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City Cast Portland

The latest on the hottest places to eat, drink, socialize, and talk about in Portland.

Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Even before COVID-19 and its associated shutdown forced many restaurants to create makeshift patios and open-air dining rooms, Portland was already a big patio town — especially considering how rainy it is. Many bars and restaurants across the city have elaborate and beloved outdoor dining areas with fire pits, banquettes, planters, and even stages for summertime live music. 

Restaurants and bars added to the city’s outdoor dining options with makeshift tents and structures during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and at the time, 

 for businesses to set them up. Now those makeshift patios are crashing up against the reality of the city bureaucracy — which aims to return to prepandemic standards and keep these structures safe and compliant with neighborhood design.

, the owner of seafood market and restaurant 

, has been in a months-long campaign to try to adjust the expectations put on restaurant owners around these patios — and make things simpler for him and others. 

Originally founded in the ’70s by Gildersleeve’s parents in Idaho, Flying Fish began its life in Oregon in 2010, hopping from location to location until it opened its market, restaurant, and oyster bar on East Burnside in February 2020. It’s now one of the city’s best casual seafood restaurants, thanks to its diligent sourcing, house-smoked fish, and killer caesar with grilled steelhead.

About a year ago, the city responded to a complaint about Flying Fish’s patio, and the fire marshal told Flying Fish they needed to follow city code. I’m not going to get too in the weeds here (the 

, if you’re curious), but essentially, Gildersleeve will need to spend at least $150,000 to build this compliant patio structure. “Inside, we only have 12 seats,” he says. “Three-fourths of my business is gone because the patio is down, the whole thing has been a wringer.”

Flying Fish itself is not in danger of closing, Gildersleeve told me. At this stage, he’s really hoping to raise awareness for businesses who may depend on those tented patios during the rainy season, like small-scale restaurants with limited indoor seating and food carts set up in parking lots. According to the food service data platform 

, more than 7,500 U.S. restaurants closed in the first half of 2026, indicating that the industry has not bounced back to prepandemic levels. “We’re doing great, we just did a successful crowdfunding campaign,” he says. “But I’m fighting for my friends who might not be doing as good.”

The city has invested energy and time into making outdoor dining easier, from PBOT’s 

, to City Councilor Mitch Green’s campaign to 

Still, the city feels pretty strongly that they do need to enforce safety requirements. Rick Graves, Portland Fire & Rescue’s public information officer, says local rules take their cues from 

. Part of the reason we can’t keep tents up year-round has to do with the tents themselves: The fire retardants used on them aren’t designed to last as a permanent solution, and they start to break down more quickly than you think. That only gets worse when extreme weather is involved, which has only gotten more serious over time.

Gildersleeve turned to longtime Flying Fish customers and other donors to get through this crisis, raising 

 — 127 percent of what he had sought. As someone who has talked to Portland restaurant owners about this stuff for almost a decade, permitting confusion remains a huge challenge for business owners, and the confusion surrounding requirements and compliance seem to create the biggest hurdles. A lot of people are talking to Gildersleeve about ways to make things easier. Maybe this is one option.

Flying Fish’s Tent Battle in Portland, Oregon

Flying Fish’s Tent Battle

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in Portland. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

Portland Food & Drink

Food & Drink

I am extremely serious about my autumnal delights. Before December starts, I must attend at least one harvest festival near Salem (

, typically), pick some apples at a Hood River orchard (

, ideally), tromp through a Sauvie Island pumpkin patch (

, naturally), and watch a horror movie at an independent Portland movie theater (

Similarly, I’ll work through a checklist of seasonal produce and desserts: slices of pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, hot apple cider, apple cider doughnuts. So now that we are indisputably in the heart of autumn, I thought I’d share some of my favorite fall treats I’ve encountered so far this year, organized by core ingredients:

 is primarily known for its doughnuts, but the chai is a main draw — those folks know their way around a spice rack. The spicy caramel cider also has a nice balance of sweetness and warm heat, thanks to owner Nate Snell’s vanilla ghost pepper syrup, which he created in 2013 as a secret menu item.

