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City Cast Portland

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

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

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.

December 2025 Updates on Portland, Oregon, Restaurants and Brewers

December 2025 Updates on Portland Restaurants and Brewers

Portland excels at good food, tasty brews, and excellent wine. To keep you up-to-date on the places you might want to try, here’s a list of just a few brand-new spots we’re most excited about:

There are a couple notable openings from recent months that are worth a visit if you haven’t already found your way to them:

 Sunday - Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 11 p.m., Thursday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Near the wine bar Heavenly Creatures and the women’s sports bar Sports Bra, After Ours is helping Northeast Broadway become a destination. The self-style “vinyl bar, việt vibes” comes from the restaurateurs behind 

, including yuzu-oolong whiskey sours and pandan coladas.

 is one of several Portland restaurants (as well as social service groups) offering 

 on Thursday to those in need. They also include 

The crowds have already flocked to Sunday Sauce. It’s part of a wave of new Italian restaurants in Portland.

 a lighthearted, festive time: They’re going for 

 Amanda Cannon, co-owner of Sunday Sauce and Normandie, told Portland Monthly.

 more classic American Italian food. the chicken parm and fries with marsala sauce. (If you save any room, there’s even a banana tiramisu.)

a surprising number of new Italian restaurants

. The Oregonian sampled them all. [Oregonian]

The latest additions to the Portland dining scene include a bright, joyful museum cafe and a tasty interloper from Texas:

 | at the Portland Art Museum's Mark Rothko Pavilion (Downtown)

 Tuesday - Sunday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., beginning next week (currently, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.).

The French-inspired bistro, from the owners of the fancy eastside market Providore Fine Food, opened this month. Coquelico — named for the French word for a reddish-orange poppy flower — is an enjoyably bright space.

 the Rothko-inspired cake. It's a standout for how it looks (maybe the prettiest cake in town), but it's going to taste pretty familiar.

 lunch with a friend — a crepe, a sandwich, salad, or something with brie.

 a stopoff during a trip to the new Rothko wing of the Portland Art Museum once it opens to the public Nov. 20.

 | at Tough Luck, 1771 NE Dekum St. (Woodlawn)

Monday - Thursday, 3 p.m. - 11 p.m., Friday, 3 p.m. - midnight, Saturday, noon - midnight

Portland has plenty of excellent barbecue on offer, but is now home to an outpost of a Michelin-starred Texas barbecue spot! It opened just two weeks ago.

: the chicken thighs (not on the original Austin, Texas, menu). 

 says Portland Monthly. Also on the menu is something for the vegans: beet ends.

 more Texas barbecue. The menu also includes tater tots, a cheeseburger, sausages, and more.

This month, we have a couple of standout additions to the Portland restaurant scene. And a couple of new bars attracted our attention:

If (like I did) you missed the previous installments of Berlu, don’t miss this one. Chef Vince Nguyen won a regional James Beard award in 2023 as he began focusing on Vietnamese flavors — and then bakery items. His previous bakery shut down operations in 2024, but now the bakery is back and bigger than before.

The results are unique and tasty. (Bonus:

Berlu Bakery pays workers $25+ an hour, and doesn’t ask for tips.) Right now, the bakery has plenty of sweet options and will gradually be adding more savory dishes.

 The signature bánh bò nướng, which is a cross between sponge cake and slightly sweet bread. It’s made gluten-free with tapioca. (A variation serves as a base of their excellent version of avocado toast.)

 bánh khoai mì nướng — cassava cake, currently served with kiwi on top. (It was my favorite thing I tried.)

 | 2117 NE Oregon Street (Kerns neighborhood)

Friday - Saturday, 4 p.m. - midnight; Monday, Thursday, and Sunday,  4 - 11 p.m.; closed Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Sister restaurant, Kachka, has been one of the best restaurants in town for years, with a heavy emphasis on vodka with various infusions. It only made sense for there to be a dedicated bar — Kachka Fabrika — with an adjacent distillery.

 horseradish-infused vodka and other infused drinks.

 Friday - Saturday, 6 p.m. - 1 a.m.; Thursday and Sunday, 6 p.m. - midnight

A sister bar to go along with one of the city’s best restaurants, Rangoon Bistro, Bone Sine is another instant Portland classic.

 Burmese-accented cocktails like the snap-pea/lime-leaf gimlet.

 the full Rangoon Bistro menu, plus bar snacks too.

It’s a chill cocktail bar vibe to go with the more rowdy beer-and-burgers vibe of Bar Bar, which is downstairs.

 the outdoor seating, overlooking Bar Bar's back patio.

 the vibe — a little like you’ve discovered your own secret nook in town.

This month's addition adds to the diversity of food options available in Portland:

 | 5237 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. (King neighborhood)

One of just a few Balkan restaurants in town, Alma expanded on the city's offerings when it opened back in June. With a start as a pop-up, the brick-and-mortar restaurant blends the food of the Pacific Northwest with Balkan and Turkish cuisine. Go ready to share a bunch of tapas.

 tomato čorba, a spicy take on tomato soup.

 a Monday night date. Yep, it’s a rare spot open for dinner early in the week.

It’s hard to believe these recently opened spots haven’t been around for ages. They already feel like Portland classics.

This month, we have a couple of standout additions to the Portland bar scene: Bone Sine and Madame Bar Bar.

The Latest Portland, Oregon, Restaurant and Bar Openings

The Latest Portland Restaurant and Bar Openings 

McKenna Harford

When you think about the peak season for farmers markets, winter might not be the first answer to cross your mind, but you don’t want to skip out on the cold months! We spoke with 

, host of the podcast “Food Friends,” to put together 

a guide to some of the best seasonal and holiday specialties

 (as well as some year-round favorites) at the PSU farmers market.

Starting with some caffeine, you’ll want to head to 

 for what Sonya calls the best coffee in Portland. The beans are sourced from Kenya and the company supports Kenyan farmers directly, so the beverages both taste good and do good.

To pair with your drink, we suggest a few options — 

 for New Mexico-style burritos. Sonya recommends the seasonal fruit danishes or the pickle ranch biscuits from Orange and Blossom. And we can confirm the hype for Enchanted Sun is warranted.

, a Chinese food vendor known for its sticky rice balls with various fillings, including curry chicken, braised tofu eggplant, or braised pork. There are also noodle dishes and hot pot, and Sonya says you can’t make a wrong choice.

, which specializes in seasonal roti, an Indian flatbread that gets made into a wrap. Try one of the lamb options — the meat is extra juicy from being roasted on a spit.

 stand. There, you’ll also find brussel sprouts, heirloom beans, and greens. Sonya’s tip is to get the brussel sprout leaves and cook them like collard greens.

 if you’re looking to try some more unique vegetables, like pink cabbage and purple pak choi.

A guide to some of the best seasonal and holiday specialties (as well as some year-round favorites) at the PSU farmers market. 

Food & Drink

Where To Find the Best Deals for Portland Groceries

Where To Find Portland's Best Dumplings

Portland Kids Eat Well and More Restaurant Updates

Latest articles

The 5 Portland Restaurants To Try Right Now

Portland Restaurant and Bar Closings As 2025 Comes to an End

The Best Things We Ate in Portland in 2026

December 2025 Updates on Portland Restaurants and Brewers

The Latest Portland Restaurant and Bar Openings

Your Winter Guide to the PSU Farmers Market

🍷 The Best Food in Wine Country Near Portland