining by encouraging local diners to bundle up in their most voluminous outerwear for outdoor meals with cozy cocktails at 12 different venues in Washington and Oregon.
Various locations, Friday-Saturday through March 27
NEW SPECIALS
Bakeshop
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Rabbi Brian Zachary Mayer of Religion Outside the Box has created what Portland Monthly terms "sexy matzah": HIs small-batch version is made with fresh cracked pepper, honey, and olive oil. He and Bakeshop owner Kim Boyce have teamed up to form a "micro-business" called 1503 Matzah and are selling it at her shop. The matzah is available for pre-order from March 14-18 to pick up from March 20-21 or for pre-order from March 21-25 for pickup on March 27-28. It's also available on Mayer's Etsy—orders there are due before March 14.
Northeast
Pickup
Guilder Cafe
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Portland's premier Princess Bride-themed cafe is now serving up the "Spring Miracle Pill," a purple beverage made with ube, pandan, panela, and cold brew.
Northeast
Pickup
Kachka
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Kachka is marking the occasion of Malsenitsa, the Russian celebration of the upcoming spring, with a special meal for two that includes beet cured salmon, chopped chicken liver, Ajvar pepper spread, chocolate butter, mushroom gravy, leek and fennel gratin, duck confit rillettes, and a house tvorog (a type of Russian cottage cheese) with pine cone preserves. Add on wild salmon roe, shrimp and scallop sausage, dacha salat (an assortment of farm fresh veggies with sunflower tahini dip), mushroom salat (individually prepared assorted mushrooms with smoked hazelnut puree), and salat olivier (chicken, potato, carrot, peas, egg, pickles, and mayo).
Southeast
Pickup or delivery
Ripe Cooperative
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Naomi Pomeroy's market is bringing you what they call the "creamsicle of your grown-up dreams": a blood orange sorbet swirled with Madagascar vanilla bean ice cream, available for just one more week.
Pickup
Northeast