Cereus Plus, an apple fest arrives in time for fall, and The New York Times taps its 25 best restaurants Cereus, a Northeast Portland cocktail bar known for its Colombian cuisine and well-made drinks, closed on Sunday, October 13, after almost two and a half years in business. The bar first opened in 2022. Owner Bradley Stephens announced the closure in a Tuesday, October 8 Instagram post. “Despite receiving critical acclaim, local awards, and overwhelming g positive feedback from our amazing guests, we have faced insurmountable financial challenges and a prolonged exhausting process to secure an SBA loan that could have saved the company, we were ultimately denied,” the post read. “This decision has left us with no choice but to close our doors after this Sunday October 13th dinner service.” Stephens went on to thank customers and the Portland community for their “unwavering support” over the years. Stephens also authored an open letter to the City of Portland regarding the closure of Cereus. In the letter, he attributed the closure to “the insane increased cost of operating a restaurant, bank headaches, and the often unpredictable consistency of when guests would go out for dinner or drinks.” He also wrote of the rate of closures in Portland, urged small businesses to ask their government officials for help, and asked readers to take the time to support local businesses. “The starving artist trope doesn’t have to exist here, we can elevate each other if we actually try,” Stephens wrote. Cereus served a menu of cocktails divided into three sections: originals and riffs, classics, and stolen drinks. Originals and riffs offered creative takes on classics like the Darkwing, a nog-esque cocktail with chai vodka, while the classics stuck to recognizable names like a vesper martini and a mai tai. Under stolen drinks, Cereus served cocktails from bartenders across the country like the Sweater Weather developed by Chelsea Gregoire in Baltimore and the Vicente from Teardrop Lounge’s Nicolas Flower. Portland Apple Fest Rubinette Produce Market is hosting its yearly apple festival on October 20. Fifteen varieties of apples will be on deck, plus cider from Kiyokawa Family Orchards, boozy cider from Dragon’s Head, and fall-appropriate bites like sausage, turnovers, and more. The New York Times names its 25 best restaurants in Portland The New York Times published the Portland edition of its 25 Best series. Among the picks are all-day bakery and restaurant Cafe Olli, acclaimed Korean restaurant Han Oak, Sellwood sushi spot Kaede, and modern French restaurant, Le Pigeon.