What a busy week, so let’s dig right in.
This week, the Mercury reported that Donut o Rama is poised to return with a Pearl District brick-and-mortar after a six year absence. We dropped by Corzetti, Johnny Nunn’s new Italian eatery where we think you should visit for the lasagna sandwich alone. And we <a href=”https://www.portlandmercury.com/lush-life/2018/07/25/21547652/beer-crawling-on-the-orange-max-line
“>took a long beer crawl along the MAX’s orange line, pointing out the 10 or so pubs and tap rooms you can visit on this responsible beer-by-train route.
Portland Business Journal had a pretty good scoop yesterday. It <a href=”https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2018/07/25/storied-portland-restaurant-moving-out-of-its.html
“>reported that after 20 years of service, Lisa Schroeder’s Mother’s Bistro is moving into new digs on the ground floor of the Embassy Suits hotel just a few blocks away.
Willamette Week <a href=”http://www.wweek.com/restaurants/2018/07/24/a-long-shuttered-portland-restaurant-is-coming-back-in-its-original-building/
“>had the news that Ye Olde Town Crier is getting the resurrection treatment when a local family plans to reopen the space, four decades after it shuttered in its original Woodstock location. The family’s dropping the “Ye Olde” from the name, but plans on keeping the homey vibe of its predecessor. And it <a href=”http://www.wweek.com/restaurants/2018/07/24/wild-north-is-the-fire-roasted-food-cart-of-your-dreams/
“>visited Wild North, the new food cart out in Cartlandia, where the standouts were the chilled cucumber gazpacho served in a fire-roasted bread bowl and cobs of corn served with a popcorn hollandaise, the latter of which was like eating “movie-theater popcorn on bath salts.”
PoMo <a href=”https://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2018/7/17/gabriel-rucker-s-canard-is-2018-s-best-restaurant-so-far
“>dropped by Canard, the new restaurant courtesy of the Gabe Rucker crew, calling it Portland’s best restaurant of the year—so far. (Eater National agrees, naming it one of the best 18 restaurants to open nationally in 2018.) It <a href=”https://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2018/7/17/la-luna-cafe-remixes-brunch-hits-in-a-storied-space
“>also visited the new La Luna brunch spot, deeming the banana-enhanced pancake, served sizzling hot in its own cast-iron pan a “bait and switch job,” because it’s more cake—and better—than your average pancake. It <a href=”https://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2018/7/24/natural-wine-haven-bar-norman-opens-its-doors-on-se-clinton
“>reported that Dana Frank’s Bar Norman wine bar is open on Clinton, and that Departure’s Gregory Gourdet is hosting a Farm Bill fundraiser featuring a 12-course meal prepared by 13 local James Beard Award-nominated and -winning chefs on October 5.
Finally, Eater reported that <a href=”https://pdx.eater.com/2018/7/20/17588802/look-inside-smallwares-wares-johanna-ware-opening
“>Smallwares and <a href=”https://pdx.eater.com/2018/7/23/17602664/kachka-new-location-opening-date-inside-space
“>Kachka have both reopened on N Williams and SE 11th, respectively. The family behind Fish Sauce and Short Round <a href=”https://pdx.eater.com/2018/7/25/17613276/boba-milk-frozen-yogurt-bubble-tea-short-round-portland
“>will open Boba Milk, a handmade froyo concept, in the old Musubi space on Division. Burger Stevens‘ Don Salamone is permanently moving into the Dig a Pony kitchen on August 1, with plans to keep his two carts up and regularly running. The Italian restaurant Nicoletta & Beppe’s has <a href=”https://pdx.eater.com/2018/7/24/17607790/italian-trattoria-nicoletta-beppes-closed-pearl-district
“>shuttered in the Pearl, but there’s a lot of planned openings in the NW in the coming days and weeks, including <a href=”https://pdx.eater.com/2018/7/26/17614726/pink-rabbit-pearl-opening-teardrop-tusk-barista-new-bar
“>Pearl Rabbit, a new cocktail club opening in the old Hamlet space, <a href=”https://pdx.eater.com/2018/7/26/17617286/quickfish-poke-opening-pearl-district-bamboo-sushi
“>Quickfish, which will open in the Pearl in August, and the brick-and-mortar opening of pop-up brunch concept <a href=”https://pdx.eater.com/2018/7/26/17617662/pop-up-hunnymilk-restaurant-opening-brunch-breakfast-burnside
“>Hunnymilk, which is setting up shop in the old Bitter End space on W Burnside. (Hat-tip to @perfectfooddays.)