Bialy Bird is taking flight—help me build it!

It’s happening!!! The time has arrived for Bialy Bird to officially move into its very own brick and mortar and we wouldn’t be here without you!

First and foremost, THANK YOU.

Bialy Bird has grown because of the people who’ve shown up for it. From the very beginning, our customers have been everything—lining up early, sharing kind words, coming back time and again. You’ve made this more than a pop-up. You’ve made it a community.

Before Bialy Bird, I spent years as a touring musician with my former band Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. It brought me to some incredible places and unforgettable meals.

The reality was that music didn’t cover the bills. When I wasn’t on tour, I was working in restaurants—getting through rushes, learning to move in tight spaces, developing a deep respect for the craft of cooking and flavor exploration. Bread pulled me in. In 2010, after reading the Tartine Bread book, I started experimenting with naturally leavened dough and never really stopped. Baking gave me something solid to come back to—something hands-on and satisfying, a quiet meditation in a chaotic time in my life.

When I lived in New York, I fell for the energy of bagel shops and bodegas. But it was the bialy that stuck with me—humble, often overlooked, and full of potential. A little blank canvas for flavor, memory, and play. Years later, I managed a busy bagel shop here in Portland. The rhythm and repetition brought me back to those memorable years in New York, and so the egg was laid.

When I launched my first bialy pop-up in 2022, I had no idea what to expect. But the response to Bialy Bird was overwhelming in the best way. We quickly landed a residency at Dame Collective. With a rotating crew of incredibly generous and talented friends, we got to work serving you the world’s most beautiful coffee from Tokyo roaster Apollon’s Gold and crafting food using ingredients grown right here in the PNW.

I also had the chance to work in the same space with chefs I deeply admire—Luna Contreras (Chelo), Patrick McKee (Estes), Richard Văn Lê (Matta), Katy Conners(Matcha Freak), and the ever-impressive Le Clown crew. The energy and creativity of that community pushed me to keep going, refining, and innovating.

And through it all, Bialy Bird fans kept showing up. You came early. You brought your friends and family. You kept coming back. That kind of support—that kind of love—is what gave me the courage to take this to the next stage.

And now we’re doing it! We’ve signed a lease and we’re deep in the process of building it out.

I want Bialy Bird to be a place where people continue to feel the love: In the food, in the space, and in every interaction with the team. A place that reflects not just what I love to cook, but how I want to work—with kindness, intention, and respect—and how I want others to feel when they walk through the door.

How You Can Help

Opening a restaurant takes a village. We’ve come this far with hard work and generous community support and we need you now more than ever. Please help us spread the word and share this fundraiser far and wide.

We’re raising funds to help cover our final buildout, equipment, and opening costs. Every donation—no matter the size—helps us take one step closer to softly tossing bialys, sando’s and schmears towards your many open beaks.

If Bialy Bird has meant something to you, or you just want to see this kind of place exist in Portland, I’d be so grateful for your support.

Thank you for being part of this.

—

Adam

Founder, Bialy Bird