In the not-too-distant past, Portland was famous for incredible food deals at bars, restaurants, and food carts. Today, various consequences of the pandemic have made it much harder to stretch a dollar. Restaurants have been accumulating massive amounts of debt just to stay afloat, inflation has spiked the cost of everything from takeout containers to canola oil, and restaurant workers have learned that they can’t work sustainably at the wages they were making before the pandemic. These factors have, understandably, raised the cost of a meal across the country, including Portland. Consumers should recognize that affordable food — whatever that means — is an extra level of service that
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