Carnitas and huevos and chilaquiles, oh my!!

Get set for the biggest, most important Portland restaurant opening of the year this Thursday on upper SE Hawthorne Boulevard, as the long awaited, much anticipated Por Que No Taqueria “Dos” opens. Okay, maybe it’s not the biggest opening. And probably the importance is more personal that universal, but when I can stroll down the street to 4635 SE Hawthorne and get my share of the best carnitas tacos on the planet, then I’m so in. And that Sunday brunch with plates of huevos and chilquiles (pic below right) is a mere four minute walk from our front door (yeah, I timed it!). No more driving to north Portland to PQN "uno" to get our fix….life is so freaking good sometimes!!!

w and I were walking the Chops around the ‘hood Sunday morning and stopped by PQN and were checking out the backyard, peering in the window. Owner Bryan Steelman and his wife Claire were inside and they asked if we wanted to come in and take a look around. Just the fact that they were there alone, getting it ready together was very cool. They are so involved with their spaces, infusing so much personal, positive energy and you can feel their excitement. The space is awesome, much bigger than their N. Mississippi shoebox, but with that same incredible vibe. Their eyes were just sparkling as they showed us around, bragged about their big new walk-in cooler, the new kitchen, the big wall benches that were recycled from an old Masonic temple . I mentioned to Bryan that isn't it cool when your vision turns out even better than you thought, and he said it's so amazing that sometimes he feels the hair on his arms standing up he's so excited! Big roll up garage door-style windows really open up the space to the street. Plus they have a fantastic backyard that promises to be one the most fun places to hang in the city. I can’t wait and am totally down with what Bryan and Claire have accomplished. These two run their restaurants the right way, support their employees and their neighborhoods. All you need to know to know about the PQN ethic can be fond by clicking on the website link above and then clicking the "mythology" tab. It says it all.