Year-end review 2021: Openings, closings, and more

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What a year! As we look back on 2021, it's crazy to remember that we started the year with risk levels. ​In April, we were still in "High Risk," which allowed for indoor dining not to exceed 25% or 50 people. There were rules on closing times (11 pm in high risk) and how many people could sit at a table (6 max in Oregon). As the vaccines rolled out and cases subsided, there was a brief window where the mask mandate was withdrawn and we lived in glorious mask-free freedom. "It's over!" some of us thought. COVID has another plan in mind, obviously. As we finish out 2021, we wanted to take a moment to recap the year and the changes that HR and the Columbia Gorge experienced. Let's start with something fun: new restaurants, food trucks, and eateries that opened this year:

2021 Restaurant, Food Truck, and Market Openings

In 2021, the following food and drink-related businesses opened in our area:

1. Fish People Seafood Hood River (13 Oak St, Hood River, OR 97031)
2. Wheel's Hood River (3189 OR-35, Hood River, OR 97031). Read more here. 
3. Local Rhoots (the business had been operating previously, but opened its brick and mortar location this year, 1301 Belmont Ave, Hood River, OR 97031). Read more. 
4. El Cuate. The food truck found a permanent brick and mortar location in the Heights at (1769 12th St, suite 100 Hood River, OR 97031)
5. Columbia Gorge Crepes (Cascade Ave &, 5th St, Hood River, OR 97031). Read more here. 
6. Grasslands BBQ (403 Portway Ave, Hood River, OR 97031) 
7. Hood River Common House (110 5th St, Hood River, OR 97031)
8. Orange Cuisine, Mona's, and Ladle's soup opened a little food pod with the Solstice food truck at (1501 12th Street The Heights, Hood River, OR 97031). Find menus and read more about them in our blog post here. 
9. Moby Coffee Roasters took over the Cindy's Espresso stand at 1540 Osprey Dr, Hood River, OR 97031. Read more here. 

Restaurants and Food Trucks that Closed in 2021

1. The Pescatarian Cafe (108 US-30, Hood River, OR 97031)
2. No. 9 Smōk•hous (108 US-30, Hood River, OR 97031)
3. The Ranch Drive In (1950 12th St, Hood River, OR 97031​)

Media Coverage of the Gorge 

From famous NYT wine critic Eric Asimov to Travel & Leisure, everyone wanted a piece of Oregon to brag about this year. A few notable news articles about our region included: 

1. ​"The 12 Best Small Towns in Oregon for Historic Charm, Organic Wineries, and Adventure Treks," Travel + Leisure
2. "The Columbia River Gorge's Best Food and Drinks This Fall," The Wall Street Journal
3. "25 Amazing Journeys for 2022," National Geographic
4. "Hood River’s famous Fruit Loop is a great (and tasty) fall drive: Gerry Frank’s picks," The Oregonian
5. "Hungry for a post-vaccine road trip? Take a food tour of the Columbia River Gorge area," The Seattle Times
6. "A Fall Weekend Getaway in the Pacific Northwest—Easy and Gorgeous," The Wall Street Journal
7. "The Best Things to Do in the Columbia Gorge," Seattle Met
8. "Great Oregon Wines Beyond the Willamette Valley," The New York Times
9. "The 'Top Chef' Guide to Portland," Food & Wine (the headline should read Oregon, not Portland). Mt. View Orchards is featured. 

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