Project at 8629 N. Crawford St.
Cathedral Park neighbors have been closely following a new multi-lot development near the intersection of North Burlington and Salem avenues.

Three-story multifamily condominiums with two or three bedrooms each will be going in at 8629 N. Crawford St., according to Jerry Offer, a planner for Otak Architects. Offer referred additional questions to the Otak architect on the project, Sinan Gumusoglu, but Gumusoglu did not respond to The Sentinel’s request for details.

A total of three lots and 18,000 square feet of land at the location are listed as belonging to East Coast-based M&T Bank and Chesapeake Holdings West, LLC. There is as yet no name for the project.
Barbara Quinn, chair of the Friends of Cathedral Park Neighborhood Association, heard that Otak is simply designing the condos for the out-of-town owners. She hopes that Otak will answer neighbors’ concerns at the next association meeting. With permits still pending, she feels there’s time to make sure the designs fit with the neighborhood.

“I just try to do everything a little bit different,” says Ed Wiszowaty, owner of Eddie’s Pizza.   “Otherwise, what’s the point?”

When Ed first arrived on the Portland food scene in the early 1990s, he was following in his family’s footsteps.  Born of Chicago pizza restaurateurs, Ed introduced his own style of pie by way of a cart in Skidmore Market.

At first, he was unsatisfied.  The bottom crusts of his creations failed to achieve full crispiness in time with the melting mozzarella, leaving customers with a pile of soft cheese and dough.  But a stone oven — how pizza is typically made — is too heavy to lug around in a cart. 

A year ago, Mike Verbout, member of the North Portland Business Association, and Dr. Robin Anderson, dean of the Pamplin School of Business at the University of Portland, founded a roundtable discussion group aimed at helping North Portland’s small business community.

The group is comprised of Verbout and Anderson, Dr. Jon Down, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at UP, and ten NPBA member businesses, including North Portland Chiropractic, and Orleans Candle Company. In order to participate, business owners must commit to attending the meetings and regularly participating in all aspects of the roundtable.

Verbout described the roundtable meetings as a “pilot program” to help the businesses discuss issues they commonly confront, and hopefully brainstorm ideas as to how to abate those issues. “The whole agenda is driven by what the small-business people see as their issues, issues that might impede their survival,” Verbout said.

Let’s face it: Portland is a foodie city.  Even a good drunk desires a solid meal, no matter if the drop ceiling is falling in the dive around the corner.

Your bartender can be tattooed in all the wrong places with a voice like a broken combine, so long as those russet tots come fresh out of the fryer.  The steer that died for your burger ought to have lived a decent life, and a local cheddar should grace what’s between that made-fresh-this-morning bun.

Heads up to all you local cafes and resturants who would like a little extra outdoor sidewalk seating next year when the weather gets good.  Whether you are trying to create that 'Paris' effect, or simply want to increase your table volume it looks like that deadline for fee waivers for sidewalk seating has been extended to January 1. From city email.

City waives $150 fee for sidewalk cafes until Jan. 1. The Portland Bureau of Transportation sent a letter this week encouraging restaurant owners to apply for a sidewalk café permit before January 1 to save more than $150.

"The Transportation Bureau issues sidewalk café permits to help ensure that all users have safe, equitable access to the public sidewalk," said Rich Eisenhauer, program manager at PBOT. A Sidewalk Café permit allows, and is required for, a business to serve food and beverage to patrons seated at tables located within the public sidewalk area adjacent to the business.

This letter also notified business owners of recent changes to the permit program, including the new fee structure. The application fee is $150 plus $4.50 per linear foot of sidewalk café. The annual permit fee is $75 plus $1.50 per linear foot of sidewalk café. The application fee will be waived if café owners apply before the January 1 cutoff, saving a minimum of $150 per business.

When do you expect to open? 
"About two months ago," said Steve Mason, the owner of Maui's at 3508 N. Williams Ave.  The bright green building is just north of the intersection of North Williams Avenue and Fremont Street. "We hope to be open any day now."

Inside there are two pool tables, a lot of hand tools, a bar ready to hold 15 beers on tap, and three Hawaiian-themed murals on the walls.  

"Maui is my dog," said Mason. Mason says he has been in Portland for the last three years, but he was in the bar business in Hawaii for 25 years. This year, he felt it was time to open his own place in Portland. The name and the look of the interior speaks more to Mason's personal past than to his vision for the business. "There's no tropical drinks or anything. It's just a neighborhood bar."

