The Space Once Home to Swoon-Worthy Simpatica Dining Hall Is Serving Brunch Once Again

The week is almost complete, and North and Northeast Portland are getting some love with fun coming attractions: Shuttered Punk dive The Know is going to be NE Portland’s first pinball cafe, and Kenton’s Cup & Saucer will be swapped for a hot brunch restaurant with acai bowls and Filipino fusion. But farther south, brunch continues to rain down across town, with a new spot opening in a familiar dining room and buzz building for a Chinese counter on SE Division. The latest:

FULL MOON RISING — After closing the dining hall in 2016, nationally lauded brunch spot Simpatica is back — sort of. La Luna Cafe, a daily brunch cafe, opened Wednesday in the spot’s former digs, the Oregonian first reported. The shiny, newly renovated cafe is churning out the original restaurant’s classics like The Logger, chicken-fried bison with country gravy. The spot does have a healthier twist, including some juices and breakfast salads — another step for Portland in the direction of LA. [The O]

MASTER CHEF — Everyone is raving about Master Kong, a homestyle Chinese restaurant that opened on SE Division in March. Samantha Bakall visited the restaurant for Portland Monthly, particularly taken with the wonton soup. Michael Russell of the O went back in April, when he also praised the restaurant’s jian bing, congee, and goubuli steamed buns. It’s certainly a better bet than Yong Kang Street, as Russell noted in his review. [PoMo, The O]

ROMAINE PAIN — Oregon has joined the ranks of states sickened with E. coli, after contaminated romaine from Yuma, Arizona spread across the United States. Now more than 170 confirmed cases span 32 states, with one confirmed death and 75 hospitalizations. Still, the CDC says it’s probably safe to eat romaine again, considering the time that’s passed since the Yuma farmers last harvested the contaminated lettuce. [CDC, The O]

UNION VICTORY — The Burgerville Workers Union continues to spread, after the Gladstone location of the Oregon farm-friendly fast food chain voted to unionize Sunday. That makes it the second location to unionize, after the Powell location made history as the first federally recognized fast food union. [The Merc]