Lucky Strike extinguishes

Lucky Strike, Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard's spice-loving Sichuanese restaurant, closed after service Sunday, Eater PDX reports.

The restaurant first opened on outer Southeast Powell Boulevard in 2008. Despite its no-atmosphere space and out-of-the-way location, Lucky Strike became a cult favorite, earning strong reviews for fiery dishes coated in rafts of dried red chiles.

In 2010, owners Rita Jia You and Stefan Leopold packed up their signature dan dan noodles and moved closer in, reopening with a full cocktail menu in a back-room den next door to the Hawthorne Theatre. Though dogged by a reputation for poor service, Lucky Strike remained the Portland restaurant most committed to the numbing arts of the Sichuan peppercorn -- at least within the city limits.

R.I.P. Renard

Renard, the straightforward French bistro that took over the St. Jack space this summer, has closed its doors for good.

"We hate dampening the holidays with the news, but the time has come to tell you all that Renard is now permanently closed due to poor sales," the restaurant wrote on its website. "Our time was short, but we would like to thank all of our diehard fans... the regulars who came 3x per week (or more!) and our friends, family and supporters who helped us realize our dream."

Lucky Strike and Renard are the latest in a line of well-liked Portland restaurants to announce closures this month, including Gruner, Levant, Hokusei, Marmo, Farm Cafe, Cocotte and Pizza Maria.

-- Michael Russell