ADVERTISER UPDATE
The beef short rib is a tasty cut of bone-in meat.  Popular wherever cows are a prevalent food source, this fatty delicacy is especially good when slathered in teriyaki and hot sauce.

Located near the chuck, forward of the belly and south of the midline on the cow, the short rib, or 'flanken rib' as an old style butcher would say, refers to the last three little ribs and strip of meat on the animal.  The thin, Korean, or kalbi, cut is tender enough to be barbequed, and cooks fast. 

Kokiyo Teriyaki, at 8537 N Lombard St., is right in the heart of things, and chock full of meat.  Upon arrival, one cannot help but notice there is a border of cocks along the walls – that’s roosters to you – and the immediate smell of garlic and ginger.  Booths are filled with happy customers, some waiting for their take-out, others already enjoying a hot, simple dinner.  The interior is immaculately clean and neat, the tables covered in warm yellow clothes to match brightly painted walls. 

Byron Beck just did a cart spotting on N. Killingsworth. He's got a bead on it. There are 12 spaces available, indoor and outdoor seating, seperate metered power hook-ups and rents are available at $475 a month. For more information call 503-675-3925.. how do I know all this? Uh...[full disclosure] they ran an ad in this month's street edition.  

FROM BYRON BECK

The New NoPod: Just back from my morning run, and I noticed a new sign up at the corner of North Killingsworth Street and Greeley Avenue.
It said "Refuel Station North."
Now, I knew this space looks like it once held a service station (see above), but this sign indicated the would be filling up the locals here with a different type of "fuel."
yes, NoPo'ers it looks like we are getting a brand new food cart pod a la Southeast 12th Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard.
Located next to the very cool Sagittarius, already a couple a spots have appeared on the scene.

READ THE POSTING

Late this past July the St. Johns store of locally owned Videorama unveiled a plan to combat its main competitor, national home delivery and Internet rental giant Netflix.  As of late October, the St. Johns Videorama has more than 40 subscribers to their new monthly DVD rental plan that they’ve modeled after Netflix.

“The reason we decided to go into the subscription program is, we really felt like a lot of people were using Netflix, and Netflix does nothing for the local neighborhood,” says Videorama co-owner Terri Chadney. “For us to survive we felt like we needed to offer people options.”

By Noah Mendel

Multnomah County has almost 400 food carts with more opening almost daily. Some recently opened carts include Che Cafe at North Williams Avenue and Shaver Street; Mum’s Kitchen (Indian food) and Hava Java at North Fremont Street and Vancouver Avenue. But clusters, or “cart courts,” are relatively new on the city’s east side.

On North Mississippi Avenue, a recently opened food cart court offers gourmet pizza baked on a tortilla. Just up the road on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, a pioneering cart court has offered goods and services such as haircuts, a car wash, and embroidered denim jeans and Nike jackets for years.

Not long ago, cart courts could only be found catering to downtown office workers and the patrons of Saturday Market. But the popularity of the food court on lower Hawthorne Boulevard at Southeast 12th Avenue, which offers high-end food at affordable prices late into the evening, may have proven that there’s a larger market to be served.

ADVERTISER SPOTLIGHT 

by Cassandra Koslen

Natural light pools into the newest Cha! Cha! Cha!, streaming in through two skylights and wall-to-ceiling windows facing North Williams Street.  It bounces happily off warm painted walls. The effect is bright and inviting.  

Mexican decorations adorn the entranceway, bar and tables.  Multicolored candles and flowers in ceramic frogs adorn the dark-wood indoor seating.  Behind the bar is a wooden liquor cabinet, mostly tequila, well stocked with room to grow, that is blessed by a statue of Our Lady de Guadalupe.

FROM EMAIL

This year's Sept. 26-27 Polish Festival will expand northward to Krakow Cafe& Pub, as Krakow will offer live music on the Interstate and Shaver sidewalks between noon and 9 pm. Featured musicians will include Russian folk singer Natalie Hougin, jazz duo Barry Glick and Jim Putnam, folk singer Carley Baer and Dale Miller.
     -  This year's festival will include, for the first time, a Central/Eastern European breakfast "experience" at Krakow.
     -    For the post-festival, the Palms Motel and Krakow have come up with plan offering any North Portland resident, who steers their out-of-town visiting friends and family to stay at The Palms,  a 15% week-day and 10% weekend discount.
     

