On Friday, June 20th, the second annual “Hop Dogs” event will greet hungry and thirsty guests from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Montavilla Plaza on SE 79th Avenue at SE Stark Street. Last year’s winner, Ruse Brewing, will compete against Grand Fir Brewing, Gold Dot Beer, Foreland Beer, and Threshold Brewing. The brewers will offer the crowd a custom hot dog with creative toppings designed by the team, which people can pair with one of their hoppiest West Coast IPA beers.
The all-ages venue allows families to participate in this event, presented as part of Portland Beer Week, a City-Wide yearly celebration running from June 13th to the 22nd in 2025. The Montavilla-hosted cookoff features five West Coast IPA brewers bringing their best hot dog recipes to the public in a friendly competition of flavors and brew craft. Drinking-age adults can select beers and hot dogs in several paired combos ranging from full pints, full dogs, half pints, and shorty dogs. A $7 ticket purchased at the event will allow attendees to pick up either one full-size hot dog or one full-size beer, so people can mix and match as they desire. Curious culinary adventures can also choose to purchase a flight of five shorty dogs to sample the range of flavors for three tickets. The cookoff is an open event, with no need to reserve a spot. However, hotdogs will be available while supplies last, starting at 5 p.m.
Graphic courtesy Portland Beer Week
This returning hot dog and brew event is building momentum as more people enjoy the artful pairing. “Hop Dogs is based on a concept I have been kicking around for a few years. The brewers have a ton of fun and enthusiasm for the hot dogs as well as the beers; they can get really into it, even hand-making the toppings themselves. We worked out the kinks last year, where we had a handful of people making all of the different dogs. Last year, we used a large hot dog roller, but this year, Threshold founder and brewmaster Jarek Szymanski will be grilling them himself,” explained Ezra Johnson-Greenough with Portland Beer Week. “Also, this year, there will be individual brewery reps making each dog; this way, they can really get into the groove of that custom hot dog and put it together to perfection.”
Event organizers will conduct a “people’s choice” vote for Best Dog and also Best West Coast IPA, presenting two awards. People should look over the available hot dog options and come hungry this Friday night.
Threshold Brewing – Tropic Thunder: Good Dog Guava Teriyaki Mustard, Kewpy, Mango, Jalapeño and Pickled Onion Chutney, Fried Wonton Crumble
Gold Dot Brewing – Dan Dan Dog: Cream Cheese, Dan Dan Sauce, Yacai, Roasted Peanuts, Green Onions, Sichuan Peppercorn
Grand Fir Brewing – Farmers Market Dog: Heirloom Tomatoes, Pickled Peppers, Whipped Cheese with Poppy Seeds, Green Garlic Ranch Sauce
In early May, East Glisan Pizza Lounge, located at 8001 NE Glisan Street, reopened after a six-week closure with a new staff and an updated menu that retains many favorites, along with new options focused on continuing the 11-year-old establishment’s legacy in the Montavilla neighborhood. On March 17th, the restaurant and bar closed, posting on its Instagram page that it would temporarily halt service for an unspecified period. During that pause, owners Todd Dennis and Kristen Brown worked with a restaurant coach to rebuild a profitable business while retaining the community-centric environment that had kept the partners interested in working into the next decade of operation.
Fans of the NE Glisan Street pizza location were shocked that their favorite neighborhood spot showed any signs of trouble as it appeared busy with locals and attracted citywide accolades. Behind the scenes, the operators felt consumed by a daily struggle to maintain high food quality and prevent rising costs from inflating their prices beyond reason for their regular customers. “To be frank, we have not been profitable in the last several years,” said Brown. However, raising the prices alone would not solve their problems. Advisers had encouraged the owners to eliminate table service and adopt a counter-only model, similar to many other area pizzerias, along with other changes that would alter the establishment’s character. That advice did not sit well with Brown and Dennis, but they knew something would need to change. “We were talking about different options for a little bit, but there were a couple of events that happened in the last couple of days before we closed,” explained Dennis. “We just said, ‘We’ve got to do it now.'” Brown added the analogy that they had been trying to “fix an airplane midair, and we need to land it, or it’s going to crash.”
