The West Woodland farm-to-table restaurant Stock has taken on a new identity: it has transformed into Papas Hot Potatoes. Same owner, same place (500 NW 65th St), but with a new plant-based, quick-serve menu.
“During the off-season, we have been busy in the lab creating a new menu so good that it’s getting a new restaurant aptly named Papas Hot Potatoes,” the owners wrote on their Facebook page earlier this month.
The chef and cofounder Chris Blanco decided to move to a plant-based menu after a experiencing a major health issue last year. “Feeling almost completely sapped of life energy for months, and experiencing symptoms that looked a lot like the autoimmune disease his father had fought for decades, it was time for radical changes,” the owners write on their website. Two weeks after switching to a whole foods, plant-based diet, his symptoms disappeared and he felt better than he had in years. So, he and his “sommelier of spuds” cofounder Patrick started developing a menu that focused on baked potatoes with all vegan toppings.
Papas (not to be confused with papa’s) is Spanish for ‘potatoes’. Their menu is simple: pick a base (Yukon gold , sweet potato, or cabbage), choose a sauce (red or white chili or queso), and then pick some toppings (green onion, vegan butter, sour cream, “crispy things”). They also plan to offer banana horchata vegan milkshakes for dessert.
A recent post says they’re hiring more staff and their grand opening is coming soon — check their Facebook page for updated info.