Devour 2012: Kitchenware

17.05.12

Portland, all gleaming stainless steel and glass, Bargreen Ellingson is far from the claustrophobic and horrible restaurant supply stores of our imaginings. Although the company caters mostly to business clients, the showroom is entirely open to the public. While dishes and glassware come only by the case, most items are available by the piece. And what pieces! Really big measuring cups, 42-inch pizza paddles and 24-cake aluminum cupcake pans may all be found in the store’s shimmering aisles. Ever wanted to own a 10-inch meat slicer? Now you can. BW. Northwest’s main focus is supplying restaurants with large appliances and dishware and cutlery of every kind imaginable. Looking for a giant Hobart mixer or a used industrial-grade deep fryer? You’ll find it here. But this easily missed 8,000-square-foot store, near the west end of the Broadway Bridge, also provides plenty of interest for a home cook, and not just because it’s fun to gawk at the huge pots and strainers. Because really—if it’s an item you’ll actually use in the kitchen, you’ll find it here. These aren’t the cutesy kitchenwares you’ll find at other stores; these are the unsung heroes of the kitchen, the workhorse products that can take a serious beating and still perform. If these pots, pans and utensils can survive a high-school cafeteria operation without serious damage, they’re probably more resilient than you. CB. This brand-new little shop, located in what appears to be a former gas station on a sunny stretch in St. Johns, stands out not for its chicks or outstanding supply of heirloom seeds from Wild Garden and Seed Savers Exchange, but for its spectacular supply of medicinal and vegetable starts. Obscure heirloom tomatoes, broccoli raab, borage, wild ginger, and an impressive variety of seed potatoes share space with chicken feed and scratch, trellises, onion sets, and used tools. Bought something? Get 20 percent off a beverage or snack from the Garden Well food cart out front. KM.

Source: Willamette Week