A charming East Portland neighborhood, Montavilla has continued to evolve over the past year with new outdoor eateries opening next door to diverse dining institutions. Eclectic shops and thrift stores, a year-round Farmer’s Market, and walkable downtown stretch make Montavilla a must-visit on your next trip to Portland, just a mere 6-miles from downtown Portland.
Opening October 2021, Zuckercreme is a collaborative marketplace, pop-up incubator and bakery café all in one under the helm of innovator Brittany Sigal, best known for the pop-up Portland Strawberry Museum in June 2021. The new space will sell baked goods, art, and treats inspired by seasonal activities, produce, and holidays. Don’t miss the “Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice” fall series beginning October 1.
Zuckercreme will open one block from Lazy Susan, which opened in the height of the pandemic (June 2020) by owner Earl Ninsom (Langbaan / Hat Yai) and culinary power couple Andrew Mace (formerly Le Pigeon and Han Oak) and pastry-chef Nora Mace (formerly Tusk and Ava Gene’s). This family-friendly charcoal grill restaurant and bar features heritage meats and hand-grown local produce in a Covid-conscious space with outdoor dining and partial indoor dining, as week as take-home weekend Brunch Boxes.
Opened June 2021, the neighborhood’s first food cart pod – The Yard at Montavilla – offers a diverse mix of culinary fare featuring black-owned Erica’s Soul Food (southern cuisine), Taquiza Vegana (vegan Mexican street food), Little Bear (Vietnamese street food), Bobablastic (poke bowls and bubble tea), and more. Nearby Sebastiano’s, opened June 2020 as a Sicilian-inspired deli focusing on muffulettas and cannoli, with a food cart called Apertivo Sebastiano that lives just behind the deli with expanded offerings.
Neighbouring Hungry Heart uses locally-sourced and seasonal ingredients for its decadent bakery and coffee offerings. All food is made from scratch daily. Owned by Jax and Morgan Hart, the business is queer-owned and WOC-owned. The bakery also has a small market of goods from their kitchen and other local food vendors. They are also working on a new Montavilla brunch restaurant, White Rabbit, which is expected to open late 2021.
These new outposts all neighbor Montavilla staples including family-owned Middle Eastern restaurant Ya Hala, the culinary anchor of the neighborhood – The Observatory – and it’s next door 21+ bar – Over and Out. Additional favorites are Flying Pie Pizzeria known for its fresh, hand-rolled pizza dough, Tinker Tavern which opened in October 2020 and is known for their to-go cocktails and Roscoe’s where you can order sushi from its neighbor, Miyamoto Sushi, from the bartender (it’s not on the menu, but it’s a well-known neighborhood secret).
A trip to Montavilla isn’t complete without perusing the women-owned boutique Union Rose, and Monticello Antique Place, a can’t miss for antique shoppers visiting town. But, perhaps the most well-known anchor of the neighborhood is Academy Theater , which opened in 1948 and serves excellent microbrews, Flying Pie pizza or sushi from the neighborhood Miyamoto. Tickets are $4 per person for a second-run film—and they offer babysitting for $9.50 (date night, anyone?).
