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Michael Mina has spent decades building a restaurant empire from San Francisco to Dubai. This fall, he's setting his sights much closer to home and opening his first Portland venture.

The big picture: With Bar Sprezzatura, the James Beard Award-winning, Ellensburg, Washington-raised chef will bring one of the country's better-known restaurant groups to the city at a moment when downtown is doubling down on its culinary cachet.

The Mina Group will take over all food and beverage operations at the historic 1927 Heathman Hotel, including the restaurant, lobby bar and hotel breakfast.

What he's saying: "Portland is really my type of city," Mina told Axios. "When I'm looking at a city to open a restaurant, I look for produce, product and clientele and then wait for the right opportunity."

Zoom in: Bar Sprezzatura will be a sibling to Mina's bar of the same name in San Francisco's Financial District. There, the Venetian bacari-inspired menu leans luxe with a $130 caviar service, lobster gnocchi and dishes that can be loaded up with uni and roe.

Portland's version will be more relaxed, with "cozy alcoves" and "materials that aren't overly flashy," Mina said. "Sprezzatura" roughly translates to "nonchalance" in Italian, and Mina wants that ease reflected in the room, too.

"We always ensure the right aesthetic and tone is set to feel in harmony with the community."

Best bites: Mina tapped Portland chef Justin Ramirez, who previously worked with Mina in San Francisco, to lead the kitchen. Ramirez is also known for his time at Pearl District wine bar Arden and acclaimed neighborhood eatery Coquine.

The menu will lean heavily on Pacific Northwest produce, seafood and meats, with daily specials built around what Ramirez sources from local farms and the Oregon coast.

Venetian-style cicchetti — or small savory snacks like crostini, olives and meatballs — will anchor the offerings alongside handmade pastas and pizzettes.

Mina said he expects the baked clams with lardo and breadcrumbs, as well as the seasonal crudos — like a carne cruda with matsutake mushrooms — to become instant signatures.

Meanwhile, at the bar: Expect Italian-leaning cocktails (like negronis, martinis and spritzes), plenty of amaro, and Oregon touches like Clear Creek's Douglas fir brandy.

If you go: Bar Sprezzatura, inside the Heathman Hotel (1001 SW Broadway), opens this fall.

Michael Mina makes his Pacific Northwest homecoming

Expect cicchetti, handmade pasta and plenty of Pacific Northwest ingredients.

Left: a smiling chef in a white uniform at a counter. Right: a stylish lounge with a long bar, curved seating, shelves of bottles, and round pendant lights.

Michael Mina, the celebrity chef, restaurateur and James Beard Award winner, is bringing his talents home. Images: Courtesy of Mina Group

Michael Mina, seen here in a white chef's jacket, smiles in a portrait.

Michael Mina has spent decades building a restaurant empire from San Francisco to Dubai. This fall, he&#x27;s setting his sights much closer to home and opening his first Portland venture.The big picture: With <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bar Sprezzatura" data-vars-click-url="https://www.barsprezzatura.com/locations/portland" data-vars-content-id="0559853e-b7f0-440a-8c9b-8e9c238f9bbc" data-vars-headline="Michael Mina makes his Pacific Northwest homecoming" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.barsprezzatura.com/locations/portland" target="_blank">Bar Sprezzatura</a>, the James Beard Award-winning, Ellensburg, Washington-raised chef will bring one of the country&#x27;s better-known restaurant groups to the city at a moment when downtown is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="doubling down on its" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/07/02/sushi-fukami-omakase-opening" data-vars-content-id="0559853e-b7f0-440a-8c9b-8e9c238f9bbc" data-vars-headline="Michael Mina makes his Pacific Northwest homecoming" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/07/02/sushi-fukami-omakase-opening" target="_self">doubling down on its</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="culinary cachet" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/07/30/brian-malarkey-steakhouse-restaurant" data-vars-content-id="0559853e-b7f0-440a-8c9b-8e9c238f9bbc" data-vars-headline="Michael Mina makes his Pacific Northwest homecoming" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/07/30/brian-malarkey-steakhouse-restaurant" target="_self">culinary cachet</a>.

Food and Drink

For more than three decades, a Portland-based nonprofit has planted thousands of gardens in low-income neighborhoods, schools and prisons across the state to reduce food insecurity.

Why it matters: As rising grocery costs strain budgets and federal cuts limit food assistance for more families, Growing Gardens' mission isn't about providing meals, but giving people the skills and support to produce their own.

"We feel that teaching people to grow can contribute to long-sustaining food sovereignty," development manager Thuy Pham told Axios.

Catch up quick: Growing Gardens started as a grassroots organization in 1996 focused on bringing fresh food into Oregon prisons.

