Food & Drink: River Maiden is more than just a cafe
Owners go out of their way ‘to make people feel at home’
By Rachel Pinsky
Published: May 18, 2018, 6:03am
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River Maiden transformed a former Bank of America branch at 5301 E. Mill Plain Blvd. into a coffee house and gathering place. Photo Gallery
It’s difficult to describe the love River Maiden’s customers have for this neighborhood coffee shop. I call them River-Maiden-heads, and they fill the neighborhood that surrounds River Maiden’s former home (in the strip mall with DuckTales Kitchen) and their new home nearby at 5301 E. Mill Plain Blvd.
Here’s an example of that devotion. I was at their pop-up several months ago. A woman approached the coffee truck in the manner of a sinner approaching a confessional. She admitted to going into Albina Press (which occupies the space River Maiden vacated last June) but said that she would never buy anything there. I expected the barista to make the sign of the cross and assign some sort of penance. Instead, she made her a latte.
Liz Kuzma, a River Maiden die-hard, explained to me: “It is more than a coffee shop. It is a gathering spot for the community: biking groups, knitters, the neighborhood association, friends, families, etc. Aaron and Melissa are not only owners, but are members of this neighborhood and community, so they go above and beyond to make people feel at home at River Maiden.”
The new River Maiden location on Mill Plain Boulevard between Ogden and Blandford in the Heights Neighborhood is in a former Bank of America building. There’s still the Stumptown coffee, pastries from Baron Patisserie and the cool T-shirts that I can’t seem to stop buying which reference ’80s and ’90s pop culture. Lately, I’ve been eyeing the Dirty-Dancing-inspired “Nobody Puts River Maiden in the Corner” T-shirt.
Renovating the space allowed owners Melissa Layman and Aaron Flies to give it their own special touch. It’s a modern space, with lots of natural light and unique touches like the multicolored tiles at the front counter that look like a cozy handmade quilt. The lighting fixtures hanging along the side and dripping from the ceiling add a soft yellow light like glow bugs caught in mason jars.
The River Maiden was filled with people when I stopped by at 11 a.m. on a Tuesday. There’s more seating and more of an open-space concept at the new coffee house. There also is kitchen space, allowing for more food options. According to Layman, they plan on having a regular food menu with six to eight items. This small menu will allow them to keep things “super fresh and local.” They’re looking to source from local farms. They’re also thinking of starting an on-site garden to supply their kitchen.
At the moment, most of the pastries still come from local bakery, Baron Patisserie, with some River Maiden-made goodies. There’s also a breakfast taco on the menu with a vegetarian option (asparagus) and a meat option (brisket). I tried both. The tortillas were fresh, toothsome and pliable. The asparagus taco had farm-fresh asparagus, pico de gallo, shredded purple cabbage and fluffy scrambled eggs topped with a tangy crumble of queso fresco (Mexican cheese a bit like feta). The brisket had the same fillings — minus the asparagus and plus some smoky, fall-apart brisket. If these tacos are a preview of the River Maiden’s upcoming menu, I plan on spending a lot of time here eating everything that comes out of their kitchen.
Rachel Pinsky can be emailed at couveeats@gmail.com. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @couveeats.
