A butcher shop and restaurant opening in Northeast Portland later this year may fill the hole left in the city's dining scene when Old Salt Marketplace closed in 2018. Austin Piccone, who raises hogs at Wallow & Root Farm in Sandy, is launching Piccone's Corner in the same building as Petite Provence Bakery on Northeast Sandy Boulevard. He expects to be up and running by late summer.

The 2,400-square-foot former auto showroom will feature a full-service bar and restaurant run by a team of industry elites, including head chef Nic Maraziti, who graced the kitchens of Tusk and Ava Gene's, and head butcher Noah Grobart, formerly of Old Salt. Expect authentic Italian food that would make any nonna proud—Maraziti and Piccone's Italian-American roots will influence the menu, and they'll even be dipping into their grandmother's recipe books for inspiration.