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| New Business Supporter Spotlight: A.N.D Café |
| March 1, 2013 |
By Trista Cornelius, Contributing Writer
We are excited to announce A.N.D Café as our newest Business Supporter!
A.N.D Café, on 5420 East Burnside in Portland, offers a relaxing dining experience and a haven for the eco-conscious, gluten intolerant, or stressed out!. The space feels
inviting without the clattering, noisy rush of other jam-packed breakfast spots in Portland.
Natural light, engaging artwork, a few plants, and a Feng Shui deliberateness to the design
create a calming effect.
“A.N.D.” stands for “Ashley & Dan,” the creators of this micro restaurant. The kitchen in this
inviting space could fit in a closet (no exaggeration), and yet, the four people working there
the morning I visited, glided past each other with ease and cheerfulness. I wondered if they
did an employee meditation or yoga class before opening their doors each day, but Ashley
explained that they worked together in the 7x10ft food cart of Off the Griddle (Ashley and Dan’s
first enterprise), and by comparison, the 650 square feet of their new space feels huge. In fact,
they wanted the space this small to encourage interaction with chefs and servers.
A few other things contribute to the warm, kind vibe of this place. From the countertops
to the hashbrown “nests,” Ashley and Dan reduce and reuse whenever possible. When
they remodeled the space, for example, they used eco-paints and covered formerly bright
yellow Formica countertops with an eco-friendly and durable cement product. They re-used
the lighting already wired, but added pendant lights inside mason jars. They even serve
their cocktails in mason jars because they are made in the USA. Most remarkably, due to
composting, serving “just-right” sized portions, and emphasizing quality over quantity, the
bistro empties a five-gallon trashcan maybe two-to-four times a month.
So, how is the food? A unique twist on traditional meals. For example, they sculpt hashbrowns
into muffin-sized nests. My breakfast included three nests filled with vegetables, sausage,
and hollandaise sauce: a very rich, satisfying meal. They also have weekly waffle specials, so
of course we had to share one of those. We watched as our thick, dark brown, gingerbread
waffle received a scoop of fruit compote and spiced nuts, a perfect balance to the salty, creamy
hollandaise I’d just finished eating.
Whether you want to try the meatloaf benedict, the “Hot Nest” (red pepper and kale tofu
scramble with jalapenos, mozzarella, sour cream, and chimichurri sauce), or the biscuits and
gravy, everything is made vegan. You can substitute dairy-based cheese or eggs if you’d like.
Impressively, the entire breakfast menu can be made gluten-free—even the biscuits and gravy.
Most of the lunch menu can be gluten-free as well. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to
go back for lunch, but I have been craving the Pizza Press (smoked tomato seitan, mozzarella,
spinach, red onion, and pizza sauce) ever since reading it on the menu while waiting for our
breakfast.
Finally, A.N.D. also serves cocktails, kombucha, tea, and coffee. They open at 8am on the
weekends, which is a boon for early risers looking for any breakfast spot open before 9am!
They are open weekdays: Monday, Thursday, and Friday 9-3 and Saturday and Sunday 8-3.
A.N.D. incorporates the conscientiousness of a plant-based life in addition to providing savory
plant-based meals. You will feel nourished and ready to face the rest of your day after a meal
at A.N.D.
Visit A.N.D Cafe on Facebook to see photos of daily specials and much more! andcafepdx.com
Please check out and support all of our Business Supporters.
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