Departure Will Reopen in Portland This Week

As the COVID-19 outbreak in Oregon continues to impact the local restaurant market, stories are popping up across the city, from food cart owners giving away free meals to chefs starting Instagram cooking classes. In this new version of AM Intel, we dive into different ways the state’s food service industry has been responding to the global pandemic. For more COVID-19 stories, check out our larger story stream.

The Nines Reopens

The downtown hotel home to Urban Farmer and Departure will reopen to guests tomorrow, August 13. The hotel has cut its rate down to $199 per night — somewhat reminiscent of its early days in Portland — through December 30. Departure will open to the public for indoor and rooftop patio dining August 13, and Urban Farmer will serve breakfasts to hotel guests starting this week, as well.

It’s worth noting that Sage Hospitality, which manages the restaurants within The Nines, has been under fire for accusations of discrimination, especially via the anonymous Instagram account Sage Workers United, which shares stories from former and current Sage employees. Sage Restaurant Concepts executive vice president Meaghan Goedde addressed a number of these claims earlier this summer, saying “appropriate corrective actions were taken”; the group didn’t specify what those actions were.

Those interested can make Departure reservations here and hotel reservations here.

Pop-Up Season

Magna has been on a roll: The Clinton Filipino restaurant begun serving a la carte takeout, the shaved ice treat halo halo, and various Filipino pastries, to serious applause. However, the restaurant isn’t close to slowing down: Magna celebrates its first anniversary Saturday, and the team is going all-out. On Saturday, chef Carlo Lamagna will bring his grill to the restaurant and serve plates of lechon, lumpia, and pancit, available for walk-ups starting at 4 p.m. The city is closing off that block on Clinton (stretching from 25th to 26th street), so Lamagna is calling it a “social distanced lechon block party.” On Monday, chef Monique Cadavona of the Brooklyn pop-up Mama Guava will roll through for a dinner, serving a Hawaiian meal of garlic shrimp, lemongrass pork skewers, and sweet potato bread pudding. Order tickets online via Eventbrite.

In Other News...

• A new-ish tea shop, Mamancy, has started serving teas and chocolates in Beaverton, donating 10 percent of its profits to underserved women and children in Kenya, where owner Anne Johnson grew up. [PoMo]
• Xico has started offering an a la carte menu of salads, rotisserie chicken, and Sonoran hot dogs on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, in addition to its longer-standing menu of pre-ordered family meals. Customers can order on the website. [EPDX]