Wildly Popular Portland Restaurant Kachka’s New Cocktail Bar Is Open

Northeast Portland’s newest spot for seafood towers and inventive vodka just hit the scene. That’d be Kachka Fabrika, the new seafood-driven cocktail bar that Kachka’s owners Israel and Bonnie Morales announced back in March. The new project debuted the second week of July. This eight-seat bar (with additional seating throughout the space) takes over the former Aimsir Distilling tasting room at 2117 NE Oregon Street.

The menu here is all brand new, though. Imagine tinned fish but on full blast: steelhead jerky, imported and domestic caviar, scallops on the half shell with corn milk foam and buckwheat furikake. The drinks are meant to highlight Kachka’s own spirits, six original martinis and vodka flights amongst nonalcoholic options and wine. The new bar is open 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday, Sunday, and Monday, and 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Limited reservations are available on OpenTable.

Happy Valley fest brings chefs to the woods

Pendarvis Farms’s Pickathon is back for its 25th anniversary Thursday, July 31, through Sunday, August 3. The outdoorsy arts festival is loved for its Curation series, a garden dining series with live music inside the grounds. This year’s Oregon talent includes Kachka (once again), No Sabo, Bauman’s on Oak, Nostrana, and Grounded Table. Getting a seat at the table requires a weekend pass or that day’s pass plus a Curation ticket on top of that.

Seafood and wine hits Clinton Street

Merrow, a new residency inside all-day cafe Fair Weather, kicks off Thursday, July 31. The pop-up will take over Thursdays through Saturdays for evening dinner and drink service. Formerly known as Pulp, Merrow’s menu highlights include grilled dry-aged mackerel, kombu-cured Fluke crudo, and legume salads. The brunch restaurant is the sister location of Jacqueline, which moved and left this space vacant.

Decade-old sports bar calls it quits

SE Portland’s Home, A Bar will shutter at the end of July. The Oregonian spotted the news on the business’s Instagram. Business owners Brett Burmeister and Scott Smith wrote the increasing cost of doing business in the area made it impossible to continue. Home, A Bar was loved for its homey menu and as the area’s go-to sports spot, inheriting the mantle from the Morrison Hotel.