[PDX] Farewell and Welcome

[ExtraMSG]

Decided to make a Portland specific topic for this since the other once is so dominated by Seattle....

Is Zinc Bistot out of business? It looked all closed up when I went by this weekend.

[chefrodrigo]

Decided to make a Portland specific topic for this since the other once is so dominated by Seattle....

Is Zinc Bistot out of business? It looked all closed up when I went by this weekend.

Yep,

Zinc is gone. I got an email from them about a month ago that said they were closing the doors. The food was good after the last chef arrived but I would hate to be a French bistro owner now with all the tough competition out there.

rodney

[ExtraMSG]

I bet that corner has one hell of a lease, too.

btw, I noticed a little while back that The Dive has been replaced by a small Italian place, possibly called The Italian Joint. I tried to get information on that lease when I noticed The Dive had closed its doors. It's a tiny spot.

[Tremors]

Where is the Dive? I guess I should ask where was the Dive?

[ExtraMSG]

It was a lesbian bar on Hawthorne:

3145 SE Hawthorne

[ExtraMSG]

Did the Savory Tart go out of business, too? My wife and I drove by there and she said it looked all closed up, but I didn't see. That was one of the best values in Portland.

[ExtraMSG]

I noticed that the little French/N. African place on NW 23rd, Chez Celeste, is out of business and a Japanese place is there now. Kind of unfortunate, they were decent, though not truly anything special. And Savory Tart is still in business, thank goodness. I need to get back there.

[ExtraMSG]

In regards to Zinc Bistrot, this was in the Willamette Week ( http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=4925 ) today:

Speaking of prime corner lots: Who will brave the curse of 500 NW 21st Ave.? That's the real estate that until recently housed Zinc Bistrot, which some folks think still harbors the ghostly waft of the toughest dining act to follow in this town, Bruce Carey's Zefiro.

Luca Viola, Italian traditionalist, that's who.

Roman-born Viola is a former software engineer and soon-to-be sommelier. He's determined to exorcise the corner's cuisine demons with Basilico, an upscale, old-school feast Italiano. That's right, another Italian trattoria on Northwest 21st--bringing the total to five in the same number of blocks.

This may be the best Italian food per square foot on the west coast pretty soon.

[ExtraMSG]

I'm sure we've already mentioned that William's/Buckman are out of business. Laslow's, as of today, also. So apparently that rumor was true.

It's many months later, though, and I'm still sick about Cafe Azul going out of business. I was talking to a lady at the Cinco de Mayo fiesta (which was awesome...went twice) whose son in law used to cook there. They loved it as much as me and they've travelled way more in Mexico than I have and she grew up in Veracruz. She agreed that it's the only Oaxacan food she's had in the US that is as good or better than what you get in Mexico. We even craved many of the same dishes: the manchamanteles, the quesadillas with the crispy cheese flowing out, the tequila ice cream. Dios mio! La pena!

[ExtraMSG]

From the WW:

http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=5081

Laurelwood NW Public House, the westside satellite of the Hollywood district's family-oriented brewpub, takes over Laslow's Victorian digs this week.

Maybe it's just because I don't drink, but is anyone else sick of brewpubs in Portland? I'm sick of brewpubs and I'm sick of coffee shops. We have way too many of both. Wanna know why Portlanders are fat? Brewpubs. Fried food and alcohol.

Meanwhile, we can't keep places like William's/Buckman or Laslow's open. Or, again, Cafe Azul.

We should have a pool: what will be the next kick ass restaurant to go under because it didn't serve fried foods and beer?

[trillium]

I was under the impression that William closed down his restaurants for personal reasons, not because Portland couldn't keep them open?

There are a lot of mediocre brewpubs in Portland, I think the McMinniman's ones set the standard (of mediocrity). After my last experience in one, I don't think you could pay me to eat at another.... That being said, I have nothing against fried food and beer, it just has to be good.

regards,

trillium

[ExtraMSG]

I don't have anything against it either. I just don't want it taking over the entire landscape of food options in Portland. You would think that a coffee shop on every corner and a brewpub within walking distance of every frickin residence in the metro area would be enough.

On Chowhound someone said that the windows were boarded up and there was a lien notice on the doors at William's/Buckman. Also, how many people close a successful business abruptly because they want to travel through France, or whatever the explanation was? You might at least try selling it before it closed or having someone run it for you. Plus, I never saw William's with many people.

[trillium]

On Chowhound someone said that the windows were boarded up and there was a lien notice on the doors at William's/Buckman. Also, how many people close a successful business abruptly because they want to travel through France, or whatever the explanation was? You might at least try selling it before it closed or having someone run it for you. Plus, I never saw William's with many people.

Ummm...I don't want to get into any trouble here, but I guess I'll say it depends on how you define "personal reasons" and "successful business". I just wouldn't be so quick to put the blame on Portland customers for the two places closing.

regards,

trillium

[ExtraMSG]

True. But think about it this way. Say a very authentic Thai restaurant opens up in Portland. They use impeccable ingredients, the prices are fair, and the dishes are as good as anything you've tasted in Thailand. A dream Thai restaurant. It gets critical acclaim. They're in a busy neighborhood. They have typical food costs and low labor costs. Etc, etc. But people just don't come in. You can still say it's the restaurant's fault for not kow-towing to local tastes, but I would tend to intepret the problem within the community as unwilling to eat such food.

Obviously we don't know, I don't think, how Chef Henry ran his restaurant. But I know that despite it being very high quality food with prices no higher than any other nice restaurant in Portland, it never seemed to be that busy.

I like Portland. But I do think we have a restaurant-going character flaw in that as a community we are generally unwilling to pay for top quality food. Why do we have no **** restaurants? People are willing to pay $300k for a studio in the Pearl, but not $75 for a 5 course fixed price menu. I'll go further. I think it's lame that when people rate places like Higgins they base it on the quality of their burger.

I could go on, but I'll stop ranting now.

[tsquare]

  Or, again, Cafe Azul.

ExtraMSG,

Just so you know - you are out of luck with Fandango in Seattle if you wanted to compare. Closed May 2.

[little ms foodie]

While in Portland recently I had the pleasure of eating at Navare. YUM!!! what a fantastic place, and the prices were soooooo good.

[ExtraMSG]

Canita went out of business. According to the Willamette Week, it was because of problems with the building and they're looking for a new spot.

Also, this from a Bite Club:

And the best news of all? Foodie friends pastry chef Cheryl Wakerhauser (Pix Patisserie) and John Taboada (Navarre) are joining forces to create Bar Pastiche, a nightspot featuring Wakerhauser's sugary delights and Taboada's toothsome dishes, located inside one of Pastaworks' three Hawthorne Boulevard

Some others here: http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=5179

[LaurieA-B]

Just read on PortlandFood.org that Criollo Bakery closed permanently last weekend. Very sorry to hear that.

[tsquare]

Just read on PortlandFood.org that Criollo Bakery closed permanently last weekend. Very sorry to hear that.

←

Nooooo! Oh, bun in the oven. Where are her priorities? Okay, well, best wishes to Mel.

Edited June 14, 2006 by tsquare (log)