"Black Seed Burger Cult, set to open early this fall, will be a family-friendly diner with ‘60s vibes. Black Seed is the passion project of four Sizzle Pie alumni and longtime friends: Mikey McKennedy, Mikey Williams, Donovyn Collins, and John Black. The four of them jumped on the former Verde Cocina location at 3746 N Mississippi Avenue and are now working on a simple menu of burgers, sandwiches, and loaded fries. Each dish has several different versions, depending on the dietary restrictions — Black Seed wants to have vegan and gluten-free versions of each item on the menu, making most of the sandwiches’ sauces naturally vegan and gluten-free. “We want to make sure that we can offer every kind of option,” Williams says. “People go to other places for the vegan burgers, but here, there’s no cross contamination — everything is fried separately, never cooked in the same grease. That’s a huge part of what we want to do.” Most things will be made in-house — including the vegan burgers — but Portland bakery Fleur De Lis will handle the buns. The restaurant itself is far from the Motorhead-blasting pizza chain where they all got their start — Black Seed is meant to appeal to a wide range of ages, with more mid-century nostalgia than loud music. Kids can order non-alcoholic slushies with flavors like horchata and hibiscus, and the drinkers can stick to beer, wine, and cider. Black Seed will be open in late September or early October." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
