Tag: 411 SE 81st

Montavilla Food Co-op’s Kitchen

Almost 15 years ago, the Montavilla Food Co-op (MFC) formed as neighbors sought an organized way to bring healthy and locally sourced food into the community. The group’s early participants envisioned a co-op grocery store connecting shoppers with local farmers and producers. Those efforts never manifested in a dedicated physical location. However, recent advances by the current board have the organization partnered with a local restaurant, using its commercial kitchen to repackage bulk items for its membership. Members and shoppers can now purchase a selection of reasonably sized food items from the Montavilla Farmers Market, which previously were only available in bulk quantities.

The current four-member board began searching for a physical kitchen space last year, talking with several area businesses. When Sebastiano’s announced their intention to close the original Montavilla location at 411 SE 81st Avenue and move operations to Sellwood, MCF found a new opportunity in the business taking Sebastiano’s place. Christa Voytilla opened her first brick-and-mortar location on SE 81st Avenue for Quiche Me if You Can in February 2024. As a long-time farmers market vendor, Voytilla knew the difficulty in finding a commercial kitchen space and agreed to make space at the new shop for MFC board members to expand operations. Access to the commercial kitchen allowed MFC to obtain an Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) license to package food for sale and store items on-site. This summer, the food co-op began repackaging select bulk items from the Quiche Me if You Can location, allowing people to buy smaller quantities. Additionally, the commercial dishwasher at this location allows the group to take back some reusable glass containers, sanitizing and refilling them to reduce waste and cut costs.

Currently, the only two local board members, Christian Parker and Alex Warnes, are permitted in the kitchen space. Food handling requires specific procedures and training. The work must also happen when the primary business is not using the shared space. The board wants more experience running this process before allowing volunteers to assist. Members and interested people can help run the farmers market booth. MFC currently has four volunteers who take shifts running the booth. Board members take care of setup and teardown to simplify the work needed from people handing out pre-purchased items or selling to non-members.

Commercial dishwasher

The board is seeking new members with skills in food handling, grocery operations, or other relevant experience to help the organization grow to its next level. Even with the new shared space, MFC has limited capacity in what it can handle. They only have a single baker’s rack of storage space at Quiche Me if You Can, and what they buy is dependent on items pre-ordered by members. They do not have room to keep large quantities of food that would take months to distribute. Their long-term goals look similar to the original intention of the food co-op: a dedicated facility with fresh produce and storage space sufficient to make economically advantageous purchases. People interested in discovering what MFC offers can look at the group’s online store or visit their booth at the Montavilla Farmers Market. This leap into packaging could be an exciting new phase for an initiative that started in 2010. Residents who have lost track of this group’s activities can attend a future monthly board meeting and learn more about what they can do to support this community-run organization.


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Quiche Me if You Can Opening in March

By the end of March, Quiche Me if You Can restaurant will open in the former Sebastiano‘s space at 411 SE 81st Avenue. Owner Christa Voytilla will take over the shop on March 1st and begin reshaping the space with an indoor service counter and quiche-focused kitchen. Since 2019, the farmers’ market chef has grown her business and is now expanding into the company’s first brick-and-mortar location. Although the new Montavilla storefront will become the central home for Quiche Me if You Can, they will retain their farmers market roots.

Christa Voytilla started selling her culinary creations while working as a full-time nanny during the day and a waitress in the evening. Having worked in the food service industry since age 16, she knows how to cook and developed a passion for baking quiches. That personal interest soon attracted attention and launched her current career. “I was bringing these little quiches to the Barrio at the Portland Mercado, spending time with the community there, and I got close with the owner, Chris Shimamoto,” recalled Voytilla. A regular Barrio customer noticed the baked goods and asked to sample one of her quiches, offering to pay. Seeing an interest and receiving an enthusiastic review of her food, Voytilla wondered if this personal passion could evolve into a business. Shimamoto encouraged her to explore it further and use the Portland Mercado’s resources for small businesses. “I wanted to stop waitressing and do something more for myself,” explained Voytilla, and this was the opening she needed. With the direction from a business advisor at the Portland Mercado and access to the Portland Mercado Commissary Kitchen, Quiche Me if You Can started selling food at a farmers market in November 2019.

