Only the freshest, juiciest food news for you today. Tag #bridgeliner to be featured in our Instagram of the Day. (📸: @molokopdx)
🍽️ If you’re fully vaccinated, you can eat maskless in a restaurant — assuming you can provide proof. The Oregon Health Authority released a set of guidelines for vaccinated Oregonians following the CDC’s announcement last week that vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks for most indoor and outdoor activities. Customers will need to provide proof of vaccination to businesses which will be vetted by an employee before being allowed inside. Some businesses, including Broadway Grill in Northeast, have decided to stick with requiring masks for all customers in lieu of asking for documentation.
🤔 PDX restaurants are struggling to find staff, and a PSU economist has some theories as to why that is. Speaking with Willamette Week, Jenny Liu suggests that “a lot of people are really being hesitant about the level of risk that they might put themselves into — specifically more customer-facing types of jobs.” Other theories on the reasons for the industry’s slow return include childcare struggles: Because many daycare facilities still are not operating at full capacity, many Oregon parents, particularly women, have struggled to balance the demands of returning to the workforce and making sure their children are looked after.
🍦 Who screams for New Zealand-style ice cream? Nico’s Ice Cream, apparently: The Portland parlor is hosting a series of pop-ups this month and into the summer at various shops which will feature half-pints of real fruit ice cream blending nature’s nutritious candy with a mixture of vanilla. The treats are made to order, and you can keep up to date on where to find this deliciousness near you by following Nico’s Instagram. We love to see — and in this case lick — it, folks!
🍳 There are some new food kids on the block in Portland to check out. This list from Willy Week showcases a roundup of new eateries, including Jerry’s stacked Chicago-style pizzas that just opened at The Bear Paw in Brooklyn (Sentimental editor’s note: s/o to The Paw!); Momo Master’s plump Himalayan dumplings in Alberta; and Papi Sal’s scrumptious hybrid jawn of Puerto Rican and Philadelphia cuisine. Hop to it — you’ve got some takeout to order.
🍹 Cheers to the return of tacos and spicy margs at Tope’s rooftop bar. Portland Mercury’s Takeout Club wrote up a mouth-watering review of the spot, and strongly recommends ordering the Pescado Frito Tacos with a spicy margarita (there’s some Mexican chocolate in there) to wash things down. You can read the delicious piece of journalism by writer Suzette Smith here.
🍣 Fresh sushi from a Portland food cart? Sign us the heck up. Yoshi’s Sushi can be found in the Multnomah Village French Quarter in southwest, where owner and chef Yoshimasa Ikeda dishes up daily fresh sushi with everything from classics like the California Roll to Hokkaido scallops, salmon, and nigiri. For our plant-based friends, take a peep at the Spicy Jackfruit Roll to satisfy your hunger. Check out Munchies’ video profile on Ikeda, his story, his sushi, and the fact that they don’t have a “closed” sign — just an “open” and “sold out” one.
