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

Maplewood Coffee & Tea – a hidden treasure

Georgina Young-Ellis recommends this historic neighborhood gathering place in Maplewood

Originally published Sunday, October 01, 2017



Tucked away in a corner of the Maplewood community of Southwest Portland is Maplewood Coffee & Tea, a delightful little café that serves breakfast and lunch every day, and dinner the latter part of the week. You may have never chanced upon it because it is somewhat off the beaten path, in the midst of a lovely neighborhood, at 5206 S.W. Custer St. It seems like an unlikely place for a restaurant, or even a coffee house, sitting there surrounded by private homes. However, before its latest incarnation, it was a going establishment for years and years as a general store and post office that used to be referred to as the Green Store. From the time the Green Store opened in 1911 until it closed in 1976, it was the hub of the neighborhood, a place where people would post notices, get their mail, purchase grocery items and enjoy the penny candy and ice cream that was sold there. After it closed, the Green Store was sold and used as a residence until current owner Jo Whitsell purchased it in 2012 and converted it into Maplewood Coffee & Tea, keeping it true to its roots as a neighborhood meeting place.

The atmosphere is simultaneously cozy and spacious, with rustic wooden floors and tables spread out comfortably. You can relax while you eat or drink, play one of the board games they keep on hand or pick up one of the newspapers or magazines that are always available for your perusal.

When I popped in with Jon, we were not there to have a meal, but instead sampled a delicious hibiscus iced tea and a gorgeous decaf mocha while lounging in a sunlit corner. The food looked great, though, especially the pastries on display that come from Pearl Bakery and New Cascadia, including gluten-free and vegan options. The coffee comes from the local Extracto Coffee Roasters, and the teas from Jasmine Pearl Tea and Dragonfly Chai.

If you're there to munch, breakfast will get you waffles, frittatas, a breakfast bowl and more; plus, you can always add the divine-sounding thyme biscuit for a couple of extra bucks. For lunch there are inventive salads and sandwiches, and dinner offers roasted chicken, a sausage plate, a veggie burger and a vegan dinner bowl.

Order at the counter, and your food will be delivered to your table. They've got local and imported red and white wines, as well as beer and cider. Happy hour is every day from 4-7 p.m.; you can get beer or cider in $4.50 pints, while wine is a dollar off a glass and two dollars off a bottle to stay. Sundays, mimosas are just $6. Breakfast is served Monday through Wednesday until 11 a.m., and Thursday through Sunday until 2 p.m. Lunch is served all day, every day, and dinner is from 5-8 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.

I stopped on my way out and chatted with a nice lady who told me how much she and her family value Maplewood Coffee & Tea in the neighborhood. She said they've enjoyed bingo nights the second Thursday of every month, and trivia nights on the last Thursday of the month. It turns out you can even rent the space after hours for parties and such. Within walking distance from so many other nearby neighborhoods in Southwest Portland, Maplewood Coffee & Tea is an ideal place to enjoy a
leisurely Sunday brunch, an afternoon coffee and pastry, a healthy dinner, breakfast with the family or lunch with a friend. I live for discovering these hidden treasures, and I'm so glad I stumbled upon this one.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

DIGG

Porto Rico Importing Company - Coffee

We've all seen the cartoons where the little mouse is carried along by the very sinuous and slinky odor of a block of cheese. The mouse is lifted from his feet and there's music  heard as he's wafted along by that enticing smell.  We all now associate that music with snake charmers ( research let me find "Dance Of The Snake Charmer") from old black and white movies. Or maybe you know it as the melody to elementary school songs that had to do with France and ladies without pants? Anyway, there was no music (that I can remember) as I walked by the entrance to Porto Rico that day with Georgina on my arm. What I do remember is that she kissed me, and went on to work whilst I was lifted from my feet and carried by the aroma of roasting coffee into this little store. Honestly, I had no choice. I ordered a large iced coffee. They charged me $2.00. I commented on the stunning perfume of the coffee out on the sidewalk, and the one other customer in the store agreed heartily, and informed me that I just happened in at a perfect time since under typical conditions the place would have been packed with other mice such as myself. I was indeed thankful for my good fortune. The woman behind the counter was kind and helpful. The coffee was delicious. What more might I want? Well, since you ask, I just happen to like agave nectar or chocolate soy milk as condiments for my brew, and they did not have them, but I'm forced to admit that such exotic elements are generally found to be available only in my home where the coffee is just as good. Still, there's nothing like finding something so wonderful as a freshly made cup of coffee served by pleasant people, available at my whim as I wander the streets of Manhattan. This ain't no starbucks. This ain't no disco. This ain't no foolin' around. This, my friends, is the real deal.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

