City Cast Portland
🍨 Portland’s best ice cream
July 6, 2026 · — Rachel Monahan
Good morning, Portland! Our weather reminds me of an old-school Oregon summer, when the rain only stopped after the 4th of July. In time for this warm, sunny weather, we have some picks for a classic summer treat — with a twist:
Today's Must-Know
Portland’s Best Ice Cream Isn’t Technically Ice Cream
Food writer Alex Frane shared his favorite spots for ice cream and other frozen summer treats on the podcast. And in the end, none of the places serve plain-old ice cream:
- Kulfi has Indian ice cream and kulfi.
- Cornet Custard is frozen custard from Mika Paredes of L'Echelle.
- Ice Queen serves vegan paletas rather than ice cream.
- Kate's is ice cream, but it’s vegan, made with coconut milk.
- Pinolo Gelato has Italian gelato.
- 🎧 Plus, Frane shares details of the best of each spot — and why loving vanilla is nothing to be ashamed of. [City Cast Portland 🎧]
📲 What did we miss? Please mail us your favorite spots for ice cream and other summer desserts. We’ll share them with your fellow readers in an upcoming newsletter.
What's CITY Talking About
A Notable Departure
The couple who worked to remake Old Town is now leaving town. Jonathan Cohen and Jessie Burke are selling the Society Hotel. They’ve already sold their home and a rental property. Cohen cofounded the shoe incubator Made in Old Town, which shut down after defaulting on a $7 million loan this spring. Burke ran unsuccessfully for County Commission, though she successfully managed Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez’s campaign. [Willamette Week]
Mini-Mart Owner Pleaded Guilty to Drug Trafficking
As part of an effort to address crime at Dawson Park, police arrested the owner of the nearby North Portland Stop N Go Mini Mart last year. They found 101 grams of cocaine, 19 grams of heroin, 16 grams of meth, and 889 fentanyl pills at the store. Donald Sharma, 44, of Beaverton, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and was sentenced last week to 13 months in prison. [KOIN]
Construction on Interstate Bridge Can Finally Begin
The project to replace the Interstate 5 bridge is making headway as the federal environmental review process gave a thumbs-up for the start of construction. The cost of the proposed replacement remains a major hurdle, but the bridge poses a safety risk as it is unable to withstand an earthquake. [OPB]
What To Do
Monday, July 6
- 🌳 Evening Yoga Flow in Forest Park | Lower MacLeay Park (Northwest District)
- 🚴 Mellow Mondays: Japanese City Pop Ride | Abernethy School (Buckman)
- 🧠 Bridgetown Trivia | No Fun Bar (Buckman)
- 🎵 The Oregon Bach Festival: Celebratory Cantatas | Reed College
- 🤣 Monday Material Comedy Open Mic | Coffee Beer (Creston-Kenilworth)
Tuesday, July 7
- 🔭 Science Pub: Homelessness and Health | McMenamins Mission Theater (Northwest District)
- 🍷 Wine on the Deck – Suzor Wines | Pal's (Hayden Island)
- 🎵 Noon Tunes: JT Wise Band | Pioneer Courthouse Square
- 🎤 Tuesgayz Queer Karaoke | Coffee Beer (Creston-Kenilworth)
- ⚾ Portland Pickles vs. Corvallis Knights | Walker Stadium (Lents)
- 🏊 Tuesday Splashdown | Audrey McCall Beach (Central Eastside)
Wednesday, July 8
- 🎵 Opera a la Cart | Holly Farm Park (West Portland Park)
- 🛍️ People's Farmers' Market | People's Food Co-op (Richmond)
- 💃 Tabor Dance | Laurelhurst Park
- 📸 The Power of Place: America 250 Oregon | McMenamins Grand Lodge (Forest Grove)
- 🎭 Global Improvisation Initiative Symposium 2026 | Downtown (various location)
- 🎵 NEW@NIGHT: George Takei's ‘Lost Freedom: A Memory’ | Alberta Rose Theatre (Concordia)
🤯 A Milwaukie salon’s got a different kind of focus: It’s a head spa — part of a trend that started in Japan.
Moii Head Spa seeks to drain away your stress with treatments that include head and neck massage and “deep-cleansing shampoo and steam treatment for your scalp and hair,” the Oregonian reports after paying a visit.
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