Courtesy Quiche Me if You Can

For the last four years, people have found Quiche Me if You Can at farmers markets all over Portland, including Lloyd, South Waterfront, Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Hollywood, PSU, Woodstock, Moreland, and the Montavilla Farmers Market. The markets are a place to sell to customers and also where this chef finds her ingredients. “We source all of our produce from the farmers market, explained Voytilla. She built lasting relationships with egg farmer Trent Family Farms and shiitake supplier Mindful Mushrooms during the early years working the markets. “I’m pretty loyal to our farmers, and they’re loyal back,” remarked Voytilla.

The mutually beneficial relationship with the market community is essential to Quiche Me if You Can’s past success and future operation. “I’m definitely still going to do farmers markets. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them, and I think there’s such an excellent opportunity to meet new customers and stay connected,” said Voytilla. However, the market-based business has limits, and after years of expansion, Quiche Me If You Can needed to adjust the model. “I’ve been looking for my own space because, as your business grows, it is easy to outgrow the commissary kitchen, and it becomes challenging to find enough time to produce your products. Sharing hours and space is possible, but it’s more of a challenge as your business grows,” explained Voytilla.

Quiche Me if You Can’s owner Christa Voytilla. Courtesy Quiche Me if You Can

After two years of looking for a dedicated kitchen, Christa Voytilla received a tip about the Sebastiano’s storefront and jumped at the opportunity. “I heard about it before they made the [move] announcement public, and I knew in my heart that the space was right for me,” said Voytilla. The small restaurant on SE 81st Avenue is perfectly sized for Quiche Me if You Can. They expect to cook all menu items in the shop, and although the restaurant will not offer indoor seating, they will make room for people to order and wait inside. “I am excited to open up the space for people to come in for the first time in -I don’t know how long- because it’s been strictly window service at Sebastiano’s,” explained Voytilla.

Quiche Me if You Can’s chef is still working on setting the menu and hours for the new location. However, Voytilla intends to emulate Sebastiano’s schedule so customers have a seamless experience eating at that location. Patrons can expect various quiches on the menu, changing seasonally and served in 4-inch petite versions, slices, or whole full-sized quiches. The menu will also offer gluten-free waffles, from-scratch soups, and sandwiches. Voytilla will not expand the menu drastically until they hire staff and settle into the new format. Since 2019, Christa Voytilla has worked the business alone with occasional help from her boyfriend, Jared Hacmac, who will increase his involvement at the new shop. Knowing that the store will require more support than the two can offer, Quiche Me if You Can is now looking to hire staff.

This restaurant is a Portland Mercado success story. That group offers affordable retail space and a cultural platform for Latinx and other entrepreneurs to start or grow a business. The non-profit organization and Barrio recently suffered a fire on January 3rd, 2024. They have raised funds to rebuild, and the many food carts outside the main building are open. However, they can always use continued support from the community, and Barrio still has its fundraiser underway. Look for Quiche Me if You Can to open its first permanent location next month and watch the company’s Instagram for details about their grand opening.


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Hungry Heart Consolidates

On December 18th, Hungry Heart Bakery served its last meal from the 7940 SE Stark Street location and will return to its former space a block away at 414 SE 80th Avenue. Since April 2022, the Rabbit Hole Market and Sweets shop has operated from the SE 80th location. Jax Hart owns both businesses, and the two locations worked together to meet the varied appetites of customers throughout the day. This weekend, December 30th and 31st, the restaurant’s owner will sell surplus supplies as they consolidate operations into the smaller space.

