Associated Bar To Close; Holdfast Dining To Partly Take Its Space Over

Here’s a whole bunch of changes to digest: the Oregonian is reporting that Southeast bar Associated is set to close, with acclaimed reservations-only restaurant Holdfast Dining set to partly take over the space. The restaurant will be joined by pop-up bar Deadshot, which will become a permanent fixture in another part of the space.

This means Holdfast is going to be leaving its location at Fausse Piste winery, although it will remain there until the end of February. The restaurant will transpose much of its woody/stony look into the new location, but will make one change — chef-owners Will Preisch and Joel Stocks will allow diners to choose dining times, instead of requiring that all tables arrive and proceed through each course simultaneously.

Holdfast will take over the part of Associated currently used for films and games, while bartender Adam Robinson’s Deadshot will occupy the larger main bar section. The two will be separated by a wall and operate more or less independently. No longer a pop-up, Deadshot will be more or less open daily, and Robinson will also set up something of an experimental “cocktail lab” on site.

As for Associated, it’s the end of the road for the pizza-and-taco bar that took over from hip hop pizzeria P.R.E.A.M., after a year and a few months at the SE 11th location. One of the bar’s co-founders Nick Ford already left (amicably) at the beginning of January to set up a Lake Oswego pizzeria, leaving Liam Duffy and Lightning Bar Collective’s John Janulis as operators.

The Oregonian writes that Deadshot and Holdfast should open in late spring or early summer (that means Holdfast will be out of action for a few months) — Associated confirmed to Eater that it will close on Friday, March 2.

• Portland’s most stripped-down fine-dining restaurant finds new home [The Oregonian]
• Chef Nick Ford is Leaving Associated For Something New [EPDX]
• P.R.E.A.M. Chef Nicholas Ford Announces New Bar, Associated [EPDX]