Fire Devastates Beloved Portland Pork Shop Tails & Trotters
The boarded-up storefronts of Tails & Trotters and next-door-neighbor the Pie Spot on Friday, February 24
Image: Jillian Smith
Just a few months ago, Guy Fieri was shoving his chin strap into a Tails & Trotters porchetta sandwich gloopy with chimichurri. His cartoonish enthusiasm, aired this past December on the Season 25 finale of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, clearly whetted appetites on the Food Network. Since then, weekend lines at the once-under-the-radar Portland butcher start well before lunch service, and demand for T&T’s superior quality, hazelnut “finished” pork products has swelled across America.
Alas, that crave-worthy porchetta won't be available for a while. Late on Wednesday night, February 22, an electrical fire broke out at T&T’s shop on Northeast 24th Avenue—intense flames catching the ceiling insulation and the wooden chairs below. Within half an hour, the blaze exploded the shop’s front windows and spread to neighboring eatery Pie Spot. A burst water pipe, blessedly, helped douse the flames before firefighters arrived, but not before smoke contamination ruined T&T’s entire inventory—including all of its Prosciutto Pacifico: award-winning two-year-cured charcuterie that Fieri devoured like cotton candy.
Late on Wednesday night, Tails & Trotters owner Aaron Silverman and crew viewed the wreckage. From Facebook: "Currently an utter disaster with everything lost. Thankfully some of us are too crazy/stupid to know when to quit and we are not toast!!!"
Image: Tails & Trotters
By Friday morning, owner Aaron Silverman had updated T&T’s Facebook account with several emotional posts vowing to rebuild. They’ll have some help: T&T is nothing if not well-connected in this foodie town. This Saturday and next (February 25 and March 4), the superfans at Zilla Saké are donating all profits to help out the temporarily out-of-work crew. (Scroll down for their post.) And on Monday, February 27, T&T’s other next door neighbor, Nomad.PDX, is throwing an über-cheffy public fundraiser in its barely-open space, with 100 percent of the door going to support T&T and Pie Spot employees. (Other supporting events we should know about? Contact us and we’ll update this post.)
Says Nomad chef Ryan Fox: “T&T fed us through the whole build-out, and Pie Spot caffeinated us. They are the most welcoming neighbors, and we want to do whatever we can to help them get set up and open again.”
Here’s the low-down so far on Nomad’s growing Monday night fundraiser:
- The $25 door cost includes three drink tickets, unlimited food, DJ entertainment, and a chance at raffle prizes.
- Booze donations have already been pledged from wine distributor Galaxy, along with 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Wandering Aengus Ciderworks, Beam Suntory, New Deal Distillery, Aria Portland Dry Gin, and Widmer Brothers Brewing.
- Chef Ryan Fox and his crew will prepare casual “house party” fare from ingredients donated, so far, by Rubinette (produce), Nicky USA (meat), and its own neighbor, Providore Fine Foods.
- Nomad baker Eve Küttemann promises a mountain of chocolate chip cookies.
- Raffle prizes so far pledged include Feast tickets, gift certificates to Hunnymilk, Jacobsen Salt baskets, OMSI passes, and items from Providore.
“Word is out through the Feast crew," says Nomad front-of-house manager Jillian Smith, "so the lineup will probably be added to as the weekend progresses.”
The Tails & Trotters and Pie Spot Fundraiser, hosted by Nomad.PDX, takes place 7 p.m.–1 a.m. Monday, February 27. $25 at the door includes three drink tickets and unlimited food (while it lasts).