Since the planet is slowly boiling and it’s still weirdly hot around here, the apple cider slushy at 

 is a nice alternative, with a hearty dose of ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Sugarpine has a whole 

–themed menu this month overflowing with bangers: an apple sundae with hazelnut streusel and apples steeped in spiced beet syrup (which adds a nice earthy note), a cider-braised smoked pork sandwich with apple-cabbage slaw and apple mostarda, and an apple-loaded Hokkaido-style curry soup with smoked mushrooms and fukujinzuke, a Japanese pickle relish.

For classic apple cider doughnuts outside the orchard, 

about the sweets for me — we’re in the heart of chanterelle mushroom season, baby. They’re the star of a zippy tagliatelle at 

 with shaved spring onions and gremolata. And as soon as I finish this newsletter, I’m going to find my own out in Tillamook State Forest. Wish me luck!

 for Hood River pear growers. (In case you missed it, I talked about that 

.) However, a few were able to chuck some in the direction of 

, my absolute favorite ice cream shop in Portland. The shop’s pear sorbetto is so remarkable, such a clear and pristine expression of pear, and not at all grainy — no small feat for a sorbet, I say as someone who makes sorbet on a weekly basis.

 added its pear-almond praline ice cream to the menu on Friday.

 makes Portland’s best pumpkin pie: A) It doesn’t skimp on the spice (especially cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg). B) It doesn’t skimp on the whipped cream (it’s a full-on layer, akin to what you’d see on a lemon meringue pie, which balances the spice of the base). C) It retains a silky, luxurious texture as opposed to a more jiggly one. They’re also making a pumpkin cheesecake, which is a little too tart for my taste (maybe a little sour cream in the mix?), but nice for folks who want their pumpkin treats more pumpkin-y rather than spice-forward.

 really drills in on that delicate flavor of roasted gourd.

Vegans will probably dig the plant-based pumpkin pie soft-serve at 

, which somehow also captures the flavor of the crust, as opposed to just the filling. It’s the star of the Oregon Trail seasonal sundae, with Cloudforest magic spread sandwich cookies, 

A fall festival at Bauman's Farm apples at a Hood River orchard (Kiyokawa Family Orchards, ideally), and a Sauvie Island pumpkin patch (Bella Organic Farm) are all on the schedule. Plus pumpkin, apple, pears, and chanterelle delights from Sugarpine Drive-In, Milk Glass Mrkt, Cafe Olli, Lovely’s Fifty Fifty, Pinolo Gelato, Pizza Kat, and Lauretta Jean’s.

The Best Fall Foods in Portland, Oregon

The Best Fall Foods in Portland

Ben McBee

, a fifth-generation, family-owned bakery and the largest in the Pacific Northwest.

The Portland company was started in 1906 by Austrian immigrants Engelbert, Joseph, and Ignaz Franz. Engelbert was just 15 when he left his homeland in 1896.

Early deliveries were made by horse-drawn carriage; today, yellow Franz trucks and vans are a common sight on the streets.

Late in the 1920s, Franzy Bakery partnered with Yaw's Top Notch Restaurant to 

, now the standard size used around the world.

In 1994, Franz Bakery purchased McMinnville-based 

; it remains one of many regional brands under the Franz Family Bakery umbrella.

Franz Bakery’s giant spinning loaf was installed for its 50th anniversary, and the bakery made a 104-foot-long hot dog bun for its centennial in 2006 — a Guinness World Record.

To celebrate its 120th birthday, the company 

 and released a children’s book called “

” that tells the production line story from flour to the grocery store.

 at the corner of Northeast Flanders Street and 11th Avenue.

There are some things you knead to dough (sorry, seasonal allergies are the worst) about Franz Bakery, a fifth-generation, family-owned bakery and the largest in the Pacific Northwest.

