Dirty Lettuce

Last updated
Dirty Lettuce
Dirty Lettuce logo.png
Portland, Oregon (July 23, 2022) - 38.jpg
The restaurant's exterior in 2022
Dirty Lettuce
Restaurant information
Established2020 (2020)
Owner(s)Alkebulan Moroski
Food type
Street address4727 Northeast Fremont Street
City Portland
County Multnomah
State Oregon
Postal/ZIP Code97213
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 45°32′54″N122°36′52″W / 45.5484°N 122.6144°W / 45.5484; -122.6144
Website dirtylettuce.square.site

Dirty Lettuce is a Black-owned vegan restaurant serving Southern, Cajun, and Creole cuisine in Portland, Oregon. [1] Alkebulan Moroski began operating as a food cart in 2020 and opened a brick and mortar restaurant in 2021.

Contents

Description

Dirty Lettuce serves vegan Southern, [2] Cajun, [3] and Creole cuisine, [4] including plant-based "meats" such as seitan barbecue ribs and Ota tofu fried "chicken". [5] Sides include fried okra, [6] jambalaya, macaroni and cheese, [7] sour cream and onion mashed potatoes, Southern-style leaf vegetables, a Nachitoches meat pie, bowls similar to KFC's Famous Bowl, [8] [9] shrimp-and-grit fritters, candied yams, and corn muffins. [3]

History

With assistance from his mother Kim, [10] Alkebulan Moroski began operating Dirty Lettuce as a food cart in northeast Portland's Shady Pines pod (5240 Northeast 42nd Avenue) [8] [11] in early 2020. [12] He opened a brick and mortar restaurant on Northeast Fremont in the Cully neighborhood (at the Rose City Park border) in May 2021, [12] and planned to continue operating the food cart as of March. [13] However, Shady Pines closed in late 2021. [14]

Reception

According to The Oregonian 's Michael Russell, Dirty Lettuce was among the "new generation" of vegan restaurants which saw a "pandemic-era explosion". [15] [16] He called the restaurant a "rising star" of Shady Pines. [17] Similarly, Willamette Week 's Shannon Gormley called Dirty Lettuce the "biggest breakout success" of Shady Pines, Portland's only vegan food pod until closing. [14] [18] She also described restaurant as one of several local "breakout" vegan establishments opened in 2020. [19]

Waz Wu included Dirty Lettuce in Eater Portland 's 2021 lists of the city's 15 "essential" vegan and vegetarian restaurants and "13 Vegan Food Carts to Visit in Portland and Beyond". [6] [20] The website's Ron Scott and Nathan Williams included the restaurant in a 2022 list of "13 Spots for Serious Soul Food in Portland and Beyond". [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Mercado</span> Food cart pod in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Portland Mercado is a collection of food carts in Portland, Oregon, United States. The carts are located in Southeast Portland's Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood, at the border of Foster-Powell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collective Oregon Eateries</span> Food cart pod in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Collective Oregon Eateries (CORE) is a food cart pod in Portland, Oregon, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aviv (restaurant)</span> Defunct Middle Eastern restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Aviv was a Middle Eastern vegan restaurant with several locations in Portland, Oregon. Guy Fieri visited the restaurant for a 2020 episode of the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Although Aviv had been popular, it closed in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nacheaux</span> Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Nacheaux is a Mexican-Cajun fusion restaurant in West Linn, Oregon. Previously, the business operated in Portland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt's BBQ</span> Barbecue restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Matt's BBQ is a barbecue restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Boise neighborhood. Sibling restaurant Matt's BBQ Tacos, also located in Portland, opened in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jojo (restaurant)</span> Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Jojo is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Established by Justin Hintze in 2018, the business operates in southeast Portland's Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood and northwest Portland's Pearl District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kann (restaurant)</span> Haitian restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Kann is a Haitian restaurant by Gregory Gourdet in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby Blue Pizza</span> Defunct pizzeria in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Baby Blue Pizza was a vegan pizzeria in Portland, Oregon. The restaurant operated from July 2019 to January 2022, closing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bing Mi</span> Chinese restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Bing Mi is a Chinese restaurant in Portland, Oregon. The original food cart specialized in the Chinese street food jianbing. The brick and mortar Bing Mi Dumpling and Noodle Bar opened in 2022 and focuses on Northern Chinese noodles and dumplings. The food cart closed in December 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birrieria La Plaza</span> Mexican restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Birrieria La Plaza is a Mexican restaurant in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Initially operating from a food cart in southeast Portland, the business has opened a brick and mortar location and plans to open a stall at Block 216.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Top Burmese</span> Burmese restaurant in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area

