Ecliptic Brewing Will Close Its Portland Taproom After Sale

Ecliptic Brewing, the cosmic-themed brewery from legendary Oregon brewer John Harris, will close its brewpub following the sale of the company. Great Frontier Holdings has purchased the brand, which will continue to be available in grocery stores and restaurants; Harris will also still be involved with beer development. However, the North Cook Street taproom and restaurant will shutter on November 18. “Our business has been really challenging the past two years,” Harris wrote in a Wednesday statement posted to social media. “We have encountered so many issues that other small businesses have faced: a pandemic, rising cost of goods, supply chain issues and the overall economic climate. It has gotten to the point where we are no longer able to continue operations.”

Before opening Ecliptic, Harris worked as a brewer at Deschutes and Full Sail, developing iconic beers like Deschutes’ Mirror Pond and Black Butte Porter. His brewery first opened in 2013, growing into one of the city’s more popular. “Thank you to all my staff, past and present, for ‘pouring space in everyone’s faces’ for the last ten years,” the statement reads. “And a super thanks to all of you who have supported Ecliptic Brewing by enjoying our beers out in the world, as well as with food in our restaurant.”

Matta Goes on Sabbatical

Just following its five-year anniversary, Việt Kiều cart-turned-pop-up Matta will go on an indefinite sabbatical while chef and owner Richard Le focuses on his mental health. Le and his former collaborator and spouse, Sophia Sanchez, separated in March, with Sanchez starting her own pandan doughnut pop up, Salvie Donuts. “On my end, I’ve taken on Matta as a whole,” Le writes in a statement. “It has been a lot navigating this beast of a brand... I recently fell into a depression and was carrying amounts of anxiety that have become out of hand and detrimental to my mental health. I’m good now, but there have been many changes not just in my professional life, but in my personal life as well.” The residency at Lil’ Dame will end December 13; read the full statement here.

Y’alla will begin serving brunch

It seems like breakfast is back in a major way, between new brunch service at bars and restaurants like the Houston Blacklight and the return of Fuller’s after its lengthy closure. The latest addition seems to be Yalla, the Sesame Collective restaurant in Multnomah Village. On November 18, the restaurant will begin serving dishes like shakshuka, khachapuri, and a Dutch baby with honey labneh, as well as an extensive selection of desserts. Brunch will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holiday weekends.

Chefstable CEO Kurt Huffman is moving to France

Kurt Huffman, the founder of expansive Portland restaurant group Chefstable (Ox, Lardo, Bluto’s), is moving back to France with his family in December. “ChefStable will continue to roll under the guidance of our amazing leadership team and secretely (sic) I think they are all excited to get me far away so I stop coming up with new ideas,” Huffman writes in a LinkedIn post.