Chris Israel Annouces Gruner Restaurant

The Oregonian reports that Chris Israel of 23Hoyt, Saucebox, Zefiro fame is going to open Gruner,  an “Alpine Themed Restaurant at SW 12th and Alder. Gruner will explore cooking of Northern Italy, France and Central Europe — Germany, Austria, Hungary and The Alps. From a peek at an early menu, think fundutas and strudels and spätzle; rye bread, sweet-spicy mustards,... [Read more]

Sangria

Long before I moved to Portland, I was known for my sangria recipe. I always suspected I was invited to many parties just because they knew I would bring a batch of my easy-drinking wine punch. One year my friend Patrick invited me to his birthday party in Healdsburg, California. It was going to be outdoors, looked hot, and “Oh, could you bring a batch of your sangria?” Judging... [Read more]

Alu is back, The Trib Sags Further, We’re Number 3!

Alu, the failed bar/restaurant on NE MLK, has reopened. From a press release: We wish to invite you to the reincarnation of Alu Wine Bar & Lounge opening today, Monday, July 27th. Although the name remains the same, Alu’s concept has been reinvented from top to bottom. Enjoy our completely new menu of exquisite food, specialty cocktails, beers, and an exclusive wine... [Read more]

Of an Untimely Death, and a Ham Sandwich

It’s hot, lots of people are grumpy, and I thought I’d re-post this old story from 2005, four years from the original publish date . It’s all true, and might just make you smile and forget the heat for a moment. It was a perfect ham sandwich that brought me to the brink of an untimely death. Somehow, that all seems appropriate for me. I suppose I’d better... [Read more]

52 Fords, Fallout Shelters and the Steakhouse Summary

There are times I just can’t help myself. I could just write a boring summary of the steakhouse project, even inserted some charts and graphs – and I love charts and graphs! However, I decided to go with my heart and tell you about a memory of long ago. I eventually get to the summary, but you’ll have to work for it, or you can just click here to jump past... [Read more]

Soluna Grill, Branch, Free House Bar Come to PDX

Interesting new places on the horizon: Soluna Grill will open in the old Fife location. According to the website, it is being opened by Dan Straub, a chef with a wide-ranging experience. The food looks like it will be a mixture of small plates and grilled items, though the menu shows a bit of incongruity, with selections ranging from the expected salmon and strip steak, to... [Read more]

Roux, R.I.P.

Roux Restaurateur Dwayne Beliakoff and partner have decided to pull the plug on Roux, his Cajun restaurant in North Portland. According to Dwayne, he felt like he either needed to reinvent the space as a different type of restaurant, or pull the plug. “Since the bills are paid, we felt like it was a good time to re-focus and go a different direction”. At this point... [Read more]

“Beerku” Beer Haiku Winner

I enjoyed this contest very much. There was a large panel of judges, and many entries got at least one vote. In the end, the top choices were clear. Runner Ups By Les: Happy bubbles spring Into summer beer joy hops Fall into the clouds Humble Pie: Cheap yellow beer child, I played Deschutes and ladders ain’t been the same since Clinton: It is at two pints that he feels... [Read more]

Interesting clips from around the web

Quarrygirl.com, a blog devoted to “all things vegan, lots of things beer, and some things los angeles” just finished an undercover investigation of vegan restaurants in Los Angeles. Her question: are they really serving vegan food? The answer was, in many cases, no. They went to 17 “vegan” restaurants, ordered takeout food, and took the samples to be... [Read more]