The news came today that Cecilia Chiang of The Mandarin restaurant has died at the age of 100. All of this brought back a flood of memories from my childhood. My father organized family vacations around two possible itineraries. One was hiking and backpacking in the most isolated places he could find. The…

The pandemic claims popular Cacao Drink Chocolate store. When Cacao first opened in 2006, it was a game-changer for Portland, a shop that focused on selling nothing but chocolate, manned by owners who are some of the most knowledgeable about the product in the Northwest. Aubrey Lindley and Jesse Mannis lived and breathed…

With everything going on, I haven’t been updating local news as much lately. Here is a roundup of closures I’ve seen around the Portland restaurant scene. Darryl Joannides of Viola Wine Cellars has decided to close the winery. Darryl has been a fixture in the Portland food scene for years. Remember Assaggio restaurant…

New Southeast location quadruples footprint for pandemic-safe dining. PORTLAND, Ore. – October 20, 2020 – One of Portland’s oldest Lebanese and Mediterranean restaurants, Nicholas, will move from its iconic perch on SE Grand Avenue to a new location at 1109 Southeast Madison in early 2021. The family-owned, neighborhood locale has been part of Portland’s…

Joining Bluehour, Saucebox, the restaurant from Bruce Carey and company, has closed. Closing first reported by Eater. From the day it opened in 1995, Saucebox was a hit. Under the experienced eye of Chris Israel, the kitchen turned out excellent food with unusual twists for that point in time. Drink concoctions by Lucy…

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) is joined by local Portland chefs and restaurant advocates. Today we are proud to share our biggest news to date: the RESTAURANTS Act — the bill we’ve been fighting for that will help save our industry — is included in the House’s revised HEROES Act. The months we’ve spent organizing,…