Mole, French Pastries, and Indian-Mexican Fare by EverOut Staff Welcome to May! This week, we're welcoming a new Mole Mole Mexican Cuisine cart to the Prost! Marketplace pod, celebrating St. Honoré Bakery's fifth location, and bidding farewell to The Sudra. Plus, Tikka Taco Rito is set to bring Indian-Mexican fusion to the Pearl District. For more ideas, check out our food and drink guide. NEW OPENINGS  Mole Mole Mexican CuisineThe cult favorite mole specialist debuted a new cart within the Prost! Marketplace pod on Wednesday, with an extensive menu of burritos, tacos, enchiladas, nachos, flautas, quesadillas, chimichangas, and more.Boise

Bauman’s Cider owner Christine Walker. | Cole Burchiel Plus, a new cookbook profiles Portland’s Korean restaurants, and more news to know Three Oregon cideries — Portland Cider Company, 2 Towns Cider, and Bauman’s Cider — won big at the International Cider Awards in London on May 1, bringing home a combined nine medals. Portland Cider Company’s Original Gold cider won the trophy, the competition’s top award. It is the first time in the competition’s 136-year history that a U.S. cidery has won best-in-show. “Of course we aspire to our cider being among the best in the world. But I admit, I was speechless when I heard that our industry peers awarded us the top honor at the competition,” Portland Cider co-founder Jeff Parrish told Willamette Week. Bauman’s Cider won five medals and 2 Towns Cider was awarded two. The International Cider Awards are considered the most prestigious accolade in the industry and are determined by judges who are current practicing cidermakers themselves. The full list of winners is listed here. A new cookbook profiles several Korean restaurants in Portland Koreaworld, a new cookbook from Bay Area chef Deuki Hong and journalist Matt Rodbard, examines modern Korean cuisine in Korea and the United States. The book profiles Portland restaurants Han Oak, Jeju, Du’s Grill, Kim Jong Grillin, and Cameo Cafe. Hong and Rodbard will stop by Portland on their book tour for two events — at Powell’s City of Books on May 12 and at Jeju on May 13 (the $55 ticket includes a signed copy of the book, snacks from Jeju, and karaoke). Kann and Ranger Chocolate are releasing a Caribbean chocolate bar Gregory Gourdet’s Haitian restaurant Kann has collaborated with Ranger Chocolate Co. for the Portland chocolate makers’ first chef collaboration. The Caribbean chocolate bar is dairy-free and has notes of mango, ginger, and habanero, drawing flavor inspiration from Gourdet’s Haitian roots and Ranger founder George Domurot’s Puerto Rican roots. Pre-orders for the chocolate bar are open now — it will officially launch on May 18 (Haitian Flag Day) with a tasting and launch event at Ranger from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