Brown and Dennis informed the staff that they had no idea when they would reopen and stated that all employees, except for the front-of-house lead Beth McClintock, had decided to take work elsewhere. That rotation of staff led the owners to reevaluate the business, starting with the question of why they wanted to remain open. They initially discovered the location in Montavilla during a region-wide search and were unfamiliar with the neighborhood when selecting the building. Dennis had worked as a bartender for 15 years in Tualatin, and Brown had some work history at Jake’s Grill and the Heathman but had since developed her career as a mortgage broker. “We both had a lot of front-of-house experience, no back-of-house experience, and very little management experience,” said Dennis. “We did our best, and I think that it went pretty well for quite a long time. It’s one of those things where the more you learn, the more you realize what you don’t know. After 10 years, it wasn’t running behind the scenes the way we wanted it to.” They felt that most guests did not notice the rough edges and appreciated how well their staff took care of customers; however, by the end of 2024, they knew that change was the only option.
What Brown and Dennis discovered is that some dishes were taking too much time to produce, and they were not selling enough pizza each week to cover payroll and material costs. They also felt that they could never take time away from the shop and their success depended on being there every day. “We were kind of becoming exhausted, and there were some staffing issues that were coming up. We decided that if we didn’t shut down on purpose, things would shut down without our control over it,” said Dennis. During that pause time, they removed specific items from the food and bar menus and sought replacement items that would require less labor and utilize more crossover ingredients. Sunday lasagna was a standout to remove from the recurring menu. “It’s very labor intensive. It’s both intensive to prep and labor-intensive to serve. It takes a whole other person during service just to handle that,” recalled Brown. They also changed the gluten-free crust to a Detroit-style instead of a thin rectangular polenta crust. “It was unique, kind of a big loss, but also very labor-intensive,” said Dennis. They removed the Spicy Eggplant and Capicola pizza, making room for a new tavern-style crust that they pre-make in a six-day process. “The tavern-style is a very thin cracker crisp cornmeal dusted pie cut into squares, very shareable,” explained Brown. These crusts keep well during the week, as they have a lower moisture content, making them an ideal option for streamlined preparation. The non-rising dough edge finishes slightly charred, making it crunchy.
They have remained committed to supporting a range of pizza options that cater to various dietary restrictions. “Vegan is something that we’ve expanded a little bit. We now have a Detroit vegan option. We’re using NUMU cheese, which is out of Brooklyn, New York. And we’ve got BE Hive pepperoni and BE Hive sausage,” said Brown. This option replaces the house-made vegan meat options, which required considerable cooking time, with a product that Brown and Dennis feel closely matches the flavor and quality. They have also added fresh pineapple to the menu. “We weren’t snooty about having pineapple,” Brown remarked, noting how a canned ingredient would not work. “But we have set up a process for the pineapple with as little waste as possible. So we roast the pineapple now.”
They also slimmed down the cocktail menu, focusing on bolstering longtime classics like the Old Glisan, Buffy Summers, and Yellow Submarine, but said that in most cases, they can still recreate an off-menu favorite if requested. Many of these changes came from seasoned professionals hired to guide the relaunch of East Glisan Pizza Lounge, including new chef Adam Maxwell, who came to us from Ranch Pizza and other acclaimed eateries. “He’s opened seven restaurants, He’s opened three Ranches, and he’s got a long pizza resume, including Cellarmaker, a Detroit Pizza place in San Francisco,” said Brown. Before hiring strong leadership skills in the kitchen, the owners worked with pizza consultant Alastair Hannmann, who helped with dough recipes and developed the tavern pie.
During May, East Glisan Pizza Lounge operated in a soft-open mode to give the new staff time to perfect their food service and learn to work together. Recently, the restaurant began accepting online orders for pickup and will soon introduce additional online ordering options. This cautious approach to relaunching the business should bring the behind-the-scenes operation up to the standards that Brown and Dennis can be proud of and give them confidence that the place will operate profitably without constant oversight. However, they feel these updates are only necessary to support the true goal of the business, which they only recently verbalized to themselves. “We articulated what we intuitively knew, that our purpose has always been creating a space where people feel welcome as themselves and are seen. A space for people to connect,” explained Brown. Eleven years ago, they made roots in Montavilla, not knowing that the community would be a critical ingredient in their business. However, they can no longer imagine it any other way and feel certain that these recent changes will help them stay open for their customers for years to come.
