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The restaurants that open in 2019 will fulfill promises and voids: Long-awaited arrivals like Yonder and Magna will finally open doors, serving fried chicken and lumpia, respectively. Patisseries from celebrated out-of-towners will turn on the mixers and break in the baking sheets. Beloved pop-ups and closed carts will find new homes everywhere from N Williams to SE Clinton. It’ll be a big year for Indonesian food and pastry, as well as high-profile chefs and their latest fixations. Below, find 11 of the most anticipated restaurants of 2019, including a few notable mentions sprinkled among the details. Expect some overlap from previous lists; good things come to those who wait.
Erizo
The tasting menu restaurant from the folks behind Bar Casa Vale will set a new bar for sourcing through the already ultra-conscious Portland. In a 20-course meal, dinners will feature bycatch seafood like wolf eel and Oregon octopus, invasive purple sea urchin, foraged seaweeds and snails, and a retired dairy cow ribeye, all served in a tiny L-shaped dining room.
Key players: Jacob Harth (Bar Casa Vale), Nick Van Eck (St. Jack), Nate Tilden (Olympia Provisions), and pastry by Lauren Breneman (Coquine)
Anticipated opening date: February 1
Read more: Look Inside the Ridiculously Sustainable Seafood Restaurant from Bar Casa Vale [EPDX]
Communion Bakehouse
This is a good year for bakeries and treats: Beyond the already-open Anchor End Hungarian bakery and big-deal chocolatier opening a patisserie on N Williams, this Westmoreland bakery, from two San Francisco pastry vets, will be a big get for the neighborhood. Expected plates include Finnish smoked fish and rye, bacon palmiers, and breakfast sandwiches with house bacon and sausage.
Key players: Katharine Zacher (Bar Tartine) and Ryan Ostler (Jook Joint)
Anticipated opening date: February 1
Read more: A Bar Tartine Alum Is Opening a Cafe in Westmoreland [EPDX]
Wonderly
Kate and Alex Wood should replicate the success they’ve had with Aalto Lounge at this new cocktail bar with simple-but-pleasing comfort food. In a town that loves its stiff drinks, Wonderly will be the only dedicated cocktail bar in the sleepy Beaumont neighborhood, especially after the closing of Perlot.
Key players: Kate and Alex Wood (Aalto Lounge and Bang Bang) and Andrew Moore (Aalto Lounge)
Anticipated opening date: Late January
Read more: The Team Behind Aalto Lounge is Opening a Cocktail Bar on Fremont [EPDX]
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Eem
Two of Portland’s top chefs, Earl Ninsom of the famed Langbaan and Matt Vicedomini of the beloved Matt’s BBQ, will be a powerhouse duo with Thai-spiced barbecue, rice bowls, and stir fries. Add Shipwreck founder Eric Nelson’s tropical cocktail and playful non-alcoholic cocktails, and Eem will sure to be a busy, buzzy destination.
Key players: Earl Ninsom (Langbaan and Paadee), Matt Vicedomini (Matt’s BBQ), and Eric Nelson (Shipwreck)
Anticipated opening date: Early February
Read more: Portland is Getting a Thai Barbecue Cocktail Bar From Three Industry Luminaries [EPDX]
Scotch Lodge
Tommy Klus built the nationally renowned whiskey list at the Multnomah Whiskey Library before going on to open his own restaurant and cocktail lounge La Moule, and now he’s building a whiskey-soaked cocktail bar in the space once inhabited by Biwa. Klus will be joined by longtime partner Aaron Barnett, who will concoct some modern French bistro cuisine to pair with drinks.
Key players: Tommy Klus (La Moule) and Aaron Barnett (La Moule and St. Jack)
Anticipated opening date: Mid-February
Read more: A Portland Whiskey Maven Is Opening a Cocktail Bar in SE [EPDX]
Tasty N Daughters
Tasty and Sons is closed on NE Williams, but the restaurant’s pulling a phoenix in the building formerly home to The Woodsman Tavern. Guests shouldn’t expect much to change, with Tasty’s signature worldly tapas dishes and shared plates, though it will come with the addition of new pasta dishes and steaks cooked in Woodsman’s Josper ovens.
Key players: John Gorham, Mindy Cook, and the Toro Bravo Inc. team
Anticipated opening: mid-February
Read more: Brunch Essential Tasty n Sons Will Move to SE Division [EPDX]
Yonder
Dedicated Eater Portland readers are already familiar with Yonder, the restaurant from Portland’s quintessential Southern chef. Maya Lovelace’s restaurant will not only serve as the home base for her pop-up; the front of the restaurant will be a casual destination in its own right, with classics like hot chicken and fried catfish attracting droves.
Key players: Maya Lovelace (Mae)
Anticipated opening: February (hopefully)
Read more: The Menu for Maya Lovelace’s Incoming Restaurant Is Here [EPDX]
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Malka
The team behind the Carte Blanche food cart has been slowly but surely transforming a SE Division family home into an mystical restaurant, pulling design inspiration from Hayao Miyazaki and old-world palaces — think mosaics and thrifted fixtures. The menu will be just as eclectic, borrowing heavily from Southeast Asia.
Key players: Jessie Aron (Mae, Pok Pok), Colin McArthur
Anticipated opening: Spring 2019
Read more: Carte Blanche’s Ethereal Restaurant Will Open on SE Division [EPDX]
Magna
Magna has been in the making for years now, but the Filipino restaurant should finally open this spring: Chef-owner Carlo Lamagna found a new spot in the soon-to-be-vacated Noho’s on SE Clinton. Once it opens, the colorful restaurant will serve Lamagna’s signature take on Filipino home-cooking, from brunch to dinner.
Key players: Carlo LaMagna (Clyde Common)
Anticipated opening date: April or May
Read more: Long-Anticipated Filipino Restaurant Magna Will Open This Spring on SE Clinton [EPDX]
Gado Gado
This year, Portland will go from having no Indonesian full-service restaurants to having two. First comes Gado Gado, which has already developed a following for its pop-up with a staple of devotees. Gado Gado’s restaurant won’t exclusively peddle Indonesian dishes; instead, a menu of salads, snacks, and noodles will incorporate techniques and ingredients from several Asian countries and even Italy. Still, if the pop-up’s mind-boggling mie bakso (noodles with meatballs) and bubur ayam (Indonesian congee) hit the brunch menu, Portland’s in for a treat.
Key players: Mariah Pisha-Duffly, Thomas Pisha-Duffly (Barbara Lynch’s Sportello, The Honey Paw in Portland, Maine)
Anticipated opening date: April
Read more: Southeast Asian Pop-Up Gado Gado Will Open a Restaurant This Spring [EPDX]
Tsuta
Portland’s ramen scene has only improved in the last 10 years, but the opening of the city’s very own Tsuta — the Tokyo-based, Michelin-starred ramen shop — would be a significant game-changer. The ramen is known for its shoyu-dashi, lighter than the typical tonkotsu, as well as bowls infused with truffle oil. The opening team has been extremely tight-lipped with the details, but they have confirmed that the restaurant should open in 2019.
Key players: Michael Do
Anticipated opening: 2019
Read more: A Famous Tokyo Ramen Shop Is Coming to Portland [EPDX]