Good morning, Neighbors- it's a classic early-March situation out there: highs around 57°F, lows in the upper 40s, partly cloudy skies with the sneaky chance of a sprinkle. The atmospheric river that broke daily rainfall records last week has moved on, but don't get cocky. And speaking of things worth looking up: if you were asleep around 3 a.m., you missed the Blood Moon total lunar eclipse visible over the Pacific Northwest. The moon turned a deep reddish hue as Earth slid between the sun and its oldest companion.
On the docket today: Portland Dining Month is back after a five-year hiatus, and more than a hundred restaurants want your attention and your appetite. Your call to 911 may go to hold music. And a deflection center contract that was supposed to help Portland's drug crisis is thin on actual details. The usual.
Portland's Restaurant Scene Would Like You to Eat Your Feelings
Portland Dining Month is back for the first time since March 2020 — that last one didn't go quite as planned — and over 100 restaurants are participating. The Travel Portland-sponsored program runs all month long, with each restaurant offering a prix-fixe three-course menu at either $35 or $55. That's an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert, at a price point that won't require you to refinance anything. The lineup spans neighborhood pasta joints, French bistros, street-style Thai, and much more — some restaurants are leaning on greatest hits, while others are debuting specialty dishes you won't find any other time of year. Consider it Portland's annual reminder that whatever is happening in City Hall, at least the food scene is functional. The full list of participating restaurants is at. Make a reservation. You've earned it.
See all the restaurant offers here
On Hold for 44 Minutes. For a Man Lying on the Sidewalk.
A Portland man saw someone passed out on the sidewalk last weekend, did the responsible civic thing, and called for help. He waited. And waited. And waited — 44 minutes and 10 seconds, to be precise — before a dispatcher picked up. By then, he'd long since driven away. The Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications confirmed the hold time was real, explaining that the caller had been routed through the non-emergency line and into a queue that, in their words, prioritizes actual 911 emergencies first. Which is reassuring, we suppose, until you realize that only 37% of Portland's 911 calls are answered within the national 15-second standard. The national benchmark is 90%. Portland continues to staff its dispatch center at levels that would be embarrassing for a city a quarter its size, and the wait times are the entirely predictable result. If you're having an emergency, the city suggests you don't hang up. Portland suggests a lot of things.
Multnomah County Has a Deflection Center Contract. And Not Much Else.
Oregon's new drug possession law comes with a promise: people caught with small amounts of drugs can be "deflected" into treatment rather than criminalized. Multnomah County has now inked a contract with a nonprofit to run this deflection center in time for the September 1 deadline. The catch? Key details of the program — like how it will actually operate, who it will serve, and what happens to people who show up — remain frustratingly thin. After years of Measure 110's troubled implementation and its eventual rollback, Portlanders have every right to approach this new framework with skepticism. The county has a contract. Whether it has a plan is a different question.
This Day in History
On March 3, 1849, Joseph Lane was sworn in as the first governor of the Oregon Territory, officially launching organized American governance over a stretch of land that had, until recently, been jointly claimed with Britain. Lane rode into Oregon City on horseback to take the oath. Portland was barely a clearing in the woods at the time — which, some days, feels like progress.
Upcoming Events
Portland Dining Month — 100+ restaurants, $35/$55 prix fixe, all of March
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival — various venues, through March 16
Peachy Springs' Drag Bingo @ Advice Booth on N Gay Ave — Wednesday, March 5, 7 PM
Brandon Woody's UPENDO @ The Old Church Concert Hall — Thursday, March 5, 8 PM
Cascade Festival of African Films @ Portland Community College — Free, March 5-7
Women of Nob Hill Walking Tour @ Slabtown Tours — Women's History Month, weekends in March
Portland Saturday Market returns — Saturdays through December, Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Mavis Staples w/ Shirley Nanette @ Revolution Hall — Saturday, March 14, 8 PM
Mt. Hood Rep presents The Life of Galileo @ OMSI Kendall Planetarium — March 13-15, 7:30 PM
ShanRock's Triviology Monday Trivia @ Waypost — every Monday, 7 PM, prizes
Sam Harris: Truth & Consequences @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall — Wednesday, March 11
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson: Everybody Reads 2026 @ Arlene Schnitzer — Tuesday, March 10
Trans Town PDX 2026 — resource fair + ticketed fundraiser, date TBA this month
Portland Mercury's Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy 2026 @ TBA — Friday, March 27
No Kings Portland Rally & March — Saturday, March 28, Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Well…
That's your Tuesday, Portland. The skies are gray, the hold music is playing, and the deflection center's operating plan remains somewhere in the maybe-later pile. But there are 100 restaurants waiting to make you a three-course meal for $35. Layer up for the drizzle, make a reservation somewhere good, and try not to have an emergency that requires a phone call.
Stay informed. Stay weird. Stay dry-ish. — Portland Drizzle