One of Portland’s Finest Wine Bar Restaurants Will Close Indefinitely

As the COVID-19 outbreak in Oregon continues to impact the local restaurant market, stories are popping up across the city, from food cart owners giving away free meals to chefs starting Instagram cooking classes. In this new version of AM Intel, we dive into different ways the state’s food service industry has been responding to the global pandemic. For more COVID-19 stories, check out our larger story stream.

Au Revoir, Oui

Oui Wine Bar, the restaurant within the winery incubator Southeast Wine Collective, will go on indefinite hiatus Sept. 12. The restaurant reopened to onsite diners in June, but with wine production beginning in the winery space and the winter months around the corner, co-owner Thomas Monroe says it’s “not only irresponsible, but impossible” to continue operations with solely indoor dining. The team will run private tastings in the wine bar space, and the restaurant’s celebrated chef, Althea Grey Potter, will focus on a salad dressing company, Dress Up Salads. “Plans for restaurant service beyond the harvest period are undetermined at this time and will greatly be influenced by the state of the COVID-19 pandemic,” a press release reads.

Carne Closure

Carne, the Latin American jazz bar and grill on Broadway, has closed in its current location indefinitely. However, owner Tod Breslau plans to reopen the restaurant in a new space down the line. “Since Carne is not really about take out, and more about experience, I will need true in-dining dining to make it work, and room for music,” Breslau says in an email.

State of Emergency

Gov. Kate Brown has extended the state of emergency for another 60 days, heading into Labor Day weekend and the fall. “We can work together to stay safe and put Oregon on the path to return more students to classrooms. Or, we could see Labor Day celebrations unknowingly sow the seeds of COVID-19 outbreaks that could set us back for months,” Brown says in a statement. “Until there is an effective vaccine for COVID-19, this disease can spread like wildfire if we let our guard down.”