Transplants generating business?

[Deezus]

Originally Posted by sphinx1999

Thank you all for your remarks. I just needed this confirmation to put my mind at ease.

I think the remarks "Californians raised property values too high" is natural given the reality of having PDX expand the way it did for the last few years. Not that I blame Californians for doing what they did. PDX is a great place to live and it's part of the natural growth process I guess. More people moving into an area limited by a growth boundary law is sure to raise prices. Just common physics IMHO.

I don't know if all bad drivers come from Washington ...hehe, I tend to have my own prejudice when it comes to that

I like corn beef. Where is Kornblatt's, maybe I'll give it a try. Do you know if Ryadah has Lebanese cuisine? I can't say no to a hot falafel and humus...nom nom nom..


P.S: How'd you know I was from Timbuktu ?! Was it my accent? We pronounce it Teembaaktoo

Seriously I wouldn't worry to much about being a transplant-owned business--there are so many businesses in Portland that are owned and operated by transplants(and patronized by transplants) that it's basically a non-issue. The only place it might be an issue would maybe be in the more rural surrounding areas of Portland; but in the closer-in neighbohoods of Portland, no one will care.

Just be friendly to the neighborhoods folks, listen to what they have to say. Most people are just concerned about whether the food is good. You can't argue with taste buds and a full stomach...

Oh and Riyadh's on Hawthorne has great Lebanese food. A lot of people recommend Nicholas on Grand as well, but I've always liked Karam downtown--which is little pricier, but has some great specialties.

[LeftCoastee]

Originally Posted by Minervah

Kornblatt's is in NW Portland on 23rd and Glisan. Riyadh's is Hawthorne and 14th and, rejoice, they serve really great Lebanese food for a very reasonable price. I always order extra humus to take home.

I've never tried Riyadh's (but will based on this recommendation), but we eat at Habibi in Southwest. Habibi has great Lebanese food and got a 4.5 rating out of 5 with 124 reviews on Yelp!. The owner is great and they have Almaza (good Lebanese pilsner). Its also very reasonably priced.

Staying completely off topic, I'll throw another ethnic restaurant in to the mix. Bete-Lukas in Southeast has VERY good Ethiopian cuisine. My wife and I were spoiled during our three year stint in LA with having the "Little Ethiopia" area close by. Bete-Lukas is every bit as good.

Its lunch time so maybe thats why I'm so focused on food. Good luck to the OP with your new business.

[figmalt]

I think the mind-set that pushes people to buy local is driven more by present location, than previous location. If you are presently in Oregon, then you are local. I can think of very few people who would care that you weren't a "native" Oregonian business.

[sphinx1999]

I ate at Karam's a few times. The place is a bit small. But the food is good and the service is great. Will have to try Ryadah next time i'm in the vicinity.

Humus here I come!

[Deezus]

Originally Posted by LeftCoastee

I've never tried Riyadh's (but will based on this recommendation), but we eat at Habibi in Southwest. Habibi has great Lebanese food and got a 4.5 rating out of 5 with 124 reviews on Yelp!. The owner is great and they have Almaza (good Lebanese pilsner). Its also very reasonably priced.

Staying completely off topic, I'll throw another ethnic restaurant in to the mix. Bete-Lukas in Southeast has VERY good Ethiopian cuisine. My wife and I were spoiled during our three year stint in LA with having the "Little Ethiopia" area close by. Bete-Lukas is every bit as good.

Its lunch time so maybe thats why I'm so focused on food. Good luck to the OP with your new business.

Never tried Bete-Lukas, but I've heard it's good. For Ethiopian up in my neighborhood I like E'njoni on N Killingsworth and Dalo's on N Williams. And don't be scared of Dalo's if you've never been there---it looks kind of weird from the outside, but inside it's a nice low-key place.

Maybe we should just start a Portland resturants thread?

[sphinx1999]

I'm all for it. Portland has a wonderful selection of yum yums! We should start a thread. Should it be based on specific cuisines or just places the posters like?

[LeftCoastee]

Originally Posted by Deezus

Maybe we should just start a Portland resturants thread?

I think its a good idea and maybe something they can "sticky".

When my wife and I moved here we made a deal that we would try one new restaurant a week until we either run out of money or get too big to leave the house. So far so good. We do sometimes have trouble picking a place due to the number of restaurants and the varied reviews on some websites. A thread here would be much more useful since you can never really tell if a bad review is just retribution from a former employee.