Santa Clones in 2022.
The Santa Clones are coming and for this occasion we can tell you where they are. When Chris Willis sets up the Santa Clones each year, he usually gives you clues with which to find them. But that doesn’t usually happen until early December, so I suspect that adventure is still coming. This weekend, though, the Clones are heading to a party tomorrow at Gigantic Brewing’s Barrel Room to celebrate a beer collab among Chris Willis, Weird Portland United, and Gigantic.
“On Saturday, November 14th, from 5–9pm, we’re teaming up with Weird Portland United to celebrate the release of Santa Clones Winter Warmer with an evening of glowing Santas, festive music, warm stroopwafels, and plenty of Portland weirdness. Around 150 of Portland’s beloved Santa Clones will transform our Barrel Room into a glowing sea of vintage Santas. Wander among the clones, bask in their festive glow, and snap a holiday photo in front of our special Wall of Clones!”
There will also be fresh stroopwafels, DJ Krampus will be spinning, and you can help decorate their Christmas tree there at Gigantic with an ornament made by you, yourself. The beer and party help raise funds for Weird Portland United, “and their mission to keep Portland weird.” 5224 SE 26th Avenue, Portland
Noho’s Hawaiian Cafe will close. I first heard this as a rumor, and now we know the truth: Noho’s will close their NE Fremont restaurant, and their final day of service is Sunday, December 13. They’ve been operating for 33 years, which is impressive. But economics got the best of them—“Rising costs ultimately led us to decide that ending what has been a beautiful run was our best option.”
They also wrote, “We are incredibly grateful to our loyal customers and employees, many of whom have been with us for several decades. Getting to know our customers and working with our restaurant family were my greatest joys in the years I ran Noho’s.” The Medford location will remain open. 4637 NE Fremont Street, Portland
Tight Tacos is for sale. There are ads on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for the restaurant space, but the business is also for sale. Founder Mark Cosio posted that the price for the 1560 sf space is $90K. The lease is a $6,300NNN and there’s four years left on it. “OLCC approved; 33 seats indoor; 12 seats indoor hallway (common area); 20 seats outdoor.”
The restaurant is still open and functioning at this point in time. 3060 SE Division Street, Portland
Lunch returns to Nostrana (limited time). Starting today for the the next six Fridays, (November 13 to December 18), Nostrana will be serving lunch in their dining room from 11am to 2pm. “It’s been six and a half years since we last served lunch at Nostrana. This holiday season, we’re bringing it back.” Along with their established Insalata Nostrana, handmade pasta, and wood-fired pizza, their tuna and bean conserva returns. You can make your reservations on their OpenTable page. 1401 SE Morrison Street #101, Portland
Moromi x CMSL tomorrow. On Saturday, November 14 from 4pm to 8pm, Moromi, a pop-up from Tung Nguyen (Providore) launches at Commensal Fermentation. “Moromi” means “the state of fermentation that a food reaches.” Elements from Japanese and Italian cuisine will be present. For this November pop-up they are focusing on skewers (2 per order unless otherwise indicated):
Chicken Thigh: Black garlic tare, charred negi oil, crispy chicken skin crumble.
Hamachi Belly: Yuzu kosho, charred sudachi shiso (1 per order).
Pork Belly & Ume: Miso caramel, pickled plum, shiso.
Eggplant Parm: Marinara, mozzarella, basil, Parmesan.
Each guest gets a grilled negi skewer and yuzu dashi ponzu for dipping. They also have Toro Toast to start (Tuna tartare, saffron, pomegranate, soy glaze, shaved cured egg yolk, toasted milk bread sticks) and Red Bean Matcha Tiramisu for dessert. No reservations, first come, first served 3901 N Williams Avenue, Suite A, Portland
Sizzle Patty opened November 11. This incoming smash burger joint soft opened Wednesday, November 11, offering burgers, fries, and … shawarma! Find them in the Evergreen Station shopping center near NE Fourth Plain Blvd and 117th Avenue. 12010 NE Fourth Plain Blvd, Vancouver
Blank Slate bar will close. They have been at it for 10 years now, but their lease is up and they have decided to move on. “We have loved serving this community, making some of the best cocktails we have ever had, popping corn, peeling eggs and slinging mushroom toasts. It has been our honor, and we couldn’t be more proud of what we have accomplished. This neighborhood has embraced us and filled our cup time and time again. Thank you for the opportunity, love and support! It has been a joy getting to know you.”
