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Rose Quarter I-5 closure will end early

Southbound lanes will reopen Wednesday night, more than a week early.

News

All lanes of southbound <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Interstate 5" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/09/08/i5-southbound-closure-rose-quarter" data-vars-content-id="8119599d-5f39-4777-82f9-bfae69d57868" data-vars-headline="Rose Quarter I-5 closure will end early" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/09/08/i5-southbound-closure-rose-quarter" target="_self">Interstate 5</a> through Portland&#x27;s Rose Quarter will reopen Wednesday night, more than a week ahead of schedule.Why it matters: Reopening will restore a major route through central Portland.<ul><li>The closure was expected to last five weeks. Construction was helped along by good weather and drivers seeking out alternative routes, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="per KGW" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kgw.com/article/traffic/odot-interstate-5-rose-quarter-update-reopening-southbound-traffic/283-34dfe1f7-426c-4262-b9c6-70dd46c7bbec" data-vars-content-id="8119599d-5f39-4777-82f9-bfae69d57868" data-vars-headline="Rose Quarter I-5 closure will end early" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kgw.com/article/traffic/odot-interstate-5-rose-quarter-update-reopening-southbound-traffic/283-34dfe1f7-426c-4262-b9c6-70dd46c7bbec" target="_blank">per KGW</a>.</li></ul>

Bare Knuckles is having a banner year

The label is winning over fans with its obsessively considered fits and worn-in basics.

Chart-topping country singer Shaboozey, K-pop star J-Hope and &quot;Love Island&quot; winner Bryce Alakai have all been spotted wearing Portland menswear brand Bare Knuckles this year.Why it matters: Nearly a decade in, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bare Knuckles" data-vars-click-url="https://bareknuckles.co/" data-vars-content-id="5ba18251-20cc-4d3a-9e18-8b8e5869a79b" data-vars-headline="Bare Knuckles is having a banner year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://bareknuckles.co/" target="_blank">Bare Knuckles</a> has quietly grown from a side project between the two longtime Portland retail pros into a fashion-world favorite.

Oregon flu season gets an early start

Flu activity is rising weeks before its usual winter peak.

Winter may be months away, but <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="flu season" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/12/09/flu-season-oregon-h3n2-2025" data-vars-content-id="3f225dba-112c-4537-8a80-0b5a2e8f6659" data-vars-headline="Oregon flu season gets an early start" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/12/09/flu-season-oregon-h3n2-2025" target="_self">flu season</a> in Oregon doesn&#x27;t seem to be waiting.The big picture: Oregon&#x27;s respiratory illness season appears to be getting an early start, with flu activity rising weeks before its typical winter peak.

PPS names 14 schools that could close

PPS has released its first potential school closure scenarios.

Portland Public Schools on Monday outlined plans that could see as many as 14 schools close as the district shrinks its footprint amid falling enrollment and budget pressure.Why it matters: After months of discussion, the list marks the first concrete details on how the state&#x27;s largest school district could address changing demographic and financial realities.

Gabby's Next Door launches dinner service

Expect shrimp fra diavolo, manicotti and other shareable plates

Food and Drink

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Gabby&#x27;s Next Door" data-vars-click-url="https://www.gabbianospdx.com/gabbysnextdoor" data-vars-content-id="c14f2742-752c-4a54-bc18-973726a8c2c6" data-vars-headline="Gabby&#x27;s Next Door launches dinner service" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.gabbianospdx.com/gabbysnextdoor" target="_blank">Gabby&#x27;s Next Door</a>, the neighboring sister restaurant to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="red sauce Italian" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/10/29/portland-italian-food-renaissance-restaurant" data-vars-content-id="c14f2742-752c-4a54-bc18-973726a8c2c6" data-vars-headline="Gabby&#x27;s Next Door launches dinner service" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/10/29/portland-italian-food-renaissance-restaurant" target="_self">red sauce Italian</a> eatery Gabbiano&#x27;s, is expanding beyond lunchtime service and will soon offer a selection of small plates throughout the evening.The big picture: The space, located on Northeast 30th Avenue and formerly occupied by Lil&#x27; Dame and Beast, will serve as a dinnertime extension of Gabbiano&#x27;s.

Axios Social Club brings mystery dinners to Portland

Meet fellow locals over dinner at a restaurant we hand-picked.

Things to Do

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios Social Club" data-vars-click-url="https://axiossocialclub.dnnr.io/" data-vars-content-id="91f5016e-d785-4b5b-9b84-d704ecb8a34e" data-vars-headline="Axios Social Club brings mystery dinners to Portland" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://axiossocialclub.dnnr.io/" target="_blank">Axios Social Club</a> is bringing readers together for dinner in Portland&#x27;s Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood on Tuesday, Oct. 6.Why it matters: Your city is full of interesting people you haven&#x27;t met yet. We&#x27;re making it easier to change that.

10 new Portland restaurants to try this fall

Now that summer is officially in the books, I&#x27;ll bet you have plenty of free time to try a new slate of restaurants that just opened.Here&#x27;s the latest, including a few we have our eyes on, too:

ModHaus opens cafe and bar on Division

A long-vacant building beside the pod is now a stylish all-day gathering spot.

