Lan Su Chinese Garden Will Reopen for Tours

Most of the places we would normally seek out to relieve life’s stressors, both big and small, are currently off limits or operating under severe restrictions. Which is why the reopening of Lan Su Chinese Garden next week is so well timed.The 40,000-square-foot space—one full city block—is just about the most tranquil slice of land in Old Town-Chinatown, and perhaps the city. Portlanders seeking a little peace as we close out 2020 will appreciate that they can once again visit this oasis, starting Monday, Dec. 14.

Portland Director Jon Garcia’s “Love in Dangerous Times” Provides a Glimpse of Pandemic Dating in All of Its Glory and Awkwardness

Gov. Kate Brown Announces New Criteria for Closing Businesses Due to COVID-19

Multnomah County and 20 other counties are considered to have an extreme risk at this point.

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.

The Yamhill Pub’s General Manager Is Seeking Financial Assistance Through GoFundMe to Survive the Pandemic

General manager Kevin Hill has launched a GoFundMe campaign to save the Yamhill Pub, which is struggling financially during the most recent governor-ordered restrictions on dine- and drink-in service.

The Owner of a New Japanese Comfort Food Restaurant Faced Two Challenges When Opening This Year: a Pandemic and Historic Wildfires

David Edwards spent most of 2020 preparing to open his first restaurant during a pandemic. He wasn’t prepared, however, to have to hold a grand opening while Portland was experiencing historically toxic air from wildfires.“It was just a whole other layer,” says Edwards, chef and owner of Nanban on Southeast Water Avenue. “It was a challenge we did not foresee.”

First the Pandemic Halted Tasting-Room Traffic, Then Wildfire Smoke Threatened Their Grapes. Yet Local Winemakers Are Finding New Ways to Serve Flights and Save the 2020 Vintage.

And all of that was before historic wildfires produced an acrid haze that settled over wine country in September. Winemakers in hotter places like Australia and California know all about “smoke taint,” but it’s a new scourge in Oregon due to climate change. The volatile phenols in smoke can permeate grape skins, making the wine taste like an ashtray, or a crayon.