Andrea Damewood

Jeffrey Kim’s sashimi bowls are perhaps the least flashy in town—but for good reason. The lunchtime bowls at his Aji Fish Butchery are composed of sliced, dry-aged sashimi topped with only maldon flake salt, simply dressed salad greens, and white rice. That’s it. And that’s all it needs to be. Thanks to dry aging—a relatively […]

Settling into a plush booth at Sayler’s Old Country Kitchen, I was snacking on the little veggie spread, of carrots and mini corn, that has come with every dinner there since time immemorial, when I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation at the next table over. It was a father and his grown daughter telling the […]

Not gonna lie, I wasn’t blown away by Portland’s overall restaurant scene this year—there were a few promising openings, but the usual frenetic creative pace just wasn’t there. However, there were still some AMAZING bites from newcomers and fun inventions from longer-standing spots. So let’s hurry up and get to the eats; these are 10 […]

We Have Cantonese Rice Rolls in Portland?
Yes, and they’re phenomenal.

Y’all seem to be sleeping on Pasar. And I admit, I did too: This affordable Indonesian snack of a shop on Northeast Alberta has actually been open since the end of last year, and it took me far too long to go in. Thankfully, the bright spicy sambals, stir-fried pickled mustard greens, and crispy, deep-fried […]

Food critic Andrea Damewood remembers Chef Naomi Pomeroy—”the foundation, then the matriarch, of Portland’s incredibly influential food scene”—in this thoughtful essay.
https://www.portlandmercury.com/food-and-drink/2024/07/16/47306576/remembering-chef-naomi-pomeroy-whose-vision-cemented-portlands-rustic-yet-refined-reputation

Portland Chef Naomi Pomeroy had a hand in making Portland what it is today, writes critic Andrea Damewood. She’s not just talking about food.

The whole time I’ve known her, she’s intimidated the heck out of me. But I love that for her: She elbowed her way through oh-so-many tattooed dudes to become the foundation, then the matriarch, of Portland’s incredibly influential food scene. 

A prix fixe meal at Beast taught food critic Andrea Damewood how food is meant to tell a story. In this piece, the critic remembers Chef Naomi Pomeroy.

Are you—like critic Andrea Damewood—in search of an exquisite pairing of a sandwich and a good chocolate chip cookie? Here’s a list of Portland spots that offer both!

Places in Portland where you can score a phenomenal sandwich AND a scrumptious chocolate chip dessert.

Take a moment to remember spring 2014. “Happy” by Pharell topped the Billboard charts, and The Lego Movie was peak cinema. Skinny jeans were awesome, and I was 29 years old. I rented in Northeast Portland, and I also published my first column as the food critic for the Portland Mercury. It’s now 10 years […]