Apotheke No More?
Rumor has it, that Andina has purchased the Apotheke space upstairs from the restaurant. Portland’s only all neat bar, never seemed to take off. Maybe in a more sophisticated city. I am told they are looking for more line cooks, while they are building it out. A call to confirm the closure was unanswered.
Taco Bell plans to open its first restaurant in… Mexico. Their motto is “Taco Bell, it’s something else“, so that people won’t try and compare it with traditional Mexican food. Hmm.
A few restaurant openings coming up. Leonardo’s opens on Thursday, in the former home of Graze and Nina’s Kitchen. I went by last week and took a look. They have obviously spent quite a bit of money on the space, making it feel more intimate and comfortable. Owner Leonard Whitecotton and his wife Deborah plan to serve up traditional southern Italian cuisine with the help of chef Michael McGary (formerly of Pazzo).
Down the street next to the Lovejoy Columns, work is just about finished on Isabel Cruz’s new restaurant, Isabel. It is located on NW 10th, in the glass wrapped building that fronts The Elizabeth Lofts. Mrs. Cruz owns restaurants in La Jolla and San Diego, as well as Ashland. Most of them seem to be an “interesting” Latin/Asian fusion, where you might find Ahi Wontons next to Plantains with Caviar. Another hmm.
According to Alt.Portland, Podnahs Pit Barbecue is now open for breakfast on the weekends from 8am – 1pm. You can see the very short menu over on their site.
If you like to read general food writing, The New Yorker’s annual roundup is quite good; a great way to spend a lunch hour.
There will be a panel at this year’s Wordstock (Nov 9-11) on Food Writing with Michael Ruhlman, Kathleen Finn, and Nicole Mones, mediated by Martha Holmberg. It is on Saturday, 11/10 at 1pm. Earlier in the same day, there will be a reading of “Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant“, a collection of stories centered around dining and cooking alone. If you haven’t been, Wordstock is a great event.
Ten 01 Sommelier Savanna Ray moving over to Tabla. With all the menu changes, PR dinners, etc, it seems they are set on revitalizing this restaurant. It will be interesting to go back in a few months and see if they have been successful. Erica Landon will remain at Ten 01
Esquire Magazine and John Mariani, named Christopher Israel’s 23Hoyt a Best Restaurant of 2007, at a dinner and ceremony last weekend in NYC. I’m not sure if I agree that 23Hoyt is one of the best in the nation, but I think it is one of the best choices in Portland.
RE: Apotheke
Noooooo! I love that place. I’ll be in the neighborhood tonight, so I will check it out and report back.
They never seemed to want for a crowd, IMO. If it’s true, wonder why they would give up that great space? Let me guess…to move to the East side?
Damn. Apotheke was one of those places I was always telling people about and meant to visit more often myself, but in fact rarely frequented. It’s so sad when a place that does something truly unique disappears, because then there’s simply nowhere else to go for that fix.
Not really a restaurant, I guess, but:
COMPANY NEWS; PEPSICO OPENS A TACO BELL IN MEXICO CITY
Published: June 5, 1992
Taco Bell, the Mexican fast-food chain with the “run for the border” slogan, opened its first outlet south of the border Thursday, a food cart in Mexico City. Taco Bell, which is owned by Pepsico Inc. of Purchase, N.Y., said it would open two more locations in Mexico City and one in Tijuana.
The food carts, which can be operated by two people, will initially offer a limited menu of soft-shell tacos and burritos. Nachos will also be offered, with Pepsi to drink, of course. Taco Bell’s chief executive, John Martin, said the entry into Mexico was part of a plan for aggressive international expansion. Taco Bell currently has about 3,700 restaurants, of which 61 are outside the United States. (AP)
Taco Bell was started by a relative of my ex-husband. My ex-husband’s parents were German (father) and Mexican (mother). The irony is that Taco bell was started by Glen Bell (on the German side of the family.) Taco Bell never made tortillas as good as his Aunt Juanita’s. Ha!
I think Mexico’s taco bell’s motto should be…..”Taco Bell, how was the run?”
TheMick: bawwwww! Good one!
themick – that reminds me of our motto when we’d hit Taco Bell in college (after a night of drinking). “Run for the border…sprint for the toilet”.
RE: Apotheke
Yes, it is gone. I could get no info from anyone at Andina. But almost all of the signs have been taken down and if you go up to the bar, all of the chairs are gone and there are piles of construction materials everywhere.
What a shame. I loved this place and frequented it often.
I just yesterday overheard someone where I work who seemed to know the owner of Apotheke and said they were moving to the East side. I’ll try to find out more…
i quoth..
“Damn. Apotheke was one of those places I was always telling people about and meant to visit more often myself, but in fact rarely frequented. It’s so sad when a place that does something truly unique disappears, because then there’s simply nowhere else to go for that fix.”
unfortunately, too many other people felt and acted this way, including myself. the location i think was the killer, and yes, i think it would have worked out better in a bigger city.
having siad that, i know the owner fairly well, and i know his every intention is to re-open , and to be even better, and to be way more visible and accessible. so, keep your eyes open! caleb is a very creative individual, i’m sure whatever the next incarnation of his vision is will be fantastic, and a little more tempered.
it’s now the focus of this blog, but i miss apotheke already as a place to hear some great music.. i hope this tradition continues.
cheers.