Southeast 

← Boke Bowl might be closed for Thanksgiving, but they’re making up for it through the rest of the week. They'll be offering their Korean Fried Chicken a day early, Wednesday November 27 from 5 pm to 9 pm. If that’s not enough, in honor of their two–year anniversary, they'll be serving an epic Turducken Ramen on Black Friday—"imagine chorizo cornbread stuffed inside a chicken, which is inside a layer of apple cranberry walnut stuffing, inside of a duck that was wrapped in savory sage and sausage stuffing and cram that into a turkey breast.” Then made into ramen. Give thanks. 1028 SE Water Ave

Northeast

• In addition to their gluten free cookies, cupcakes, and loaves of bread, Alberta's Tula Gluten Free Bakery Cafe just launched a new savory menu with hearty hot layered dishes inspired by international flavors—think Mediterranean with tomatoes, garlic, eggplant, and pesto, Indian with cumin sweet potatoes and pepita curry sauce, and French with herbed mushrooms, cream, and artichoke hearts—with protein additions of Olympic Provisions salami, Draper Farms chicken, and local organic tempeh. 4943 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Suite 101

North 

• Portlanders now have double the opportunity to sink their teeth into the roasted meats of Brian and Lisa Wood’s Big Ass Sandwiches. The couple has opened a second cart at Mississippi Marketplace  adjacent to Prost. With dog–friendly covered seating, their new cart is open Tuesday through Sunday 11 am to 5 pm, and will feature grand opening specials through December. 4233 N Mississippi Ave

Southwest 

• Clyde Common's soon-to-depart chef Chris DiMinno dropped us a line to weigh in on his upcoming resumé shift: starting February 2014, he will be joining Chris King Precision Components full-time as the Gourmet Century Coordinator and Chef, hosting events like Feast Portland's Cielo Salon and the Chris King Gourmet Century. Says DiMinno: "I am thrilled to have been presented with the opportunity to combine both of my passions—food and cycling—and look forward to working alongside such an incredible team." Stay tuned for more news from Clyde Common as it rolls in.

Northwest

• As Coquine continues the hunt for a brick-and-mortar restaurant, they'll be hosting a Pop Up Dinner Series at KitchenCru November 24, December 1, and 8. The dinner series offers guests two different ways to dine—sidled up to the Chef’s counter for an extended prix fixe ($60 per person, with a $30 wine pairing) or cozy in the main dining room for a three–course prix fixe ($40 per person, with a $20 wine pairing) from Chef Katy Millard’s thoughtfully sourced, seasonal menu. 337 NW Broadway

Metro Area

• In a stroke of tortilla-cradled genius, Koi Fusion has announced that they will honor non–expired free McDonald’s McMuffin coupons handed out at the Portland Trail Blazer games in the Moda Center, upgrading your post–game snack a few delicious notches.

• New Seasons Market will partner with SeQuential Pacific Biodeisel to host cooking oil drop-off stations this holiday season. Used cooking oil can be brought to the Hillsboro, Southeast Division, and Vancouver New Seasons locations on November 30 and December 1 between 10 am and 6 pm, where it will be safely collected and recycled into biodiesel. SeQuential Pacific will also donate $1 to Meals on Wheels for each gallon of cooking oil collected. 

• One step closer to foil–wrapped burrito domination, local chainlet Laughing Planet has announced major expansion plans for 2014. Starting with satellite cafes opening mid–December in Downtown Portland (SW 18th and Jefferson) and Lake Oswego focusing on takeaway sales, they will eventually open six new locations over the next year in Bend, Reno, Salt Lake City and possibly Boise, Idaho. 

National

• No surprise here: Oregon is well represented on the Good Food Award Finalists long list. The award honors companies that are “leading the way towards a tasty, authentic and responsible food systems” and the list includes locals like Ninkasi Brewing, Stumptown Coffee, Ancient Heritage Dairy, Unbound Pickling, Olympic Provisions, Xocolatl de David, and Tails and Trotters.

Got a food news tip? Send it my way at [email protected]!