At 25 N Fremont, just north of New Seasons, sits a new sandwich shop with something for everyone. Better Half Sandwiches recently opened by first-time restaurant owners Alan Osborn and Kelly Haarsager. Alan grew up in Portland and Kelly moved here from Austin, Texas. The couple first met working at Whole Foods and both have experience in the restaurant industry and grocery retail.
Continue reading Better Half Sandwiches – Though you might want the whole thing
There’s a new restaurant in Eliot! The owners are John-Fletcher “Fletch” Halyburton, a former operations director in the Toro Bravo restaurant group, and his sister, Emily Peterson, a North Carolina-based wine industry veteran and the name is an homage to John’s aunts. Lottie and Zula’s is serving up amazing breakfast sandwiches, tantalizing lunch options, and now Sunday dinners.
Continue reading New Eatery: Lottie and Zula’s in Former Toro Bravo Restaurant Space
There’s a new food cart in town located on MLK at Sacramento and it sits right next to Billy Ray’s Tavern at 2210 NE MLK.
Julie and Brandon Wilson have opened Thai MLK and the patrons of Billy Ray’s Tavern are, I’m sure, happy to have food that can be purchased at the cart and then consumed at the Tavern.
Julie Wilson moved here from Hawaii after working with her auntie who had a restaurant in Kauai, Hawaii. She learned how to make delicious Thai cuisine. Her sister owns a restaurant in Troutdale, Thai Carnation, so it’s no wonder that Julie would accept the offer to buy the food cart that used to be owned by her sister.
The menu at Thai MLK has a nice variety of appetizers, salads, stir fry, noodles, soups, and curries as well as beverages and desserts. Main dishes range from $9-10 and appetizers are $5-7.
At this point they accept cash but also accept credit cards. Conveniently, there is an ATM at Billy Ray’s Tavern that can be easily accessed during the bar’s business hours.
As a bonus, Thai MLK is giving away free masks so you won’t have to worry if you order your food and then decide to go next door to the tavern.
Soon the Wilsons plan to build a patio next to the food cart to protect customers from the rain which will definitely be appreciated.
Thai MLK is open Tuesday—Saturday from 1—10 pm. Be sure to try this food cart soon and welcome Julie and Brandon to the neighborhood. From personal experience, the food is delicious and I highly recommend the Pad Thai. It is so flavorful and you can increase the spice with the additional chili peppers included on the side.
We are happy to have them in Eliot!
We reported in the summer issue that a new food cart pod had opened on N Williams and Hancock. At that time only a couple of carts were open and we were anxiously awaiting more carts and also the tap house to start serving. Well, that time has come. Each have different hours so check them out or give them a call. They are all listed in the Dining in Eliot list to the right. Check out their website for more information and menus at https://www.cartsidepdx.com/
The following carts have joined the pod:
The Cartside Tap House is also now open 7 days a week from 11:30 am —7:00 pm and serving up beer, cider and wine with 25 different beers and ciders on tap.
Check them all out- there’s lots of great food and drink to enjoy!
By Mike Warwick
Susan and I were thrilled when our friends and neighbors opened the Gold Rush coffee shop as it was on our regular morning dog-walking route. Sadly, it has closed. But we found a new walking route and replacement café; Caffe Destino, located on the corner of NE Fremont and 14th. For dog owners, it is a short walk from the playground at Irvington School and a shorter walk from Irving Park. Whole Foods is on the adjacent block if you need some groceries as is the Irvington Library if you need to select or return library items (or drop off ballots).
Caffe Destino is family owned and operated. Holly Higdon became the owner recently after working the counter for over six years. You will find her at the counter most days. Her partner, Elias Herrera, works in the back making wonderful homemade pastries daily as well as hot and cold breakfast items and sandwiches, soups, and pies giving the place the family-friendly feel of a neighborhood cafe. Everything is made fresh daily. The biscuits and breakfast cookies are my favorite treats on our walks.
Caffe Destino is open at 5:30 am on weekdays and at 7 am on weekends. Hot food is available after 7, maybe earlier if it isn’t too busy. And, there is pie! They take phone orders at (503) 284-9455 and have a Facebook page and free wifi, which seem popular among some of the morning crowd. They have a loyalty program for regular coffee drinkers. They close at 4:00 pm.
Caffe Destino
1339 NE Fremont St
503-284-9455
With the shut down of most businesses we wanted to make sure that Eliot residents knew which businesses are still open for business and specifically take out for meal options, coffee shops to keep you caffeinated and more importantly to show these businesses appreciation for keeping us fed and that we want to keep them viable during these tough times. Below is a list of open businesses which will get updated as needed:
Eliot Neighborhood 