East Glisan Pizza Lounge is open for dinner Thursday through Monday, starting at 5 p.m. Sundays and Mondays, they close at 9 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays, they close at 10 p.m., with Friday service extended to 11 p.m. As they ramp up operations, they expect to adjust times and possibly open seven days a week starting in mid-July. They feel ready to start seeing everyone again and look forward to showing customers the updated menu. Prices have risen slightly, and people may need to explore new options, but they are happy to offer the full table service that guests enjoy and return as a valued community place.
On Monday, June 23rd, Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Free Lunch + Play program returns to Montavilla Park on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. for youth 18 years or younger. For many children, school offers activities and services that extend beyond education. Some students rely on school as their only structured playtime with peers and depend on the free lunch program for a midday meal. Thanks to funds provided by the 2020 voter-approved Parks Local Option Levy, the Free Lunch + Play program offers children weekday activities without registration or cost. From June 23rd to August 22nd, kids can visit 22 parks citywide for recreational activities and a nutritious lunch.
Portland Public Schools close for summer on June 12th, and over half the city’s school-age children qualify for free or reduced-price meals during the school year, making PP&R’s Free Lunch + Play program a critical tool in keeping young people fed during the summer break. However, the free lunches are available to anyone meeting the age requirements, regardless of enrollment in a school district’s free lunch program. Adults bringing 10 or more youth to a location to receive free lunch should contact 503-729-0332 at least five business days in advance so parks staff can accommodate the group. USDA Federal guidelines require recipients to eat their meals on-site in the designated area, and youth are limited to one serving per day. Locations will have a No Thank You Table offering unwanted items from lunches that youth can take to supplement their meal during the designated lunch hours.
Portland Public Schools, Centennial School District, Parkrose School District, and David Douglas School District provide all the meal packs that adhere to the USDA Federal Lunch Program regulations. Youth must attend in person to receive meals and eat all the food on-site. Foodservice occurs only during stated mealtimes. For Montavilla Park, that is from noon to 1:30 p.m. At Lents Park, food is available from 11:30 a.m. through 1 p.m. Gateway Discovery Park has a shorter mealtime window of 11 to 11:45 a.m. Staff will require everyone to wash their hands before receiving food.
Free Lunch + Play is part of Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Summer Free For All program, offering more than 40 events for all ages, including multicultural festivals, free outdoor movies, and concerts across the city. It also includes activities at PP&R outdoor pools, opening on June 20th. Six outdoor pools will host a weekly free swim session in addition to its fee-based swim lessons, open play swims, and water fitness. Montavilla’s pool offers free swim sessions on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. People will find a complete list of Summer Free For All’s inclusive and family-friendly activities on the PP&R website.
On May 30th, APANO launched its online archive titled Behind the Wok: A Tribute to Iconic Chinese American Restaurants in Portland’s Jade District. This digital collection documents the shift in Chinese American dining toward East Portland. This online repository focuses on six restaurants that represent the phases of Portland’s Asian community’s eastward move from Old Town Chinatown. The work preserves stories from the families behind some of 82nd Avenue’s most iconic restaurants, attempting to create a record of these community cornerstones that are often missing from traditional archives.
Behind the Wok promotional items including tote bag, matches, pins, and coaster
The inaugural cohort of restaurants includes Hung Far Low, Canton Grill, Chinese Village, New Cathay, Legin, and Wong’s King. However, the project aims to expand the digital archive over time, documenting the history of these foundational restaurants and their enduring cultural impact on the East Portland Chinese American community. The early evening launch party included several family representatives who came of age in and around the restaurants preserved in the archive. Their recollection and photos of these gathering places represent some of the only records of what they symbolized to the region beyond their decades of food service.
Guide map, copyright 1933 by Terry Tebault Inc. with Behind the Wok notations Courtesy APANO
Conversations following the presentation continued to reveal more history and a deeper understanding of the role these Chinese American staples represented for the community, supporting the need for such an archive. Without the historical seedwork released last month, these accounts would fade, and other untold stories would remain unknown to a community built on that history. The group working on Behind the Wok noted how difficult it was to obtain information, partially because news articles often failed to document changes that impacted this community and how people’s cultural humility kept them from lauding their accomplishments. However, in terms of storytelling and praising others, participants and attendees expanded the group’s understanding of their shared history.
