Portland, Ore. (May 5, 2015) – Fans of Bollywood Theater will rejoice when the Alberta Street restaurant reopens its doors at 11am on Wednesday, May 6, to find a restaurant twice the size. Construction has closed the Northeast location of the popular Indian street food restaurant for the last several weeks as efforts were underway to convert the space next door (formerly Bin 21) into an expanded dining room and kitchen line. Bollywood Theater has added an additional 1,100 square feet, growing to a footprint of nearly double its original size. Chef/Owner Troy MacLarty is thrilled to have twice as much space, which will mean a shorter lines for customers, and more seating indoors and outdoors. The expanded kitchen capacity will allow more creativity and seasonal specials, which hearken to MacLarty’s time spent at Chez Panisse. The expanded space will allow the restaurant to feature more local produce than ever before, such as the Roasted Squash with Yogurt and Pomegranate Seeds, one of Karen Brooks’ favorite dishes of 2014 in Portland Monthly.
Above: Dahi Papri Chaat and Beets Roasted with Coconut Milk and Curry Leaves (left); Roasted Squash with Yogurt and Pomegranate Seeds (right), all photos by Jeremy Fenske
About Bollywood Theater
From his very first trip to India, Chef and owner Troy MacLarty was taken by how immersed street food is in Indian culture. On March 7, 2012 he opened his first Bollywood Theater restaurant on Northeast Alberta Street, to bring Portland the food he found during his travels on the subcontinent. Everything from the restaurant decor, steel cups and plates, to the food and drinks reflect the culinary experiences people might have in Mumbai. MacLarty’s love of flavor and training at Chez Panisse is evident in Bollywood Theater’s local produce sourcing, local wine and beer selections, fresh preparations, authentic dishes and seasonal menu specials. Bollywood’s second location opened on Southeast Division Street, Portland’s hot restaurant row, in February of 2014 with more seating, a large outdoor patio and a 4,000 square foot kitchen. The Division location also features an Indian grocery market that sells Indian specialty products. Indian cooking staples like Basmati rice, curry leaves and ghee are available along with an extensive selection of Indian spices and fresh made paneer cheese, made on site six times a week. Bollywood Theater has been lauded by Sunset, Tasting Table, Bon Appétit, Kinfolk, the Oregonian and Portland Monthly, as well as a number of international publications. Bollywood Theater was recently voted the #1 Indian restaurant in Portland by readers of PortlandFoodandDrink.com. Bollywood Theater consistently ranks among the city’s best restaurants and “cheap eats.”
