Artist Block Opens Alpha Bravo: a Newberg Speakeasy-Style Ramen Bar

NEWBERG, Ore. — This Thursday, Artist Block founder Anna Sweet and her team are officially opening Alpha Bravo, a speakeasy-style ramen bar in the back room of the winery’s Newberg Quonset (pronounced: kwan-set) hut tasting room at 115 S Washington Street. 

This latest addition from the art and wine brand, which opened in the Dundee Hills in 2023, aims to bring a unique dining experience to the area, combining Sweet’s love for old-world ambiance with a limited, build-your-own ramen menu.

Artist Block moved into the Washington Street Quonset hut on June 1, 2024. Originally intended as a satellite office, the Quonset hut has gradually transformed under Sweet’s vision. 

“After spending time in this incredibly unique and historic setting, the artist in me started to come alive and demanded making it into something people could enjoy,” Sweet said. 

The wine bar up front, which showcases Artist Block wine alongside several local winemakers who don’t have their own tasting rooms, was the first step. But with her memories of New York City’s speakeasies, such as PDT and Employees Only, Sweet saw the potential for a hidden bar experience. 

The back room, accessible via a “secret door” that reveals behind a large hanging art piece, now offers a 1920s-inspired design with gold fixtures surrounded by feathered accents and deep, dark-colored furniture and walls. She said the idea was to tap into the building’s era—Quonset Huts were built during World War II to house soldiers, store supplies, and serve as hospitals (hence the bar’s NATO phonetic alphabet name). 

The ramen menu itself is a reflection of Sweet’s journey of adapting to the Pacific Northwest climate. 

“After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2020 from Florida, I had to adjust to the rainy winters and create routines that help me cope with the weather,” Sweet said. “Ramen is one of those beautiful things I discovered and became obsessed with since living near Portland. It’s now a wintertime treat for my husband and me.”

The bar will offer an a la carte menu, which can start with appetizers like edamame and pink deviled eggs. To follow, diners build their own ramen, starting with size, and then adding protein and other toppings. The soup base and noodles are both vegan and gluten-free for food-sensitive diners.

“We want to see what Newberg really needs and wants; by creating the bowl as a build-your-own with a vegan base and gluten-free options, we give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the space,” Sweet said.

Unlike most restaurants, Artist Block’s ramen bar is a collaboration among staff, with no official chef. 

“We obsessed over and perfected recipes for the four dishes on the menu collectively and are implementing them with our talented team of foodies and industry workers,” Sweet noted.

The build-out of the restaurant has been a family affair, with benches sewn by Sweet’s mother and booths hand-built by a local carpenter. Sweet’s sister, Hadassah, an interior designer, played an integral role in creating the bar’s unique look. 

“My family and community have come together to create and implement the build-out of the space,” Sweet said.

Looking to further cultivate the speakeasy’s atmosphere in the future, Sweet is currently in search of a jazz band and hopes to offer themed events. But for now, the focus is squarely on establishing the location as a must-do experience in Newberg.

“At this point, we are hyper-focused on offering the best guest experience possible through the winter,” she said. 

If all goes well, Sweet plans to host a grand opening party in December, inviting the Newberg community to join in the celebration.

Alpha Bravo will be open Thursday through Sunday for dinner from 5 – 8:30 p.m. Reservations, which will only serve about 20 bowls of ramen per night, are available via OpenTable.

Learn more at alphabravobar.com