Top Burmese is a small chain of restaurants serving Burmese cuisine in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, in the United States. Owners Kalvin and Poe Myint started the business in 2019. There are three locations in addition to the original restaurant on 21st Avenue in northwest Portland's Northwest District: Top Burmese Bistro Royale has operated in Beaverton since 2020, Top Burmese Burma Joy opened on 23rd Avenue in the Northwest District in 2021, and Top Burmese Ambassador opened in Hillsboro in 2022. Top Burmese branch off beyond Burmese Cuisine with Old Asia Bistro & Tea House slated to open in Beaverton in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jam on Hawthorne</span> Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Jam on Hawthorne is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanghai's Best</span> Chinese restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Shanghai's Best is a Chinese restaurant in Portland, Oregon. The business operates from the Pine Street Market, as of 2022, and has previously operated from Portland's Alder Street food cart pod and in Salem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desi PDX</span> Indian restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Desi PDX, or DesiPDX, is an Indian restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prost Marketplace</span> Food cart pod in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Prost Marketplace is a food cart pod in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mis Tacones</span> Mexican restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Mis Tacones is a Chicano and queer-owned vegan taquería in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kulfi (restaurant)</span> Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Kulfi is a restaurant with two locations in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hapa PDX</span> Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Hapa PDX is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MidCity SmashBurger</span> Restaurant chain based in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

MidCity SmashBurger is a small chain of burger restaurants based in Portland, Oregon. Mike Aldridge started the business as a pop-up restaurant in New Orleans in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, before relocating to Portland and re-launching the business as a food cart in early 2021.

References

  1. ↑ Robert, Ham (June 3, 2020). "Help Support Portland's Black-Owned Restaurants". Portland Mercury . Archived from the original on 2021-04-18. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  2. ↑ "Is Portland America's most vegan-friendly city? Our travel writer wandered down to find out". The Seattle Times . 2021-11-11. Archived from the original on 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  3. 1 2 Blair, Stenvick (February 24, 2020). "Shady Pines Is The Vegan Food Court Portland's Been Waiting For". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  4. ↑ Robert, Ham (June 3, 2020). "Help Support Portland's Black-Owned Restaurants". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2021-04-18. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  5. ↑ Russell, Michael (2021-12-10). "Miami Nice makes the case: Portland's best Cuban restaurant might be plant-based (restaurant review)". The Oregonian . Archived from the original on 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  6. 1 2 Wu, Waz (2015-09-15). "15 Essential Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Portland". Eater Portland . Archived from the original on 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  7. ↑ "5 Portland Chefs on the Recipes They Learned to Cook from Their Moms and Grandmas". Portland Monthly . Archived from the original on 2021-11-29. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  8. 1 2 Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2021-03-25). "Vegan Sensation Dirty Lettuce Will Open a New Restaurant on NE Fremont". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-09-23. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  9. ↑ "Portland's Best New Vegan Restaurants, Food Carts, and Pop-Ups". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-11-29. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  10. ↑ Bergen, Teresa (2020-03-03). "What to Know About the New All-Vegan Food Cart Pod Opening This Month". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-03-07. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  11. ↑ "Where to Eat in Portland This Week". Willamette Week . Archived from the original on 2021-09-26. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  12. 1 2 Garcia, Isabella. "These Chefs of Color Are Decolonizing Portland's Vegan Food Scene". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2021-11-07. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  13. ↑ "Vegan Southern Comfort Food Cart Dirty Lettuce Is Opening a Brick-and-Mortar". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-05-28. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  14. 1 2 Wu, Waz (2021-12-03). "Shady Pines, Portland's All-Vegan Food Cart Pod, Has Closed Permanently". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-12-09. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  15. ↑ Russell, Michael (2021-10-20). "The Sudra is headed to The Pearl, replacing Aviv". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  16. ↑ Michael, Russell (2021-11-23). "These 40 new Portland restaurants survived — and thrived — through the pandemic". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-12-27. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  17. ↑ Russell, Michael (2021-06-19). "10 new food cart pods to explore or anticipate from Southeast Portland to Forest Grove". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-11-09. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  18. ↑ "Shady Pines Is Portland's Only All-Vegan Food Cart Pod". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-10-24. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  19. ↑ "A Beloved Vegan Sushi Pop-Up Is Opening a Food Cart and Has Plans to Open a Brick-and-Mortar". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-05-28. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  20. ↑ Wu, Waz (2018-09-04). "13 Vegan Food Carts To Visit in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  21. ↑ Scott, Ron (2021-10-05). "13 Spots for Serious Soul Food in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.