Business

Downtown Portland’s New Hotels

written by Sheila G. Miller If anyone needs a sign that Portland is officially becoming a “big city,” that sign may be found downtown, on Southwest Alder Street. The city’s design commission in May gave the go-ahead for a twelve-story Moxy Hotel at Alder and 10th Avenue. The hotel, part of the Marriott brand, is expected to go into a space currently used as a parking lot with food carts lining the perimeter. According to Willamette Week, all food carts were told to leave the space by October 7. A larger section of the city’s famous Alder Street Food Cart Pod, on Alder between 9th and 10th, is also likely to be the site of a new hotel. The Oregonian reported that a luxury, five-star hotel is proposed for that lot. The hotel, proposed by BPM Real Estate Group, would be thirty-three stories and would have offices, condos and a food…

Oregon Travel

WEEKEND WANDERINGS: MID WILLAMETTE VALLEY

Exploring the Mid Willamette Valley written by Jen Stevenson EN ROUTE As you fly south for the winter (weekend), detour east of Salem for a slice of caramel apple pie at the Willamette Valley Pie Company, or meander on to charming small-town Silverton for cinnamon roll pancakes and crispy fried chicken with brown butter syrup and Sriracha honey atop a golden buttermilk waffle at Gather. After a lovely late-fall hike in Silver Falls State Park, tuck into a piping-hot smoked pork shoulder and pineapple-topped Pine & Swine pizza at The Old Oak Oven food cart. Then cross the street to Silver Falls Brewery for a pint of Catamount Trail Ale. A few miles north, in Bavarian-esque Mount Angel, Oktoberfest may be over, but you can still wash down authentic handmade German-style bratwurst, bockwurst and knockwurst with an authentic German beer at Mt. Angel Sausage Company. EAT + DRINK In the…

Music

2018 Local Oregon Albums You Need To Hear

Put these 2018 Oregon albums on your list written by Ben Salmon Haley Heynderickx, I Need To Start A Garden | Portland It took Haley Heynderickx quite a while to write, record and release her debut full-length, and that’s because she took the time to get it right. The result is a record full of wondrous, well-crafted songs that twist and turn in unexpected ways, but never outrun her gift for distinctive melody. I Need to Start a Garden is not the loudest or brightest or most expensive-sounding album to come out of Oregon in 2018, but it might be the most powerful. Chanti Darling, RNB Vol. 1 | Portland For a while, Chanticleer Trü has been an electrifying force within Portland’s music scene, talked about with breathless anticipation by those in the know. In other words—the city’s been waiting for him to bust out. With Chanti Darling, Trü has…

Home+Garden

Products for a Modern Traditional Look

Get a modern traditional look with these products written by Melissa Dalton Handcrafted in California, the Stellar tile collection from Sonoma Tilemakers offers a bevy of field sizes, including a 2-inch by 8-inch rectangle tile. Available in 108 colors with names like “Old Soul” and “Retro Khaki,” these tiles easily bridge the gap between modern and traditional. Available at United Tile in Portland. www.sonomatilemakers.com Everything old is new again, especially at Heath Ceramics. The Coupe line was introduced in 1948 as the first dinnerware style for the iconic California-based pottery company and continues to impress today as a “modernist classic.” It looks equally good stacked on open shelves or plating your next dinner party. www.heathceramics.com With the Purist kitchen sink faucet, Kohler blends a classic bridge profile with clean lines and minimal detailing. The high arch is bound to clear the tallest pots sitting in your sink and even rotates…

Food+Drink

Dining At Casa Zoraya

We are taking a look at Casa Zoraya, perfect Peruvian food classics written by Jen Stevenson | photos by Gwen Holle Buried in a trafficy, nondescript block of North Lombard just east of the interstate, this unexpected slice of Lima life is drawing Portland diners both curious and already besotted with its perfect Pisco sours, vibrant ceviches, and rich, robust Peruvian comfort food classics. Helmed by namesake and Andina alum Zoraya Zambrano, whose family originally emigrated from Calca, a town in Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Incas, and her children, Gloria and Gary Marmanillo (Andina, Paiche, Can Font, DOC), the color-splashed restaurant’s menu is short and sweet, no more than a dozen dishes melding local produce with traditional Peruvian ingredients like ají chile, lucuma fruit and choclo, a chewy, starchy, large-kerneled Andean corn. The beautifully executed—and plated—fare ranges from prismatic shrimp causas to an ultra-savory lomo saltado to chunks of…