ModHaus, the popular Richmond neighborhood food cart pod, just opened an adjacent cafe and bar — serving everything from coffee and pastries to cocktails and beers on tap.Zoom in: Located on the corner of Southeast Division at 38th Street, the 10-cart pod opened earlier this year.

Inside Sushi Fukami's intimate omakase experience

Cody Auger serves a 19-course menu from an eight-seat sushi counter.

<figure><img alt="A man in a black shirt leans over a wooden counter, using a handheld blowtorch to heat an orange dish; a blue flame glows as tools, towels, and bowls lie nearby in a restaurant." height="720" id="aa030bc9-2d8f-43c8-bcb2-47a6c2201394" src="https://images.axios.com/pFUJHTS3SMCnvSBsO73cSrLW43s=/2026/09/17/1789623936847.gif" width="1280"/><figcaption>It&#x27;s lit. Image: Meira Gebel/Axios</figcaption></figure>Sushi Fukami, Nimblefish chef Cody Auger&#x27;s new, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="eight-seat omakase restaurant" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/07/02/sushi-fukami-omakase-opening" data-vars-content-id="ddd5a3dd-a570-47f8-9ed6-e129f0fa7be2" data-vars-headline="Inside Sushi Fukami&#x27;s intimate omakase experience" 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">eight-seat omakase restaurant</a> downtown, is intimate in every sense of the word.<ul><li>The space is tiny, about 700 square feet. A few stools surround the hinoki cypress countertop and low-hanging slats above create a false ceiling and shattered shadows, forcing focus to the plate in front of you.</li></ul>

Urban Gleaners Summer Supper tackles food waste

More than a dozen local restaurants are cooking for Urban Gleaners' annual benefit.

Some of Portland&#x27;s premier chefs will be putting scraps to work for Urban Gleaners&#x27; third annual Summer Supper this weekend. Zoom in: More than a dozen local purveyors were tasked with &quot;transforming what&#x27;s often discarded into something extraordinary&quot; to promote Urban Gleaners&#x27; mission to reduce food waste and hunger.

For your next noodle craving, seek out Toya Ramen

Go for the shoyu or shio ramen, then save room for crispy dumplings and tonkatsu.

It may still be summer, but the air is starting to feel crisp. So much so that I recently ventured out for one of my favorite cold-weather meals — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ramen" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/04/21/portland-s-matsunoki-ramen-opens-second-location-on-n-mississippi" data-vars-content-id="6f0cac6e-2eff-48e4-a00e-44ae97233895" data-vars-headline="For your next noodle craving, seek out Toya Ramen" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/04/21/portland-s-matsunoki-ramen-opens-second-location-on-n-mississippi" target="_self">ramen</a>.<ul><li>Toya Ramen, on the corner of Southeast Stark and Eighth Avenue across the street from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Slammer Tavern" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/12/12/slammer-tavern-holiday-dive-bar-portland" data-vars-content-id="6f0cac6e-2eff-48e4-a00e-44ae97233895" data-vars-headline="For your next noodle craving, seek out Toya Ramen" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/12/12/slammer-tavern-holiday-dive-bar-portland" target="_self">Slammer Tavern</a>, has been on my list since the Oregonian <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="anointed it the city&#x27;s best" data-vars-click-url="https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2025/08/toya-portlands-best-ramen-shop-opened-last-year-so-where-are-the-crowds-review.html" data-vars-content-id="6f0cac6e-2eff-48e4-a00e-44ae97233895" data-vars-headline="For your next noodle craving, seek out Toya Ramen" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2025/08/toya-portlands-best-ramen-shop-opened-last-year-so-where-are-the-crowds-review.html" target="_blank">anointed it the city&#x27;s best</a>.</li></ul>

Pay what you can at Bar Carlo one-night only

Diners decide what to pay for their meals during a one-day event.

Portland has not shortage of great food on the financial spectrum — from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cheap carts" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/07/28/food-cart-pod-peninsula-park-piedmont" data-vars-content-id="4322cfa6-902e-47b4-b058-57befb41ec5b" data-vars-headline="Pay what you can at Bar Carlo one-night only" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/07/28/food-cart-pod-peninsula-park-piedmont" target="_self">cheap carts</a> to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="spendy fine dining" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/06/11/kann-restaurant-portland-review" data-vars-content-id="4322cfa6-902e-47b4-b058-57befb41ec5b" data-vars-headline="Pay what you can at Bar Carlo one-night only" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/06/11/kann-restaurant-portland-review" target="_self">spendy fine dining</a> — but on Wednesday one restaurant is leaving the pricing up to you.Why it matters: What began as a community-minded experiment among Mexico City chefs is going global this year — and Mexican-American brunch spot Bar Carlo is joining in.

Michael Mina makes his Pacific Northwest homecoming

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

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>.

How Growing Gardens is planting food sovereignty

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

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.

Food and Drink 🍽

Gabby's Next Door launches dinner service

Axios Social Club brings mystery dinners to Portland

10 new Portland restaurants to try this fall

ModHaus opens cafe and bar on Division

Inside Sushi Fukami's intimate omakase experience