Sugarpine Drive-In Opens a Food Truck

Sugarpine Drive-In, on the banks of the Sandy River in Troutdale, has brought long lines every summer for its pulled pork sandwiches and soft serve ice cream. This week, the restaurant expanded its operations and added a food truck to the lot. The cart will operate as a rotating pop-up of sorts, with team members bringing different concepts under different names. For the opening menu, the cart is called Da Pine Grinds and will feature Hawaiian cooking from Sugarpine’s grill master, Darrin Domingo; the opening menu includes poke bowls and lunch plates with options like Kalua pork, beef short rib, and char siu cauliflower, along with rice and mac salad. The cart will be open from Tuesdays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Additionally, Sugarpine is working on another project, this one a roadhouse restaurant opening in summer of 2022 in the old Shirley’s Tippy Canoe space on the Historic Columbia River Highway.

Restaurants Rally to Support Portland Garment Factory

Portland Garment Factory, a woman-owned, zero-waste textile company and design studio, was damaged earlier this week by a massive fire investigators are now saying was arson. While not food news, PGF is a beloved part of the community and restaurants in Montavilla, including Hungry Heart, Blank Slate, Bipartisan Cafe, and Threshold Beer, are donating a portion of their proceeds this week to a fundraiser to restore the business.

Chef Karl Holl Launches Forager Goods and Company

Chef Karl Holl—formerly of Park Avenue Fine Wines and his own catering company Spätzle & Speck—has founded an outdoor lifestyle brand called Forager Goods and Company. The shop includes outerwear and equipment for foraging in the Pacific Northwest, as well as some sundries in collaboration with local producers like Steven Smith Teamaker and Woodblock Chocolate.

Cocktail Bars Return

Two of the city’s most foundational cocktail bars—Teardrop Lounge and Rum Club—reopened this week. While they both had previously re-opened for a brief time (Teardrop even brought in a medical consultant to implement precautions) they each re-closed. It’s looking like this time they’ll be open for good, barring any dramatic upticks in COVID-19 cases. Knock on wood.

In Other News

• Killer Burger is opening its fifth Portland location. The new spot will be in Slabtown on NW 23rd. [Willamette Week]
• Top Chef Portland is still going strong. The most recent episode featured some Oregon countryside views. [the Oregonian]