Restaurant Apocalypse 2009: The Italian Joint, El Grillo
12:11 PM February 23rd, 2009 by Ben Waterhouse
Food & Drink | 
Email This Post
|
The folks at portlandfood.org report that both The Italian Joint on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and El Grillo, the Mexican restaurant that shared a bathroom with Mary’s Club, have closed. Phone calls to both restaurants go unanswered; El Grillo is disconnected.
On the brighter side: Hobnob Grille is now open in the old East Side Salvador Molly’s, Ping is open in the Hung Far Low building, Steaming Pot Gumbolaya is open in the old Rumpspanker’s Beyond Broth and Cafe Chow is open in the old Get Bento.
- Restaurant Apocalypse 2008: Nob Hill Pharmacy Cafe
Nob Hill
- UPDATED Restaurant Apocalypse 2009: The Pagoda
Photo by
- Restaurant Apocalypse 2008: Nutshell closes Nutshell,
- Restaurant Apocalypse 2008: Encanto
Byron Bec
- Restaurant Guide Addendum: Some Thoughts from the Editor Well, th
This entry was posted
on Monday, February 23rd, 2009 at 12:11 pm and is filed under Food & Drink.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Bocci’s on 7th—–chow bella
Enjoy!
Uh, Bocci’s is still open.
I ate at the Italian joint once around when it opened.. half the dinner was microwaved crap. The wait staff were douche bags also. GOod riddance.
How crude this person is. I am certain this person would not be welcome back.
Does anyone know why The Italian Joint on Hawthorne closed? It’s a total bummer!
If the opening of the Hobnob Grille is judged to be a "bright" spot dawning on the culinary horizon around the Belmont District, it is only further proof that there are no decent restaurants in this neighbourhood. Actually, I’ve no idea whether the food at Hobnob is decent or not, because I have no wish to dine ‘neath the technicolour glare of the monster television that dominates this bromide little establishment. The decor is typically Portland bland and colourless. The menu is typically Portland meat-centric and uninspired. I go into fits of ennui just having to walk past this place every day. Please at least lose the television. We would sincerely like to try this place. Or is the TV there to distract people from the food?
El Grillo has been replaced by Santeria, same idea as El Grillo but WAY BETTER!! The food is SO good now and it’s cheap and downtown!
El Grillo, closed only for a short time in order to get a make over and a good bath. It is back and more use friendly and with a new name, “Santeria”. Same great chef that started El Grillo, Roberto, but with the budget and attention to detail to really shine this time around.
As the Portland Mercury so aptly put it, “El Grillo went through puberty and emerged a much sexier more put together version of its former self”.
My apologies. I meant to say the Willamette Week was so apt to put the transformation in concise and elegant terms!