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Form & Flavor pairs an ongoing art show with a nearby restaurant so readers can find full-sensory feasts around Portland.
Charlie Salas-Humara returns to Nationale (15 SE 22nd Ave., nationale.us) with Billboards, a collection of spunky, multicolored, and imaginatively abstract paintings on view through mid‑February. This new body of work brims with vibrant gestures and elusive, half‑legible text. In his artist statement, Salas‑Humara cites the worn surfaces of city life as a key influence—advertisements peeling from buildings, posters layered on telephone poles, and graffiti‑style marks scrawled across otherwise pristine walls. These references surface boldly throughout the exhibition: A tuliplike bloom draws focus among dribbles of paint in Coloquial. In Compliments Of, a canine figure with sharp teeth, a skull, and scattered cross shapes appear in unison while the words “cat” and “bat” are obstructed by dripping cerulean paint. Text appears across several works, often distorted beyond recognition, meant less to be read than to be felt. Throughout the exhibition, bursts of vivid color leap forward against expanses of calm, harmonious white, offering a striking and intentional contrast.
The soft cloudy whites and chromatic moments in Billboards pair nicely with any of the deliciously hued and ultracute sweet treats at Soro Soro Coffee & Dessert (2250 E Burnside St., 971-449-6577, sorosoropdx.com), Korean-owned and conveniently located down the street from Nationale. The Rainbow Cake ($8) features 6 ROYGBV layers. You’ll need to stop, take a deep breath and contemplate the array of tiramisu flavors, including black sesame ($9.95), matcha ($9.95), Earl Grey ($9.75), and cookie butter ($9.95). The iconic cheesecakes come in plain ($8.95) and chocolate ($9.50) varieties and are decorated with cat and bear faces that are almost too adorable to eat. The same goes for Soro Soro’s specialty drinks, which include the taro paired with black sesame and pandan cream, topped with crispy rice and Okinawan brown sugar ($7.50) and the iced yuzu coconut matcha ($7.50). A rotation of seasonal flavors comes and goes in the glass case—each one tempting enough to make you press your face closer, so be careful to not lick the glass.
