Skip to main contentFans of Korean food may mourn the passing of Celadon, that Seoul-by-way-of-Tokyo restaurant which recently closed up shop on Northwest 23rd Avenue, but now they have something new to celebrate--Be Won has opened in its place. Amy An and her mother-in-law, both natives of Korea, envision Be Won as a place to experience very traditional Korean cooking at a high-end level. Han jung shik, a traditional eight-course meal that starts with juk (a porridge) and ends with cha and deok (tea and rice cake) can be had for about $25 per person. A la carte items include marinated meats and delicate broths. Plus, they have bi bim bap. Fun to say and read, bi bim bap is a dish that takes rice and mixes it with veggies and meats and different sauces. Bigger cities with larger Korean populations have been slurping up the bi bim bap (bi bim means "mixed" and bap is cooked rice) hot and heavy for the past few years in a craze that rivals Portland's bento obsession. Be Won offers three different varieties for dinner and two for lunch.
(Be Won, 1203 NW 23rd Ave., 464-9222)
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More on Northwest 23rd Avenue: Habitués of Tribute's (formerly Richie B.'s) pizza and sandwich shop on Kearney and 23rd might have to down that meatball wedge without the hard-to-miss presence of former namesake Richie Brose. Brose, the muscleman with the East coast jabber, tells Miss Dish that it looks as though he's parting ways with the enterprise and may be serving up sausages and peppers from a cart in Seaside soon. The big lug will be missed.
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This Friday marks the opening of John Connel-Maribona's latest venture--Ca–ita. Connel-Maribona, as you undoubtedly recall, is the brilliant mastermind behind Northeast Glisan Street's sensational Pambiche restaurant, featuring Cuban Creole cuisine. Ca–ita, according to Connel-Maribona, will be a tad different from its predecessor in that its main focus is the bar while Pambiche is more a restaurant. Still, Connel-Maribona says, food will be very important, and the kitchen will be taking advantage of the grill that's on site at Ca–ita and absent at Pambiche. Look for bistec de palomilla--a traditional marinated and grilled steak--as one such dish available only at Ca–ita.
(Ca–ita, 503 W Burnside St., 274-4050. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.)
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Ah, August. The waning of the sweet summer months and the American Idol throwdown. Plus, the opportunity to sample vino from more than 60 Oregon wineries for the reasonable fee of $35 on Monday, Aug. 26, from 6 to 9 pm at the Center for the Performing Arts at 1111 SW Broadway. Vintage Oregon brings together the wine industry to show off its wares for fans. To check out who will be on board, go to www.oregonwinegrowers.org. Call 228-8403 for tickets.
WWeek 2015