Take a Tour of Franz Bakery in Portland, Oregon

Take a Tour of Franz Bakery in Portland

Rachel Monahan

For the last year, Stumptown Savings’ Bryan M. Vance has been tracking where to find the cheap groceries in Portland. His one-person media operation, founded last April, is designed to help us all save some money at the grocery store and understand our local food systems (outside of restaurants). He shared a few of 

 earlier this week. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

 is cheapest. They can offer low prices, because they don’t advertise or take credit cards. (But you can find Bryan M. Vance on social media for 

.) No, Costco isn’t the most budget-friendly. “ Where Costco's gonna save you money is not really in groceries unless you're someone who's like, I want 60 eggs a week, or I'm raising a family of baby cows who just guzzle milk,” says Vance.

If you go in with a shopping list of staples, this isn’t your best bet. But you can find the random deal (say, Irish butter) that’s cheaper than anywhere else.

And the stores are owned by independent operators, so there’s variety at different locations. For example, the Hollywood neighborhood location carries 

Here’s some simple facts: "You are going to pay more for the exact same products if you shop at QFC over Fred Meyer. It's just the way it is. They're the same company, same store products. You're gonna pay significantly more,” says Vance.

 is actually not as expensive as you may think it is. It’s in the name: They pride themselves on offering you choice," he says.

,” says Vance. “This is like a premium grocery store that is not that much more expensive than like Safeway or Fred Meyer, but you're getting substantially better produce and substantially better meat and dairy. It is kind of a hidden gem, and I actually wish we had one in Portland proper.”

Stumptown Savings newsletter has a weekly 

Where To Buy the Cheapest Groceries, Forest Service Shakeup, and Some Fun Event Picks

For the last year, Stumptown Savings’ Bryan M. Vance has been tracking where to find the cheap groceries in Portland. His one-person media operation, founded last April, is designed to help us all save some money at the grocery store and understand our local food systems (outside of restaurants).

Where To Find the Best Deals for Portland Groceries

City Cast Portland staff

Dumplings are a perfect Portland comfort food. In honor of Dumpling Week here are some of the best around. Restaurant critic Brooke Jackson-Glidden, who is now editor in chief at Portland Monthly, shared 

her three favorite dumpling meals in Portland

“I love, love, love xiao long bao. And there are a lot of intricacies to making them right; A perfect xiao long bao is so hard to do and if people do it right, it's mind-blowing. That first basket I had at Duck House was just such a masterclass: such a delicate wrapper. The broth was piping hot inside. It didn't have that weird nugget of meat in the middle, which happens sometimes; it was just all silky broth. It was just so great.”

“In terms of dim sum style dumplings — like har gow and shumai — I feel a lot of affection for Excellent Cuisine. Their har gow is so springy in this really nice way, and the filling remains so juicy, so flavorful. They're not skimping with the ginger and the garlic and all the alliums — so they’re just super flavorful and really well-executed.”

“Like everyone in Portland, I just love the bowls of pelmeni that I've had at Kachka. When I'm really sad in the middle of winter, I will go in and I will get a bowl of the pelmeni with the fancy broth and the garlic.”

Bonus: Kachka sells frozen dumplings. “If I'm depressed, I usually keep a pack of the frozen ones in my freezer, take those out, and it's just straight up, maybe a little dollop of sour cream or yogurt, a little bit of vinegar, a little bit of butter. Stir, stir, stir. Inhale.”

For more dumpling options, you can catch her 

full list of local dumpling highlights for the City Cast Portland podcast

  Yay, It’s Dumpling Season

Dumplings are a comfort food, a Portland favorite, and perfect for the rain. Eater Portland editor Brooke Jackson-Glidden recently shared her three favorite dumpling meals in Portland.



Where to Find the Best Dumplings in Portland, Oregon

Where To Find Portland's Best Dumplings

Here’s some of the tastiest news around:

foodie standards apply to the kids’ menu

, a Syrian restaurant in Mount Scott-Arleta, serves a dish once made by the owner’s grandmother. 

