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Put the Piggy Back in the Box
Portland, be on the alert: Nicolas Cage may be among us. Pig, a new film by Michael Sarnoski, stars Cage as a solitary Oregon truffle hunter who loses his pig while foraging in the woods and "must journey into Portland—and his long-abandoned past—to recover her." The film started production in Oregon on Monday, Variety reports. Fingers crossed that this turns out to be Cage's John Wick, only with a pig instead of a pit bull.
Read more: Nicolas Cage to Star in a Portland-Based Movie About a Mushroom Hunter Who Loses His Pig.
Junk out of the Trunk
Toody Cole, the legendary Portland punk bassist, has started a new business. Junkstore Cowboy opened in the basement of Mississippi Records in North Portland and sells various bric-à-brac—from quilts to dishes to kids' toys—that she and her late husband and Dead Moon bandmate, Fred Cole, accumulated throughout their 50 years together. Says Cole, "I'm a hoarder and collector like crazy, so I just want to share what I've got with the rest of the world."
Read more: Portland Punk Legend Toody Cole Has Opened a Store In the Basement of Mississippi Records.
Fire for Fall
Rising Portland rapper Maarquii has dropped the first single off their upcoming sophomore album, and it's another raw, take-no-prisoners heater. "Day Ones" pays tribute to Maarquii's most stalwart supporters and their own self-love over a formidable beat by frequent collaborator Jvnitor. The follow-up to last summer's C.A.B.O doesn't yet have a title or release date, but "Day Ones" is streaming on Spotify and SoundCloud.
Teenage Wasteland
There's something about Oregon that just screams teen angst. Following a string of Netflix projects set and shot in the state comes another coming-of-age story, this one an adaptation of Silver Linings Playbook author Matthew Quick's 2010 book, Sorta Like a Rock Star. The story, about a high school senior living on a school bus, will be Bryce Dallas Howard's directorial feature debut. Filming will take place in October and November—let's hope it fares better than Everything Sucks! and American Vandal.
Read mire: Matthew Quick's Novel "Sorta Like a Rockstar" is Filming in Portland, and Extras are Needed.
Water Water Everywhere…
On Sept. 18, almost 200 guests were evacuated from the McMenamins Edgefield hotel when water burst from a broken fire suppression pipe. The hotel has confirmed the cause of the damage: A guest jumped up and attempted to hang from the pipe, which ran across the ceiling of one of the hotel's hallways. The hotel is open for business, but a few rooms are closed for repairs.
…No, Really—Everywhere
Kachinka, the popular sister restaurant to Russian powerhouse Kachka, will be closed for the next two months due to water damage from recent rains. Owners Bonnie and Israel Morales blamed heavy Portland rainfall and "negligence on the part of the roofing contractor" for the damage. The couple, however, intends to bring some Kachinka fare to the lounge at Kachka as part of a late-night happy-hour menu, though no concrete plans have been made yet.
Read more: Kachka Spinoff Restaurant Kachinka Is Temporarily Closing Due to Rain Damage.
Zuke’s Suit
Kenny and Zuke's, the long-running sandwich shop whose Jewish deli fare has been a Portland favorite for more than a decade, is planning to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The move, wrote owner Ken Gordon in an email to investors, is "necessitated by the large amount of debt incurred over the years." A civil suit by food distributor Performance Food Group, alleging Kenny and Zuke's owes $184,494 in unpaid invoices, was the main factor in the decision, Gordon tells WW. To increase profitability, the shop plans to raise menu prices, but Gordon says none of its 48 employees will be laid off.
Read more: Portland Pastrami Staple Kenny & Zuke’s Is Filing For Bankruptcy.
