A review of Bar Avignon in SE Portland Oregon From the moment you walk into Bar Avignon, the atmosphere wraps its arms around you. A long bar stretches the length of the restaurant, an easy place to feel comfortable if you are dining alone. In the front, a small group of tables holds about 20, and a few raised booths make up the back. If you are in a group, a screened area … [Read more...] about Review: Bar Avignon
Portland Metro Restaurants That are Now Closed
It's always sad to see a restaurant close. As places we have reviewed go out of business, they end up in this category
Review: Kin
10/17/2012 - This restaurant is now closed.There’s a wonderful Yiddish word, “ongepotchket.” meaning something that is excessive or overly baroque. In his “relaxed lexicon” of Yiddish, Leo Rosten tells a joke which perfectly illustrates the word. Fleishman, an art collector, buys a painting much admired by his friend Meyerson. It consists of a large black square with … [Read more...] about Review: Kin
Review: Fin
NOTE: FIN HAS NOW CLOSED.If you’ve ever gazed longingly on the sumptuous food images in coffee table cook books, you may have thought the dishes came to the photographer straight from the stove; but no, they were doubtless doctored, sculpted, and re-assembled by a professional food stylist. Such people work not only with chanterelles, beef carpaccio, peppers, and rich … [Read more...] about Review: Fin
Review: June
NOTE: This restaurant is now closed.In every way June is the quintessential Portland restaurant--overstated understated. It boasts of having no sign in front, except for its obscurely etched name on an exterior piece of wood, looking like something a beaver might have carved if beavers lived on Burnside; only squinty-eyed pedestrians with 20-20 will spot it. What’s going on … [Read more...] about Review: June
Review: Beaker & Flask
Beaker & Flask has closed permanently.Years ago, I was sitting at the Park Kitchen bar talking to their bartender Kevin Ludwig, while I was having dinner. He mentioned he was leaving PK, and opening his own place somewhere on the East side. As I recall, he planned on having the bar as the main focus, with a variety of small plates to compliment the drinks.As is … [Read more...] about Review: Beaker & Flask