Future Drinking: Huffman and Bunk Opening Tex-Mex Joint at Wonder Ballroom

And more new places to eat and drink in Portland

By RUTH BROWN

Our weekly-ish look into the future of Portland's food and beverage scene via OLCC liquor license applications:


As previously reported elsewhere, the the crew behind Bunk Sandwiches are opening a Tex-Mex joint underneath the Wonder Ballroom called Trigger. Not reported: Chefstable mogul Kurt Huffman is a 25 percent owner, and is listed as the "managing member." Prediction: eventually this entire city will be 50 percent McMenamin, 50 percent Huffman. Anyway, the license says it plans to be open until 2 am, seven days a week.

Popular pie purveyor Lauretta Jean's is taking over one half of Pix Patisserie's former two spaces at 3402 SE Division St. The other Pix, at 3901 N Williams, will become Kenny & Zuke's Deli Bar, which will be both a bagel shop and a bar. 


Captured By Porches has applied for a brewpub license at 7316 N Lombard St. in St. Johns, where it currently operates its beer bus on weekends. 

The La Catrina at 1235 SW Jefferson St. (though you may remember it better as an Ole! Ole!) appears to be no more: Cory Eckberg and former PSU student John Ozimkowski have applied to open a bar in the space called Gnarly Grey.

Western Bike Works at 1015 NW 17th Ave. already has an in-house cafe, and has now applied for a license to serve beer and wine.

Stingray Cafe, the cafe at the Leftbank Building (22 SE 28th Ave.) owned by the same gent as the Black Cat Cafe, has applied for a full liquor license.

Sellwood Pizza Kitchen at 8000 SE 13th is becoming OPA Pizzeria.

Chopsticks at 3616 SE Hawthorne Blvd. is out and Samui Thai Kitchen is in. Unlike the real Koh Samui, hopefully it will be free from drunken, shirtless Australian backpackers.

The magnificently named Boris Americo Borrayo is opening Paraiso Botanero & Night Club where Mexican and Salvadoran restaurant El Noa Noa is/was at 12437 SE Division. The license promises DJs, live music, karaoke and video lottery. 

The Bullseye Pub is opening at 4835 SW Pomona St. by Tara Middleton, who also appears to be a co-owner of the Bounty Hunter Saloon in Tigard.

Sex club Angels at 3533 SE 39th Ave. is either closing or moving—Alexis J. Bowlds has applied to open a restaurant called The Velvet Rope at the location.

Art space YU Contemporary (aka Yale Union) has applied for a full liquor license. Wait, why would you go to an art show if the if the wine wasn't free?

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