Sixteen new businesses opened in Portland neighborhoods last month, and our list runs the gamut. Read on to discover the newest local shops, spas and salons, bagels, microbrews, barbecue and more.
Northwest
The Art Cubby
Northwest District
The Art Cubby is a drop-in childcare service that doubles as a kids’ art studio. During the week there are morning and afternoon open art sessions open to kiddos age 2 and up. Sessions cost $14.75 per hour for up to 3 hours per day. Parents can join in for “Baby and Me” art sessions for $21.75. On the weekends, space is available for private parties, with kid-friendly performances, plus lectures and demonstrations for parents.
The Art Cubby, 1500 NW 18th Ave. #115, 503.446.1237
Benjamin BlaK
Northwest District
The men’s undies designed by Benjamin BlaK’s creator, Benjamin Sims, are remarkable. The designs are not meant to be kept under wraps—they’re inspired by vodka, safaris, rugby, and boxing, and some even have sleek cargo pockets. Lucky for Portland, a Benjamin BlaK factory and boutique opened here this month. It’s a spinoff from BlaK’s Pulse Underwear Inc. downtown boutique. All of the undies are made in-house, meaning new designs hit the sales floor daily.
Benjamin BlaK, 2323 NW Westover Rd., 503.248.4148
Love Via Crepes
Northwest District
Love Via Crepes serves up Japanese-style crepes wrapped in a cone shape and filled with ice cream, fruit, whipped cream and toppings such as Nutella and Oreo cookies. Savory crepe options include ham and cheese, ham and eggs, tuna salad and chicken teriyaki. Their crepes and waffles are so beautifully arranged that you’ll probably want to snap a photo of yours before you bury your face in it.
Love Via Crepes, 1019 NW 23rd Ave., 503.688.5570
Southwest
Fresh Pot
Downtown
This shop’s third location popped up to replace Coffee Plant, stretching the company’s presence downtown from its current shops on Hawthorne and Mississippi. The shop serves Stumptown coffee and espresso. Fresh Pot staffers have won the Northwest Regional Barista competitions, and the Mississippi location was included in the movie “Feast of Love” with Morgan Freeman—all of which tells me that Fresh Pot knows how to make a mean cup of espresso in beautiful surroundings.
Fresh Pot, 724 SW Washington Ave., 503.780.4504
Northeast
Bang Rak ***CLOSED***
Boise
Bang Rak specializes in spicy Thai noodles, curries and cocktails. The full bar serves Thai whisky and iced tea vodka, while the kitchen provides Thai fusion food including favorites such as avocado salad, mango and pumpkin curries.
Bang Rak, 4057 N Mississippi Ave., 503.493.3888
Classic Foods
Woodlawn
This Portland-based artisan specialty foods manufacturer and distributor has moved its headquarters to Woodlawn. The company’s green renovations to the 45,000-square-foot, 1930s-era building, which is more than double the size of their previous space in Kerns, are up for LEED platinum certification. From its new home, Classic Foods plans to expand product lines and production capacity of the company’s specialty pastas, artisan cheeses, Italian meats, and Indian and Thai sauces. Also in the works are a retail store, an exhibition kitchen and a biodiesel distillery.
Classic Foods, 817 NE Madrona St., 503.234.9387
Divine Yogurt
Boise
After serving up fro-yo in Happy Valley and Wilsonville, Divine Yogurt is now open in Boise, and has a Bethany Village shop in the works. The YoCream-based menu includes Butter Brickle, Eggnog, Georgia Peach and Rootbeer Float and Snickerdoodle with toppings such as fruit, syrups, honey, agave, cereal and chopped candy bars, all served up in biodegradable cups. The shop donates a portion of its monthly proceeds to a nonprofit, and hosts private parties, too.
Divine Yogurt, 3928 N Mississippi Ave., 503.384.2267
Kettleman Bagels and Bakery*
Sullivan’s Gulch
Since Kettleman was founded just five years ago, the Portland company has opened four locations. The newest shop is spacious, yet warm, and offers the standard Kettleman menu of 15 bagel varieties with cream cheeses, Oregon lox, hummus, eggs, bacon and vegetarian sausage for breakfast, or hot and cold sandwiches with Boar’s Head meats, smoked salmon and veggies. Also on the menu: potato, chicken and tuna salads; Stumptown espresso; smoothies; and Italian sodas.
