Tag: Pie Spot

Food and Drink, New Business

Sleepover Pizza Replaces Pie Spot

In early February, Sleepover Pizza will open in the former Pie Spot storefront outside the Rocket Empire Machine food hall at 6935 NE Glisan Street. The new school pan pizza maker takes inspiration from Detroit and Sicilian styles, offering eight-by-ten-inch rectangular pies with classic flavors that aim to excite families and pizza lovers alike. The shop will expand into more adventurous menu offerings for its pizza Sunday brunch program.

Aaron Manter has called Montavilla his home for nearly a decade after relocating with his wife from Greenville, South Carolina, where they both ran a New American-style restaurant called The Owl. After closing that business, they eventually followed friends to Portland. Together, the couple managed the now-closed Fillmore coffee shop that Futura Coffee Roasters replaced in 2022. Aaron Manter went on to receive accolades for his following two positions: cooking at the 1905 Jazz Club and as executive chef for Scholar Restaurant on NE Broadway. Recently, Manter worked as a chef at Fressen Bakery down the street from this new location. Despite 25 years working in kitchens creating complex menus across various disciplines, pizza was where he started his culinary career, and it continually reemerged as a favorite dish. After experimenting with some popups hosted by Blank Slate Bar in June 2024, Aaron Manter was ready to become a restaurant owner again—however, this time in a smaller space with affordable rent and a more universally approachable menu.

Sleepover Pizza’s name and primary menu originate from Manter’s nostalgia for his time with friends growing up in South Florida. Some of his best memories stem from having people over while his parents were out, ordering a pan pizza, and staying up late watching a VHS tape of Predator. During that stage in life, he started cooking for Little Caesars at a time when the pizza chain made everything in the shop. Those foundational experiences linked cooking, friendship, and youth with pizza. Through this project, he wants to share that experience and those flavors with his community. “It’s really meant for people to grab a slice with the family and, like the name implies, bring it back home to eat while you watch a scary movie and hang out with kids,” said Manter.

When open, Sleepover Pizza will serve guests from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday from the standard menu, offering a classic cheese, pepperoni, or tomato pie with garlic and pecorino Romano. Manter plans to provide a rotating white sauce pie option, rounding out the main selection to four pizzas. All pies pull from the Detroit style, where the sauce is on top, and the cheese covers from edge to edge, giving it a pronounced caramelization where it meets the pan. To speed up the cooking process, he will pan-proof the crust to about an inch thick and then briefly bake it to set the dough ahead of a customer’s order. “I can’t ask people at a food pod to wait 20 minutes for a pizza. I just don’t feel like that’s realistic or right. Parbaking (partially cooking a bread product before fully baking it at a later time) lets us get that out in maybe ten minutes, and I didn’t find any decrease in quality,” said Manter.

Image by Audrey Willcox, courtesy Sleepover Pizza

People can order a whole pie or a half as the by-the-slice option, and they will have an assortment of sodas. “I plan on doing a slice and a drink for 10 bucks. I’ll offer Coke, Diet Coke, and some sort of root beer. I think root beer and pepperoni are a very underrated combo,” explained Manter. He also intends to expand his drink offerings to meet his customer’s tastes. However, with Gigantic Brewing’s Robot Room adjacent to his space, he will keep to non-alcoholic options. Sleepover Pizza will be on some food delivery apps, and its sidewalk-adjacent location will make quick pickups easy for to-go orders.

Pie Spot location closing sign directing people to visit them at 521 NE 24th Ave

Sleepover Pizza will also open on Sundays but targeting the brunch crowd, with hours from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The menu will feature unique flavors inspired by traditionally un-pizza origins. Aaron Manter envisions a shakshuka pie made with Moroccan tomato sauce and a fried egg on top. Or, a lox bagel approach with cream cheese, smoked salmon, chives, capers, and pickled onions.

The small kitchen space that will become Sleepover Pizza

The small kitchen space, not much larger than a shipping container, is nearly ready to reopen. Manter is only waiting on Multnomah County to approve the commercial kitchen. He explained that he has worked at eight different pizzerias over the years, learning all the best techniques to bring to his creations without losing the core qualities that make pizza great. “I’ve learned everything I can from every place I’ve worked, and I’m just trying to do a good job without being too cheffy, as it’s meant to feed the people and the families of the neighborhood.” Future customers waiting to try Montavilla’s newest pizza location should watch the Sleepover Pizza Instagram account to learn about the official opening date or visit the company website when it launches at sleepoverpizza.com.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Updated January 22nd, 2025: Add Pie Spot closing note image.

Community

Art on Glisan

Murals are sprouting up along NE Glisan, expanding the character transformation of the street. Shopfronts on Glisan between NE 68th Ave and 82nd Ave have enhanced their appearance over the last few years. The addition of public art on these buildings further drives the artistic reinvention of the street.

