Fundraising for the Portland Mercado

Here’s some bits on food to round out your weekly news diet:

Portland Mercado Relief

A disastrous fire on Wednesday morning has temporarily shuttered the Portland Mercado, a food cart pod and indoor market that serves up some of the city’s tastiest Latin American food, as well as serving as BIPOC business incubator. The fire was in the main building, but the food carts don’t currently have electricity or water. Sandy's Myanmar Cuisine is holding a fundraiser today for Barrio Bar and owner Chris Shimamoto; there’s also a GoFundMe for him and a broader fundraising effort for the Portland Mercado.

New Wave Coffee in Portland

Portland has long been a coffee powerhouse. And now there’s a new wave of coffee shops that are working to make the industry more inclusive and diverse, Eater Portland reports. They include Kalesa Coffee, Deadstock, Cafe Zamora, and Portland Cà Phê. [Eater Portland]

Got Legumes?

In years past I’ve made a New Year’s resolution to eat more salad. This year I’m adding a resolution to consume more lentils (and maybe chickpeas) too. They’re a good source of protein and better for the environment than meat. Here are some restaurant dishes I’m hoping to have again (or try out): dosas at Chennai Masala, dahl at Mirisata and Miruti, and chana masala at Bhuna.

Do you have recommendations for favorite restaurant dishes with legumes? What were your New Year’s resolutions?