Behind the Wok promotional pin commemorating the launch date
That night’s brief open conversation revealed how many more details could end up in the digital archive. APANO is working to preserve the memory of the Chinese American restaurant as a community meeting place and support system for immigrants settling in Portland. The nonprofit purchased the Canton Grill property in 2022 for future housing development and named one of its other housing projects after Legin restaurant as a way to enshrine those shuttered establishments in the community’s consciousness. The project team invites people to visit the Behind the Wok digital archive regularly for in-depth information about their contributions to East Portland. APANO will host a celebration of the Canton Grill on June 27th from 4 to 9 p.m. at 8188 SE Division Street. That event will focus on the Canton Grill Memorial Project and further inform the cultural preservation efforts.
On Tuesday, June 3rd, Stone Soup PDX Cafe opened at 7400 NE Glisan Street, marking the culinary training nonprofit’s return to direct customer sales after closing its downtown storefront at the start of the pandemic. The cafe will serve breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Starting in July, Stone Soup’s operators expect students to begin staffing the cafe as they learn food service skills in a 12-week program geared toward individuals who have recently experienced housing insecurity.
Cafe ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 2nd
Stone Soup PDX’s Executive Director, Ellen Damaschino, thanked the supporters of the cafe during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 2nd. Her appreciation extended to a collection of project supporters, including local business Montavilla Station, located blocks away off SE Stark Street and 80th Avenue. After brief remarks and a certificate presentation by the East Portland Chamber of Commerce, Damaschino welcomed guests into the corner storefront for samples of some of the caffeinated drinks and pastries on the shop’s menu. The counter-service cafe offers several tables for dine-in customers, or they can take their coffee and food outside, where they can enjoy limited outdoor sidewalk seating. This relaunch of cafe dining is a significant step for the organization, which was forced to cut its customer-facing program due to nationwide challenges. Serving customers in the cafe is in the nonprofit’s roots — sustaining people through both sides of the food service industry.
Stone Soup PDX opened in its original location on NW Everett and Broadway in 2019. They operated primarily as a cafe and training kitchen until COVID-19 forced a shift in the group’s operations. “So it slowed down a lot during the pandemic, and that is when we really kicked up the Community Meals program,” recalled Damaschino. “We make about 1,500 meals a week for the community. Those are for places like shelters, mental health facilities, and transitional housing. So exactly the places that our participants come from.” That shift enabled the organization to establish a production kitchen on SE Powell Boulevard, where program participants spend four weeks preparing meals that volunteer drivers deliver to Portland locations.
A year ago, the organization closed its Downtown location, and in late 2024, they began working from the Beacon at Glisan Landing building on the corner of NE 74th Avenue and Glisan Street, starting with educational programs. In that work, participants receive basic instruction and engage in weekly “check-ins” with the support services coordinators, who work to ensure students have the necessary supplies to succeed in the program. With the cafe now serving customers, students will soon have the option to train in either the NE Glisan Street commercial kitchen or the SE Powell Boulevard location for a four-week segment. This bifurcated path allows students to choose which skills they intend to strengthen. The cafe work will provide students seeking restaurant employment with hands-on experience in a functioning commercial kitchen serving walk-in customers, complete with associated expectations and workflow but guided by the support of instructors.
Stone Soup PDX plans to introduce a new role within the organization that will focus on supporting students as they transition out of the program and enhancing connections between individuals and employment opportunities. That position will also help alums as they find their post-training position in the workforce and begin to secure economic stability, sustaining permanent housing and self-confidence. Through a continued relationship with the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, links from the association’s site will bring potential employers to a directory of Stone Soup graduates, showing the job seeker’s relevant skills. Program operators believe this will become a significant enhancement for students progressing through the program, improving their chances of securing employment and applying the newly acquired culinary skills.
Stone Soup PDX culinary training kitchen
The nonprofit encourages people to support Stone Soup by visiting the cafe as part of their morning routine or grabbing some of the shop’s soups and sandwiches for a quick lunch. They also expect the pastries to become a welcomed pleasure throughout the day for those looking for a sweet treat outside of mealtimes. All proceeds support the workforce training program.
Correction: A previous version of this article listed the operating days as Tuesday through Thursday. They are open Tuesday through Friday. Montavilla News regrets this error.
