Getting to Know Your Neighbors

Q&A with YogaChefJess 

On a recent sunny autumn Friday, Leslie and I walked through our favorite food cart pod—The Bite on Belmont at 43rd and Belmont—to find that a new restaurant had arrived: YogaChefJess.

The food cart A-frame showed a variety of delicious-sounding meals. We became more excited the longer we reviewed the menu. The ingredients and creations sounded mouthwatering and—to Leslie’s delight—everything was plant-based.

Leslie and I, along with my parents—who joined us on the outing—ordered about half the menu which rotates weekly. After the first couple bites, we were sold. And I thought to myself, Sunnysiders have got to know about YogaChefJess.

I recently visited with Jess at her food cart, ordered the Potato Cakes (mashed tater cakes topped with bacon-jam, cilantro crema, cilantro and chez), and asked her some questions while I made my way through the delectable lunch she had just cooked up for me.

Jess, who lives in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood, is a deeply passionate professional chef and yoga instructor. Her mission for over 16 years has been to help people create healthy habits through quality eating and meditation.

In addition to her cart at The Bite on Belmont, YogaChefJess provides meal subscriptions, nutrition consulting, yoga and fitness instruction, cooking demos, and other holistic services. (Check out her website at yogachefjess.com.) Her meal subscriptions include lunches and dinners that are premade, plant-based, and free from gluten, soy, and refined sugar.

Alrighty, YogaChefJess. How long have you lived in Portland?

Jess: I’ve lived here for six years. I’m from North Carolina. I noticed that Portland was more catered to my lifestyle as a yoga instructor and plant-based foodie. 

Had you visited Portland before moving here?

Jess: No, I didn’t visit. My cousin lived out here, needed a nanny, and asked if I wanted to be a nanny for them. I thought, “Okay, but if I go out there, I’m probably not going to come back.” So I just sold everything and moved out here. Then a year later my cousin moved away! But I love it here.

You had a catering business before this. What led you to opening this physical restaurant? 

Jess: I do still have a catering business. I just needed more space. Even though this is still a small space, it’s a little more space than what I’m used to to create my meals and stuff. We built a kitchen for my business, and now we have this too.

How long have you been open? We noticed that you took the spot of Dinger’s Deli which we used to frequent. 

Jess: This is only my fourth week! So I’m really good friends with Brian, founder and owner of Dinger’s. He was like, “I want you to be here. I love what you do. I’m burning out. They need really good food and you’re the best replacement for me.”

What do you love about having your cart in Sunnyside?  

It’s alive. I really like the location here and the neighborhoods. I love how people are often walking by. There’s enough going on this side of the street [north side of Belmont] that people are passing by, walking their dogs and stuff.

Okay, so one month in, how does it feel?

Jess: It feels pretty good. Jumping into anything is a roller coaster. But it has been a good roller coaster. You know, I didn’t fall out of the ride. Nothing fell off. The wheels are still attached. We’re slowly going up. We’re in a hole, but we’re not sinking in the hole (laughs). I do have a couple of people that come and help me, but it’s mostly me.

What’s one fun fact about Yoga Chef Jess?

Jess: I did my yoga teacher training in Thailand. It’s a 500 hour certification. While the first was in Thailand, my second yoga teacher training was here in Portland. I’ve learned various styles such as Hatha, Bikram, Integral, Astana, Anusara.

* Go visit the restaurant YogaChefJess at 4255 SE Belmont Street or sign up for a meal plan and more at yogachefjess.com

Oct 27, 2021 SNA Emergency Board Meeting

The SNA Board will hold a short emergency board meeting on Wednesday Oct 27, 2021 starting at 6:30pm to approve/reject the following time sensitive proposal. The meeting will be held over Zoom (link below). This meeting is open to the public.

