Cafe Nell Does Charcuterie, Cafe Cubano Caribe Closes

NORTHWEST: Cafe Nell's ever-so-cute chef Andrew Garrett (pictured right at last summer's Cafe Nell Clambake), is taking the idea of charcuterie—a Frenchie word that literally translates to “cooked flesh” and usually refers to pork products—for a spin under the sea. Chef Andy's brand new Seafood Charcuterie Plate features bite-sized bits of smoked halibut, pickled Monterey Bay sardines, house cured salmon, Idaho trout roe (and, hey, how did this get in here?) pickled egg. Word from Eater spies is that it kicks (b)ass.

NORTH PORTLAND: Cafe Cubano Caribe is no longer. Although their Facebook status here says that CCC was looking forward to another great year on North Lombard, locals said the casual Cuban restaurant—which opened in late 2008 and replaced the much missed New Mexican-flavored Encanto—had some “issues” with the landlord and left the premises sometime in mid-January. Word on the street is that Caribe’s General Manager Don Morse is looking for a new place in the neighborhood to hang Caribe's colorful, but now-gone, sign.

PIONEER SQUARE: Portland Farmers Market will be opening up a Monday market in downtown's Pioneer Square, starting June 21st of this year. It should be more than enough to make up for the not-success of PFM's other experiment, the Pearl District Ecotrust Market, which ended in November of last year.