, an Asian fusion restaurant in downtown, offers $10 bowls like orange chicken with rice. Pro tip from Willamette Week: Also look to the appetizer section of the menu for good options for the younger palate. Parallel has good hush puppies, for example, in addition to a kid’s take on a cheese board. [Willamette Week]

Georgia’s ‘King of Barbecue’ Comes to Town This Week

hosting a visit from southern barbecue pitmaster

” by Food and Wine, Furman will be in residence in Kann’s basement for three days, starting Friday at noon. [Oregonian]

, at Southeast 50th Avenue, is closing Feb. 28. But that's because the restaurant is moving to Southeast Clinton Street. The 

 will be nearly triple the size. An expanded cocktails menu will come with an assist from the folks behind Tulip Shop Tavern. Last year, owners Nick Sherbo, David Sai, and Alex Saw also opened a second location — Rangoon Bistro and Bar Sine — on North Mississippi. [Oregonian]

2027 Opening for James Beard Public Marketplace

The creation of the James Beard Public Marketplace — as a destination for locals and tourists with fresh and prepared foods as well as events — has been much-heralded as key to revitalizing downtown. But now there’s another delay as well as cost increases. A more ambitious renovation — to reveal the Doug fir beams in the ceiling — means the market 

 and will cost $35 million, instead of $20 million. [Oregonian]

 has now opened on Southeast Division in the 

🌭 There are various takes on wieners available 

. It’s the Portland Mercury’s Wiener Week.

Portland restaurants offer a foodie take on the kids menu. Kann hosts a Georgia king of barbecue. Rangoon Bistro is moving its original location to have more space.

Portland, Oregon, Kids Eat Well and More Restaurant Updates

Portland Kids Eat Well and More Restaurant Updates

January is a quiet month for restaurants and bars, while everyone minds their budgets and their waistlines after the holidays and New Year’s resolutions. But as soon as you get a chance to go out, these are the restaurants to try. They all opened in the last year — and are handpicked by Alex Frane from Portland Monthly.

LaVerne’s is a ’70s-themed bar with excellent food — good enough to treat it like a restaurant.

 the rotisserie chicken, whole bird or half.

This is another bar that’s a food destination — this one for French cuisine.

 the deviled eggs (Frane says they're the best Portland has) or the chicken liver pate (big enough to share).

This restaurant was chef Naomi Pomeroy’s last project before her untimely death in 2024. It’s a French place that continues Pomeroy’s legacy of serving some of the best food available in the city.

the French onion soup, recommended by the Oregonian, which picked L’Echelle as the best restaurant of 2025. Or the duck (Frane’s pick).

This one’s on the Columbia River — and so maybe it’s more of a summer spot. But any season of the year, it’s a fun location to get away to.

Part of a trend of restaurants that are renting space from bars, Lil’ Barbeque is an offshoot of a Michelin-starred Texas barbecue joint and serves some of the best ribs and brisket in town.

 the chicken thighs. (They’re the crowd favorite — and not on the menu in Texas.)

Portland restaurants that defined the dining scene in 2025

 What kind of restaurant would you like to see open this year in Portland? Please 

drop us a note — and we’ll share it with fellow readers

. Please include your name as you’d like it to appear.

More Chicken Restaurants in 2026? 🎧 

The 5 Portland, Oregon, Restaurants To Try Right Now

The 5 Portland Restaurants To Try Right Now

The end of year is filled with celebrations of the best restaurants in town. But there’s also a string of notable closures of Portland restaurants, bakeries, and bars, including:

This year JinJu Patisserie won the prestigious James Beard award for the best bakery in the country, but it’ll be closing — at least for now. Their 

last day at the current location will be Dec. 28

. Owners Kyurim “Q” Lee and Jin Caldwell plan to operate as a pop-up until they find the right new space. [Willamette Week]

The sneaker-culture-themed coffee shop opened in Old Town a decade ago. Their last day at that location 

. The good news: Deadstock’s Beaverton location, which opened in 2024, will stay open. [Oregonian]

The bottle shop and taproom John’s Marketplace is closing its Beaverton location. That closure comes as the 

, though the Multnomah Village and Powell locations will remain open. [Oregonian]

The Oregonian’s pick for the restaurant with 

 is also closing. Kashiwagi’s lease was up and chef-owner Takeo Kashiwagi opted to close — on Dec. 31. His previous restaurant Sushi Takahashi 2, in Southwest Portland, won accolades for being the best conveyor belt sushi. [Oregonian]

