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A Cocktail Competition Will Debut at Star Theater This Month

Plus, New Seasons will open a new location, and more news

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A cocktail gets spritzed with an orange peel.
ConCocktail will include bartenders from Raven’s Manor and Matador.
Maksym Fesenko/Shutterstock

ConCocktail, a new craft cocktail competition, will kick off at the Star Theater on July 11. Bartenders from Raven’s Manor, Matador, and Nick’s Famous Coney Island will compete in three increasingly difficult rounds presided by a panel of three judges, including special guest drag queen Saint Syndrome.

The brainchild of Star Theater bartender Xander Almeida and haunted history tour guide Natasha Cimmiyotti, the event was inspired by the pair’s love of cooking competition shows and drive to bring the local bartending industry together. The competition will be a monthly event, with a semifinalist contest slated for October. For the competition’s final round, contestants will be asked to incorporate a mystery bottle ingredient, and the winner will have their winning cocktail featured at Star Theater for the month. The overall winner will win a cash prize. Cocktails featuring products from the event’s sponsors — the Bitter Housewife, Bull in China, and Straightaway Cocktails — will be available for purchase. Buy tickets here.

Cafe Rowan Celebrates Its Second Anniversary with a Lineup of Local Chefs

Chef and owner Spencer Ivankoe will host “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a 14-course dinner featuring Chosen Family Wines, which was founded by former Trail Blazer Channing Frye, and a stacked lineup of Portland talent. Participating chefs include Luna Contreras of Chelo, Carlo Lamagna of Magna Kusina, Patrick McKee of Dame, Vince Nguyen of Berlu, and Colin Yoshimoto of Eem, among several others. Seats are $250 and inclusive of dinner, wine, and a welcome drink. All proceeds will go to a yet to be determined local charity. Reservations can be made by emailing info@caferowan.com.

New Seasons Market Will Open a Lake Oswego Location

The Portland-founded grocery chain will open its 19th store in Lake Oswego’s Palisades Marketplace on July 20. At nearly 28,000 square-feet, the location will feature “The Eatery,” a space that will serve stone-hearth pizza and have a soft serve station, plus a full-service Stumptown coffee bar. The store will be located at 1377 McVey Avenue.