The Developer of the Ritz-Carlton Is Opening a Food Hall to Make up for the Carts it Displaced

The Ritz-Carlton Downtown Will House a Nine-Vendor Food Hall on Its Ground Floor

BPM Real Estate Group, the team behind the Ritz-Carlton downtown that displaced the longstanding Alder Street Food Carts, is turning its ground floor into a food hall. The hall is meant to include a wide swath of food and beverage vendors, ranging from local distillers and beer brewers to coffee roasters and restaurants. The hotel, which will also include condominiums and office space, should be completed by April 2023; it’s unclear which specific vendors will move into the 8,226-square-foot food hall. [O]

Cart Blocks, the Food Cart Pod Meant to Serve as a New Home for the Alder Street Carts, Will Open Saturday

After more than two years of work, the food cart pod meant to serve as the new home for many of the former Alder Street Food Carts will finally open in Ankeny Square on the North Park Blocks July 24. Friends of the Green Loop, the group working to develop a six-mile park that encircles central Portland, has been the main champion of this pod, fundraising for the project and eventually nabbing $269,000 from the city budget in May to expedite the project. The cart pod will open with a number of carts, including notable spots like shengjianbao spot Shanghai’s Best, Baghdad Iraqi Grill, and Fernando’s Alegria. See the full list of carts here. [O]

In Other News...

• The ever-changing restaurant space owned by Top Chef alum BJ Smith — the one that was once Delores, Smokehouse Tavern, and Dirty Habit — is now home to yet another restaurant. Co-owner Brian Han is opening Grace Cafe in that space, blending Middle Eastern, Northern African, Japanese, and Korean flavors in vegetarian bowls, with add-on options like Sichuan-spiced pork belly. [PoMo]
• Willamette Valley Vineyards is opening some restaurants in the greater Portland area. [WWeek]
• Sushi Love, the vegan sushi cart and Oregon City restaurant, is closing its brick-and-mortar location. The good news: The cart will still operate daily. [EaterWire]