Year End Picks for Best Restaurants and Meals

The Oregonian came out with its list of the year’s 

 earlier this month, and last week critic Michael Russell 

released his list of the 25 best meals he ate all year

. Knowing the exact meal that impressed a restaurant critic is sometimes more useful than knowing which restaurants can be good. Russell’s picks include a masa dish tlacoyo at 

Portland Restaurant and Bar Closings As 2025 Comes to an End

Portland had an abundance of good restaurants to choose from. As we head into a new year, the City Cast Portland team is sharing a personal favorite from what we ate in 2025:

“My pick for best thing I ate in Portland this year: this meal I had at a late-night Thai food spot. The ‘goong chae nam pla’ raw shrimp dish was so fresh and flavorful, I think about it all the time. And don’t skip on their pandan lemongrass drink. It’s made in-house and delightfully sweet. I’m obsessed.” — Giulia Fiaoni, senior producer

"My favorite bite this year is surprising even to me, but Sincerely Bagel really delivered something I thought I’d never find in this town, a bagel I actually enjoy eating. The combo of their Rosemary, EVOO, Maldon salt bagel with spicy scallion cream cheese and a slice of tomato is something I look forward to ordering every time I’m in their part of town." — Claudia Meza, podcast host

 2311 SE 50th Ave. (Richmond) & 3747 N. Mississippi Ave. (Boise)

“It's hard to believe my No. 1 dish of the year was a salad, but there's nothing I craved more than the Lahpet Salad from Rangoon Bistro. Its tannic green tea leaves make your mouth water, the fish sauce dressing gives it a wonderful savoriness, and the chana dal lends a satisfying crunch. Far and away my most ordered dish (including on Halloween night, when I ordered delivery but the bag of food was stolen off my porch by some teenage pranksters! I hope they enjoyed it as much as I do).”— John Notarianni, executive producer.

 2730 SE Gladstone St. (Creston-Kenilworth)

“I keep coming back to this pizza. It wasn’t the most unusual, the fanciest, or the trendiest thing I ate this year. But it was my favorite. It converted me into a believer of Portland pizza (sourdough crust or go home!). But it’s more than that — with Mexican and Pacific Islander flavors. My usual is the El Chingon, which has pepperoni and pineapple but also jalapeño. I also loved the elote pizza, when that was around. The verde — a veggie pizza — is excellent too.” — Rachel Monahan, newsletter editor

, and we’ll share it in an upcoming newsletter.

The Best Things We Ate in Portland, Oregon, in 2026

The Best Things We Ate in Portland in 2026

Here’s an update on the most delicious news out there:

Oregonian’s ‘10 Best New Restaurants’

Critic Michael Russell has picked his favorite 

restaurants that opened between 2024 and 2025

, which was named the Oregonian’s 2025 

. The French bistro was on its way to opening before the tragic death of chef Naomi Pomeroy. Her longtime collaborator and friends have created a place that’s “casual, candlelit, effortlessly elegant.” [Oregonian]

There’s steep competition these days, but 

, according to the national food website Tasting Table. It won a similar honor from the Food Network in 2023. [Tasting Table via Oregonian]

Oregon Wins at an International Brewers’ Competition

In The Brussels Beer Challenge, two Oregon brewers brought home medals. Hood River’s pFriem Family Brewers 

won a gold (for a Helles German-style lager beer)

, two silver medals (for a flavored fruit beer and for a pale ale), and a bronze (for their IPA). McMinnville-based Heater Allen Brewing won a silver medal for a Märzen lager and bronze for a Helles lager. [Oregonian]

Portland Restaurant Fuses Portuguese and Japanese Cuisine

, which opened a year ago, pairs Portuguese and Japanese cuisine. It may seem like an unlikely combo, but there’s a 

. Willamette Week reviewer Tim Tran recommends their take on “a well-beloved classic in Portuguese households: alcatra ($27), [which is] a humble beef stew dish originally … from Terceira Island in the Azores.” [Willamette Week]

The Oregonian names the restaurant of the year, as well as the top 10 new restaurants — places like Paper Bridge, Baum's on Oak. And more December 2025 news on the food scene in Portland, Oregon.