Morchella Returns to Southeast Portland

Morchella is returning to Portland with a second act. The foraging and wild foods restaurant, now called Morchella 2.0, is slated to open in November at 1429 S.E. 37th Ave, where it will run the kitchen at a new bar called The Double Down Lounge.

Chefs Cameron Dunlap and David Stevenson are behind the food. The pair have teamed up with the bar’s owners, Jake and Shela Kagan, to take over the kitchen. Jake Kagan will work behind the bar.

The original Morchella, known for its mushroom-driven menu built around wild and foraged ingredients, opened in 2021 at 1315 N.E. Fremont St. in the Sabin neighborhood. It was named to Bon Appétit’s 50 Best New Restaurants list in 2022 and closed at the end of 2024, after about three years in Fremont.

The Kagans are San Francisco transplants. Jake was a longtime bartender and later a bar owner in the city. The couple leased the space that was formerly the 3 Doors Down restaurant to open a neighborhood spot.

According to the Portland Business Journal, Kagan aims to serve good cocktails quickly, with an eye toward quality and affordability. Guests can expect a DJ booth playing Motown and blues, a large TV showing “Soul Train” and a rotating art gallery.

Morchella’s earlier menu leaned on mushrooms, pastas, soups and proteins like venison, pheasant, quail and fish, with dishes such as venison steak with dandelion greens and endives with walnuts and wild rice. Whether the new kitchen will carry those dishes, or a pared-down version for a bar setting, has yet to be announced.