Andi Prewitt

Thanksgiving Wine Country Tastings Are Canceled This Year, but Wineries Are Getting Creative to Lure Customers

On Nov. 28 and 29, Abbey Road Farm is turning its property into a drive- or walk-thru zoo of sorts. The Carlton-based business is already home to a menagerie of animals: donkeys, goats, sheep, pigs, peacocks and 40 chickens all named Betty. Anyone who visits the winery or stays overnight in its repurposed silo suites can wander the property can wander around the pens and pastures, but this is the first time Abbey Road has organized a route for self-guided tours.

Multnomah Falls Will Be Closed to the Public This Thanksgiving

If your typical Thanksgiving plans include a trip to Multnomah Falls to appreciate the beauty of our state before dinner, consider one more holiday tradition scrapped this year due to the pandemic. The Columbia River Gorge Forest Service announced on its social media platforms that due to COVID-19 safety considerations and reduced staffing, the entire recreation site will be closed on Nov. 26. That includes the historic lodge, the viewing plaza and the trails.

Federal Judge Rejects Oregon Restaurants’ Bid to Halt the “Freeze” on In-Person Dining

A federal judge today rejected a challenge by the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association to Gov. Kate Brown’s statewide restrictions on indoor and outdoor dining. Last week, the industry lobbying group joined the Restaurant Law Center in asking the U.S. District Court for an injunction that would halt the two-week shutdown. ORLA had said taking legal action was necessary in order to help save its members, which included some 10,000 food and beverage operators prior to the pandemic.

Poke Mon Will Not Renew Its Lease Following Nearly a Year of Slow Business Due to the Pandemic

Poke Mon, the restaurant that led Portland’s poke craze when it opened in 2016, will serve its last bowls of ahi and albacore this week. The business on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard is scheduled to close after one final takeout dinner service on Nov. 25. Eater reported that executive chef Steven Woerdehoff said the lease on the space was up and ownership opted not to renew. The pandemic also caused a drop in business during the past eight months.

Already-Struggling Restaurant Owners Are Now Facing an Added Challenge: Break-Ins and Thefts

Restaurant owners are already struggling to make it through the most recent multi-week “freeze” meant to help quell the spread of COVID-19. But now some find themselves dealing with an additional challenge: break-ins and thefts. The most recent business to fall victim is Flying Fish. Sometime between closing on Saturday, Nov. 21 and opening this morning, Nov. 22, the locks securing heaters used on the patio were cut. Now all six are gone.

The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Sues to Halt the Two-Week “Freeze” on In-Person Dining

Today, the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association joined the Restaurant Law Center in asking the U.S. District Court for an injunction that would halt Gov. Kate Brown’s two-week shutdown of indoor and outdoor food service. The not-for-profit organization says taking legal action is necessary in order to help save its members across the state, which include some 10,000 food and beverage establishments and about 2,000 hotels and resorts—although those numbers have now declined due to COVID-19-caused permanent closures.

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