ISSUE BEING VOTED ON:
– Discuss being a sponsor for Peacock Lane’s Holiday Lights event
– Event runs Dec. 15th thru Dec 31st.
– Request is to partner on promotions and logos and provide insurance sponsorship
– Peacock Lane organizers need to file for a no parking permit for 15 days by 11.1

The board will vote on approving/rejecting this request during the emergency meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89453317748?pwd=VTNmU0hGa0xYS09vajZSem96c2l3Zz09

Meeting ID: 894 5331 7748
Passcode: 68jNFT

Oct, 14 2021 SNA Board and General Meetings

The SNA Board and General Membership Meetings will be held back to back Thursday, October 14, 2021, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

  • SNA Board Meeting from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  • SNA General Membership Meeting from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Both meetings are open to the public.

Meeting Agenda. Times are approximate. Agenda items subject to change.

Both meetings will be conducted via Zoom.  All attendees will be muted upon entry into the meeting.  In order to ask a question or make a comment, please use the “Raise Hand” feature.  If accessing the meeting via computer, tablet, or smartphone app, you can do so via the “Raise hand button” in the “Participant” menu. If you are calling in to the meeting via phone, please dial *9.  You can learn more about how to use this feature here: https://www.techjunkie.com/zoom-raise-hand/

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89322488666

Sunnyside Neighborhood Getting to Know Your Neighbors

Q&A with Corey Schuster

During the pandemic, you might have seen Corey Schuster selling wine out of the back of his pick-up truck on Taylor Street just east of the Sunnyside Environmental School. When we were all stuck at home — and some of us weren’t even venturing out to the grocery store, let alone to a wine shop — it was lovely to be able to buy a bottle of rosé on the street while taking an evening walk. Talk about buying local!

For the past decade, Schuster has been the sole winemaker at Jackalope Wine Cellars (jackalopewinecellars.com). He purchases grapes from farmers and makes his wine at the Portland Wine Company at Powell and SE 50th. To taste his wines (and those made by Love & Squalor winery) head there on Thursdays or Fridays from 4-8 p.m. or Saturdays and Sundays from 1-7 p.m. You can bring your own food and order a glass, a bottle, or do a tasting. He lives with his partner Candace Fallon, a biologist who works at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

How long have you been a winemaker? 

Corey: This is my tenth vintage! You would think I’d do something about it. I spent a couple years working for different wineries, doing anything they put in front of me. I had a lot of opportunities to do work in tasting rooms, lab work, and events. When the Southeast Wine Collective opened in 2012, they hired me to run the bar. It felt like a safe place to start making wine so I jumped in.

When did you move to Sunnyside?

Corey: I moved to Portland in 2006 and have lived within a half mile radius — in Sunnyside — pretty much the entire time. The first place I lived was on Yamhill and 26th. Then I moved to 34th and Stark for a year. We’re now at 35th and Taylor and have been here since 2007.

Do you rent or own?

Corey: We’re renting. It’s an old house that was turned into a fourplex. Our landlords are awesome. We really love it here. Our location is pretty much perfect.

What do you love about Sunnyside?

Corey: I love all the amenities: restaurants, bars, and grocery stores. We have access to downtown and the highways to get out of town. It’s pretty great. And now that the winery is 1.5 miles away, work is also an easy commute.

What is one thing you’d like to see change about Sunnyside?

Corey: I love the piazza idea! [Floated by a Sunnyside board member at a recent meeting.] It’s not something this country does really well—having a central area. The center of Sunnyside—a place you can sit and hang out and greet the neighbors.

How is the harvest going?

Corey: The quality [of grapes] is looking good. Some of the vineyards I work with—their yields will be way down. Part of it was the heat, especially for vineyards that don’t irrigate. The grapes just don’t bulk up, which means really small clusters and small grapes. It’s just less fruit. The last time we did get rain was while flowering was happening—so the rain affected the fruit.

Schuster’s 2020 releases include a rosé, a carbonically macerated Merlot, a Pinot Noir, a Viognier, and a white Cabernet Franc. You can find them at New Seasons, Division Wines, Providore, and Whole Foods.

Follow Corey on Instagram or Twitter at @JackalopeCorey