Longtime favorite Café Hibiscus has relaunched itself as Swiss Hibiscus. The interior has been spruced up (a new paint job and art work), but the main reason for the change is branding: based on the name people either thought it was Hawaiian (hibiscus is Hawaii’s state flower) or they were expecting free wifi and lattes. […]
MJ Skegg
Posted inFood and Drink
Fermentation Fest: What Microbes Can Do For You
Fermented foods have been around for thousands of years—it’s only in recent history that we’ve taken to pasteurizing and sanitizing everything, removing microbes from our plates and lives. Which is bad, as not only does fermentation produce delicious foods—leavened bread, certain types of cheese, pickled vegetables, wine, beer—it is also beneficial, improving digestion and helping […]
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It’s (Unofficial) Caffeine Week
Portland coffee lovers are having a fine week. For the first time in its 21-year history the Coffee Fest trade show has decamped from Seattle to Portland. It’s an industry event focusing on specialty coffee and teas with a strong emphasis on educational programs for businesses and baristas (there are 75-plus sessions). Also taking place […]
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Peaches With Your Beer?
Another week, another beer festival. This town is never at a loss when it comes to imagining distinct and precise categories of suds to celebrate—Saturday sees the return of Peche Fest at Saraveza, which celebrates peach beer, cider and mead. 20-plus taps will be available, including barrel-aged and sour beers, lambics, Berliner-Weisses and some exclusives […]
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The Welcome Return of The Wedge Cheese Festival
The Wedge cheese fest returns on Saturday, and it’s a must for anyone with a love of regional cheeses. The main reason for attendance is the opportunity to sample selections—some rare and small batch—from over 30 artisan cheese makers from the Northwest (stretching across Oregon, Washington, California, Utah and Idaho). And there’s a lot of […]
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A Block Party Made for Foodies
Here’s the thing about the annual NE 30th and Killingsworth block party: you need to get there early if you want to stand a chance of tasting all the food (which is pretty much the point of the whole thing). Though last night was damp, there was a good turnout to sample what some of […]
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The Modest Genius of Milo’s Mushroom Soup
On one of my first ever trips to Portland I was taken to Milo’s City Café. My friend, who was giving me something of a gourmet’s tour of the city, also knew the places beyond the hype and ‘best of’ lists where particular dishes could be found that were so good it was like discovering […]
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The Art of Eating
Contemporary art space Disjecta is launching its Culinaria season in which it brings together art and food to support its curator-in-residence program. It begins on Monday with a dinner prepared by Henry Kibit, formerly of Fireside and Noble Rot. The meal is part of a three-way intersection between chef, exhibiting artists and the curator. Rachel […]
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Take Baking Classes and Wow Your Thanksgiving Guests!
It’s probably fair to say that the people at St. Honoré Boulangerie know a thing or two about baking (they do, after all, produce some of the best pastries in town). Now they are sharing their knowledge by offering a couple of cooking classes this fall at their SE Division location—a timely way to obtain […]
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Looking Pretty on Hawthorne
Perry Prettyman was one of the first settlers around Mt Tabor—his property, a full square mile, stretched from SE Stark to SE Division, and from SE 39th to SE 60th, and he originally built a log cabin on it. He practiced as a doctor and has two claims to fame: he is credited with introducing […]
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Let’s Do Oktoberfest!
German Oktoberfest, which takes place over two weeks in Munich, is a two-century old beer bonanza attracting over six million people from around the world. It’s a booze bacchanalia of revelry, dancing and singing where everyone seems to be able to understand German (or a drunk version of) no matter where they’re from. Oktoberfest officially […]
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The Bird is the Word
Happy birthday Blackbird! In the seven years of its existence the wine shop and cheese bar has established itself as a fixture in the Beaumont District and as an unpretentious refuge for grown ups. It’s one of the best wine shops in town for affordability and choice—owner Andy Diaz is often to be found buzzing […]