From Jeffery Reiter – Five years ago I opened Blueplate Lunch Counter and Soda Fountain with $85,000 and a dream. It has been a crazy ride including Food Network presence and a more than I deserved article in the New York Times. My life has been through many changes and I have grown more than I ever thought I could, but it is now time for a break. I would like to take some time to rest and develop some future ideas. I am passing the [...]

Barista fans rejoice! Owner Billy Wilson has announced that a 3rd coffeehouse will open in the ‘Jewelry District’ at 529 SW 3rd avenue in downtown Portland. The 500 square foot store in the historic Hamilton Building, will focus on take-away, but window counter seating will also be available. Think white penny tile, dark cabinetry,, and possibly a tin ceiling. Billy says he “would love top open the second week of April in time for the US Barista Competition, but that’s [...]

EcoSalon has posted a list of “foodie pickup lines” for Valentine’s Day. I like the idea, so am stealing it just for you. Here are some of their examples: If you shave your legs as well as that fennel, I can’t wait to touch them. I can last as long a la Le Creuset. Do you prefer FrenchPress or Bialetti for your morning coffee? Have you ever tried bone luging? I studied at a culinary school in France and know [...]

Smith Teamaker – Photos © Tim Roth (via pupilphoto.com) “Portland is a beverage town,” Steve Smith says simply.  And his beverage of choice is — and always has been– tea. Back in the early 1970s, Smith started Stash Tea, which sold teas and herbal infusions to natural food stores. The company grew to the point where  it was sold to a Japanese tea company in 1993; tea drinkers can still find brightly colored tea bags and boxes in almost every [...]

GQ has just announced “The Ten Best New Restaurants in America” for 2012 and Portland’s The Woodsman Tavern is on the list. Alan Richman and the editors of GQ spent the past year crisscrossing the country and comparing notes on an all-star freshman class. From a culinary time machine in Chicago to a tiny chef’s table above a bar in Nashville, they’ve compiled the list of everywhere you should be digging in. Topped by chef Michael Voltaggio’s modern eatery Ink, [...]

The Free House, a great little neighborhood spot at 1325 NE Fremont St., is out of business. The sign on the door says closed for remodel, under new management” and the Free House sign is gone. Looking inside, the beer taps and reach ins are pulled out of the bar and have been set against the far wall. I can’t quite make out what is going on, but I did see a legal pad inside and the notes on it were “Insurance [...]

Photo – Alicia Rose In response to a query about rumors I’ve heard, Naomi Pomeroy confirmed today that she does not plan to renew her lease at her current location on NE 30th Ave. “I haven’t signed on a space but am looking and not planning to renew at Beast 1.0“. Her current lease expires in August, and she’s looking for a new, larger place in or near the downtown core. According to a statement to Eat Beat, “The signature [...]

When I wrote about the Northwest Regional Barista Competition last week, I didn’t know sour grapes were a Washington crop. According to Seattle Weekly, they have an excess this year  – PDX showed up in our state, rolling three or four rows of spectators deeps, with the hashtag #TacomaByStorm already set for all their Tweeting. Seattleites drifted in and out, applauding politely, half awake. Occasionally cheering in earnest. But seriously? The Portlanders had t-shirts, and signs, and obnoxious levels of [...]

Following on the heels of my screenplay last night comes the amazing new dessert from Jack in the Box. Brace yourself, because this is a foodie’s dream – a Bacon Shake! Jack is a foodie himself, because his “better idea” has a hint of food fantasy behind it. Ice cream+Bacon=creamy deliciousness. What could go wrong? Unfortunately, we all know too well, that any dish is as good as its weakest ingredient. In this case, the weakness is the lack of almost any [...]

After 17 years of operation, all Typhoon restaurants have closed. Locations in Portland, Beaverton, Gresham, Bend and Redmond, Washington were shuttered last night at 9:00pm. In an interview with Wall Street Journal’s Marketwatch, Owner Bo Kline said, “As many in the community are aware, I lost my husband, my business and life partner, Steve, last year. Without his energy, support and commitment, operating Typhoon! has required much more attention than I am able to give and has begun to take [...]