Since then, it's expanded to provide horticulture education at nearly a dozen Portland-area Title I schools and has installed garden beds at more than 3,000 households.

Food grown through the school program is used in the cafeteria and sent home through take-home cooking kits to help "build curiosity" among students, Pham said.

Plus: The nonprofit now works in 14 prisons across Oregon ranging from minimum security to maximum security.

Roughly 350,000 pounds of fresh food is grown on Department of Corrections land per year, 95% of which is used in prison kitchens.

Sunlit community garden with raised beds, trellises, and dense trees. People walk among vegetables and flowers; a small shed painted with a sun mural stands near the left.

For students, growing a cucumber can create "a powerful feeling of accomplishment," Pham says. Photo: Courtesy of Growing Gardens

How it works: Growing Gardens doesn't just install a garden bed and then leave. Its home gardening program, which is geared toward low-income households, includes three years of mentorship — staff provide the plant starts and instructions and help turn the garden at the end of the season to prepare for spring.

Participants choose what they want to grow and eat, and Growing Gardens cultivates those plants in its greenhouse before distributing them.

"We are there throughout the whole process," Pham said. "We're going to put this knowledge in your hands. If you don't want to grow your own food, you don't have to."

That support is translating into savings: 92% of participants surveyed last year said growing their own food lowered their grocery bill, according to Growing Gardens' internal statistics shared with Axios.

What's next: Growing Gardens is scaling up its reach. Its six-greenhouse network launched last year to serve the wider tri-county area and produced 54,000 plant starts earlier this spring.

"We just want to remind people of the things that they can do for themselves," Pham said.

If you go: Growing Gardens' "Chef in Your Garden" 30th anniversary dinner is Aug. 29 at 5pm at the Redd on Salmon (831 Southeast Salmon St.).

The three-course, family-style dinner will be led by Alexa Numkena-Anderson of Indigenous restaurant Javelina with produce from Mr. Farms.

How Growing Gardens is planting food sovereignty

Its programs now reach low-income homes, schools and 14 Oregon prisons.

Smiling woman in a navy vest holds a tray of fresh vegetables (corn, broccoli, kale, squash) in a rural garden with a wooden shelter and greenhouse in the background.

The goal is to build food independence, one harvest at a time. Photo: Courtesy of Growing Gardens

For more than three decades, a Portland-based nonprofit has planted thousands of gardens in low-income neighborhoods, schools and prisons across the state to reduce food insecurity.Why it matters: As <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rising grocery costs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/01/16/grocery-prices-west-rise-december-2025" data-vars-content-id="46a5f4f2-dd6f-4ffa-ac4c-a5c67c99e93b" data-vars-headline="How Growing Gardens is planting food sovereignty" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/01/16/grocery-prices-west-rise-december-2025" target="_self">rising grocery costs</a> strain budgets and federal cuts <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="limit food assistance" data-vars-click-url="https://www.npr.org/2026/08/03/nx-s1-5906797/snap-food-stamp-federal-changes-what-to-know" data-vars-content-id="46a5f4f2-dd6f-4ffa-ac4c-a5c67c99e93b" data-vars-headline="How Growing Gardens is planting food sovereignty" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.npr.org/2026/08/03/nx-s1-5906797/snap-food-stamp-federal-changes-what-to-know" target="_blank">limit food assistance</a> for more families, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Growing Gardens" data-vars-click-url="https://www.growing-gardens.org/" data-vars-content-id="46a5f4f2-dd6f-4ffa-ac4c-a5c67c99e93b" data-vars-headline="How Growing Gardens is planting food sovereignty" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.growing-gardens.org/" target="_blank">Growing Gardens</a>&#x27; mission isn&#x27;t about providing meals, but giving people the skills and support to produce their own.

Demolition of the fire-ravaged Centennial Mills building began Monday, starting with four controlled explosions to bring down the building's rooftop water tower.

State of play: Ever since a blaze gutted the blighted 116-year-old Northwest Portland landmark earlier this month, nearby residents and property owners have been on their toes as city officials warn the unstable structure is at risk of collapse.

The threat posed by the seven-floor building's husk collapsing prompted closure of part of nearby Northwest Naito Parkway and Fields Park, and halted Amtrak service between Portland and Seattle indefinitely.

Threat level: A sudden collapse could send debris containing asbestos and lead airborne and into surrounding neighborhoods.

Zoom in: Crowds started to gather along the eastern shore of the Willamette, on the Broadway Bridge and even in boats — and at least one paddleboard — hours before detonation.

Crews could be seen attaching white explosive charges to each of the four corner beams holding up the water tower before the explosion, which was heard all over town.