Inside Rabbit Hole Market and Sweets

Hungry Heart Bakery opened in Montavilla on January 3rd, 2015, after five years of running the successful Hungry Heart cupcakes food cart. From 2017 to 2019, Hungry Heart opened a sister business, Heartbreaker, a block over at 411 SE 81st Avenue. They closed that business with plans to open a new restaurant on SE Stark Street called White Rabbit Cafe and Bakery in the spring of 2020. The pandemic set White Rabbit’s launch back, with the SE Stark location opening in early 2021 under the Hungry Heart name. As restrictions lifted on indoor dining, Hart expanded the menu and embraced the original brunch menu planned for White Rabbit. The restaurant began a transition to the intended name, adopting both logos. However, they never completed that transition, and a change of business operations was needed.

In December, Jax Hart publicly announced that the company would relocate to the original space. “The decision to downsize has not been easy, but gives us the opportunity to slow down and return to our roots,” reads a notice on the Hungry Heart website. Consolidating the two locations requires selling some of the surplus restaurant supplies. The staff invites people to buy items at the weekend sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on December 30th and 31st inside the closed location at 7940 SE Stark Street. They intend to reopen the consolidated shop at 414 SE 80th Avenue on January 5th, 2024. Watch the Hungry Heart Instagram account for updates.


Sebastiano’s Relocating to Sellwood

October 4th, Sebastiano’s announced their intention to close the original Montavilla location at 411 SE 81st Avenue and move operations to Sellwood. The transition will happen in early 2024 after completing construction at the new shopfront. For the owners, this difficult choice resulted from steady growth and a pragmatic investment in their business.

Since opening in June 2020, Sebastiano’s Sicilian Deli has increased its citywide brand and expanded its customer base, often bumping into the limits of the sub-700 square foot storefront on SE 81st. The pandemic prevented the store from offering indoor seating at launch. By the time restrictions were lifted on table service, kitchen operations had already expanded to take over the entire shop. Over the years, owners Elise and Daniel Gold invested in sidewalk coverings, parking lot tents, and food trucks as a way to make their constrained space support onsite dining while expanding their offerings.

In May, the Golds leased a second location at 8235 SE 13th Avenue to serve as a production kitchen. A healthy farmers market presence, event popups, and diverse menu items require a full commercial kitchen that will not fit in their current location. Even as they worked on that new 2000-square-foot space, the Golds intended to keep Montavilla at the center of their business. However, the kitchen space at SE 13th and Umatilla Street had enough floor area to support a respectable amount of customer seating, and the other restaurants around the Sellwood storefront were creating substantial foot traffic.

The opportunity to create a quality indoor dining experience for their customers appealed to Daniel Gold, and it was not something he could accomplish in the existing Montavilla storefront. “All the cool and quirky things that we’ve gotten good at – whether it’s popups, aperitivo, special meals or, you name it – in that [new] space, we can do those sorts of things on a daily basis and provide seating.” Even before completing renovations, the purpose of the Sellwood shop shifted towards a full restaurant format and a true second location.

With rising build-out cost and cautionary tales from other multi-location restaurant owners, the reality of running two locations became apparent and now seem excessively ambitious to the Golds. Although the couple are no strangers to taking on business challenges, running both restaurants full-time would stretch the family business thinner than they would like. The practical choice is to focus on one location that can serve all their needs and free up a mighty micro kitchen for another startup business. Daniel Gold feels the affordable space that hosted their creation is one of the factors that helped Sebastiano’s pass the three-year mark where most restaurants fail. He is looking for another fledgling business seeking the same opportunity they had to take over the Montavilla space.

Even after transitioning to Sellwood in the new year, Sebastiano’s will continue its Montavilla presence at the Farmer’s Market and potentially hold special events with other businesses. Daniel Gold expressed sadness regarding this change. The connections within the community have been greater than he imagined when starting this journey, and he hopes people will still support them in their choice. There are still several months before Sebastiano’s moves, and all their regular customers will find an enhanced dining experience at the new Sellwood location in 2024.


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Portland Beer Week starts June 16th

This Friday, Portland Beer Week 2023 starts with several events in Montavilla and across the Portland Metro region. The ten-day-long celebration of beer runs from June 16th through the 25th, offering unique tastings, creative food pairings, and some of the best brews from around the world and around Portland. Area residents do not have to travel far to participate, with three of the nearly 50 events in the neighborhood.

