Bar Carlo to celebrate 5 years; building on the market

fosterpowellpdx — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:13:50 +0000

First, let us get this out of the way: Bar Carlo isn’t going anywhere…at least not for the duration of their lease, which will keep them serving up your favorite brunch for several more years at a minimum.

However, the building which houses the neighborhood fixture is up for sale.

What does this mean for you? Well, for one, it is an attempt to reassure you that one of Foster’s best dining options isn’t going anywhere. Secondly, it’s to solicit offers from local investors who seek to maintain the building in a fashion that best fits the neighborhood scale and character.

Above Bar Carlo are seven apartments, which, we imagine, will someday be prime living quarters. In fact, as Foster Road develops, this could be the model (after a bit of renovation, perhaps) of what mixed-use buildings could potentially look like: ground floor commercial space, and modest, multi-unit residential space above. With the “heart of Foster” being primed for growth, this building plays a vital role in neighborhood vitality, and without a doubt will benefit from the someday-opearational theater next door.

And if the Saturday and Sunday morning crowds are any indication, Bar Carlo’s presence will benefit its new neighbors, too. In that same vein, it is time to celebrate that presence, as Bar Carlo will be marking their five year anniversary this Saturday, 2/25. To bring in year six in style, DJ’s Mike Steele, Mason Fisher, and Melody will be spinning club classics and 80′s hits Saturday night, from 9p until closing. Come out and show your love for FoPo’s own. They’ve definitely earned it.

With that, we wish you a happy birthday. May you find a decent buyer and friendly landlord.

Tambayan gets nod in the Merc

fosterpowellpdx — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:24:14 +0000

Chris Onstad, the Mercury’s new food critic, made his debut last week with a review of Foster’s own Tambayan. The Filipino restaurant has received a fair share of good press, despite its unassuming location, and Onstad gives them further propers with a nod to their authenticity, taste and affordability…oh, and the fact that it isn’t easy to find good Filipino food in SE Portland. You can read more here.

Welcome aboard, Chris…

Meet Your Neighbors: Kay & Gretchen Sweetness Bakery & Cafe

fosterpowellpdx — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:46:08 +0000

Kay Krueger & Gretchen Krueger
of
Sweetness Bakery and Cafe
3524 SE 52nd Ave. PDX 97206

Who are you?
Kay and Gretchen Krueger

What do you do?
We own and operate Sweetness Bakery and Cafe in FoPo. Everything we make is from scratch using the best ingredients possible. We make muffins, danish, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, cookies, beautiful cakes and pies, and really incredible, imaginative and delicious savory pastries and breakfasts. Gretchen is the driving force behind the pastries and savories while Kay cooks up delicious breakfasts and decorates the birthday, anniversary, special occasion and wedding cakes.

What is your inspiration? (Why do you do what you do?)
We are 3rd and 4th generation bakers, respectively. Our biggest inspiration is our mother/grandmother, Hilda Austermuehle. She had a passion and dedication for her business that really set it apart from other bakeries. We think about her every time we develop a new product or idea.

What brought you and/or your business to the Foster-Powell Community?
In the winter of 2006, we decided that it was time to continue our family tradition. The bubble tea shop that was here was for sale and we made the plunge. This neighborhood and its wonderful people have helped us make Sweetness what it is today- we would not be here without them. We love to host the Foster-Powell Neighborhood Association meetings here every month as well as being involved with local schools and other groups. I feel like we’ve made a lot of great friends over the years!

What is your favorite way to enjoy Foster?
Kay loves to visit other businesses on Foster- Bar Carlo, O’Malley’s, The Slingshot, Tortalandia, Meticon, etc. Gretchen loves to walk down Foster and take photographs of the quirky, unique things that make Foster Foster.

How do you envision the future of Foster?
It’s here! There have been so many changes in the last 5 years to the streetscape, businesses, storefronts, and residents that it’s almost unrecognizable from what it was just a few years ago. I think that the influx of young families has so much to do with that.

Some top fives to appease the list lovers……

Your Top Five Songs to get you through life?
1. pretty much any Pearl Jam song
2. Mozart
3. Led Zeppelin
4. Beethoven
5. Etta James

Your Top Five Haunts in Portland
1. Slingshot
2. O’Malley’s
3. Decorette Shop
4. Cash and Carry
5. Murder by the Book (on Hawthorne and 32nd)

Happy weekend, FoPo!

fosterpowellpdx — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:04:56 +0000

Three day weekend! Thanks, Abe…thanks, George.

It looks like a fairly uneventful weekend ahead, and there isn’t a whole lot to recap from the week either. So, aside from a few tidbits, maybe we can hear from you: what are you all going to do this weekend? Any news you’d like to share?

- As reported earlier, our poll showed overwhelming support for bike and potential streetcar improvements on Foster Road. When given the choice between bikes and streetcar, most felt bikes would be the easiest and most cost-effective transit improvement. That means folks are looking for bike lanes, bike lockers, etc. However, if given the choice to have both, streetcar and bike facilities, the majority of respondents put their favor there. Thanks to everyone who commented and let their vision for Foster be known.

- Speaking of best ways to use Foster, remember that FoPo was ranked as the 26th most walkable neighborhood in Portland. This may not seem great, but out of 92 neighborhoods, it puts us in the top third. In fact, based on one metric, we’re more walkable than Montavilla and Woodstock. Add in potential bike lanes, or even a future streetcar, and all of the sudden a 20-minute neighborhood can exist in outer Southeast Portland. There’s potential in Lents, too. We just need that grocery store.

- Coffee with Alissa? Come meet your House District 46 Rep, Alissa Keny-Guyer, at Bar Carlo this Sunday, February 19th, from 3:30 to 4:30. The informal meet and greet will give you access to our current and hopeful future representative in Salem. Keny-Guyer recently replaced Oregon House Rep. Ben Cannon, who was a big advocate for our neighborhood, and was partially responsible for the Foster Town Hall meeting in 2010, which was meant to urge the city to implement safety improvements (yes, nearly two years ago) on Foster Road. His replacement, Keny-Guyer, has offered similar support and we hope to count her as another advocate in Salem.

- PBOT has two more open houses to discuss community concerns regarding the city’s high-crash corridors. This is a great venue to keep our concerns about Foster Road on the table. Make your voices heard! The next meeting is on February 29th at Robert Gray Middle School in SW Portland. Closer to home, the last open house will be on March 7th at Harrison Park K-8 School, on 87th and Division. Let us know if you need more details.

- The Bob White Theatre is having another estate sale this Saturday, 2/18. Again, this is a great opportunity to take a peek inside and see what magic is to become.

Happy weekend, y’all!