26 | EDIBLE PORTLAND SUMMER 2025 Trang Nguyen of Friendship Kitchen echoes this ethos, operating under the belief that sharing meals with other queer individuals can foster social change. Their restaurant feels warm, welcoming, and like your family home: “We care that you’re here with us. When you eat with other queer people it's nice because you get it, you know? There is this deep understanding of the things that we've been through,” Nguyen says. With her parents yet to accept her queerness fully, she finds love through eating with others and creating space to believe in each other. “I personally believe in everyone so much. I believe in myself. And Portland is such an amazing place: the people are so kind. If there is a gofundme for a queer person, people step up. It really is a perfect place to start something beautiful, and I feel so blessed to be able to do that,” adds Nguyen. For chef Hawnuh Lee of Tzimmy, a plant-based, lowwaste, community-minded pop-up, creativity is a form of resilience. “We've grown up in a society where you only use certain parts of [food],” she says. “We haven't been shown other ways to repurpose our ingredients. Anytime I'm able to figure out a connection and close that loop, it feels like this joyful discovery…everybody can have access if we can create more resources around it,” Lee adds. The same spirit of resourcefulness extends to her understanding of community. “Community is integral to every part,” she explains. “So much of the connectivity around food happens at the table, and with other people.” She reinforces this distinction, noting that third spaces cultivate queer joy, and food is simply the tool. “Impromptu gatherings around food is something that I'm so excited to do..this idea of, you know, kind of potluck style, but elevated food around everyone in this community,” states Lee. The work at Coffee Beer is also profoundly personal. “I’ve dealt with dysphoria most of my life,” adds Stewart. “Maybe this is me finding commodities that bring people together, but also make me feel more myself. Hospitality is about kindness and taking care of people.” That’s the through-line: a collective reclaiming of hospitality, one that’s queer, local, sustainable, and above all, generous. These aren’t just businesses. They’re queer third spaces – places where people can be themselves, find community through shared identities and lived experiences, and gather around a table that was built with them in mind. Or as Stewart puts it, “the best joy is seeing people breathe easier.” Left: The distinctive violet doors at Siam Umami. Below: Chef Luna Cantreras of Chelo & Damita.
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