Industry leaders and enthusiasts founded the Portland Beer Week organization in 2011 as a decentralized effort to expand beer education and promote Portland’s brew culture. The group uses sponsorship funds to promote the participating businesses and organize large events like the Brewers Burger Brawl taking place at SE 79th Avenue Montavilla Street Plaza on June 23rd. That is just one of three neighborhood events during this year’s Beer Week.

Chefs Elise and Dan Gold. Image courtesy Portland Beer Week and Sebastiano’s

Sebastiano’s at 411 SE 81st Avenue will offer Italian-style Pilsners from Italy and Portland during their Forza Azzuri! Italian Pilsners from on and off The Boot event. This opening day gathering starts at 5 p.m. on June 16th with a ticket price of $25. Located on Sebastiano’s back patio, this event is co-hosted by Von Ebert’s Sam Pecoraro and Daniel Wavrin of Ferndale Farmstead Cheeses. Ticket price includes five 5oz tastings of Italian Pilsner from Italy and the Pac NW alongside an artisan cheese plate of Ferndale Farmstead cheese.

Neighborhood newcomer StormBreaker Brewing will host a meet-and-greet at their newly acquired tap truck on June 22nd inside The Yard at Montavilla food cart pod at 8220 Northeast Davis Street. Brewery owners, brewers, and the StormBreaker hospitality team will be on-hand to share some beers and delicious food while answering questions.

Image courtesy Portland Beer Week

Then on Friday, June 23rd, Portland Beer Week and Threshold Brewing and Blending present this year’s Brewers Burger Brawl. This marquee event pits five local breweries against one another to present the “best” burger and beer pairing. Threshold was last year’s Judge’s Winner and will compete this year against Grand Fir Brewing, StormBreaker Brewing, Vice Beer, and Great Notion Brewing. Fifty $35 advance tickets are available for those who want a discount and a guaranteed serving of all five pairings. Otherwise, people can show up between 5 and 8 p.m. at 403 SE 79th Avenue, paying $6 per burger or $8 for a burger and 5oz beer pairing.

This year’s Portland Beer Week is on track to becoming the busiest since 2019 and marks another return to successful community events post-pandemic. Montavilla residents are fortunate to have a handful of local events within walking distance this year, and any alcohol-themed event is best enjoyed without needing to drive afterward. However, although beer drinking is encouraged, this is an opportunity to eat a wide range of brew-adjacent foods, and people are also welcome to visit other non-participating beer businesses. The neighborhood has many to choose from.


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Sebastiano’s in More Places

Sebastiano’s Sicilian Deli is venturing outside the four walls of its storefront at 411 SE 81st Ave. Starting this Friday night, the restaurant will open Aperitivo Sebastiano within a food cart located in the back parking lot behind the shop. This endeavor joins Sebastiano’s inaugural participation in the Montavilla Farmers Market last Sunday. Both new locations feature unique menu items and serve expanded tastes.

Many restaurants use food trucks to spread out to new locations, but co-owners of Sebastiano’s, Elise and Daniel Gold, are taking a different approach. Their food truck is parked behind the original restaurant, enhancing that location instead of transporting the business elsewhere. “Months ago, having no sense on where things would be at with covid, we came up with the idea of a food cart for summer. As a way to continue to grow but do it outside”, explained Daniel Gold. Traditionally, the deli serves the lunchtime crowd. By adding the food truck, customers can now enjoy a pre-dinner appetizer and drink on select nights. In Italy, an aperitivo is a pre-meal drink specifically meant to whet the appetite. This cultural tradition is the concept driving Aperitivo Sebastiano’s menu. Customers can start their night at the cart and then move on to dinner at another Montavilla eatery.

According to Gold, the food truck’s kitchen opens up a host of culinary options for the nighttime menu. “We’re pretty excited to be able to offer more types of food, essentially because now we have a full kitchen. We have fryers, we have a grill, we have four burners, more refrigeration, and the space for a cook to work safely.” The Golds optimized the restaurant’s existing food-prep for a deli operation, making the most out of limited space. Baking and pan-based cooking dominate that workflow as most menu items rely on cured protein ingredients.