Their final day of service will be December 31, 2026. 7201 NE Glisan Street, Suite C, Portland
HeyDay Breakfast Club launches Monday, November 16. It is “a monthly (for now!) breakfast pop-up created around the idea of slowing down.” They’ll have pastries, small bites, toast, phin coffee and pourover coffee, and “chill morning vibes.”
Lisa Nguyen writes, “We encourage you to put your phone away for a little while. Bring a book, a journal, something to doodle with, a friend to catch up with, or simply come as you are. Enjoy your breakfast, sip your coffee, people-watch, daydream, or do absolutely nothing at all.” It takes place at SUNRICE from 7am to noon. 4090 N Williams Avenue, Portland
Pintxes Pintxos pops up again. This time, they’ll be at Nil Wine Bar today (5pm to 9pm) and Saturday (3pm to 9pm). “They’ll offer Txiki Basque bites with west coast flavor” and wine pairings. Here’s what you’ll find.
Squashapacho: Chilled shot of puréed roasted honeynut squash, golden beet, carrot, & garlic, orange bell pepper, habanero hot sauce, shallot, thyme, olive oil, & sherry vinegar, garnished with dried apricot, mandarin, & candied ginger. Demi-sec white of light chillable red (aromatic, acidic, spiced, zesty, low-tannin).
Patatas Fritas Bravas: Shareable plate of kettle chips served with Ajo Blanco and Brava Roja dips. Sparkling of dry rosé (crisp, zesty, acidic, fruity, bright).
Gilda Handia: Skewer of cantabrian anchovy, Castelvetrano olive, Guindilla pepper, Boquerón, & Gordal olive stuffed with whipped fromage blanc, Manchego, coriander, honey, & orange zest. Dry white or skin-contact orange (acidic, citrusy, fruity, saline, soft tannins).
Ganbekin Tostada: Mini corn tostada topped with Ajo Blanco, roasted Piquillo pepper, avocado, vermouth-poached shrimp, salmon roe, & cilantro. Dry sparkling or light chillable red (vibrant, herbal, acidic, zesty, fruity, earthy).
Postrea PB&J: Bite-size stack of Mazapan candy, Ossau Iraty sheep cheese, seasonal fruit compote, & kettle chip coriander crumble contains peanuts. Off-dry red or sparkling Rosé (crisp, bright, jammy, balanced, fruity, earthy).
GUZTIAK SABORES!: A taste of everything on the menu, plus an amuse-bouche from the chef.
4243 SE Belmont Street, Unit# 300, Portland
Fiery Crab has opened. Their grand opening was October 29, 2026. They serve up Louisiana seafood boils. This is one of those repurposed Shari’s. 1832 NE 122nd Avenue, Portland
Glimpse Matcha has a temp storefront. They were helped out by the PDX Pop-up Program and will be operating in the Pearl District starting today, Friday, November 13 to Thursday, December 31. They’ll offer matcha drinks of all kinds. 433 NW 10th Avenue, Portland
Cully Farmer’s Market is moving. They are holding the details close to the vest—“We’re moving … but not too far!” For a number of years they have operated at 5011 NE 42nd Ave, which is where the very successful Sure Shot restaurant is now, and so it’s understandable that a move would be in the works.
“Not too far”…. hmmm… could that be the parking lot by Javelina? Up by Fernhill Park? 5 Points seems far. Anyway, they will be announcing the new space soon—which will allow for more vendors, too. Location TBD
Vend-O-Rama has a temporary storefront. They are taking over a space that was a cider taproom, transforming it to a “vending paradise” for the holidays. There will be four photobooths, four vending machines, one Zoltar, one penny smasher, and other fun stuff is likely gonna happen. They’ll be open until Christmas Eve. 1230 NW Hoyt Street, Portland
Tambayan closing date update: Last day of service at this epic Filipino restaurant will be Thursday, December 31. They hope to see you there before then. 6014 SE Foster Road, Portland
Mango Mango will open its first west coast location in downtown Vancouver. This Asian dessert shop that started in NYC’s Chinatown is coming to Vancouver (as to when, it’s TBD rn). They have a wide range of sweet things—myriad sago, crepe cakes, sweet soups, shave ice, smoothies, boba, and more. Lots to love. 406 W 8th Street, Vancouver
Bowery Bagels Old Town location has closed. More news from the Portland bagelsphere—we’ve learned that this beloved bagel shop has closed. They posted this note on the door:
“To our neighbors, customers, and friends
“After 15 years here in Old Town, we have made the difficult decision not to renew our lease. Our last day of service will be Tuesday November 10th.