Kettleman Bagels and Bakery, 2200 NE Broadway, 503.894.8808
Nashwa: Children’s Shoes and Accessories
Irvington
Just as Irvington parents began mourning the loss of Good Night Room (the children’s clothing and gift shop that moved in with its sister shop at Bridgeport Village this winter), Nashwa has landed in the neighborhood to fill a similar niche. Nashwa’s space is considerably smaller than Good Night Room’s, but its merchandise is carefully chosen. The emphasis at Nashwa is on shoes, but the shop also carries clothing and accessories including raincoats, backpacks, umbrellas and sunglasses for infants as well as kiddos up to size 6.
Nashwa, 1719 NE 16th Ave., 503.360.1466
Oregon Natural Medicine
Hollywood
This holistic clinic offers free 15-minute consultations, emphasis on affordability, and the willingness to work with conventional medicines as needed. With two naturopaths on staff, the clinic provides individualized care plans that cover nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, manual therapy and on-site thermography (radiation-free!) for early detection of breast cancer and other diseases.
Oregon Natural Medicine, 1724 NE 42nd Ave., 503.946.8700
Podnah’s Pit Barbecue
Vernon
Podnah’s recently moved from Northeast Prescott, and its new space is considerably larger with wide windows and plenty of family-sized tables. The slow-smoked, Texas-style barbecue at Podnah’s comes from an oak hardwood fire and has received national attention from the likes of Bon Appetit magazine. You can’t really go wrong with anything on the menu, but some of your best bets are probably Frito chili pie or half a chicken with cornbread for lunch, or brisket or lamb spareribs at dinner time. Breakfast options will return to the menu in the near future.
Podnah's Pit Barbecue, 1625 NE Killingsworth St., 503.281.3700
Polliwog
Kerns
Spa La La’s absence would be sorely missed in this neighborhood if it weren’t for this vibrant replacement. The children’s toy, clothing and gift shop, which was previously in Southeast, reopened in late January. The shop is packed with onesies, wooden toys, cloth baby slings and locally made gifts.
Polliwog, 234 NE 28th Ave., 503.236.3903
Portland’s Culinary Workshop
Eliot
Susana Holloway and Melinda Casady opened Portland’s Culinary Workshop to educate aspiring foodies on the potential within their own kitchens. Their class offerings including Turducken, nutrition, pasta from scratch, Cooking for Fido and Felix, Couples Cooking, Baconcentric, Principles of Cooking, ethical grocery shopping, vegan cooking, raw foods, and various ethnic cuisines. Classes are available to all skill levels for $25-$65. Holloway and Casady even offer corporate team-building workshops. Registration for all classes is available through the workshop’s website.
Portland's Culinary Workshop, 807 Russell St., 503.512.0447
Southeast
Holiday Hair Studio
Kerns
Owner and stylist Robin Carlisle is part of a small, but growing, group of Portland entrepreneurs operating out of revamped buses and trailers who have been featured on this site as well as National Public Radio and local print publications. Nestled in a 1964 travel trailer, Holiday Hair Studio is a one-chair salon on the move, though its home is technically in Kerns. Carlisle offers hair and make-up services, plus the chance to say that you got your hair done in a fancy trailer.
Holiday Hair Studio, 116 SE 28th Ave., 503.416.9115
Mirakutei
Buckman
Mirakutai specializes in Japanese-style tapas (think wild salmon tortillas), ramen and sushi. Local sushi fans praise its carpaccios, unagi maki, and fried sea scallops with pear sauce while the variety of ramen, duck spring rolls, chicken yakitori and wagyu beef provide comfort food Japanese style. Top it all off with sake, warm or cold, especially during happy hour between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Mirakutei, 536 E Burnside St., 503.467.7501
North
The Hop & Vine
Overlook
This classy-casual bar-gallery just added a bottleshop to its digs. So now, if you take leftover Hop and Vine butternut squash panninis, roasted lamb or chicken pot pie home in a box, you can still enjoy it with a drink. Recent events have included wine trivia for beginners, a beer release and meet-the-brewer night with MacTarnahan’s, Pappy’s and Natian Brewing.
The Hop & Vine, 1914 N Killingsworth St., 503.954.3322
*Kettleman Bagels and Bakery was sold to bagel giant Einstein Noah Restaurant Group.
The link for Bang Rak is broken.