McCormick & Schmick's Original locale isn't the only one calling it quits. Looks like Chef Marco Shaw is saying goodbye to all that at Fife. I had heard through a couple of sources that this was on the verge of happening but didn't know it was coming so soon.
That is until I Just got this in my inbox:
Fife Restaurant
Farewell to Portland
April 2009
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.....to every last one of you that has supported us over the last six and a half years! This summer I am moving out of Oregon and thus we are closing the restaurant. Our last night of service will be Saturday, May 2nd.It has been my pleasure to fix dinner for you and to share laughs and stories and be witness to many proposals, birthdays and anniversaries. Since opening I have met some wonderful people and have made some life long friends. Portland has been a special place for me and my family and having all of you over for dinner at Fife has been a great part of our lives. To my "gang" of farmers that have been my inspiration, to the ever growing throng of Fife regulars and to my current and former staff that have helped me keep my dream alive.......Thank you, Thank you, Thank you a thousand times. I look forward to fixing dinner for all of you one last time.
Marco Shaw

UPDATE/2:30 pm Thursday, Aprll 9: Word from inside the employee meeting, which according to sources happened today at 1 pm, is that in a last minute decision McCormick & Schmick has decided they will continue to operate the Originals location until July 2009.

UNHAPPIEST HOUR: I've just heard that Thursday, April 9, will be the last day for the McCormick & Schmick Seafood Restaurant located on First Avenue and Oak Street. If the rumour is true it will mean the closure of one of Portland's most established eateries. According to the company bio, it was in 1979 that Bill McCormick and Doug Schmick (pictured above) opened the Original McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant inside the historic Failing Building. Since that time, the company has expanded to more than 80 restaurants across the country. A happening happy hour hotspot for local business-suit types (Schnick Schmick created the $1.95 bar menu) it is often frequented by tourists in search of an "authentic" seafood meal. It will be dearly missed. No word on other closures within the company.

NEWSFLASH: Why yes that was you thought it was in the bathroom at Bluehour on Friday night. Huey Lewis made a quick visit to Portland prior to catch up with his gal-pal/girlfriend (and Portland Monthly fashionable scribe) Jill Spitznass. The duo—joined by Jill's daughter—dined on chef de cuisine Drew Lockett's recommended fois gras and visited with a few of the locals.

BAD BOYS NEEDED BADLY: Was just handed this by Oregon Film Office. It's kind of funny considering this is, well, Portland:

TNT'S "LEVERAGE" STILL SEEKS EXTRAS TO PLAY BAD GUYS

PORTLAND, OR. Rutabaga Background Casting, a division of Lana Veenker
Casting, is urgently seeking males age 25-35 to play thugs in
"Leverage," the TNT television drama that begins shooting in Portland on
April 13, 2009.

"We need blue-collar, rough-and-tumble types of any ethnicity who could
pass for thugs, dockworkers and bad guys," says extras casting director
Lori Lewis. "And we need to hear from them immediately."

Individuals who fit the profile exactly should send an email with a
recent photo of themselves at their "thuggiest" to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,
along with their contact information, even if they have already
registered with the company in the past.

Individuals interested in working as extras who do NOT fit the profile
should NOT email this address. Instead, they can be added to Rutabaga
Background Casting's database by going to
http://castingscoop.blogspot.com and following the instructions on the
website.

The company will be in contact if and when positions are available.
Please do not phone or drop by the office, as there is insufficient
staff and resources to handle the volume of inquiries.

Extras earn minimum wage, plus overtime pay. Work is sporadic, but days
can be 12 hours or longer, so interested parties must clear their
schedules completely on work days.

The first episode shoots April 13th to April 21st and background
performers may only be needed for a day or two during this time.

There is no charge to work as an extra or to register with the casting
company.

Lana Veenker Casting is the Northwest's premier casting company. Its
extras division, Rutabaga Background Casting, is handling the extras
casting on "Leverage."

Peter Zuckerman is stepping away from his reporting duties at The Oregonian. Zuckerman made his decision on Friday, but waited until Monday to disclose it. The award-winning investigative journalist intends to devote at least the next 18 months of his life to his "dream" book project, a journey that will take him to some of the most remote regions in the world. In fact, the newly red-bearded gent made his decision to leave his post covering county government for The Oregonian following a several-week trip to Nepal. As of late, Zuckerman has been the subject of a little news coverage himself as he is the partner of Portland Mayor Sam Adams. Good luck and God speed, my friend.

MEMORY LANE: Portland's own Pennie Lane is currently in NYC with travel journo, Andrew Collins. And from what I've heard is having the time of her life. Yesterday she called me from her trip and said "you'll never guess who I just ran into." Well, it was none other than Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, aka the same guitarist she followed across the world as a "Flying Garter Girl," and whose relationship became the inspiration for Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous." It had been years since the two had seen each other, and of course, when they met it was at the New York branch of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame where both "garter girl" and "rock legend" were on separate private tours of the facility. The meeting followed Page inducting his former Yardbird bandmate Jeff Beck into Cleveland's Rock and Roll of Fame on Saturday night. According to Pennie it was a "sweet reunion." As The New Post Cindy Adams always says, "only in New York, kids.

"MAN-U-HAUL: Is one of this country's most notorious relationship experts moving to Portland? Well, maybe. I literally ran into Steve Santagati, the author of The Manual: A True Bad Boy Explains How Men Think, Date, and Mate—and What Women Can Do to Come Out on Top (Crown, 289 pages, $21.95) outside the adidas originals store in the Brewery Blocks on Saturday. Creator of "Bad Boys Finish First" apparel and a regular on Mario Lopez's "Extra" tabloid TV show, Santagati told me he is seriously thinking about moving to Portland. "I love to kiteboard," the surfer-looking dude said. Later in the weekend he dropped me this note: "Byron, I would love to move to P-town but who knows right now. I'm waiting to see what happens with this show thing Mario and I have been doing [Santagati just shot a "Mantourage" pilot with Lopez]. Local cougars, time to get your growl on.