I walked past the old Olea restaurant space at 1338 NW Hoyt Street yesterday and wondered if anyone would ever be crazy enough to open a new restaurant there. Today, Willamette Week ran an article on the very same property (link no longer works):
“a new outfit, Brix Tavern, has applied to take over the space that last housed Olea; and Easy Street Saloon on Southeast Powell Boulevard is set to become Undefeated Sports Bar.”
A look at the liquor license application shows they plan to be open daily from 11:00 am. Entertainment will be “recorded background music”. Video poker and two pool tables will be part of the mix.
This is a huge space with seating for 131, and I’m not sure how they plan to make it work. According to the permit, no modifications are planned for the building. The company behind it is The Urban Restaurant Group, so I don’t have high hopes for the food.
Um, good luck with this.
hsawtelle says
video poker in the pearl . . .
SuperDog says
Actually, I was amazed who most Video Poker clientele are – women and mostly house wives. They do extremely well in the burbs and strip malls. I was amazed how many places that look empty most of the time, have Video Poker, and that’s what sustains them.
KevinS says
I can’t visualize the Olea space. What’s wrong with it?
Food Dude says
Kevin, the entry is hidden away on a side street – easily forgotten. The space itself is huge, and hard to fill. There is no view inside from the street, so people are less likely to wander in. Etc.
Hunter says
Um… have you ever been there dude? Hidden away on a side street? It’s on Hoyt. I wouldn’t call that hidden away. And no view from the street. The door is glass and there are 2-3 really large windows that are a bit higher than the sidewalk but you can still see into the place.
KevinS says
Thanks! That being the case, I get the premise of your post. I’ll be
in Portland next week so will walk by to refresh my memory.
JeffS says
The space was originally converted from a print shop (hence the huge north-facing skylights) to the first Pearl District restaurant, Bima. It was opened by Chris Hollern and Margo Leonard in ’91 to lines out the door. The food was modern Cajun with many wood-grilled specialties and Margo’s fish tacos were a huge hit. Richard Brown and John Forsgren designed the space on a tight budget that retained the high ceilings and concrete walls. The curving entry ramp lifted guest into the welcoming space along with the fragrance of the wood grill. Sadly, Bima was only open for 4 years. Nobody since has understood the beautiful space and the designs of subsequent iterations have been horrible. None used or understood the raw space as brilliantly as Brown and Forsgren. Sculptor Christine Bourdette made a 3-dimensional bronze sign depicting the restaurant’s flaming logo.
Betsy says
I am surprised you took the time to form a judgment and write about a place that was not even open yet. Every good food reviewer knows not to judge a book by its cover… They had their soft opening last night and I am excited to tell you that they did a lot of great work inside and the food was amazing. I recommend trying this spot because I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Timothy says
To JeffS, a correction on the date that BIMA opened. It was Sept ’95. I was the opening manager, and yes, it was awesome. It was really the first big, cool restaurant in Portland with a hip vibe, and certainly the first in the Pearl. Miss it!
Thadeous says
It’s kind of sad that this is the first thing that comes up on Google when I search for Brix. It’s not a review but a pot shot at a restaurant that had not opened yet. They actually did a great deal of remodeling and the space looks good. Yes there is one single video poker machine but it’s in a back room away from the rest of the bar. New floors, new lounge upstairs, new pizza oven, new bar. They didn’t just slap a fresh coat of paint on it, cross out the new sign and open the doors.
This whole short blurb is just silly. But as they say, “haters gonna hate.”
Guignol says
It is being opened by Kevin Kennedy
Fat Milo's Mom says
I think they should have someone edit the website. I know what it is to work quickly towards opening day, but sheesh. “Artisan” is spelled
“Artisen” on the menu posted on the site.