The latest: The water tower removal was the first step in what officials have described as a complex demolition.

Before the blasts, which took place at 2:28pm, contractors cleared a 300-foot exclusion zone surrounding the site. Nearby residents received a public alert an hour beforehand, followed by sirens at the three-minute mark and a five-second verbal countdown before detonation. 

Anyone nearby was encouraged to stay inside during and immediately after the blasts and wait until visible dust cleared, or wear an N95 mask if they had to be outdoors.

Group of cyclists on a red metal bridge under a blue sky. Foreground rider wearing a white helmet leans on railing with a bag; others ride behind, including a woman in a teal helmet.

Bystanders await the big boom. Photo: Kale Williams/Axios

Flashback: Built in 1910 as Crown Mills, the waterfront complex was once one of the Pacific Northwest's major producers of flour and milled grain.

Renamed Centennial Mills in 1949, it remained the last operating flour mill downtown until about 2000. Over the last decade, the mill sat vacant and deteriorating as several redevelopment efforts stalled.

What's next: The water tower was just phase one.

Eugene-based contractor Staton Companies — hired by Centennial Mills' owner and real estate investor Stuart Lindquist — will now begin dismantling the building's remaining walls "in a controlled manner to minimize the spread of debris."

The city said it could take up to two weeks to reduce the building to half of its current height. Officials did not provide a full timeline on how long the full demolition will take.

Demolition begins at fire-damaged Centennial Mills

Crews used controlled explosives to bring down the blighted landmark's rooftop water tower.

Urban waterfront scene with a weathered graffiti-covered brick building, a tall glass tower, and an elevated highway overhead. Smoke covers lower structures as a river and green trees appear in the foreground.

Thar she blows. Photo: Kale Williams/Axios

<figure><img alt="Gif of a building explosion" height="720" id="fb467b70-c0f5-4ef2-95d0-81afd0905fcb" src="https://images.axios.com/7Wuavs0ugxPhRm21QGW6skiDiFo=/0x0:1280x720/2026/08/17/1787006044676.gif" width="1280"/><figcaption>Big boom. Image: Kale Williams/Axios</figcaption></figure>Demolition of the fire-ravaged <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Centennial Mills building" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/08/10/centennial-mills-collapse-risk-freight-trains" data-vars-content-id="b2f79ebd-c578-44dd-9aef-72c20400a56b" data-vars-headline="Demolition begins at fire-damaged Centennial Mills" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/08/10/centennial-mills-collapse-risk-freight-trains" target="_self">Centennial Mills building</a> began Monday, starting with four controlled explosions to bring down the building&#x27;s rooftop water tower.State of play: Ever since a blaze gutted the blighted 116-year-old Northwest Portland landmark earlier this month, nearby residents and property owners have been on their toes as city officials warn the unstable structure is at risk of collapse.

News

City and state transportation officials have a few simple asks for commuters ahead of the five-week southbound Interstate 5 closure next month: Drive less, work remotely or take public transit.

The big picture: The Oregon Department of Transportation predicts the Sept. 11 shutdown through the Rose Quarter could produce some of the worst congestion the region has experienced, with travel times "two to three times longer" and backups extending into southwest Washington.

Officials told city councilors during a work session last month that they're counting on travelers to change routes or skip trips altogether to prevent the worst-case scenario.

Yes, but: TriMet, Portland's public transit agency, said it can't promise more frequent bus or MAX service — and buses could get caught in the same traffic mess as everyone else.

Instead, TriMet chief operating officer Inessa Vitko told councilors the agency will run double-car trains on the Yellow, Orange and Green MAX lines to add capacity and will strategically stage buses across the region if needed.

When city councilors pressed the agency on whether trains could run more often — particularly for the Yellow Line, which runs parallel to I-5 between the Expo Center and the Rose Quarter — Vitko said, "I cannot commit to frequency at this time."

Vitko cited staffing and fleet constraints, adding that any extra service will depend on how many drivers and vehicles TriMet has available during the closure.

State of play: TriMet is already operating under severe budget constraints, with a roughly $300 million shortfall and more than 400 positions being cut. Service reductions across dozens of bus routes are also set to begin next week.

What they're saying: TriMet spokesperson Tyler Graf told Axios that MAX may be a more reliable option than buses during the closure.

He pointed to two Park & Rides at the Expo Center and Delta Park/Vanport MAX stations, which have a combined 400-plus free 24-hour parking spots.

Buses, on the other hand, may be more likely to experience delays as congestion spills onto surface streets.

Follow the money: ODOT officials told councilors the state isn't funding expanded transit service, though it is covering some traffic mitigation, like cameras and signal timers.

The shutdown is part of the $75 million initial phase of the Rose Quarter project, which includes repairs, maintenance and safety upgrades to I-5.