Some site developments are incorporating art into the project at the design phase. The new gas station and convenience store on the corner of Glisan and 82nd Ave will feature a tile-mosaic mural when constructed. Other businesses are adding their public art at varying times after opening.

The Pie Spot Mural 6935 NE Glisan

The Pie Spot is the only shopfront in the new Rocket Empire Machine food hall that fronts on NE Glisan. They have added a mural depicting a pink flamingo sitting atop one of their pies.

Green Front Dispensary Mural 6834 NE Glisan

Green Front Dispensary recently completed a mural on the NE 69th side of their building. The work is a creation of Voxx Romana. Its rich reds and shimmering gold color are easily spotted while traveling NE Glisan.

Although these are just a small number of artistic expressions coloring NE Glisan, it is not hard to imagine other businesses on the street adding murals to their locations. These building embellishments not only attract the eye, but it also sets a positive tone for the people who live and shop along this street. 

Event, Food and Drink, New Business, Restaurant

Food Hall Opening Weekend

This weekend marked the opening of Montavilla’s newest food hall. A hand-painted sign hangs over the doors of Rocket Empire Machine, announcing the location to the passersby. Inside are five new destinations for hungry and thirsty customers.

Located at 6935 NE Glisan Street, this highly anticipated opening attracted interest around Montavilla and beyond. Each unique location brings something special to Montavilla’s food scene, and together they continue the economic buildup on NE Glisan.

  • Gigantic Brewing Robot Room is Gigantic Brewing Company’s new taproom, in addition to their other location at 5224 SE 26th Ave.
  • The Pie Spot is also a second location for Jessica Woods, expanding the reach of the beloved local bakery and coffee bar at 521 NE 24th Ave.
  • Tierra Del Sol is the none mobile second location for Amalia Sierra’s Oaxacan and Mexican food cart.
  • Alleamin African Kitchen, by Khadro Abdi, is back in the neighborhood offering African fare.
  • Sea and River Sushi offers sushi and Burmese curries from first-time restauranteur Sonder Sin. Phone: 503-208-3956

In the future, this new food hall will offer outdoor seating shared between the five businesses. For now, each location will only offer takeout until restrictions change, and the outdoor accommodations become available. With the first days of operation behind them, all of these locations should be ready to earn the repeated patronage of the Montavilla residents.

Original photo from Opening day
Food and Drink, New Business, Restaurant

Rocket Ready for Launch

Rocket Empire Machine is moving ahead with its planned opening at 6935 NE Glisan Street. Four of the five available restaurant spaces are rented, and the fifth space has two prospective tenants looking at it. Exterior construction is near completion, with only the outdoor seating area reamining. Next week, they will turn over the spaces to the tenants and they can start their individual buildouts.

The scheduled opening of this project was uncertain. The effect of Oregon’s stay at home order has slowed down or canceled many retail developments across Portland. However, Rocket Empire Machine looks to have stayed on track. It achieved this by making a few key compromises with the tenants. As well as having an advantage due to the type of affordable retail spaces they offer. Restaurants within Rocket Empire Machine are “designed for takeout and delivery” said Anna Mackay, Director of Development at Guerrilla Development.

Mackay went on to explain that the design of the building should lend itself exceptionally well to post pandemic dining, even before the restrictions are lifted. The building is designed with separate kitchens that share common seating. Although the shared amenities are will remain available, takeout customers will likely be the most common patrons in the near future.

Image courtesy Guerrilla Development

Advantageous design alone was not enough to open this project. Three weeks ago Mackay met with the signed tenants to reaffirm their commitment to opening and seek ways to assist them. At that meeting, they agreed on lower rental rates and adopt a moratorium on collecting full rent, until Oregon’s restaurant restrictions have been lifted. Mackay said that the business owners knew the neighborhood was looking forward to their opening, and that influenced the commitment to continue with their plans.

Van Havig and Ben Love, of Gigantic Brewing Company, had already announced the opening of their Gigantic Satellite taproom at this location. In addition, Jessica Woods will be opening a second location of her Pie Spot bakery and cafe. Tierra Del Sol, by Amalia Sierra, is opening up this location to compliment their existing catering business. Khadro Abdi’s Alle Amin is relocating, from further up Glisan.

Alle Amin relocation, highlights the unique element of Rocket Empire Machine’s model. One space in the building is reserved for a recipient of a “non-displacement” benefit. The goal of this benefit is to ensure that local businesses are not forced out, as our area continues to improve. Recipient businesses will receive fixed rental rates that will allow for the business to grow. Khadro Abdi faced rent increases that jeopardized the viability of the restaurant. Relocating here, will ensure Alle Amin can continue to server the neighborhood, even as other rents increase.

With the Common spaces at Rocket Empire Machine nearing completion and tenants starting work on their space, expect to see increased activity at the site. If the tenants have smooth buildouts “we could see soft opening as soon as June.” Mackay said. That will still allow for many good weather days to drop in and pick up something from our new eatery options.