As we told you earlier this week, Portland's in downtown Phoenix closed its doors for good last Thursday. The restaurant's closure -- the result of a landlord dispute -- brought more than a decade of service to an abrupt end.
But Portland's owners, Michelle and Dylan Bethge, already have their hands in a new project, a restaurant called Oven+Vine, which will take over part of the 1940s brick building at 14 West Vernon Avenue, the same building that already houses Shine Coffee's Living Room.
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Dylan Bethge says they expect the restaurant to be open sometime this spring, though they also expect the process of re-adapting a historic building to be a time-intensive one. Bethge says the restaurant should be able to seat about 26 diners, with additional seating available on a patio that will overlook the pocket park installed earlier this year.
Bethge says the goal will be to create a "cozy neighborhood place" that's much more casual and family-friendly than Portland's used to be. Bethge says Oven+Vine will have little in common with Portland's at all.
"This will be a chance for us to try something different," he says.
As far as food, the menu will be "oven-driven" featuring slow-roasted brick oven fare. There also will be about a dozen beers available on tap and about that many wines available by the glass.