Daniel Gold believes that the Italian doughnuts will become a favorite item at the cart, and that is not something that they could have created without the complete kitchen out-back. The food truck’s fryer supports a focus on Sicilian street food, a cuisine that favors fried foods. Beyond sweets, the menu will offer Arancini (stuffed and fried risotto balls), Zeppole, and House-pulled fresh Mozzarella. As the summer progresses, the expanded kitchen will allow for experimentation in the menu. Vegetarian and Vegan options are prime areas that Gold wants to expand on.

Up to this point, Sebastiano’s has offered takeout only, except for reserved group events last summer. Now outdoor seating around the truck lets customers stop in and order food and drinks to enjoy onsite. They will serve wine by the glass, Spritz, Rosato (Italian rose wine), and some nonalcoholic cocktails. The tables will be open during Aperitivo Sebastiano’s hours of 3 PM through 6 PM on Friday and Saturday nights, with post Farmers Market service on Sundays from 2 PM to 5 PM. Customers can also order items to go and bring them over to Threshold Brewing and Montavilla Brew Works seating area.

The collaboration with other Montavilla businesses is core to Sebastiano’s operation. All beer sold there is from local breweries. Sourcing within the neighborhood for foods and beverages is essential to the Golds. That is what brought them to the Montavilla Farmers Market, first as buyers for their seasonal dishes and now as vendors.

Only one weekend in, the farmers market booth has already proven worthwhile for Daniel Gold. “We’re super excited and had an incredible first day at the Montavilla Farmers Market.” Just as with the food truck, some menu items are locations specific. Sebastiano’s staff bake Castelvetrano olive focaccia exclusivly for the farmers market. The market menu items feature favorite Sebastiano’s food like orange marmalade, sweet and savory brioche rolls, and a “tremendous amount” of Sicilian cookies. The Golds sold out within an hour and a half of opening at the market. They are going to double their efforts for next Sunday.

Elise and Daniel Gold

The farmers market project is pure fun for Golds. “It’s really a lovely end of our week to be outside and to be with our community and seeing a bunch of people that we now know,” said Daniel Gold. Sebastiano’s will keep a booth at the market at least through October. That coincides with the end of their food truck lease. At that point, they will reassess and see if customers enjoyed the expanded options.

The Golds started Sebastiano’s at the beginning of the pandemic. That challenge forced the couple to adjust their plans and create new ways of engaging customers. This summer, the Golds and their staff continue to push forward, with new ways to serve residents who are venturing out after an extended stay at home. Stop by behind the shop any post-work-week night for a pre-dinner visit, have lunch at the original shop on Thursday-Saturday, or wave hello at the farmers market. They would love to see you at any of their many places.

Amanda Morales at the Aperitivo Sebastiano window

Images courtesy of Sebastiano’s Sicilian Deli

UPDATED May 10th 2021 – adjusted hours listed in article to reflect a change and corrected spelling of menu item.

New Local Restaurant Adapting

Sebastiano’s Deli has decided not to have indoor seating during any phase of Oregon’s reopening. Instead, owners Elise and Daniel Gold are interested in a new approach to serving their hungry customers.

Sebastiano’s launch this month exceeded their expectations. They served over 200 customers in the first ten days. Since opening with pickup service, a clear customer pattern has emerged. Two customer types are prevalent, the lunchtime rush and people buy provisions to take home. As Multnomah County reopened with phased restrictions, inside dining was never going to be an option for Sebastiano’s. “Our space is just too small,” said Daniel Gold.

Gold’s observations about Sebastiano’s customers, and the limits of the space, called for a creative rework of how the restaurant will serve customers. Elise and Daniel Gold realized they would need to operate differently based on the time of day. Starting July 8th, Sebastiano will modify their schedule. From 11 AM to 3 PM, Wednesday through Saturday, they will offer pickup service as they have for the last month. This schedule will fully cover the lunchtime crowd. For those customers, they intend to enhance the lunch menu with “weekly sandwich and salad specials to give people fresh options each week beyond Muffuletta’s. ” said Gold.

