I was about to write Mr. Humphrey and tell him that I wanted to review Scratch Cafeteria, the offshoot of chef Patrick Lee Warner’s Lake Oswego mainstay Scratch, which recently opened up in the downtown Justice Center. Back to the drawing board, I guess. After just 10 weeks, Warner’s closing up shop. According to Eater, Scratch was only pulling in about $100 a day, and Warner decided to move along to other projects.

While I don’t blame him—and it saves those of us paying attention the uncomfortable sadness of seeing someone struggle to maintain a restaurant that, for whatever reason, people just don’t want to patronize (R.I.P. Indish/Temple Bar)—it would be nice to have another downtown option for lunch. Outside of food carts (many not open on weekends), Blue Plate (also not open on weekends), and a few higher-end options (what, you think money grows on trees?), it’s kind of slim pickings.

I guess Goodbye Scratch Cafeteria, though I never knew you at all. Next up on Warner’s agenda seems to be a burger joint near PSU.

One reply on “Scratch That”

  1. Thread should be:

    Quality downtown lunch and dinner options beyond the carts/Blue Plate/ and high-end

    E Saan Thai
    Habibi
    Veritable Quandary’s lunch specials are decently priced
    Koi Fusion (in int’l food court 2nd & taylor)
    Haven’t been to Red Coach on Broadway in a couple years, if they still exist, nice burger/fries/shake place when Blue Plate is full

    Yeah, slim pickings in SW.

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