Catch the End of Portland's Strawberry Shortcake Week

Here’s a tip: There are two more days to enjoy Portland’s strawberry shortcake week. Find your favorite restaurant serving up treats during peak berry season! 🍓

And here’s some news in honor of Pride month:

🏳️‍🌈 Badlands Opens Finally

Embers, the beloved gay bar and iconic Portland dance club, closed back in 2017, after 48 years in business. Now LGBTQ+-friendly Badlands opened this week in that space. Badlands has over 40 screens that’ll play music videos. It’s part of the nightclub chain Splash, which has clubs in Seattle and Sacramento. [Willamette Week]

🏳️‍🌈 ‘A Family-Friendly LGBTQIA+ Lounge’

Downtown gay bar Scandals isn’t moving east, as was speculated earlier this spring. Instead they’re expanding — opening what the Portland Mercury describes as “a family-friendly LGBTQIA+ lounge” with food, a bar, and an outdoor patio. It’ll serve vegan food, share space with Carioca Bowls, and open later this summer. [Portland Mercury]

🍓If you miss out on strawberry shortcake week, there are still plenty of strawberry treats to be had. I recently enjoyed a slice of strawberry short pie at Lauretta Jean’s and the fragola sorbetta at Pinolo Gelato, though check before you go to both because they are seasonal favorites.

Also: What delights are you enjoying this strawberry season? Please send your recommendations! And I’ll share them here.