The Mind Behind Elephants Delicatessen Dies at 77

Elaine Tanzer, the woman who helped create Portland’s celebrated market chain Elephants Deli in 1979, died last week after a fall. Tanzer was known as a pioneer in the world of specialty markets, with house-made pastas and baguettes, as well as imported cheeses and wines. Some attribute Elephants — and, by extension, Tanzer — as the inciting force behind the local artisanal market movement, inspiring other grocers and businesses to start stocking high-end and house-made products. There are now eight Elephants locations across the Portland area. [O]

Portland Won’t See Clean Air Until Much Later This Week

Several Portland restaurants, bars, and food carts temporarily closed over the weekend in response to the city’s hazardous air quality, a product of the several wildfires burning across the state. According to the National Weather Service, the air may not improve significantly until later this week. Forecasts indicate that air may improve gradually over Tuesday and Wednesday, but Thursday or Friday will be the day the air quality index hits a sort-of-healthy level. Track Portland’s air quality on sites like this one. [O]

Taqueria Nueve Owner Responds to Claims of Sexual Misconduct

Another restaurant has come under fire during Portland’s summer of restaurant reckoning. Three former employees of the Mexican restaurant Taqueria Nueve spoke to Willamette Week, saying they experienced or witnessed owner Brent Richford sexually harass them, describing incidents in which Richford allegedly unfastened an employee’s bra in front of customers and grabbed an employee’s hair and forced her head down toward his chest and abdomen. Richford responded to the allegations in a written statement to the alt-weekly, writing, “I have lacked professional boundaries with my team. I was insensitive in ways I interacted with people in the moment.” [WWeek]

Oregon Begins Accepting Applications for Unemployment Bonuses

The unemployment bonuses related to the coronavirus pandemic have been stop-and-go for the last few weeks, but President Trump approved a retroactive weekly stimulus for which many Oregonians may be eligible. Anyone who has lost work due to the pandemic between the week ending August 1 through September 5 can receive an additional $300 per week. However, Oregonians not receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance will have to register for Lost Wages Assistance. [O]

Downtown Taproom Shutters Indefinitely

Many Portland-area businesses have announced “indefinite closures” related to the coronavirus pandemic, which owners has positioned as hopefully temporary (but no promises). Restaurants and bars on this list include Oui Wine Bar at Southeast Wine Collective, Renata, and now, Bailey’s Taproom, a downtown beer bar that opened ahead of the taphouse boom in 2007. Owner Geoff Phillips told Brewpublic that “COVID has wiped out a majority of our business,” saying “I’m sure there are some people that say they wouldn’t come downtown because of the protests, but they weren’t coming before the protests either.” [BP]