Last updated on August 30th, 2018 at 03:17 pm
From grilled meat tacos with summer squash and sweet corn salad, to angel hair pasta with Willamette Valley tomatoes and fresh herbs, the new Basics Market opening next month at 5035 NE Sandy Boulevard in Portland’s Hollywood neighborhood will feature recipes and seasonal ingredients, nutrition classes and interactive cooking demos. The public is invited to a grand opening celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15.
A first of its kind, the market anchors new construction below The Portland Clinic at the corner of 50th and NE Sandy, the former home of the Der Rheinlander restaurant. Basics and the healthcare community are working together to emphasize the connection between nutritious foods and health.
“With a clean, approachable interior that puts the focus on ingredients and includes a touch of whimsy, from hand-drawn elements to neon, the store will integrate a market, nutrition classroom and discovery kitchen under one roof with a mission to increase access to foods at peak nutrition,” the retailer says.
Highlights of the 7,500-s.f. store include:
- Meal stations organized around nutritious recipes. Meals will focus on seasonal and regional products and will change roughly every other week.
- A discovery kitchen with cooking facilities and a nutrition classroom, both with a schedule of free classes taught by Basics’ culinary and nutrition mentors.
- Complimentary classes on nutrition (How to Balance Your Plate, Understanding Food Labels) and kitchen skills (Knife Skills, Egg Cookery), and interactive cooking demos by culinary mentors, including Fernando Divina, a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author. Shoppers can register for classes in advance on Basics’ website or by calling the store at 503-771-0990.
- A meat counter featuring locally sourced cuts from farms that prioritize animal welfare and sustainable practices, including the founder’s own chicken and eggs.
- Fresh produce delivered daily.
- A coffee bar with a full range of espresso drinks made from Nossa Familia Coffee, a Portland-based roaster with a direct trade model and an emphasis on social and environmental responsibility.
“Basics, The Portland Clinic, and the Portland healthcare community share the belief that healthy diets and eating with the seasons can nourish and increase vitality. We’re working with clinic experts to learn what people need help with most, from meal plans that help prevent diabetes to keeping hearts healthy,” said Basics VP of Operations, Creative Director and Executive Chef Fernando Divina.
Community celebration
Basics’ grand opening celebration will feature house-made huckleberry cobbler and ice cream; store tours on the hour; a chance to win a dinner for six made by Chef Divina; and nutrition and culinary mentors ready to answer cooking questions and share tips.
“We’re looking forward to meeting our new neighbors and helping them create nutritious meals at home,” said Store Manager Erin Leiker. “We want to make it easy for people to know more about where their food comes from and how to cook it. For us, health starts on the farm—we call it nourishment from the ground up.”
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