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This weekend, Montavilla businesses will host two days of events along NE Glisan Street, featuring music, vendors, and activities. It starts on Saturday, May 31st, with the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association’s (METBA) 2025 Spring Block Party from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on NE 70th Avenue north of NE Glisan Street. Then, on Sunday, June 1st, Wildcard Barber and their adjacent businesses will host a Pride Month kickoff block party from noon to 5 p.m., with flash tattoos inked by Austin Fillmore and free gender-affirming hot towel face shaves.
The 2024 MEBA Spring Block Party booths
METBA’s event is part of its Spring Fling 2025 celebration and will create a mini street fair with three musicians scheduled by the street activation nonprofit Curbside Serenade. Seven vendors and activity booths will line the block party site, including many neighborhood establishments from around the district.
The May 31st music schedule starts at 10 a.m. with performer Jake Soffer, and then, at 11:15 p.m., Jet Black Pearl takes the stage area. Maeve Steir will close out the live performances with a set starting at 12:30 p.m. More information about the first block party can be found on the METBA.org page.
Wildcard Barber and NightOwl Custom Apparel recently took tenancy within the building that hosts Hinterland Coffee at 7112 NE Glisan Street. The three businesses are collaborating on a June Pride Month party to celebrate the global recognition of LGBTQ+ culture and identity.
Austin Fillmore posts previews of the flash tattoo options at the artist’s website, awwwsin.com. These pre-designed permanent body art designs speed up the inking process, allowing for walk-in service. This vendor is a fitting event for Wildcard Barber to host, as it recently took over the former Highway Tattoo storefront at 7110 NE Glisan Street.
The business owners on NE Glisan invite people to attend their block parties this weekend, marking the cultural start of summer in Montavilla.
Driving west on Northeast Glisan in Portland’s Montavilla neighborhood, you’ll pass a car wash, restaurants, bars, and a strip mall. It’s far removed from the fertile agricultural valleys surrounding Portland. Yet two blocks north sits Montavilla Mini Farm, producing high-quality vegetables from under 6,000 square feet of carefully cultivated soil.
At roughly 6,000 square feet of plantable space, the Montavilla Mini Farm is a masterclass in efficient farming. It’s also a pleasant sight when walking through the northeast section of Portland’s Montavilla neighborhood. (Bryan M. Vance/Stumptown Savings)
In early May, rows of garlic, onions, and overwintered collards thrive, while seedlings of arugula, radishes, beets, and kale emerge from the soil. The farm maximizes every inch of this sunny side lot to grow diverse crops year-round.
“I do a lot of crop rotation,” said Alyssa Perry, the farm’s owner. “I’m strategic about what I plant. I did a lot of learning about what certain plants take out of the soil, and what plants put back in.”
The farm began eight years ago when Perry and her husband relocated from Wisconsin, where she had already developed a passion for growing food.
“In Wisconsin, I transformed first part of the backyard, then the entire backyard, and then the front yard, all to garden,” Perry said.
Wisconsin’s harsh winters shortened the growing season. Perry wanted to live somewhere with milder winters and extended growing opportunities. Portland, in USDA Hardiness Zone 8B, offered that chance.
Upon arrival, Perry found the perfect spot to realize her vision.
“Where the farm is now was just a big grass-fenced-in area,” Perry said. “We’re like, ‘it’s perfect.’ There’s no big trees right here. So it gets a ton of sun, and it’s just the perfect space for the garden.”
But calling it a garden understates what Perry has built: a small farm in the heart of one of Portland’s largest residential neighborhoods. Using organic methods, meticulous planning, and learning from setbacks, she’s created a thriving urban agricultural space.
“The first year that I ever tried to grow stuff, it went terrible,” Perry said. “I got tomato blight, which makes you have to burn the soil. I got huge worms through all of my melons. It was just bad.”
Montavilla Mini Farm owner/farmer Alyssa Perry tends to rows of onions in early May, 2025. In between sessions with her personal training clients, you can often find Perry working her field. (Bryan M. Vance/Stumptown Savings)
Rather than giving up, Perry saw these challenges as learning opportunities.
“I think that’s kind of a fun journey to figure out, become an expert on a different crop year after year, especially as something goes wrong,” she said.
Between sessions with her personal training clients, Perry tends her field —weeding, transplanting, and seeding crops in a continuous cycle.
Her efforts are paying off. The Montavilla Mini Farm will offer 36 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) slots for 2025, during a 16-week season running from July through October. For $380 ($23.75 weekly), members get a box of freshly picked produce. Perry harvests each member’s share the day before pickup, ensuring maximum freshness and quality.
