And you thought Burger Week, which wrapped up last Saturday, was over. We were wrong because this week, the Mercury <a href=”https://www.portlandmercury.com/last-supper/2018/08/22/22296002/ok-omens-portends-really-good-food-and-even-better-wine
“>visited OK Omens, the new Castagna restaurant side project in the old Cafe Castagna space. While everything is pretty darn good, our critic praises its burger. From her lips to your ears: “[W]hen I go back I’ve got a plan: Two burgers with fries and a bottle of whatever’s cheapest on the staff picks list. There are a lot of fancy-ass burgers in town, but this one nears perfection. It’s a 4.5-ounce beef patty grilled with salt and pepper. Then it’s topped with zucchini pickles, caramelized AND raw white onions, crisp iceberg lettuce, white Tillamook cheese AND American cheese, oozing a burger sauce made with smoked beef fat (cribbed from another Castagna dish) and juice with each bite. Packed between an olive oil griddled Grand Central potato bun and served with a hefty portion of beef tallow fries on the side, the first bite is kind of life-affirming. It’s a lot, but the textures and flavors are all on point. I know the burger is probably only there because Café Castagna’s was so iconic, but I kept making literal ‘nom nom’ noises as I ate.” Tallow fries, people!
“What’s new to drink when the sun’s still being a giant jerk?” <a href=”https://www.portlandmercury.com/lush-life/2018/08/22/22296572/end-of-summer-six-pack
“>asked our beer writer, who sampled a half-dozen canned Oregon beers and says two—Worthy Brewing’s Strata IPA and Wolves and People’s El Verso Hazy Farmhouse IPA—are worthy of your time and money while you’re waiting for these end-of-summer wildfires to cut it out.
Salem’s Statesman-Journal probably had the biggest Portland <a href=”https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2018/08/21/burger-inandout-coming-keizer-station-mayor-cathy-clark/1051852002/
“>news this week, mainly that In-N-Out Burger is coming… well, not to Portland, but close enough to merit a one-hour drive to nearby Keizer, where the California chain will set up its newest—and closest—shop.
The O dropped by and quite liked Cully’s new Loa beer bar Cully Central, and it reported that a local artist is <a href=”https://www.oregonlive.com/expo/life-and-culture/erry-2018/08/28f25cbb7d6833/portland-man-gets-engaged-to-b.html#incart_river_index
“>now engaged to the boyfriend he built out of used wine boxes, thereby successfully manifesting the phrase that men are, indeed, trash. “Everything happens for a Riesling,” said the human groom doing his best dad joke voice, which he can get away with because he looks an awful lot like heartthrob Jeff Goldblum.
PoMo reported that Blue Start Donuts <a href=”https://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2018/8/23/blue-star-is-moving-and-handing-out-free-doughnuts
“>is opening its new downtown headquarters at 12th and Morrison this Monday which, like all Micah Camden openings, means free eats on opening day.
Speaking of Camden, he’s opening Little Bean, a new chickpea-based ice cream venture in the Pearl District, <a href=”https://pdx.eater.com/2018/8/23/17775474/little-bean-chickpea-ice-cream-opening-portland
“>said Eater <a href=”http://rightatthefork.com/shows/2018/8/22/171-micah-camden-super-deluxe-little-bean
“>via the Right at the Fork podcast. The website also <a href=”https://pdx.eater.com/2018/8/24/17775960/gastro-mania-tipsypop-salt-and-straw-recall
“>reported that Greek restaurant Gastro Mania is opening a second spot in Multnomah Village, and it had the news industrial burger bar Tilt opened its third restaurant on NE 2nd this week.