Willamette Week named Imperial its Restaurant of the Year 2015, praising executive chef and Top Chef star Doug Adams for his fried chicken with hot sauce and honey, Parker House rolls, and poke salad with ponzu. WW's argument for ROY rides on the premise that Portland has become a place of “precious, 12-seat, three-hour dining experiences reserved six months in advance,” and that conversely, Imperial offers “high-end dining on the grand scale.”

Bamboo Sushi is opening a fourth restaurant at 404 SW Stark St. The new spot is slated to open for dinner service on December 17 with its signature brand of sustainable sushi and a few izakaya items. Downtown Bamboo will be the first location to offer lunch service, starting January 4.

Fried chicken and biscuit spot, Son of a Biscuit (2045 SE Division), is now closed. Despite a poor track record, Little Big Burger and Blue Star Donut owners Micah Camden and Katie Poppe plan to re-open the restaurant elsewhere, sometime in 2016.

Ned Ludd, champion of wood-fired fare, has ended its popular weekend brunch service and chef-driven Pizza nights. The restaurant hopes to refocus on its dinner service, with a hint at new projects coming in 2016.