Honey Bagel Is Portland’s Next Best-Boiled Bagel
Portlanders love their brunch, so when a new boiled bagel joint called Honey Bagel opened on March 5th, locals showed up. This isn’t any ordinary bagel, and according to their Instagram page, their spread can be described as “crunchy, fluffy bagels boiled in honey water,” which puts a spin on the savory and sweet food method. Honey Bagel is a pop-up at Pizza Jerk, at their Northeast location. Bagels flavors range from plain to chopped chocolate and $2 each, $11/half dozen, or $20/dozen.
Upright Brewing Opens Two New Locations
Upright Brewing isn’t all about producing the norm, and they are widely known for eclectic beer selection. Located north of the Lloyd Center, the brewers of Upright like to experiment and push the boundaries of one-off brews, while still keeping mainstays on draft. In February, Upright Brewing announced on their Instagram page that they will be closing the doors on their current taproom on the top floor of the Leftbank Building and moving to the ground floor. They will be partnering with Portland Bottle Shop in this space to bring food and coffee options to customers. As of now, opening dates are TBD, and in the meantime, the basement space will be open for pick-up orders on Saturdays, and deliveries every Wednesday.
As if this wasn’t the best news ever, Upright will also open an additional taproom location in Northeast Portland. The new addition will take up residence in a vacant gas station that is low-key and modest.
Karl Holl, Chef Of Park Avenue, Will Launch His Own Foraging Company
Hailing from California, Karl Holl, known as a farmer-chef, was named Portland Monthly’s 2018 Chef of the Year for his contributions at Park Avenue Fine Wines. Like many, the pandemic uprooted his life, but his passion for foraging went from a pipe dream to reality while he had extra time on his hands. It all began with a new Instagram page dedicated to his love of foraging and within days he had thousands of followers. In January, Holl made the decision to open Forager Goods & Company, which is currently in development. Holl is hoping to launch his lifestyle foraging brand on April 22nd, also known as Earth Day.
Holl’s takeaway from this new venture is to inspire people to get out there and make their own unique memories.
A Bartender, Chef, And Brewery Start Anew In The Old Bit House Saloon
Once known as Bit House Saloon, the vintage brick building on SE Grand has unfortunately closed its door for good but the doors didn’t stay closed for long. Now known as Bit House Collective, this new collaborative restaurant opened March 3 and offers a taproom, cocktail lounge and tasty eats. Natasha Mesa, one-time mixologist at Deadshot, joins celebrated chefs Carlo Lamagna, Dante Fernandez, and Roberto Almodovar of Magna Kusina to create a space where all of their talents can live under one roof. The owners of Pono Brewing also joined the crew to pour their first ever releases, a full selection of fresh and fruity beers.
With the island inspiration coming from Pono Brewing, the tasty craft cocktails from Natasha, and the eats being crafted by the guys from Magna Kusina, this “collective” is bound to be an island oasis of all good things under one roof.
The Pearl Welcomes A New Mexican Cafe
What happens when Lauro Romero (Clandestino PDX), Angel Medina (La Perlita/Reforma Roasters), and Olivia Bartruff (Olivia B Sweets) get together and form a brainchild? They come up with República, a multifaceted cafe that serves Mexican wines, pastries, and guisados that are served with house-nixtamalized masa. The seasoned team all have their own followers on social media and through their respective establishments. They came together to hone in on their specialties together when República opened in fall 2020.
República took over a former Laughing Planet building, which is only mere steps from Medina’s restaurant, La Perlita. Romero uses his skills in the kitchen to prepare a variety of Mexican dishes, while Medina and Bartruff offer up their expertise in the coffee and pastry category. República is open daily from 11 am to 3 pm for lunch/Platos Rotos. The popular evening specials/De Noche run from 4 pm to 8 pm. República also offers an online store with offerings ranging from Mexican wine, granola, salsa, and cocktails-to-go.