Each box, roughly the size of a large paper grocery bag, contains 6-8 different types of vegetables. While not certified organic, Perry adheres strictly to organic growing methods, using only neem oil and diatomaceous earth for pest control. Her meticulous crop rotation means she only needs to apply fertilizer about once every three years.
One of the ways Perry maximizes her farm’s output is by utilizing vertical farming. By growing vining plants like beans, squash, and more on trellises, she can grow more produce per square foot than with traditional methods. (Alyssa Perry/Montavilla Mini Farm)
Buying directly from Perry ensures that this small-scale farm continues to thrive and supports a vibrant local agricultural economy. Customers get to know the person growing, harvesting, and packing their produce —all at a price that compares favorably with organic stores and markets.
“The love that people show me is very palatable,” she said. “Like 90%, 95% of the time that I am out working, somebody will walk by and stop and tell me how beautiful it is or thank me for having it in the community.”
That’s part of what keeps Perry going. It all comes back to a simple mission: expanding access to high-quality, affordable produce.
You can reach Alyssa Perry and the Montavilla Mini Farm on Facebook and Instagram. There are still open slots in this year’s CSA, but space is limited.
Crosspost: Bryan M. Vance lives in Montavilla and is the editor/publisher of Stumptown Savings, an independent news outlet focused on helping Portlanders shop smarter. Subscribe to Stumptown Savings to get the best Portland grocery deals sent to your inbox each Thursday morning.
This article was originally posted on Stumptown Savings and republished on Montavilla News in cooperation with that publication. Montavilla News does not publish paid content.
On Saturday, April 26th, people can support the House of Dreams nonprofit, which provides shelter and care for abandoned and homeless cats, by buying plants and vegan baked goods. The annual fundraiser, held at 7634 SE Morrison Street, runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and attendees can purchase outdoor or indoor plants, decorative pots, and garden art. The event will also feature vegan baked goods and raffle prizes.
The House of Dreams began in 1999 and has remained an all-volunteer nonprofit organization. They house elderly and medically special-needs cats in a free-roam, no-kill shelter. Operators allow felines who are not adopted to live out their lives at the shelter. The 501(c)3 registered group depends on donations to support the ongoing care of their cats, many of whom are senior or feline leukemia-positive (FeLV+) animals. Event operators say all proceeds from the sale will go directly to the care and shelter of the cats at House of Dreams.
People walking back from the 19th annual 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade, which runs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., could stop by the sale to extend their outing and help a community organization. However, those who can not attend this fundraising event but want to support the organization’s efforts can visit the group’s website, kittydreams.org/support-us, to contribute in other ways.
Tréla Greek Kitchen opened at 6000 NE Glisan Street on December 16th, 2024, and introduced weekend brunch service the following March. By summer, the restaurant owner’s parents will open Yiayia’s Greek Sweets shop in an adjacent space, serving the dessert items made for Tréla, along with Greek beverages and soft-serve ice cream. Since opening, people have flocked to the casual fine dining restaurant’s dinner service, in part due to built-up demand and generational Greek food traditions expressed with a mix of imported and local ingredients.
People first learned about Tréla in 2023 with a fundraising campaign and some early reporting. The group received substantial praise for the concept, with its proximity to the Greek Orthodox church 30 blocks west on NE Glisan Street and its revival of a cuisine disappearing from the Portland restaurant landscape. “One of the reasons there’s not a lot of Greek restaurants right now is because my father’s generation had restaurants, and none of the kids wanted to take over. So once they retired, they just shut down one by one,” explained Tréla owner Napoleon Tzakis. Although Tréla is new, its origin comes from the experience of family-run restaurant culture, with Napoleon’s parents having a long history of feeding the public. Now, their children have this new space, with Anthony Tzakis running the kitchen, Katerina Tzakis overseeing the front-of-house operations, and Napoleon leading the group. The road to opening this next generation of Tzakis-run restaurants started with working alongside their parents, but launching their own place took years of hands-on work and a supportive property owner.
