Northeast Portland Dining Staple Autentica Will Close in July After More Than a Decade in Business

Chef Oswaldo Bibiano created beautifully complex dishes from the Guerrero region of Mexico

(Amy Ouellette)

After 13 years of service, Autentica—the beloved Concordia neighborhood Mexican restaurant—is preparing to close its doors.

The last meals will be served Saturday, July 13, according to a post shared on the business's Facebook page. You can still get brunch through Sunday, July 7. No reason was given for the shuttering and no one was immediately available for comment.

"Over the course of 13 years, we've had many regular and diehard customers that have been unfailing in their support, always inquiring about our business, our well-being, sharing in celebrations, and showing off the kind of friendship and personal interest that transcends what could be a strictly transactional arrangement," the post stated. "We have had a loyal, hardworking, and committed staff in the front and back of the house for the duration of our time here. Many of them have been with us five to ten years and without their dedication and belief in what we've been trying to provide, it wouldn't have been possible."

Autentica's sister restaurants—the always packed duo of Uno Mas taquerias—will remain open. While those two spots may have eclipsed the original in popularity as the years went on, Autentica was always what felt closest to a home-cooked meal thousands of miles away in the Guerrero region of Mexico. Chef Oswaldo Bibiano created beautifully complex dishes from his home state on the country's southern Pacific coast, earning the eatery spots in WW's annual Restaurant Guide the last two years.

The star on the menu has been the mole, which is painstakingly produced with more than 30 components, including nuts, bread, plantain, cinnamon and clove. You still have a few weeks to savor the sauces—both a vivacious verde and a dark chocolate and coffee flavored signature Autentica version—which are so good, you'd be forgiven if you licked the plate clean.

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