The discounts begin Oct. 1.  Please place reservations at least two weeks in advance. For more information, contact Dirgesh Patel, Info@PalmsMotel.com 

FROM EMAIL:
Grand Opening Celebration, September 21st-26th
St. Helens Book Shop

Including Family Fun Day & Author Events
What:                   St. Helens will be hosting a week of author signings
and book-related events to celebrate the move to a new, larger space and
expanded children's section. Each day will have a theme and include
discounts and raffles for prizes. The week will culminate in an all-day
Family Fun day on Saturday, September 26th.

PUBLISHER'S BLOG~ Cornelius Swart
ADVERTISER UPDATE

As we reported recently, the North Star on Interstate Avenue just opened up a new lounge downstairs, which is a cool spot to spend hot days.  This Thursday,  North Star is kicking off their upcoming beer and wine service with a free wine tasting event, titillatingly titled Pinot Envy...which, when coupled with this photo really gives this posting what I like to call...'emotional texure.'
From email:

"On Thursday, Aug 20th, the North Star Coffeehouse will present PINOT ENVYwine tasting, from 5pm to 9pm, in conjuction with the Kenton Art Walk.  We
will feature a  Pinot Noir by Hip Chiks Do Wine, a lovely local winery located in SE Portland, plus several other local favorites.  The tasting is
$5.00. Enjoy  by the sip or purchase a glass.  If you decide to purchase a bottle of your favorite, the tasting fee will be applied.(basically, the tasting would be complimentary). Also our featured artist this month is Jenn Finney, who has a  passion for printmaking.  She creates monotypes that are intriguinng and meditative. Join us in the Stellar Cellar, our COOL new digs.  See you there!" -7540 N Interstate Avenue
Portland, OR 97217, (503) 285-5800

ADVERTISER SPOTLIGHT~ Cornelius Swart
Grammy & Nonna’s Toys will celebrate its one-year anniversary this October. But last week the store opened in a brand new location right in the heart of downtown St. Johns.  The new location at the corner of North Burlington and Lombard streets is in the restored St. Johns Hardware building.  Most recently the building housed Weir’s Cyclery, which moved to its current location at 8247 N Lombard St. over two years ago.  The space has sat empty since then.

Tongues have been wagging downtown about both Grammy & Nonna’s and the fact that the highly visible retail spot is finally occupied.  Owners Lanette Hadley and Larraine Petrone moved from a space in University Place/Park at 4940 N Lombard St.  They now have 200 sq. ft. more space and two huge display windows to showcase their enviro-friendly “battery-free” toys.

“We call that one ‘Grandma’s room,'” said Lanette Hadley on Wednesday, August 12. She pointed to the large showcase window that contained a rocking chair, a tiny faux wood stove and a real black Labrador named Jake.  “We’ll have all our seasonal displays in there.”

BUSINESS PROFILE by William Crawford

While Queen of Sheba owner Alem Gebrehiwot says he wouldn’t necessarily call his twin gastronomic ventures an empire yet, his newest restaurant, Afrique Bistro, features a sampling of culinary styles from all corners of the African continent.
Gebrehiwot admits that particular African cuisines are well represented in Portland, especially Ethiopian, found at his own Queen of Sheba restaurant, which he opened in 1992, but he wanted to highlight the flavors of the continent’s other cuisines and bring the experience to the Rose City.
And that’s what he says Afrique Bistro has done since it opened its doors on July 9.
“We cover the whole continent. I think it will be a good addition to Portland dining,” he said. “We have exotic and exciting food.”
Gebrehiwot says there will be a mix between each region of the continent to offer a sampling of African cuisine in a generalized way. “It is a pan-African restaurant,” he explained. “We have dishes from the north, west, east and south.”

ADVERTISER SPOTLIGHT

~ Cornelius Swart
Early this month Kenton's North Star Coffee House at N. Interstate and N. Russet opened up a new  lounge section. The space, called the Stellar Cellar, was formerly Stella's Hair Salon, features birght colors, a comfy array of sofas, and a welcome relief from the heat.

"It's cool down here in the summer," says PSU student and North Portland resident Russ Ramowski. Ramowski was studying in the lounge with classmate Erica Moore last week.  "Erika comes all the way from Lake Oswego to hang out here."

"Yeah, it sucks in Lake Oswego," says Moore. "There's only Starbucks. There's no parking down by campus so we come out here."