Zilla Sake Expands

The Northeast Alberta Street mainstay has expanded next door, adding a full sake bar, an additional 20 seats, and a soon-to-launch happy hour (4-6 p.m.). That means cocktails from Matt Kesteloot (Rum Club), Sake One on draft, and more than 80 bottles (the largest sake selection in the state) ready for pouring. Also expect Japanese drinking snacks, like gingered tofu and sushi rolls. 

Tiffin Asha Does Brunch

The Southern Indian cart-turned brick-and-mortar is getting in the Sunday brunch game. That means new breakfast-y dosas, rava (a semolina dosa with green chiles, chutney and cheddar), and appam, a coconut-rice pancake served with the daily curry. Don’t worry: you can get the restaurant's signature pakora-fried Hot Chick with black cardamom honey at brunch, too.

Vitaly Paley Opens The Crown

Portland food legend Vitaly Paley has officially swapped out his Portland Penny Diner for pizza spot the Crown. Pies run between $12 for a small margarita pie to $27 for a large “Put a Clam On It” with spicy sausage, clam, and pecorino. We’re especially excited about the “Imperial,” a total Portland pie mashup of fried chicken, pickles, ranch, honey, and hot sauce. Party-throwers can also get any pie “Al Metro”: a massive 16-slice, 36-by-12-inch pizza that hovers around $58. 

NE Alberta Street Vandalized

EaterPDX reports that on June 14, a group of Alberta neighborhood restaurants were vandalized. That includes Urdaneta, Zilla Sake (see Zilla news above), Autentica, and Wilder Bar. Allegedly, it was a smash-and-grab situation, with the crooks coming away mostly empty-handed, leaving the good stuff (jamon Iberico for example), behind.

Paiche Swaps Ceviche for Espresso

Portland’s colorful Peruvian eatery, one of PoMo's Best Restaurants 2016, is switching gears in a big way. Willamette Week reports that chef Jose Luis de Cossio is transforming into a casual breakfast and lunch eatery. Via his WW interview, de Cossio explains: "We have a narrow kind of customer…This narrow customer does not allow us to grow. I would like to be more of a business person and not a chef with tweezers.” It’s not clear exactly what the new menu will look like, although it might include sweet and savory pastries, and coffee all day.