Aviv (restaurant)

Aviv was a Middle Eastern and vegan restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

Description

Aviv's plant-based menu included baba ghanoush, falafel, Gonzo shawarma fries, hummus, labneh, shakshuka, and spiced Moroccan-style carrots with harissa and tofu feta. Shakshuka was only available as a brunch option on weekends, as of 2020.

History

Following a successful run as a pop-up, Aviv was established by owners Tal Caspi and Suzanne Prinsen in partnership with Sanjay Chandrasekaran. The original brick and mortar restaurant opened on Southeast Division in May 2017, in the space previously occupied by Chandrasekaran's Heart Bar in southeast Portland's Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Aviv operated via take-out and delivery at times. The restaurant also carried Be Sweet ice cream from Tal Caspi's shop which closed during the pandemic. The restaurant appeared on a 2020 episode of the Food Network's ''Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives'' (season 31, episode 11: "Hometown Inspiration"). For Hanukkah in 2020, Aviv's special menu included matzah ball soup, jackfruit brisket on matzo, grilled cheese latke, and challah.

By May 2021, Aviv had moved out of the Southeast Division space and was operating from spaces in northwest Portland's Pearl District and on Killingsworth Street in northeast Portland's Vernon neighborhood. In August, another location called Tiny Aviv opened on Madison Street in southeast Portland's Buckman neighborhood.

On September 23, ''Eater Portland'' confirmed plans for all locations to close; the restaurants on Killingsworth and Madison closed immediately and the Pearl District restaurant continued operating through the end of the month. Owners said on social media: "The pandemic hit us hard, and like every single restaurant across the world, we have come up against our share of struggles and setbacks. It's been a challenging year and a half to say the least. Unfortunately, we have made the hard decision to close all Aviv locations this month. We really hoped this day would not come, but it is time."

Reception

In 2017, Aviv was nominated in the Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant of the Year category of '' Eater Portland'' annual Eater Awards. Lauren Carlos and Michelle DeVona included Aviv in the website's 2020 overview of "Where to Find Next-Level Hummus in Portland". Waz Wu included Aviv in ''Eater Portland'' 2021 list of "15 Essential Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Portland".

See also

* Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry in the United States
* List of defunct restaurants of the United States
* List of ''Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives'' episodes
* List of Middle Eastern restaurants
* List of vegetarian restaurants

References

External links

*
* , KGW (May 9, 2017)

{{Vernon, Portland, Oregon

2017 establishments in Oregon
2021 disestablishments in Oregon
Buckman, Portland, Oregon
Defunct Asian restaurants in Portland, Oregon
Hosford-Abernethy, Portland, Oregon
Middle Eastern restaurants in the United States
Middle Eastern-American culture in Portland, Oregon
Pearl District, Portland, Oregon
Restaurants disestablished during the COVID-19 pandemic
Restaurants disestablished in 2021
Restaurants established in 2017
Defunct vegan restaurants
Vegan restaurants in Oregon
Vernon, Portland, Oregon