The squash pizza special at Saraveza. Photo credit: Saraveza.
Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant has closed. I learned about the closing of this longtime (39 years) Italian restaurant after I published last week’s Small Bites, so I didn’t include it then, so I’m including it now. But yes, this beloved restaurant is now closed.
Last Saturday, someone on Facebook posted this: “Met up with family today at 11am to order a few last Pizza’s. There is NO parking in their huge lot, and there are people parking in the business next door. There’s a line 2hrs deep to place an order. And just heard at 12:35, they are done taking orders for the day.” The end of an era and many will miss it. 17937 SE Stark Street, Portland
Trader Joe’s opens in Gresham today. This is the first location in East Multnomah County, which makes it a rather auspicious occasion. It will take over an 11,285-square-foot space—a former Big Lots location in the Oregon Trail Center. Doors will open at 8am, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony will happen right afterwards. 2083 NE Burnside Road, Gresham
In-N-Out will establish a presence in Gresham. They have purchased a 71,000-square-foot industrial space on a 4.63-acre property in Gresham—it is not a new In-N-Out restaurant. According to a press release, they said, “In-N-Out plans to utilize the newly acquired space to serve the Portland market, creating new jobs and expanding its footprint in the region … this new location will further enhance its ability to deliver.” 18205-18365 NE Sandy Blvd, Gresham
Hark! Breakfast cometh to Burger Ritual. Today, partake in Burger Ritual’s maiden breakfast sandwich, “The WcMuffin: Warden of Morning.” ‘Tis crafted with an English muffin, house breakfast pork sausage, bacon, fried egg, waffle fries, American cheese, ketchup, and mayo. They shall commence by offering these wares on the eighth hour of the morn each Friday, with hopes to extend it to the weekend and days beyond.
Copy translated by Medieval Knight Speaking Style Translator. 1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
Viking Pancake Breakfast is Sunday. Head to the Grieg Lodge/Norse Hall for their (mostly) monthly Viking Pancake Breakfast. “We will be serving delicious all-you-can-eat Viking pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage links, fresh fruit, strawberry compote, lingonberries, orange juice and coffee or tea—served in our charming Bergen Dining Room. Adults $12, Children ages 3 to 10 $6, Children under age 3 are free. Parking is free.” 111 NE 11th Avenue, Portland
Yigebe Coffee has closed. This coffee house serving Ethiopian coffee closed its doors last month on Friday, September 19. No indication anywhere as to why they closed, aside from the presence of a note on the door announcing the closure. I drove by this week and saw the food truck gone, too. 5730 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
Bicho’s turns one. This sweet Salvadoran and Mexican food spot on N Mississippi Avenue turns one on Saturday, October 11 and they are celebrating today (Friday) with some deals. 15% off your entire order today—they’ll be open 10am to 9pm. Their Revuelta pupusa (pork, beans, cheese) is sounding pretty good right about now. 3917 N Mississippi Avenue, Portland
New mobile vendor permits are real. The City of Portland published some news about a new kind of permit for mobile vendors in parks and parking areas this week:
“With a new, simple and affordable same-day permit system, self-contained mobile vendors can now operate in designated parking areas at select parks across the city. Whether it’s food carts, craft vendors, or mobile services, this streamlined program is designed to support small businesses while energizing public spaces.” More on the City of Portland’s website. Multiple locations
Watch Food Foray at the Rockwood Market Hall tonight. You can catch episodes one to three of this fantastic series, plus you can “enjoy food and personal stories by the Rockwood Market Hall food vendors, and stay to hear from the cast and crew of the show.” Get your free tickets here.
One of my favorite food carts, Sandy’s Myanmar Cuisine is there at Rockwood, too! 458 SE 185th Avenue, Portland
Backyard Burger Company in West Linn has closed. Their final day open was Friday, September 26. They posted on social media, “We have been so privileged to serve this wonderful community for almost half a decade and we welcome you all to come say hi, have your favorite dish one more time celebrate the many great meals and memories we’ve shared.” They had a lot of fans, and will be missed. 18750 Willamette Drive, West Linn
Nevermind Wednesdays. Every Wednesday from 5pm until “late” Nevermind has some cheap eats and drinks going on: $1 taquitos; $3 chips, salsa, and queso; $3 Mexican hot dogs; and $3 Montucky cans and Tequila scoots. 1216 SE Division Street, Portland
Providore’s final Vino Dinner of 2025 features food of Croatia. On Thursday, October 30 from 6pm to 8pm, enjoy the food of Croatia, with wine pairings. There will be Skampi na Buzar, a Dalmatian seafood stew; Ćevapčići, veal + lamb sausage served with traditional Croatian flatbread (likely lepinja); and Štrukli, cheese stuffed dumplings with honey, sour salt, and pistachio. Wines include Pošip, Teran, and Graševina. $79 per person including the wine pairings.