Left to right: Anthony Tzakis, Katerina Tzakis, Napoleon Tzakis, Helen Tzakis, and Denny Tzakis
Napoleon Tzakis recalled signing the lease in November of 2019, with hopes to open in a reasonable timeframe dashed by the pandemic. The building needed substantial work to convert the location from decades of bar operations into the warm dining space that the team envisioned. The building owners took on initial updates as part of the lease agreement. However, the property management is out of state, and that caused delays in renovating the space. By the time they could step into the building, a significant amount of time had passed. “We took possession, and it was our turn to do work. I would say about 85% of the work here is DIY (do it yourself), me and my brother with a couple friends did it,” said Napoleon Tzakis. They next encountered delays from a contractor’s issue installing the commercial exhaust hood in the kitchen, which is a critical part of opening and is often part of fire suppression system certification. Despite the delays in opening, people packed the restaurant nightly from the onset. Napoleon Tzakis attributes some of that early success to the delayed opening. “When we opened, they were excited for us to finally be open. It wasn’t like we just showed up out of nowhere. They knew we were coming, and I think that really helped with the popularity of this place.”
The public support pleasantly surprised Napoleon Tzakis, but his brother Anthony Tzakis was not shocked at all, seeing as this area has such a strong Greek community. Thursday through Sunday dinner service remains well attended, and the restaurant recommends reservations after 5 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome whenever they can accommodate them, and they offer bar seating where people can order from the full menu. They are open for dinner starting at 4 p.m. every day except for Tuesday and may consider opening every day if demand remains high. Napoleon Tzakis explained that the new brunch service from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays is the only expansion he expects beyond dinner, not seeing a demand for lunch service in the area.
The Greek brunch service is still evolving and features items like traditional Greek Loukaniko sausage, Bougatsa Greek custard pie, Greek yogurt, and an assortment of other brunch items with a Greek touch. People are still learning about the new meal time at Tréla, making it an accessible drop-in option for people wanting to become familiar with the restaurant, as the 80 available seats fill up fast for dinner.
They also offer a bar with imported Greek spirits and a selection from Washington, Oregon, or Utah. “We try to have a Greek liqueur in all of our cocktails, and then our mocktails use Roots Divino, a Greek non-alcoholic liquor,” explained Napoleon Tzakis. “The reason we picked Utah is because me and my brother were born in Utah. We still have family there. Then Oregon and Washington, obviously, because we’re here in the Pacific Northwest.” The regional adherence to the bar’s assortment sometimes bewilders brand-loyal drinkers. However, it is part of the owner’s commitment to supporting other small businesses and sourcing locally whenever not importing from Greece.
Diners will find many traditional Greek dishes on the menu relying on fresh and lightly seasoned meats from local suppliers. They are also known for the fresh pita bread, and dips made in-house daily. They produce 150 to 200 pitas for dinner service, seasoned with local honey and dry oregano to give it a distinct Greek flavor. Visitors also appreciate their calamari due to its rigorous preparation. “We buy whole calamari, cleaning, cutting, and seasoning ourselves. That’s very time-consuming. We’ve tried buying the pre-clean stuff, and they’re just kind of rubbery; we don’t want to lose the quality of the calamari, so we’re continuing to clean our own,” said Napoleon Tzakis. “I think that’s something people should definitely try. I would say it’s one of the best things on the menu.”
For head chef Anthony Tzakis, traditional cooking methods are at the core of how he runs his kitchen. “We try to preserve the heritage here in Portland. Not only our family’s but all the Greek families that we grew up with,” explained Anthony Tzakis. “A lot of recipes my dad passed down, and my grandparents used to cook. We want to try to make it a rustic, old-world feel. Greek food is very simple. It’s more about the little details that make it unique, the preparation and the care you put into making a simple dish.” Two sous-chefs, Caleb and Emmet, support Anthony Tzakis in the kitchen with four line cooks, prep cooks, and a dishwasher rounding out the back-of-house staff. They have a solid starting menu but will work with seasonally available ingredients to keep the offering fresh and the staff passionate. “I want to bring new things, and I want to make the kitchen excited to cook,” remarked Anthony Tzakis.