Food+Drink

Best Places for Cold Weather Comfort Food

Comfort food destinations KACHKA Portland food lovers waited with bated herring breath for beloved Siberian pelmeni purveyors Bonnie and Israel Morales to open their second, larger location, just up the way from their SE Grand Avenue firstborn (now renamed Kachinka). James Beard Award-nominated chef Bonnie Morales pulls from her Belarusian heritage to dish up fan favorites like Baltic Sprat Buterbrodi, Rabbit in a Clay Pot, and Herring “Under a Fur Coat,” while a new Russian-style mangal grill allows for a slew of charcoal-fired skewers—try the Azeri-style sturgeon, lamb lyulya and whole baby eggplant. The vodka menu remains reliably robust, but the new Kachka also boasts a wine cellar and a strong Eastern-European-centric bottle list. 960 SE 11TH AVE. PORTLAND www.kachkapdx.com SUGARPINE DRIVE-IN Those long hot summer nights of sipping frosé on the patio may be but a happy memory, but this charming Troutdale drive-in, opened in July by chef-owners Emily…

Food+Drink

Foodie Destinations: We have your food vacations planned

Foodie destinations around the state written by Kevin Max, Sheila G. Miller & Jen Stevenson Maybe you’re like us―at breakfast on vacation, you’re already planning your next meal. Oregon is nearly 100,000 square miles, and there are bountiful crops and delightful restaurants in every corner. We picked some spots you’re going to want to check out—whether you’re looking for a down-home old-timey cafe, a fancy big-city feast, or a chance to improve your cooking chops. Portland’s Fine Dining Portlanders pride themselves on being as casual and unpretentious as they come, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to gussy up and have a night on the town, complete with white tablecloths, wine pairings and break-the-bank-worthy tasting menus. Plan on being early to your reservation at uber-talented chefs Will Preisch and Joel Stocks’ modernist gem Holdfast Dining, because it shares a wall and kitchen with star bartender Adam Robinson’s exceptional…

Travel

NW Destination: Vancouver and its Foodie Secrets

Vancouver is the foodie capital of North America, and we’ve got all the secrets written by Michelle Hopkins Compared to most North American cities, Vancouver is relatively young. What it may lack in age, it certainly doesn’t lack in appeal. Mother Nature truly blessed this city of nearly 650,000 residents. Named after Captain George Vancouver, who laid claim in 1792, Vancouver has snow-capped mountains, the ocean, rainforests and beautiful foliage. As one of North America’s most cosmopolitan cities, Lotus Land has an overabundance of things to see, do and enjoy. Vancouver’s historic Granville Island has long been known as a gastronomy destination. This past summer, four of Vancouver’s most celebrated chefs founded Popina Canteen. Housed in brightly colored, repurposed shipping containers, this waterfront, gourmet counter-service eatery features sustainable seafood, salads and more. Besides its bustling food market, Granville Island has also made a name for itself as a hotbed for…

Home+Garden

DIY: Tips for Customizing IKEA Cabinets

DIY: Tips for Customizing IKEA Cabinets written by Melissa Dalton Anyone who has ever attempted to remodel a kitchen knows this universal truth: new cabinets add up fast. That’s why the Portland-based Kokeena offers custom cabinet fronts and casework for modular IKEA systems—customers get a tailored look that’s much easier on the budget. Kokeena’s products are made-to-order, manufactured in Oregon, and come in three different finishes, including painted wood, veneered wood or textured laminate. We asked Kokeena CEO Russell Edwards and architect Jeff Stern for tips on making a Kokeena/IKEA pairing work in your home. #1 DON’T ISOLATE THE KITCHEN “Try to make sure that any kitchen you’re planning is really cohesive with your whole house,” Edwards suggested. For instance, choose a Shaker door with an ogee detail for a historic English or Colonial-style home, or opt for a simple slab front in a Mid-century remodel or modern abode. #2…

Explore Oregon

Trip Planner: An International Feast in SW Portland

International Feast: Finding foodie treasures in the southwest suburbs written by Sheila G. Miller | photography by Carly Diaz In some cities, the word “suburbs” evokes images of Red Lobster, Cracker Barrel and The Olive Garden. Then there are the suburbs of Portland. That’s right—the city known for being so foodie-friendly has plenty of neighbors making names for themselves, as well. You can travel the world in the southwest suburbs of Portland. Hit up Thailand, Korea and El Salvador in Beaverton. Visit Japan, Mexico and Vietnam in Hillsboro. From Aloha to Tigard to Forest Grove, there’s no shortage of delicious international restaurants waiting—so we made a weekend of it. Day 1 BANH MI • GROCERIES • NOODLES I grew up in Beaverton, though it has certainly morphed into a new place in the years since I graduated high school. But one of the best things about this city has stayed…