Southeast Portland diners who missed Morchella's foraged small plates will soon have a new place to find them. Double Down Lounge and Morchella are planning to open their doors on Saturday, November 7, inside the former 3 Doors Down space at 1429 S.E. 37th Ave., bringing a bar program, DJ, rotating local art and a kitchen built around Oregon's fields and forest.
What Now Portland reported on the pairing on October 23, 2026, before Bridgetown Bites published its report on November 5. The project is led again by Cameron Dunlap, Morchella's founder, alongside chef David Stevenson. Stevenson, described as a professional forager who has been part of Morchella over the years, is stepping into the role of executive chef and partner at Double Down. The Double Down Lounge itself is owned by Jake and Shela, and it exists under the same LLC as the previously announced Get Down Lounge, according to the outlet.
According to What Now Portland, Dunlap and Stevenson teamed up with the bar's owners, Jake and Shela Kagan, to bring the food program to life. The outlet notes that Morchella 2.0 is slated to run the kitchen at the new bar, though whether it will revive dishes from its earlier menu or serve a pared-down bar menu has yet to be announced.
A Forager's Kitchen With Deep Portland Roots
Morchella describes itself as a forager's kitchen serving approachable bar food rooted in Oregon's fields and forest, the Bridgetown Bites report notes. The menu follows the seasons and what the team brings in from its own garden, local farms and the woods. Stevenson's planned offerings are described as small plates that are fun, approachable and rooted in the field and forest.
Morchella previously operated a restaurant on N.E. Fremont, though the two outlets differ on its opening date. Bridgetown Bites reports the Fremont location opened in April 2025, while What Now Portland reports the original Morchella opened in 2021 at 1315 N.E. Fremont St. in the Sabin neighborhood and closed at the end of 2024 after about three years in business. What Now also notes Morchella was named to Bon Appétit's 50 Best New Restaurants list in 2022.
After the restaurant closed, Morchella didn't disappear from the city's food scene. The team went on to do a number of events and pop-ups, and for a time shared a space on N.E. Alberta with Bonne Chance Wine Bar, per the same account. Morchella continues to participate in external events and remains available for catering, the report notes.
What the Space Will Look Like
The plan calls for a bar program at Double Down Lounge alongside rotating local art from Asylum Avenue Gallery, shown as framed pieces and murals, according to Bridgetown Bites. Once fully up and running, the listed hours are Monday to Thursday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Tuesday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., though that schedule is described as planned rather than confirmed as current.
The 1429 S.E. 37th Ave. address has its own history in the Hawthorne-area dining scene. What Now Portland reports that 3 Doors Down Cafe & Lounge operated in the neighborhood for 30 years before closing in late 2024, and that the business later submitted a liquor license application for the same space, with a proposed schedule of 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.
The arrival of Double Down Lounge and Morchella also fits into a broader wave of Portland restaurant comebacks. The Portland Business Journal grouped Morchella alongside Jinju and Grits N Gravy as returning names, noting the new Hawthorne-area bar as part of the same roundup.