“During our time here, we have seen many changes in the neighborhood. We stayed open during COVID and through civil unrest. We celebrated many Pride Parades and other neighborhood events. Through it all we have appreciated your support, your enthusiasm and your friendship.
“We are proud and happy to have served you and the neighborhood for so long. We sincerely hope you have enjoyed the food and hospitality we provided. There are many great memories we will treasure of our time as part of your lives.”
The PSU location will remain open. You can also find their bagels at New Seasons. 310 NW Broadway, Portland
GFY pops up in Nonavo Pizza backrooms. This weekend they are offering a small number of bagels (plain, sesame, everything)—they discourage the practice of scooping or toasting them. There may be breakfast sandwiches, BECs, and potatoes; I know there will be canelé. 10am to 2pm (or until sold out) on Sunday, November 15. 110 W 6th Street, Vancouver
Sarda Pizza has opened at Hotel Grand Stark. They started out as a pizza cart at the Hawthorne Street Food and Bar, but as of November 7, they expanded to the Hotel Grand Stark. They come to pizzamaking after spending many years in restaurants in Sardegna, Italy.
Their pizza seems to follow the Neo Neapolitan style. Many of the usual suspects are there: Margherita, pepperoni, funghi, quattro formaggi, but I see they also offer Halal-certified pepperoni pizza. Nice. Plus, calzones. NICE. 509 SE Grand Avenue, Portland
ODE has opened. I first caught wind of this via an Axios newsletter, comparing it to Erewhon’s beauty aisle and tonic bar. They offer superfood smoothies and bowls; gluten, dairy, and refined sugar are banished. More substantial food is coming, too. Find them 9am to 4pm every day. 1585 NW 22nd Avenue, Portland
End of year top restos roundups are starting to flow. The Oregonian and Eater have released their lists—here’s the 2026 PDX Eater awards. You can see the full list from The Oregonian, here. Congratulations to all involved! Multiple locations
Benji’s Deli opened last month in Vancouver. I missed it, originally—their grand opening was Saturday, October 3. It’s not a Jewish deli, but one where you can get sandwiches, soups, salads, soft serve, and more. You can see some of what they offer on their menu. 1503 NE 78th Street, Suite 15, Vancouver
Clive Coffee is moving to the Pearl District. They’ll be on NW Davis and 10th. On their website, they wrote, “Our showroom is temporarily closed as we move, and we look forward to welcoming you to our new location in mid-to-late November.” A neighbor told me that the new space, which previously was a catering space, will give Clive a larger showroom and more storage for onsite inventory. 935 NW Davis Street, Portland
Good Neighbor Cà Phê will become Portland Cà Phê. Owner Kim Dam posted about the transition: “With Portland Cà Phê heading into its 6th year, I’ve been reflecting a lot on where we started, how far we’ve come, and where I want to take the brand next. Good Neighbor has always shared the same heart as Portland Cà Phê, so this transition feels like a natural next step.” They’ll start transitioning over the next couple of weeks. 1650 NW 23rd Avenue, Portland
It’s kind of a big dill. No, not Dylan Pickle, but Village Pickle! Their grand opening in Multnomah Village is Wednesday, November 18. They’ll have pickleball, of course, but also drinks and food and food carts. Hours are 7am to 11pm daily. 675 SW Troy Street, Portland
Reminder: Cobra Dogs open today. They’ve had a few date changes, but it’s clear that today is the day. Their new brick and mortar presence is at See See Motor Co./One Moto Cafe. This is another case of two businesses using the same space—coffee from 7am to 3pm, and hot dogs from noon to 9pm (til 10pm on weekends). I’ll repeat that I do love the Cobra Style dog—cream cheese, Cobra sauce, sauerkraut, and celery sauce. I was dubious at first, but now I’ve seen the light. 1642 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
Stories this week on Bridgetown Bites that you may have missed:
Cheese and Meat Festival 2026 Returns to Portland This Weekend
Checkpoint One Has Soft Opened on NE Sandy Blvd in Roseway
Gingerbread Masterpiece 2026: 55 Years at the Benson Hotel in Portland
Louie on Lombard: Opening in the Old Garrison Bar Space
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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