Helen Tzakis married into the restaurant business but had already absorbed the cooking traditions handed down through her family traditions. “My mother taught me. We learned how to do bread, all the pastries, and the cookies,” recalled Helen Tzakis. Even after leaving the restaurant world, she continued in commercial food production, now running the cafeteria at Stoller Middle School in Beaverton. That is one of the reasons her bakery and sweet shop opening needs to wait until Summer break. Additionally, Yiayia’s Greek Sweets shop still needs updated electrical service to support all the equipment necessary to serve her menu. Helen Tzakis is quick to separate herself from Tréla Greek Kitchen, noting that her children are responsible for its success. She is just the producer of desserts served there. Her shop will have all those items and more based on a wide range of adapted recipes from her homeland.
Yiayia’s Greek Sweets shop can produce many Greek pastries as people have made them for generations. However, Helen Tzakis explained that other items need modifications for large batches or to expand on the base flavors. Her galaktoboureko custard wrapped in phyllo required a tweak to the recipe, making it less tedious to produce at scale. It took considerable effort for the modified galaktoboureko to pass the harshest food critic she knows, her husband and lifelong Greek chef, Denny Tzakis. Her menu will also expand on tradition with baklava cheesecake and a baklava sundae. People visiting Yiayia’s Greek Sweets can also order Greek Coffee and a special imported mountain tea made from a wild growing plant in Greece that everyone from the family home village drinks. Helen Tzakis hopes to open in May but has to contend with her other job. She is training Denny Tzakis to bake her recipes so that Yiayia’s Greek Sweets will run smoothly when the school year starts this fall. They hope to have complementary hours to the restaurant, but it has its own entrance and signage and can adjust hours independently.
The Tzakis family is no stranger to this neighborhood and is excited to establish roots in this corner space. They have a lease renewable for another 21 years and intend to become a fixture for the community. In the early pre-opening days, Napoleon Tzakis had concerns about how people would receive Tréla Greek Kitchen, but that has changed over these last few months. “I didn’t realize how big of a demand for Greek food there was in Portland until we opened up this place. The city actually knows about Greek food,” remarked Napoleon Tzakis. He is now looking forward to growth plans, including live music. After a successful Greek Independence Day celebration, he is considering hosting quarterly Greek nights to deepen the cultural experience. The team also has other unannounced ambitions to serve the community’s needs better, growing this family business for future generations of Greek Portlanders.
Article and photos by
Jacob Loeb
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At 4 p.m. on March 13th, the Montavilla Station bar at 417 SE 80th Avenue will reopen after a repair and maintenance closure. The February 10th notice to customers indicated the business was undergoing deep cleaning and the repair of rotten floor sections. Subsequent posters placed around the neighborhood announced the “Grand Reopening” of the popular bar and entertainment venue on the 13th. For nearly two decades, people have visited the family-owned drinking establishment. However, its history as a central gathering point for Montavilla residents extends further back.
The century-old storefront opened in 1910 after a fire burned many buildings on the block. Early in its existence, Dickson Drugs operated from the space before that staple of Montavilla moved into the corner shop next door, currently home to Yaowarat restaurant. Dickson Drugs featured a soda fountain and served homemade ice cream to residents, ensuring it was a core meeting place. Decades later, a 1982 plumbing permit listed Rose Salvi as the owner of the building, and sometime after that, her daughter Rosalie Williams owned the property. In 2002, Rose Salvi’s son Raymond “Ray” Salvi and his wife Jean took over the property from Ray’s sister. Ray Salvi, longtime owner and president of Portland Disposal & Recycling, started working on a new business called Sassy Jack’s Pub around 2004. The business’s website lists the opening year as 2006, and around 2010, the owners renamed the location Montavilla Station. Raymond Salvi passed away on October 30th, 2018. His wife, Jean Salvi, still owns the building and bar.
Bar logo courtesy Montavilla Station
Montavilla Station adopted its branding from the streetcar line that once stopped in front of its door. Until the 1940s, passenger rail tracks ran up NE Glisan Street from downtown Portland, terminating on NE 91st Avenue near the Mount Hood Railway and Power Company station. That railway line opened in 1911, connecting Montavilla residents with the town of Bull Run. At NE 80th Avenue, the NE Glisan Montavilla streetcar followed a small spur track south until SE Stark Street. It stopped north of SE Stark Street and returned to the mainline on the same single-track along 80th. Segments of that rail line are still under the street.
Montavilla Station is open to people 21 or older from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Patrons can enjoy 14 beers on tap, a full bar, and an assortment of pub food items on the menu. Entertainment options include Karaoke on Wednesday and Thursday nights, pool tables, video lottery games, and shuffleboard.
