Coming Soon: Four new restaurants opened in August and ten more are on the way
Emily TeelCheesecake, karaage-stuffed bao buns, upscale tacos and more; the Salem-area restaurant scene had four new arrivals this weekend. Plus, there are at least ten more eateries set to open before the end of the year.
Beloved Cheesecakes - NOW OPEN
This new cheesecake bakery in Silverton at 205 Oak St., Suite B opened on the second of August. Owner Jen Jacobson baked her first cheesecake as a gift of gratitude for the staff at her son's school. A survivor of domestic violence, a mother of three sons and a recent graduate of Portland State University, Jacobson was able to open Beloved Cheesecakes thanks to the support of 196 backers of a successful crowd-funding campaign.
More details: Beloved Cheesecakes in Silverton just needed a kick to get started
Chubby Panda Bao House - NOW OPEN
Joseph Ngo's bright red food truck Chubby Panda Bao House opened on August 2. Seek them out soon at Beehive Station (5669 Commercial Street SE) to try Ngo's menu of rice bowls and bao, steamed buns stuffed with honey barbecued pork, Japanese-style fried chicken, or carne asada.
More details: Chubby Panda Bao House (Facebook)
Chronic Tacos
Oregon is getting its first outpost of Southern California-based fast-casual chain Chronic Tacos Mexican Grill. Couple Angel Scott and Kristoffer Scott have signed a lease at 268 Liberty St NE. The menu at Chronic Tacos follows a fast-casual format, similar to Chipotle Mexican Grill, where guests choose a base format, a protein (including Beyond Meat options for vegans and vegetarians) and toppings to taste. Breakfast tacos and burritos are available all day, as is a kids menu, and the chain offers gluten-free options as well. The Scotts hope to open the business by the end of 2019, or early in 2020.
More details:Oregon's first Chronic Tacos location to open in Salem
Deanie's Wienies
An entire restaurant devoted to hot dogs is on its way to Salem from Dean Ables. Owner of Deanie's Wienies hot dog kiosk in the Woodburn Premium Outlets, Ables is making headway on the restaurant space in the 45th Parallel Building at 2195 Hyacinth Street NE. The food menu will be largely the same as in Woodburn where $4.99 gets you an all-beef hot dog on a seasoned, grilled top-split bun from Cascade Baking Company and free, unlimited toppings from a 30 item list. Ables hopes to open in late September.
More details:Hot dog! Woodburn entrepreneur to open frankfurter restaurant in Salem
Donatello's Independence
Downtown Independence is getting a place for pizza! Window signage indicates that a new location of Donatello's Pizza is heading for the former Three-Legged Dog location at 250 South Main Street. The posted menu appears to be identical to that at 3981 Commercial Street in Salem.
More details:Independence pub closes, owner raises questions about downtown growth
Fork 40 Food Hall
Construction continues at Salem's downtown food hall. While owners Conrad Venti and Charles Weathers' lips are sealed about the space's vendors, the team is sharing updates about the space every Friday at 4:40 p.m. via Instagram stories. On August 2 they shared that they have confirmed that one unnamed vendor will be offering organic vegan soft serve ice cream.
More details:Salem is getting a food hall similar to Portland's Pine Street Market
Gilgamesh Brewing's The Woods
Construction continues at Gilgamesh Brewing's West Salem bar, to be called The Woods. It is to be located in the big green building at The Pointe at Glen Creek development, the three-building shopping center at Wallace and Glen Creek Roads. The Radke family harvested fir trees from their land in Turner and sheared them into decorative posts and slabs. The resulting boards will be used to make the tables and a long, curved live-edge bar made from a single tree. In celebration of their upcoming West Salem opening, Gilgamesh and Xicha Brewing are collaborating on a beer to be released at both businesses.
More details:Gilgamesh Brewing's West Salem bar takes shape, announces name
In-N-Out Burger
Keizer Station's highly anticipated burger destination In-N-Out is taking shape, but not yet immediately approaching opening. Trust that you will hear about it as the time approaches.
More details:In-N-Out Burger begins construction at Keizer Station
Kkoki Korean BBQ
On Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, Salem's The Rock Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits served its last pie. Soon, the 3610 Center Street NE location will become a new location of Korean barbecue restaurant Kkoki BBQ. Kkoki currently has two locations, one in Beaverton on Canyon Road and another in Portland on SE Powell Boulevard. Part-owner Anthony An said that they are busy opening a new location in Eugene, but will soon focus on Salem. They plan to open in Salem later by November.
More details:The Rock Wood Fired Pizza is closed, space to become Kkoki Korean Barbecue
La Vida Catrina - NOW OPEN
Couple Oscar Flores and Isabel Hernandez have reopened the former Casa Rojas as new restaurant La Vida Catrina Kitchen of Mexico. Flores and Hernandez previously operated a Don Flores Mexican Cuisine food truck in Tigard. In Salem, they aim to offer upscale takes on Mexican cuisine, including Prime skirt steak fajitas, shrimp and crab enchiladas, and fresh halibut tacos with baja cream sauce.
More details:Casa Rojas Mexican Restaurant to close, will reopen under new name, ownership
Masonry Grill
Melissa Mason will soon open Masonry Grill in the historic building at 120 Commercial Street NE. Renovations and structural improvements are well underway to transform the place into a modern American bar and grill with abundant patio seating. Samuel Woodward, who has cooked for years in Portland, first at the now-shuttered El Fornaio and since 2012 at Elephants Delicatessen will be Masonry Grill's head chef.
More details:Masonry Grill, new restaurant under local ownership, heading to former Spaghetti Warehouse
Parallel 45 Brewing
Independence's first brewery, Parallel 45, hasn't yet opened to the public but the brewery is up and running, serving their beers at tap takeovers and summer events in the Salem-area.
More details:Test beers are in the works at Parallel 45 Brewing, a new brewery in Independence
Ratchet Brewing Silverton
Ratchet co-owners Dan Miletta and William Mary will soon open a second location in Silverton at 990 North First Street in the space that was, for eight years, home to Seven Brides Brewing. The duo has now brewed their first beers in the new space, and they've started barrel aging beer there as well. They're not quite ready to open to the public but hope to do so in short order.
More details:Ratchet Brewery opening second brewery and taphouse at Seven Brides space in Silverton
T4
T4 Tea House, a new Taiwanese-based tea cafe franchise, is under construction at 6395 Keizer Station Boulevard #104. Owners Michelle Wong and Dicky Chan plan to open in early September. In June the couple opened another T4 location in Clackamas. In addition to bubble tea beverages, expect a menu of savory snacks heavy on the fried goodies. T4's most popular dish is popcorn chicken with basil, and the cafe will also offer fries, potstickers and "egg puff" bubble waffles.
More details:Basil popcorn chicken and honey peach bubble tea at new cafe coming to Keizer
Emily Teel is the Food & Drink Editor at the Statesman Journal. Contact her at eteel@statesmanjournal.com, Facebook, or Twitter. See what she's cooking and where she's eating this week on Instagram: @emily_teel
