Driftwood - Coffee Anyone?

Kara is a small woman with a lot of energy. She’s the owner of Driftwood Coffee, offering a genuine smile and greeting to everyone who walks in the door. The sign outside tells us that this particular establishment is, “More Than Expected,” and it most certainly is. 

Several people have written to me about Driftwood Coffee as a place deserving of a visit for this column, and I finally got the chance to drop in. I’m really glad I did. The experience was that of stepping into an old friend’s place; warm and inviting. 


The Portland-casual environment is what struck me the most; three or four burlap coffee bags adorn the wall across from the coffee bar. Everything in the room is carefully and tastefully placed around a space which is not large, nor is it small. Let’s just call it comfortable. This is not a manufactured comfort, stamped out to strike a niche-specific-chord-of-familiarity with wild-eyed hordes of desperately salivating caffeine seekers, but rather a simple, thoughtful placement of tables and chairs, and a corner near the front door invitingly decked with a couple of couches, facing one another across a simple coffee table. A few magazines and books are stored on a lower shelf for those who’re looking for a little light reading material. There are a few locally made items such as hats, clothing, and jewelry offered for sale along with a good selection of coffees, teas, Italian sodas, and let’s not forget the Breakfast Sandwich selections. I had a mocha coffee and a “Dave and an Egg” which turned out to be a slice of Dave’s Killer Bread with my choice (over easy) of egg. 

The coffee/chocolate mixture was smooth and delicious. I heroically declined the whipped cream. The breakfast sandwich was killer indeed. A little hot sauce on top made it perfection. 


While I enjoyed my breakfast, seated where I could watch all the action on one of the couches, I watched a steady stream of folks come in and order. A couple of older guys reading newspapers sat at a table across the room next to a young couple who had eyes only for one another. At the next table over, four women discussed the world with plenty of laughs all around. A young writer peered at his laptop screen while sipping something delicious-looking from a large mug. A family of four wide-eyed travelers stepped down out of their home-on-wheels and traipsed in the door. The two kids promptly began oohing-and-aweing over the selection of goodies, while mom and dad went directly to the counter to order coffee and a dragonfly chai. I don’t know what the kids eventually ordered in the way of drinks, but I know for sure that one little girl got herself a beautifully woven bracelet and her brother scored himself a very cool hat, with what looked to be a painting of a killer whale above the brim.  


Pastries of all kinds are offered at Driftwood Coffee, including some gluten free and vegan options. I only managed to avoid their come-hither tastiness because of my iron will; enough said? 


There is some small concern that the paving project on Vermont will hurt business somewhat from now through November, but there’s also hope that folks will continue to seek out this little gem of a coffee place that will never, and I mean never, entertain the idea of robot coffee baristas. 


This where to go to hang out with friends, to talk, to read, or to just relax and gaze out the window as cars roll by on Vermont Street at 46th. After all, what’s the hurry? More than expected? Absolutely!

4604 SW Vermont St, Portland, OR 97219
Order: doordash.com
Phone: (503) 246-4706

Evaluation: Extraordinarily Sincere

Old Market Pub and Brewery - offers an unassuming, yet excellent experience

There are times when we go out to dinner to celebrate in style and look for an exceptional flavor sensation. Portland is obviously one of the very best places to discover such establishments.

However, there are the other times when we're just looking for a good, quick place to get something decent to eat and fast food is not a desirable option. Such was the state of things a few evenings ago.

My wife Georgina and I went to see an early showing of "Black Panther" on a Wednesday night and decided at the last minute to have some dinner before the show. (That, of course, made it a date, which was my evil plan in the first place). We stopped at The Old Market Pub & Brewery at 6959 S.W. Multnomah Blvd.

Like everyone in the neighborhood, we'd driven by the place — which sits in the curve of Multnomah Boulevard — plenty of times without stopping, even when we were hungry (or thirsty), because it always looks so busy. As anticipated, the parking lot at 5:30 p.m. was indeed packed, but we took a chance anyway.

Turns out the place is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. In spite of a fairly large crowd, there were plenty of tables and we were seated immediately. As we entered, we informed the host that we had a bit of a time constraint, and he let our server know before she even came to our table.

Let's just say that the young woman who took care of us earned a hefty tip. She was personable, fast and efficient. Our food — two amazing grass-fed, Oregon-organic, hickory-bacon cheeseburgers — was delivered in record time.

We ordered one of them with a side of really delicious shoestring fries, and the other came with a generous portion of Kettle Chips. Of course, we shared the fries and chips, but the fries won the contest hands down. Thankfully, the fries were on my plate where I could properly defend them.

The atmosphere is light and airy. There are large TV screens, displaying sports of all kinds, all around the dining area and over the bar, and they can easily be seen from every table. Such a place, filled with people as it was, could easily be too loud, but fortunately the TVs are muted and we were able to have an easy conversation without having to resort to screaming at one another.

Discovering unassuming restaurants like this one, particularly those that offer gluten-free buns for the burgers, is a real treat.

The sincerity of a place is not always the food, nor the service or the look and feel of the building. It is all of these things assembled with the idea of conveying a welcome to longtime customers as well as to those who wander in without a clue or expectations of any kind. Having an experience of sincerity is that feeling we walk away with and carry into the rest of our day or night. That's what happened that Wednesday night; we went to the movies with a sense of satisfaction that we were valued customers of a place new to us, one that's just around the corner and down the road.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

DIGG