Note: “Email orders@providorefinefoods.com for more info + to reserve a table. 20% service fee is included on bill. So sorry, substitutions or dietary requests can not be accommodated.” 2340 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
La Osita has moved. Wednesday, October 8 was their last day at Plaza 122—and as a food cart. They’ll be re-opening as a brick-and-mortar in the historic Taylor Court Grocery property. Montavilla News wrote about their impending move back in 2022. Rumor has it they’ll re-open on Tuesday, October 14. 1135 SE 80th Avenue, Portland
Xin Ding Dumpling House soft opens today. This new Sellwood location of the Old Town Chinatown dumpling restaurant is soft opening today. Enjoy dumplings (XLB, potstickers, wontons), buns, noodles, rice dishes, and more. They’ll be open noon to 3pm and 4:30pm to 10pm. 7135 SE Milwaukie Avenue, Portland
I’m in love with a breakfast burrito. Last weekend I stopped in at Hi-Top to get some coffee, and was enticed by the breakfast taco, so I got it. It was very good.
My husband chose the breakfast burrito, which is currently a special. Holy business, this burrito was killer! We got the version with bacon in it, as well as “Christmas” (with red and green salsas). The way they prepare the hash browns element—seasoned and well-cooked—makes all the difference. I hear it’s destined for the permanent menu, but for now you can still get it as a special. 5015 NE Fremont Street, Portland
Wednesday noodle soup special at Mekong Bistro. This Cambodian restaurant on NE 82nd Avenue is starting up with their “Wet Wednesdays” special. That means $10 bowls of soup every Wednesday from 4pm to midnight. NB: dine-in only for the special. Also note: “Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or a meat lover—we’ve got something delicious for you!”
They mention a handful of noodle soups their guests love—the Kao Pune Noodle Soup sounds particularly good as I write this: “Vermicelli noodles in a rich & creamy coconut broth with bamboo shoots, ground pork, galangal, lemongrass & kaffir leaves.” 8200 NE Siskiyou Street, Portland
The newest location of 808 Grinds is open. They’ve opened up in the old Sizzle Pie space on NE Schuyler Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. You can order their Hawaiian food for pickup, delivery, or dine-in. They are open 10:30am to 3pm (extended hours coming soon). 115 NE Schuyler Street, Portland
The PDX Advent Calendar is back. Sure, sure, it’s not even Halloween yet, and there’s talk of Advent calendars (from the good folks at PDX Coffee Club). This one is pretty great sounding: “24 days, 24 different coffees, 24 unique Portland roasters.” It’s $160. Read more about it and the roasters involved on the PDX Coffee Club website. 6369 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland
Sorbu Paninoteca turned 5 recently. It’s true, this popular food truck is five years old! Offering up Tuscan specialities and other delicious Italian things, they have been a unique space in the Portland food cart/truck scene. They wrote:
“Can’t believe 5 years has slipped past in this red metal box! So grateful to everyone who has supported us in these years. What a wonderful community. Y’all are truly helping feed and house my children.” They took a little time off to contemplate this milestone, but now they are back. 5011-B NE 42nd Avenue, Portland
Screaming Sammies does event catering. Now that we are heading to mid-October, the pop-up season for Screaming Sammies is pretty much done. But Gary is doing event catering outside of the sunny months. He says, “I’ve created 7 unique Sammies—your favorite flavors—in exciting, new combinations. Fun, vintage look—a bit of an old school vibe, that’s a hit at any occasion.” Handmade Sammies featuring delicious, super fresh-baked cookies, top and bottom, with a generous, scrumptious ice cream “puck” sandwiched in-between.”
He’ll bring his portable ice cream shop to you. Or, he can drop off sammies at your freezer. Email Gary at sammies@sonic.net for more details.
Saraveza has a special Za. Is it “Za” or “Suh”? In any case, Saraveza has a new pizza special: The Squash Pie. It has a garlic cream sauce, caramelized onions, roasted butternut squash, garlic oil and fried sage. In a party cut, at that! 1004 N Killingsworth Street, Portland
Stories you may have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:
Top 5 Posts on Bridgetown Bites, September 2025
Halloween 2025 in Portland: Food and Drink
Chef Justin Woodward Has Died
Fast Times To Open in Original Sizzle Pie Location in Portland
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Bridgetown Bites is edited and published by Meg Cotner in Portland, Oregon. She loves avocados, fresh produce, NA drinks, and cats.
Dining and Cooking