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The Pulse of Summer: Blender Drinks Are Back

This is according to the dining section of this week’s New York Times. Some excerpts from the article: “You’d be hard pressed to find a barman who takes his work seriously who works in a joint with a blender,” said Duggan McDonnell, an owner of the bar Cantina in San Francisco. “I worked in one restaurant that did blender drinks
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Chef Eric Bechard Leaving ASOBG

Eric Bechard is leaving Alberta Street Oyster Bar and Grill to take the executive chef posistion at Opal Restaurant in Seattle. Sous chef Laurel Gunderson will take over his position. I’m sad to hear this, as I always thought Eric had a ton of talent, and he was a heck of a nice guy. Unfortunately, I don’t think ASOBG had
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Gold and Chocolate Hart – Alma Chocolate

Gold and Chocolate Hart, by Elizabeth Lopeman Sarah Hart makes religious icons you can sink your teeth into. “My dad was a Presbyterian minister and he was a civil rights activist and really conscious of the unrest over Vietnam, so social justice was in my DNA,” explains Sarah Hart, the Alma Chocolate visionary. Even so, her religious icon inspired confections
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Bikini Coffee Opening Downtown? Caffe Vita Coming to Portland?

<updated: I noticed tonight that just about every news network in Portland picked this up today. It opens in about two weeks> That’s what the signs say around er… 5rd and Stark? Anyway, you might remember they caused quite a stir when they opened in Salem earlier this year, where sales immediately doubled. Coffee is served by buxom bikini-clad women.
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Manzana Closes To Be Replaced By Palomino

Manzana Rotisserie Grill at NW 12th and Glisan has closed. I’ve heard they were the lowest performing restaurant in the HUGE Pacific Coast Restaurants family (I think they own 19 chains nationwide. As we speculated quite some time ago, they will be reopening as Palomino Restaurant Rotisseria. The website describes them as “Palomino is the upbeat city restaurant and bar
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Toughest Year for Restaurants in Three Decades?

The Oregonian has an interesting article on the problems restaurants are having in our slower economy. Paralleling a report I heard last week on NPR’s Marketplace, the Oregonian says Losses aren’t necessarily expected across the table. Most industry experts say the hardest-hit will be restaurants where a family of four can cover dinner, drinks and a tip for between $50
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Tribute to Ilias of Alexis Restaurant

By Marc Byrne: Family and Friends: A couple of years ago, Yiani (owner of Berbatis) and Ilias (owner of Alexis) asked me to go fishing. I dont fish, and told them so; I think they wanted me to come along for the camaraderie, to make me a “man,” and I am dating a Greek girl; which means “I must know/learn
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