by The Mercury Election Strike Force [The Mercury Election Strike Force is News Editor Courtney Vaughn, News Reporter Taylor Griggs, Arts & Culture Editor Suzette Smith, and Editor-in-Chief Wm. Steven Humphrey. We do not endorse in uncontested races. Oh and by the way, putting these endorsements together takes LOTS of hard work—and that's on top of our regular excellent reporting. Show your appreciation for the Mercury with a small contribution, please, and thank you!—eds] Measure 26-244 Metro Zoo Bond - YES  Choosing how to vote on the Oregon Zoo bond is complicated, but not necessarily because of the tax math. Despite the $380 million sticker shock, the cost to taxpayers does not look significant. This new, "phase 2" bond replaces $125 million in funds voters approved by healthy margins in 2008, which are set to expire in 2025. The "phase 2" zoo bond is projected to set Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas county residents back an estimated 8.5 cents per $1,000 of taxable property per year, which remains very similar to what taxpayers were already paying on the old bond, so—word problem time!—if my friend's house is assessed at around $500,000, he's going to fork over approximately $42.50 to otters every year.  Critics of the bond have said the zoo isn’t clear on its plan for implementation. The 56-page 2024 draft campus plan paints a picture of energy efficient upgrades, like a future symbiotic relationship between cooling penguin habitats and heating the tropical forest pavilion. Furthermore, the 65-year-old Penguinarium is slated to be demolished and the penguins moved over by the seals and sea otters—creating a trifecta of playfulness the likes of which depressed Portlanders have never seen. Remodels of the red panda and giraffe exhibits are also part of “phase 2.” The zoo acknowledges that protecting animals and visitors from heat events and other extreme weather will need to figure into habitat and exhibit design. They’ve been steadily pursuing water and energy conservation and working to minimize heat islands in these new models. When we look at how the zoo spent its "phase 1" funds, the revamped habitats for polar bears, chimpanzees, and black rhinos are some of the most enjoyable exhibits in the park for visitors, and the zoo’s California condor program has played a major part in bringing the endangered bird back from a population of just 22. However, critics can point to an abandoned plan for an off-site elephant refuge as a reason to not trust the new bond. While the six-acre Elephant Lands was a vast improvement on the previous 1.5-acre enclosure, it’s not the 240 acre refuge some voters said they were promised, and that acreage seems far less roomy with several elephants occupying it. Complicating matters, the Oregon Zoo has been the subject of reporting from both KOIN and the Seattle Times for the ethical practices of its breeding program. In recent years, many zoos have phased out their breeding programs and moved the elephants in their care to sanctuaries with more space. The deciding factor for voters with Metro Measure 26-244 will likely be how they personally view zoos. To some they are unnatural, and even harmful, spaces for the animals housed there. To others, zoos save species from extinction and provide educational experiences that foster formative awe for animal life. It might just be that zoos are a good fit for some species, but not others. The Mercury recommends passing the Oregon Zoo bond because we see the need to update these animal habitats, particularly to safeguard against inevitable and increasing climate events. We support taking a critical look at whether Oregon Zoo elephants are being served by remaining in the park, but question if the bond measure is the field whereupon to wage such a battle. Will rejecting it improve the lives of the animals in the Oregon Zoo? We say pass it. Measure 26-245 Gas Tax Renewal - YES As everyone involved in promoting it will eagerly admit, Portland's "Fixing Our Streets" gas tax is not a perfect mechanism of transportation funding. It incentivizes the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to encourage people to drive gas-powered cars, which goes against essentially all of the city's stated climate goals. BUT... at this time, it's necessary to keep Portland's streets out of a state of complete disrepair. Plus, it's only 10 cents a gallon, so it's really not hurting anyone. PBOT knows it needs to find a new funding stream (or two). In the meantime, vote "yes" to renew the gas tax.  Measure 26-246 Portland Public Schools Levy Renewal - YES "Wait..." you may be asking, "Didn't Portland Public School teachers just get a big pay bump following their strike last fall?" Yes, they did—and yet you should still ABSOLUTELY vote yes on the PPS levy renewal, or prepare for what school officials are correctly labeling a potential "catastrophe." This levy was approved by voters in 2019, and taxes property owners $2 per $1,000 assessed value. If renewed, that rate will not increase, but it will provide $101.5 million to PPS for—and this is important—funding 660 teachers and classroom support staff annually for five years. As you've undoubtedly heard, PPS is already making massive cuts to its budget this year, and they are absolutely correct that a failed vote would set off a "catastrophic" set of circumstances that would almost certainly result in, not only mass layoffs of educators, but much larger classrooms. You might also be wondering, "But isn't it also the job of Oregon legislators to help find and provide adequate funding for our public schools?" Right again, but instead, these lawmakers have been passively and shamefully standing by and watching as our students' grades, graduation, and attendance rates tumble into an abyss, as if somehow it's not their problem. It's long past time for legislators to step up—but who knows when that will be? So until they decide this is enough of an emergency to warrant their attention, the least we can do is vote "yes" on this levy.

Pastries at Berlu Bakery. | Christine Dong Build-your-own takeout bars, a DIY at-home coffee shop, and other ideas for building a gluten-free breakfast spread Welcome to Ask Eater, an Eater Portland column where the site’s editor and reporter answer questions from readers and friends. Have a question for us? Submit your question in this form with the subject line ‘Ask Eater.’ I’m looking to order a takeout breakfast spread for eight people. The catch is that it has to be gluten-free, so can’t go the usual/expected route of bagels and fixings. Any ideas? — Erin What a fun question; I love throwing an impromptu takeout brunch. It sort of depends on when and where you plan to throw your breakfast (are you taking your order to an office, or are you hosting folks at home on a Sunday?), but I can think of a few ways you could approach something like this: Turn your house into a gluten-free cafe: The gluten-free pastries available in Portland have improved significantly over the last few years, which means you could throw a very trendy DIY coffee shop party. Pre-order some pastries from Berlu (I’d go with two “one of everything” orders, or two of everything, I guess) or order few boxes of doughnuts from Mikiko, which conveniently offers eight different flavors each day. Frankly, Portland is home to tons of different gluten-free bakeries; this map has more options, if you’d prefer something less specific. Make a big batch of cold brew or a pot of coffee at home, maybe pick up a bottle of Tanglewood chai, heat a kettle, set out some teas and mugs, and if you feel like it, go all-out with labels for the pastries and fun syrups/milks for the drinks. If you’re taking your breakfast to a park or some other locale without a kitchen, you’ll be just as set with a few pastry boxes and some paper plates. Go the breakfast taco route: Breakfast tacos are often naturally gluten-free, if they’re served on corn tortillas — and who doesn’t like a build-your-own taco bar? Tamale Boy is big on catering, and has a strong offering on this front: For $84, you get the components for 24 breakfast tacos, including chorizo, scrambled eggs, and pico de gallo; in terms of beverages, you can order 96 ounces of coffee for $25. They also have vegan and vegetarian breakfast taco sets, if that’s more your scene; if you felt like it, you could also opt for some cool add-ons like house salsas, beans, or esquites. Create a Indian American breakfast buffet: Deepak Saxena’s restaurant Masala Lab is entirely gluten-free, and a number of the dishes offered during breakfast would travel well for takeout. Go for a few variations of the chaat hash, a double order of the kitchari, a double order of saagshuka, and a double order of shrimp and grits, and you’ll probably have enough for eight. Order online for pickup ahead of time, or email info@desipdx.com to make a more specific catering request.