The rains have finally returned to Portland, and with them, an influx of new restaurants. Portland’s already impressive vegan scene is getting a boost from two pop-ups moving into semi-permanent spaces, one of the city’s hottest brunch spots is gearing up for a cheffy dinner menu, and two industry veterans are reviving a beloved pizza spot in Creston-Kenilworth. Sadly, we’re also losing one of the longest-running Filipino spots in town. Read on for the roundup of recent restaurant developments.
Say Hello To:
Verdure at Chubby Bunny
You may have tried Adolo Tigerino’s plant-based pop-up, Verdure, at one of the many vegan food events he’s attended over the years. Or maybe you’ve dropped into his Sunday evening residencies at the innovative cocktail bar Malpractice. Now, Verdure is more accessible than ever, as it takes over the vegan breakfast cart Chubby Bunny every Thursday through Saturday, 5 to 9 pm. Tigerino puts his own spin on local, seasonal Pacific Northwest cooking, using what he calls a “root to stem” approach that minimizes waste and highlights the whole plant. Find super seasonal items like squash and chanterelle risotto, fennel and apple salad with crushed hazelnuts, and even a vegan take on Basque cheesecake, made with whipped cashew ricotta.
Dana Frank at L’Échelle
Renowned sommelier Dana Frank is a local legend in the wine scene. In 2018, she opened Bar Norman on SE Clinton, which soon became a hot spot for wine nerds and casual vinophiles alike. Sadly, it closed in 2024 due to lingering issues from the pandemic. From 2020 through 2026, she hosted the Wild Bunch, a festival focused on natural wine. And for the last decade, she’s been handling the beverage program for the fabulous Thai tasting menu experience, Langbaan. Now, she’s stepping away from Langbaan and joining the team at French bistro L’Échelle as wine director. “I’m so excited to be with the L’Échelle team,” she says, noting that she’ll be hosting wine events, managing the wine list, and directly lending her expertise to guests a few evenings a week.
La Casa De Mama
Portland’s killer vegan scene can’t stop, won’t stop. Chef Miriam Carrera spent years working her way up in a country club kitchen before going solo with her vegan takes on conchas, empanadas, pan de muerto, and other baked goods when she opened La Casa De Mama in 2021. The vegan panadería used a commissary kitchen while popping up at spots like Mis Tacones, but now the team, which also includes Carrera’s children Alexa and Cesar Cid Carrera, has their own space in the historic Gotham Building off N Interstate. For the time being, it serves as a pick-up spot for online orders rather than a full-service bakery. Down the line, likely after the holidays, the Cid Carreras say they may add a lunchbox option with tamales, rice, a drink, and baked goods.
Look Forward To:
Rowan
Chef Spencer Ivankoe founded Cafe Rowan at a very uncertain time in Portland, opening its doors in July of 2020 on the corner of SE Holgate and what’s now known as Campesinos. For most of its life, it was mostly known for its seafood-heavy brunch service, serving dishes like lobster rolls, Dungeness crab benedicts, and bananas foster french toast. In recent years, chef Ivankoe has begun hosting visiting chefs for a series of dinners, and has also held his own one-off dinners. Starting Friday, November 6, the restaurant is casting off the “Cafe” part of its name and adding dinner service Wednesdays through Saturdays, 5 to 9 pm. Rowan is rolling out à la carte service first, focusing on Pacific Northwest ingredients with inspiration from Japanese and Mexican cuisines. The menu features plenty of vegetarian and gluten free options and will change seasonally, but constants include tuna belly au poivre—a pescatarian take on steak au poivre using tuna from Nagasaki, Japan, dry-aged for a week—and Dungeness crab beignets with charred poblanos. Down the road, they plan on adding a tasting menu option. Brunch fans need not worry: Despite the name change and rebranding, the daytime service will still very much be a feature of Rowan.
Mossback
For the last year and change, the former pizza shop on the corner of SE Gladstone and Campesinos (just up the street from Rowan) has sat empty. For years prior, it was home to East Glisan Pizza and then, briefly, Dullahan Pizza. Now, a team of industry veterans is bringing life to the space with Mossback, a pizzeria and bar with neighborly vibes. The project comes from Alex “Goose” Gesler—who also co-founded 5 & Dime—and Shaw Flick, a former bartender with experience in the wine industry. The two wanted to bring life back to the relatively sleepy neighborhood. “Driving by a non-operational neighborhood pizza restaurant every day was just driving me crazy,” says Gesler. To that end, they envision this as a family-friendly pizzeria and bar hybrid. One side will operate as a casual pizza shop—a place to order slices and pick up full pies with a few tables—while the other will continue being a bar, open to minors until 8pm nightly. Both sides are joined by a large back patio with plenty of coverage.
For the pizzas, look for 18-inch pies with a two-to-three day fermentation for the dough, cooked in a deck oven. Mainstays will be familiar to any pizza fans: cheese, pepperoni, white sauce with mushrooms, classic supreme with peppers. Rotating specials might look like speck and ricotta or an Alsace-inspired white pie with onions and bacon. Beyond the pies, Mossback will serve a menu of sandwiches (meatball, Italian, etc), Greek and Caesar salads, and garlic knots… all the familiar slice shop essentials. For drinks, Gesler is tapping into his experience at 5 & Dime with a draft system that includes cocktails, wines, and beer—including a pizza-friendly Mossback beer brewed by Away Days Brewing.
Say Goodbye To:
Tambayan
Up until very recently, Portland hadn’t enjoyed an abundance of Filipino restaurants, so it’s extra painful to lose one of the few we do have. Before Carlo Lamagna was slinging crab fat noodles at Magna, before Ethan and Geri Leung brought lumpia and ube pancakes to the Hoxton Hotel with Pamana, Cindy Nelson was supplying the Foster-Powell neighborhood with chicken adobo, pancit bihon, and leche flan. For around 16 years, Tambayan was a staple on SE Foster, a casual and welcoming restaurant serving combo meals of Filipino and Filipino-American staples. But on October 27, the restaurant posted to Instagram that Nelson would be retiring and Tambayan would close. As of reporting, there’s no exact end date, so keep an eye on their socials, or just get in there ASAP for a final bistek and garlic rice.