The Hollywood neighborhood has been going through a major renaissance of development in recent months, driven largely by the Hollywood Theatre’s aims to turn the district into a movie-lover’s paradise. Bar Hollywood opened in April next door to the theater. Movie Madness is moving from Belmont Street to Sandy Boulevard, directly across from the theater.
And there’s more. From Missionary Chocolates and Sonder Listening Bar opening on Northeast 42nd Avenue to Black Water Bar taking over the former Laurelwood Brewery site on Sandy, the district — along with nearby Rose City Park — are truly bustling.
Here are a couple additional spots to check out on your next visit to the area.
JUDAH’S DELICATESSEN
When a quest to find the perfect Jewish deli-style sandwich in Portland turned up dry, one local couple took matters into their own hands.
Nick Star and Fiona Amelang decided to take their passion for juicy corned beef and pastrami sandwiches public and opened Judah’s Delicatessen in May in the Rose City Food Park.
“A perfect sandwich is not dry, it's not overly complicated,” explained Star. “It's a showcase of artisan-crafted meat and bread.”
“I grew up eating these sandwiches in Los Angeles and was raised with the understanding that this food was developed and popularized by Eastern European Jewish immigrants, and a part of my family's culture,” he said.
Amelang, who grew up in the Boston area, also developed an affinity for classic deli sandwiches early on.
“We often joke around that they bring the East Coast and I bring the Jewish to our deli,” Star said.
Star said it was important to prepare their sandwiches with adherence and respect to tradition. Their most popular sandwich right now is corned beef or pastrami on rye, which consists of half-pound of meat tucked between fresh Dos Hermanos rye bread and topped with mustard.
“The corned beef is cooked Montreal-style, which is a balance of sweet, salty and savory,” Star said. “The pastrami is similar in terms of flavor, but it's slow cooked in our smoker for over 14 hours which adds a beautiful bark and a layer of smoky depth to the meat.”
“I would describe us as a ‘hole in the wall’ Jewish deli,” he continued. “With our culinary backgrounds and dedication to the Jewish deli culture, quality and attention to detail are paramount for us–we take no short-cuts.”
The truck also serves up smashburgers, including a deli smash burger with pastrami, mustard and sauerkraut. He says everything on their menu goes down smoothly with a delicious Mexican-style lager at the nearby Adda Beer Garden.
“We have quickly acquired a beautiful cast of regulars,” Star said. “We were unsure going into this business if people would understand what we are doing but feel overwhelmingly seen and supported by the community with our vision.”
Address: 5235 N.E. Sandy Blvd. inside the Rose City Food Park
Instagram: @judahs_Deli
Don’t miss: Their classic Reuben sandwich is half a pound of corned beef with Russian dressing, melted Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on toasted rye. For a slight variation try the Rachel, which is corned beef or turkey with all the Reuben fixings.
LIL SWAP
For Betsy Schubert, a veteran of the Portland resale and thrifting community, sourcing contemporary fashion trends and nostalgic knickknacks from across the Pacific Northwest has always come naturally. But locating a space to house her treasure trove of trinkets proved to be one of her most challenging finds.
With last month’s soft-opening of Lil Swap consignment store on Northeast Sandy Boulevard, Schubert fulfilled a decades-long dream of operating her own brick-and-mortar storefront.
“My partner and I were trying to find a building for a while, and we kept getting outbid on each place we found,” Schubert said. “The Hollywood Babylon space became available and it made sense. I wanted to find a location in a community-oriented and walkable neighborhood.”
Schubert got her start in the Kenton neighborhood with Give & Take Resale, before helping open Take It or Leave It in the Cully neighborhood. The consignment model is something she always had in mind for the tchotchke-forward Lil Swap.
“This is a community effort. It's nice to know your money is going to a good thing. It keeps items out of the landfill, lets people shop affordably and allows for local sellers to make a profit,” Schubert said. “With our current political environment and how things are going with the tariffs, I think there might be more of a desire for shopping at consignment stores and thrifting locally.”
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many consignment stores moved to an appointment-only model of buying and selling merchandise. That created a growing demand for in-person consignment options for browsing and selling, according to Schubert.
Lil Swap allows walk-ins for smaller loads, and offers appointments for larger loads available on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday. The time slots can be booked through Lil Swap’s Instagram account.
Schubert says the store is open to selling whatever anyone brings in.
“Lil Swap is fun, practical and whimsical,” she says. “For instance, I thought it would be a fun idea to rent DVDs.”
The 250-plus DVD collection available to rent is an eclectic collection of nostalgia. Each rental is $2 for seven days. “It's a bit of an honor system, but I do have an app to track what’s been rented out,” she said. “Clothing is what people usually come in looking for, but I like all the other fun stuff we offer, like tarot cards, board games and crafting supplies.”
Address: 4512 N.E. Sandy Blvd. Instagram: @lilswaponsandy Don’t miss: You never know what treasures you’ll find inside – be sure to check in regularly to see what new items they have out.
Star contributor Michael Aviña contributed to this article.