What we're watching: The closure is still weeks away and plans are evolving. Graf said TriMet will release more information later this month as it coordinates with its regional partners.

I-5 closure puts pressure on TriMet

The five-week shutdown could bring severe congestion and slower bus service.

White TriMet MAX train #315 at a station in front of a red-lit building with "modacenter" signage; blue evening sky, overhead wires, trees, and pedestrians nearby.

Transit is about to get a bit more crowded. Photo: Courtesy of TriMet

City and state transportation officials have a few simple asks for commuters ahead of the five-week southbound Interstate 5 closure next month: Drive less, work remotely or take public transit.The big picture: The Oregon Department of Transportation predicts the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sept. 11 shutdown" data-vars-click-url="https://www.i5rosequarter.org/current-construction-travel-impacts/#Southbound" data-vars-content-id="b7ad00a8-3b7f-44e6-ba5b-cccedaf38ec0" data-vars-headline="I-5 closure puts pressure on TriMet" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.i5rosequarter.org/current-construction-travel-impacts/#Southbound" target="_blank">Sept. 11 shutdown</a> through <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the Rose Quarter" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/08/04/i-5-rose-quarter-project-cost-3-6-billion" data-vars-content-id="b7ad00a8-3b7f-44e6-ba5b-cccedaf38ec0" data-vars-headline="I-5 closure puts pressure on TriMet" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/08/04/i-5-rose-quarter-project-cost-3-6-billion" target="_self">the Rose Quarter</a> could produce some of the worst congestion the region has experienced, with travel times &quot;two to three times longer&quot; and backups extending into southwest Washington.

Transit

With more than 2.6 million acres burned so far this year, Oregon's current wildfire season has shattered the state's previous modern record and it's not over yet. 

Why it matters: The current total is nearly four times the 10-year annual average, according to state and federal data, and about 1.1 million acres more than Oregon's last record-breaking season in 2024.

By the numbers: Oregon has recorded 75 large fires so far this year — meaning bigger than 100 acres in timber and 300 acres in grasslands — including:

The Big Grass fire, currently the state's largest with 600 personnel deployed, at 579,200 acres

The Rowe Creek Complex, burning across Jefferson and Crook counties, at 374,00 acres

The Coleman Creek fire, which is 95% contained, at 308,700 acres

Plus: The Grasshopper fire, burning east of Mount Hood, reached 91,600 acres burned and 57% contained as of Wednesday.

Context: Officials knew this kind of destruction from wildfires was possible this year.

Oregon entered fire season after an unusually warm, dry winter that left low snowpack, exceptionally dry vegetation and drought across the state.

Experts warned of an earlier, longer fire season and recent conditions haven't been helping.

What we're watching: Firefighters are bracing for another stretch of hot, dry and dangerous conditions as red flag warnings cover parts of the Columbia River Gorge, Lower Columbia Basin and eastern Cascades through the weekend.

Gusts could reach up to 30 mph and humidity could fall as low as 15% with the potential for more dry lightning storms starting Thursday.

Oregon wildfires burn record 2.6 million acres

More than 2.6 million acres have burned, nearly four times the 10-year average.

Nighttime wildfire scene with orange flames and thick smoke among trees; silhouettes of firefighters on the right directing a hose, and a vehicle with gear in the foreground.

The Rowe Creek Complex fire in Central Oregon. Photo: Courtesy of Oregon Department of Forestry

With more than 2.6 million acres burned so far this year, Oregon&#x27;s current <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="wildfire season" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/07/22/oregon-s-wildfire-season-surges" data-vars-content-id="c3266d6c-e209-448a-a4b2-00992f05034c" data-vars-headline="Oregon wildfires burn record 2.6 million acres" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/07/22/oregon-s-wildfire-season-surges" target="_self">wildfire season</a> has shattered the state&#x27;s previous modern record and it&#x27;s not over yet. Why it matters: The current total is nearly four times the 10-year annual average, according to state and federal data, and about 1.1 million acres more than Oregon&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="last record-breaking season" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2024/08/21/oregon-wildfire-season-record-breaking" data-vars-content-id="c3266d6c-e209-448a-a4b2-00992f05034c" data-vars-headline="Oregon wildfires burn record 2.6 million acres" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2024/08/21/oregon-wildfire-season-record-breaking" target="_self">last record-breaking season</a> in 2024.

Meira Gebel

Featured stories

Oregon wildfires burn record 2.6 million acres

Demolition begins at fire-damaged Centennial Mills

Michael Mina makes his Pacific Northwest homecoming

I-5 closure puts pressure on TriMet

How Growing Gardens is planting food sovereignty