NORTHWEST/ALPHABET DISTRICT—WWeek reports that NW 21st Avenue's beloved coffee counter Sterling Coffee Roasters (which is being forced to vacate its current digs next to Trader Joe's due to the grocery store's expansion) is in talks to share the nearby M Bar space. Per WW, Sterling would occupy the M Bar space during the day, with the bar operating business as usual in the evenings. More information as it becomes available. [WW]
SOUTHWEST—Legendary Greenwich Village cheese shop Murray's Cheese continues its expansion to the West Coast, announcing that three "mini-store" concepts will soon pop-up inside Fred Meyer grocery stores. The original Murray's opened in NYC in 1940, although a recent partnership with Kroger, Fred Meyer's parent company, has seen Murray's-curated cheese counters pop up in stores nationally, including a QFC in Seattle. The first Portland Murray's, slated for the Burlingame Fred Meyer (on SW Barbur), will debut on June 3. [EaterWire]
Image of Sterling Coffee Roasters courtesy Facebook
Oregon is home to a lot of restaurants, bars, wineries, and breweries, but there are tons of hidden gems that some Portlanders aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's many food players to share their recommendations for a weekly feature dubbed Dining Confidential.
Image of Aalto Lounge courtesy Facebook
SE Portland's Nostrana, beloved for the wood-fired, rustic Italian food of master chef Cathy Whims, also has a stellar bar program, curated by cocktail enthusiast and bar manager Douglas Derrick. Over the years Derrick has put Nostrana on the map for their signature cocktails, mastery of the negroni, and strong Italian craft beer selection. But after Derrick is done shaking your drinks for the night, he's usually on the hunt for some late night grub (and maybe some beer to-go):
Image of Matt Lightner courtesy Eater National; Sean Brock courtesy Facebook
Matt Lightner's getting a hell of a homecoming. The onetime Castagna chef — who's making waves in New York City with his newly four-starred restaurant Atera — will return to PDX for an event that's part of the upcoming Feast Portland food festival. And his scheduled collaborator is kind of a big deal: heralded chef Sean Brock, of Charleston, South Carolina's celebrated Husk restaurant, has been confirmed as a participant.
For the uninitiated, the Southern-cuisine-obsessed Brock is a James Beard Award-winner, sometime Charlie Rose guest, and once the subject of a 9,000-word New Yorker feature. Event organizers are mum on what exactly the Lightner-Brock pairing will contribute to the three-day festival, but stay tuned for updates as they become available.
· Feast Portland [Official site]
· All Previous Feast Coverage [Eater PDX]
· All Previous Matt Lightner Coverage [Eater PDX]
Oh hey remember that infamous post-Cochon 555 strip club fight between Thistle chef Eric Bechard and Cochon founder Brady Lowe? It's apparently still ongoing — this time, in court.
The Oregonian reports that Lowe has filed a civil lawsuit in the Multnomah Country Circuit Court, seeking $280,000 in damages and "accusing the chef at McMinnville's Thistle of battery and negligence." In addition to compensation for Lowe's physical injuries after the fight (which included a broken leg, resulting in a trip to the hospital), Lowe contends that the incident caused the touring pork orgy to "experience a loss in sponsorships and a significant decrease in attendance due to the negative press," per the suit. (All criminal charges were dropped post-incident.)
Cochon 555 skipped Portland during its 2011 tour but returned this year, with Naomi Pomeroy crowned champion and no after-party incidents. More information about the suit as it becomes available.
· Infamous fistfight Over a Pig's Provenance Leads to Lawsuit [OregonLive]
· All Previous Pig Fight Coverage [Eater PDX]
· All Previous Cochon 555 Coverage [Eater PDX]
Image of Brady Lowe at Cochon 2012 courtesy Avila/EPDX
The Chicago-based sandwich chain Potbelly — which appears to be somewhat of an institution in the Windy City — has sights set on its first Portland-area location. A tipster notes that Potbelly's official website is sounding the call for Portland-area general managers (in the 97204 zip code — aka downtown PDX).
Potbelly, which has 200 locations nationally, recently branched out to the Pacific Northwest, opening its first three locations in Seattle all within the past 12 months. (Eater Seattle notes that the spot has inspired either "love it" or "really, really hate it" reviews, with Weekly food critic Hanna Raskin noting that the toasted bread, at least, is "exceptionally good by chain-restaurant standards.")
Spot some Potbelly plywood around town? Holler.
· Potbelly Sandwich Shop [Official site]
Image of Potbelly Seattle courtesy Melissa N. via Yelp
In this week's event-planning EaterWire:
NORTHEAST— Grain & Gristle chef Nathaniel T. Price teams up with Alex Ganum of Upright Brewing to host a beer-fueled dinner at the brewery this Thursday, May 17. Six pours will take center stage straight from the barrel, from in-progress Berliner Weiss to Late Harvest Manhattan. Mediterranean dishes from Price will star alongside each pour, including smoked pork belly with spring succotash. Tickets are $55 per person and can be purchased here.
NE ALBERTA—On Tuesday, May 15, Aviary partners with Breakside Brewery for its first beer dinner of the season. This union marks the unveiling of the Ginger Wit, a collaborative effort by Breakside and Aviary — a summery, ginger-infused white beer with traces of lemon. For the occasion, co-chefs Jasper Chen, Kat Whitehead, and Sarah Pliner have composed a four-course menu: dishes like steak tartare with fried quail eggs and pickled cauliflower will feature alongside Breakside's nuanced brews. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased by calling the restaurant.
Image Gigantic courtesy Emily H. via Yelp
Big-name brewers Ben Love (formerly of Hopworks Urban Brewery) and Van Havig (an alum of Rock Bottom Brewing) have debuted their hotly anticipated (and modestly named) brewery Gigantic Brewing Co. on SE 26th Avenue. The tasting room and "Champagne lounge" currently offers three Gigantic beers on tap (a signature IPA, a black saison dubbed "The City Never Sleeps," and a golden "St. Tennenholz"), as well as previously released collaborations with other local breweries (like the Collabo Wabo, brewed with Eugene's Oakshire Brewing).
Hours of operation: Wednesday-Friday, 3-9pm; Saturday, 2-9pm; Sunday, 2-8pm.
· Gigantic Brewing [Official site]
· All Previous Gigantic Coverage [Eater PDX]
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Over the weekend, Eater National interviewed Spanish chef Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz (ranked #3 in the world) about his new Phaidon book and his restaurant. Aduriz talks about the creative process, cultural interpretation, having fun, soccer, and his goals: "I went to cooking school decades ago, and there they taught me how to make delicious food. It's not my goal to make delicious food anymore. I want to make interesting food." Head on over to the mothership for 
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