After 3 PM, Sebastiano’s will transitions from pickup orders at the shop to home delivery. For $5, they will deliver orders over $50 to local addresses. The delivery area will expand out beyond Montavilla, into the adjacent neighborhoods. The Golds wanted to avoid the big names in third-party delivery services. “We are trying to avoid those [companies]. It’s really a tax everyone else.” Said Daniel Gold. He explained that delivery services charge a substantial percentage of the order’s total. To cover the lost margin paid to third party delivery services, they would have to increase menu prices for all customers. Working with companies like that did not fit what the Golds wanted for Sebastiano’s. Instead, the Golds will do the delivery themselves, and with help from family. Daniel’s cousin, Rachel, will be helping deliver orders over the summer.

Beyond basic delivery options, The Golds will launch an outdoor garden party package. That service is called Sebastiano’s Pop Up. It will deliver all the food and drinks needed for an outdoor party at a customer’s house. The customer needs to have the tables set up, and they will drop off an arrange the food in a yard or driveway.

Sebastiano’s has received OLCC and Healthy Business permits to offer seven tables for outdoor seating. They may consider offering table service on the sidewalk, like many others in Old Town Montavilla have. However, the outdoor dining space is competitive in Montavilla, and the Golds are not sure they want to be just another location trying to keep people distanced. “I really appreciate anyone who feels comfortable eating out right now and any restaurant operator who is comfortable and feels they can do it in a safe way.” Said Gold. However, Daniel Gold feels there are other types of people looking for a dining experience. “For that subset of people who still want to eat good food and still want novel experiences but don’t feel safe going out right now, we’re trying to rise to the occasion and provide them something enjoyable.”

Behind Sebastiano’s is a semi-private courtyard. There, the Golds have constructed a tent and outdoor seating geared towards private events. The Private Happy Hour can be booked for groups to “hang out with their friends in a safe, private, outdoor setting.” said Gold. With only a $200 Food and Drink minimum purchase, the whole menu will be available to the group. Only one group can book the space at a time, between 3 PM to 6 PM. Events can be kid-friendly, and pets are allowed.

The Golds hope this will be a safe and comfortable way for friends, large families, or coworkers to get together. Daniel Gold sees this as an “adapt or die” moment for restaurants. Even with his early success, he knows that they still have to earn each customer’s continued patronage. “We don’t take a single one for granted,” said Gold, talking about Sebastiano’s customers.

Sebastiano’s opening looks different than other businesses reopening efforts. They believe they have found a model that will work for customers and keep everyone safe, regardless of the changes from COVID-19. Some people have mentioned to the Golds that they are waiting for Sebastiano’s full opening before trying them out. The Golds want everyone to know that this is the full Sebastiano’s. They are entirely open and waiting to earn loyal customers.

Sebastiano’s is located at 411 SE 81st Ave.


Images in this article are provided courtesy of Sebastiano’s and Daniel Gold.

Sebastiano’s replacing Heartbreaker

It looks like Heartbreaker Neighborhood Kitchen’s temporary closure may be more permanent. Eater Portland has a write up of the future Sebastiano’s Italian deli going into 411 SE 81st Avenue. They will offer prepared food, wines, and specialty pantry items. Sebastiano’s website is not yet live but look for updates at sebastianospdx.com. We will add pictures, when the wraps come off the new space.

White Rabbit Taking Teahouse Space

The Townshend Montavilla Teahouse, at 7940 SE Stark Street, closed this winter quietly after only three years. Although longtime residents were more loyal to the Bipartisan Cafe across the street, it was a nice addition to the Montavilla town. Fortunately the space is set to open to a new tenant soon. White Rabbit is slated to open in the space, notes Eater.com. White Rabbit is going to be a new brunch spot by the people who operate Hungry Heart Bakery. This is a second attempt in the neighborhood for Jax and Morgan Hart. Their now closed Heartbreaker is just around the corner at 411 SE 81ST Ave. I look forward to seeing what they bring to Stark Street.