 

PORTO RICO IMPORTING CO.
201 BLEECKER ST.
NEW YORK, N.Y. 10012
212-GR7-5421
1-800-453-5908
http://www.portorico.com/store/ 

Think Coffee - Manhattan

So, after visiting the Yippie Cafe, we desperately needed something to eat, it being around 11:00 p.m., us having spent an hour and a half earlier in the evening at our swing dance class (yes, we're taking
swing dance - very insincere of me to mention) and there not being anything palatable at the Yippie. So we wandered outside and into a place called Think Coffee that I had dismissed, when we'd passed it before, as looking like a yuppie (as opposed to yippie) haven next door. It so wasn't.

Relaxed, with wood floors and benches, little cafe tables and chairs, a high ceiling and walls of windows, they served vegan desserts and a variety of sandwiches, fair trade teas and coffees, beers on tap, and wine. Folks sat around chatting or working on their computers in a rather Starbucks-esque scenario, except for one little difference: THIS IS WHAT STARBUCKS CAN ONLY ASPIRE TO BE! I'm sure that way back in the day, in Seattle, the first Starbucks was like this, and then they chose mega-globalization, driving places like Think Coffee out of business, instead of just being satisfied with a few hundred stores across the country.

Anyway, we ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and split it, cheddar on hearty sourdough bread, delivered to our table by the cute, cheerful counter girl. It was so, unbelievably delicious. As we ate, we admired the compost and recycling stations, the subtle signage indicating the sustainable sources of their coffee, and that they donate 10% of their profits to charity. Enjoying the sixties pop music they were playing in the atmosphere of zero pretension, we suddenly realized, in searching for sincerity at the Yippie Cafe, we ultimately found it right next door.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

 

Three locations (just don't go all Starbucks on us)
248 mercer street
1 bleecker street
123 4th avenue
www.thinkcoffeenyc.com

Yippie Museum Cafe and Gift Shop

Dude! We went in search of sincerity last night and, by suggestion, we stopped first at the Yippie Cafe. We were greeted cordially enough by a bleary-eyed bearded guy, who paused long enough from playing roulette on his ancient computer to accept our donation. Pushing back a paisley curtain, we found that we had time traveled into a coffee house in the approximate year 1967. I felt like I'd been here before in some other when... Strewn about were overstuffed couches and chairs. A few tables were placed before a small performance space at the far end of the long room. A counter with several stools held a few pastries, a selection of coffee and tea, and a cooler that held a few bottles of cold fizzy stuff. Georgina and I shared a mineral water, but had to ask around for an opener since the bartender had misplaced the one he might or might not have had at one time or another. A kindly denizen produced a usable tool attached to his key chain. There was a man performing on the guitar and singing songs he had obviously written. He was the best thing about the place. He was very good. I won't bother to give you a history on this place (a link to their site is provided below) but I do want to point out that, as a "museum" as well as a cafe, it's underwritten by the State of New York, and I really see no other way it could exist. 

But the question remains - was it sincere? Well, in the sense that all seven people in the place, (including the bartender and the performer) aside from ourselves, were so laid back as to each be living in a world of their own that just happened to connect within the confines of the Yippie - like it was synergy-in-action, man - then yes - it was ultimately sincere. On the other hand, did I come away from the place with the feeling that I'd really like to go back some day, and that the people running the joint were having a blast (admittedly this is perhaps not the best choice of words here) doing what they were doing? Then no.

Let me put it this way, unless Green Day decides to schedule a small venue (read: tiny) concert at the Yippie, I will very likely never go back. Will the people running the place care whether I show up there again or not? Nope. It's possible that they won't even remember if they were there.

Evaluation: (strangely enough) Kind of sincere

 

yippiemuseum.org/

9 Bleecker Street 

(between Bowery and Elizabeth)

CALL 212-677-5918.