Scoop 6/22/11: Gossip Should Have No Friends

1. PIE DREAMS: The pizza prospects for Portland’s west side are looking up: The old Rocco’s building on West Burnside Street and 10th Avenue is being transformed into the second outpost of eastside late-night slice joint Sizzle Pie; Nostrana’s Cathy Whims and Aviation Gin founder Ryan Magarian are teaming up for a new pizza and cocktail restaurant called Oven & Shaker in the Pearl; and the local outpost of Seattle’s Via Tribunali is slated finally to open its doors at Southwest 2nd Avenue and Ankeny Street sometime in July.

1. CHEF SHUFFLE: Former Genoa chef Alex Bourgidu is taking over the kitchen at Pearl District wine bar Vino Paradiso, which will be renamed and transformed into a more food-centered business, focusing on the cuisine of Piedmont. Vino Paradiso’s departing chef, Paul Losh, will be moving to Northeast Killingsworth Street’s D.O.C., replacing chef Timothy Wastell, who is moving to Firehouse in Woodlawn.

1. JOHN GRADE’S FOLDCredits: John GradeALL THE RIGHT FOLDS: Seattle-based sculptor and conceptual artist John Grade took home the $10,000 Arlene Schnitzer Prize at the opening ceremonies for Portland Art Museum’s second Contemporary Northwest Art Awards. PAM executive director Brian Ferriso announced the award to a packed house in the museum’s sunken ballroom Saturday, June 18. Grade, one of seven artists featured in the CNWAA exhibition, made a strong showing with his innovative sculptures, which draw on the 1960s-’70s tradition of Land Art. In particular, his massive sculpture Fold commands space with biomorphic curves broken into myriad hollow wooden boxes. The exhibition, showing at the art museum through Sept. 11, is curated by PAM’s curator of Northwest art, Bonnie Laing-Malcolmson.

1. GRüNER GROWS: Nuevo Alpine restaurant Grüner is opening an adjoining bar—welcome news to anyone who has tried to snag one of the scarce seats at the West End eatery’s current bar. Named Kask, the new bar will focus on local, artisan spirits, beer, wine, cheese and charcuterie, and will feature bartender Tommy Klus (formerly of Teardrop, Bluehour and St. Jack) behind the stick. It’s slated to open Friday, June 24.

1. THE SHOW MUST NOT GO ON: The Mount Tabor Theater closed unexpectedly last week, forcing the music venue to relocate and reschedule two shows, as financial disputes between the building’s owner and club management intensified, sources said. Current management could not be reached for comment, but building owner Philip Ragaway said he was confident the venue would reopen under temporary management in a matter of weeks and carry out the bulk of its remaining show schedule before finding new management. “The Tabor has had a lot of fisherman pilots,” Ragaway added. “I need Capt. Stubing from The Love Boat.”

WWeek 2015