Portland Restaurant Community Comes Through for Chef Kelly Myers

Good morning, Portland! It’s a new week, Mother’s Day is this weekend, and today’s news seems to be only good news (so far). Let’s break it down:

OK GULP — The restaurant to fill Cafe Castagna’s impending hole in Ladd’s Addition now has a name, the Oregonian reports. OK Omens, owned by the same team behind the cafe and its sophisticated older sister Castagna, will serve a wide selection of natural wines and a menu designed by the Castagna chef himself. Bad news for the butter salad and burger lovers -- neither will hit the new menu. [The O]

SHE PERSISTED — Beloved Portland chef Kelly Myers (Xico) is even more beloved than we thought. As Portland caught wind of the news of her stroke, restaurants across town have started fundraisers for her recovery. The list includes Ox, Bistro Agnes, Stella Taco, Kachka, Wares, St. Jack, Fireside, and Tusk, and according to Xico owner Elizabeth Davis, there are even more planned. Chalino and Nostrana also sent the restaurant a few cooks to fill in as she recovers. [EPDX]

DUDE, WHERE’S MY KEN? — On Friday, Pok Pok sent out the bat signal looking for its food truck, affectionally nicknamed Ken. Around 4 a.m., Ken was stolen and eventually found in North Portland. “Jeff and Brittney McChristy Shanes from Reaction Modeling sent in a hot tip that they saw Ken parked in N Portland,” says the post on the Thai restaurant’s twitter. “Ken is a bit trashed, and some items are missing, but it could be much worse.” For those wondering, Ken is short for “Roht Ken,” which is Thai for “cart.” [EPDX]

HERE ARE THE BEARDS — Tonight is food’s biggest night, the James Beard Foundation Awards, held this year at 4 p.m. PST in Chicago. This year, there are two main categories Portlanders will want to pay attention to: Outstanding Bar Program, for which buzzy downtown bar Clyde Common nabbed a nomination, and, of course, Best Chef: Northwest (Eater PDX endorsed Kachka’s Bonnie Morales for the category). Learn more about the breakdown of Oregon nominees here, and if you’re really invested, you can watch a full live stream of the event here. [Eater, EPDX]