The world is shit and it’s full of shitty people who do shitty things to other people, so rounding up what our eats and drinks peers are reporting on seems futile—especially when you consider that this lede if a fungible one that could wrap up practically any week—but not reporting it would seem futile, too. But hey, at least The Racist Lawyer™ is getting a taste of his own medicine, which we can presume probably tastes like shit.
Okay, moving on….
This week, our drinks writer took us all on a tour of his favorite new coffee joints, and along the way, he previews some upcoming ones, too. And it’s official: The Mercury’s Portland Wing Week is coming to a restaurant or bar near you starting on June 25. What’s that get you? Six wings for $5 at 26 different bars and restaurants. And before we unpack the rest of the week’s food and drink news, one last heads up: Tomorrow is Cafe Castagna’s last day of business so get out there and eat. (Also, Cafe Castagna is not Castagna, so don’t panic, as that spot will remain open. Hopefully forever.)
Late last week, The Oregonian dropped a pretty big bombshell of a story: Smallwares, Johanna Wares’ beloved and long-shuttered restaurant has found a new home at Chalino, which, itself, will shutter in the coming weeks to make room for Wares’ “inauthentically Asian” flavors. (And don’t worry, she still plans to keep Wares, her mini-spinoff located in the Zipper complex, open as well.) And the daily previewed the menu at La Luna Cafe, the new brunch concept that’s now officially open in the old Simpatica Cafe space.
In other news, Portland Monthly checked in at La Vang-Herr’s Hmong food cart, @La’s, which you can find in the parking lot of the Little Caesar’s in Aloha, and which is doling out real-deal Hmong sausages and stuffed fried chicken wings.
Finally, Eater, per usual, had lots of stories, including news that Solid State, a pinball bar, is taking up digs in the old the Know space in July (we've got more details on that here); Pizza Jerk is opening a pizza parlor in the old Bunk space on SE Morrison in just a few days; same deal with Deadshot, Holdfast’s craft cocktail concept, which is opening in the old Associated (née, PREAM) space; the still-brand new Von Ebert Brewery is opening a second brewery at the 10th hole of the Glendoveer Golf Course; longtime food scenester Judith Stokes (Tita’s Pista, Astoria's Snacklebox Cafe) will take over ownership of Kenton’s Cup & Saucer Cafe under the banner of Derby; and, lastly, it previewed what the menu—and atmosphere—will look and feel like at Malka, the aspiring restaurant from the folks behind the once popular but now shuttered global food cart Carte Blanche.
