On a Rapidly Changing Street, Po’Shines Serves Soul Food With a Mission | Eater Portland

"On the corner of N Kilpatrick in Kenton, Po’Shines Cafe De La Soul is a black-owned Cajun and soul-food restaurant owned by Celebration Tabernacle that has anchored the block for more than a decade and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Since 2007 it has provided work for people down on their luck and is part of a larger mentorship effort (Teach Me to Fish) that offers culinary-industry skills and on-the-job experience for underserved youth; the restaurant itself has expanded into Poshettes, Po’Shines Catering and a Culinary Clinic. Chef James Bradley—who found the restaurant after getting sober and joining the church—serves as opening chef and culinary guide, and the place functions as an unofficial community center where church ladies meet for breakfast, young couples come for lunch, and neighbors gather over catfish po’boys; Bradley emphasizes the importance of owning the corner rather than renting and sees the restaurant’s work as an extension of his faith and the church’s mission to feed the community." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden