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Bipartisan Cafe

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

Bipartisan Cafe
File:Bipartisan Cafe logo.png
The cafe's interior in 2013
Restaurant information
Established2005 (2005)
Current owner(s)Josh Pangelinan
Previous owner(s)
  • Hobie Bender
  • Peter Emerson
Street address7901 Southeast Stark Street
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97215
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°31′09″N 122°34′56″W / 45.5193°N 122.5823°W / 45.5193; -122.5823Coordinates: 45°31′09″N 122°34′56″W / 45.5193°N 122.5823°W / 45.5193; -122.5823
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Bipartisan Cafe is a coffee shop and bakery in Portland, Oregon's Montavilla neighborhood,[1] in the United States. Since Hobie Bender and Peter Emerson started the business in 2005, the Bipartisan has hosted various events, including meetings for civic groups and politicians, as well as viewing parties for political events. It has garnered a positive reception, mostly as one of Portland's best coffee and pie eateries. The marionberry pie was included in the American Automobile Association's 2022 list of the ten best regional Western dishes.

Description[edit]

Bipartisan Cafe is a coffee shop and bakery in Portland's Montavilla neighborhood. Lonely Planet has said the cafe is "where big ideas are hatched at small tables and the walls are plastered with episodes from US history".[2]

According to Oregon Wine Press, "From day one, the café has been based on building community and 'working with people to try to create a place where they can get along on a real level.'"[3] Bipartisan has hosted politicians running for office, including Jefferson Smith in 2012,[4] Ted Wheeler in 2016,[5] and Jo Ann Hardesty in 2018.[6] The restaurant has also hosted viewing parties for political events, including Barack Obama's 2011 State of the Union Address and the 2016 U.S. presidential election,[7][8] as well as book signings.[9]

Interior[edit]

Described by Eater Portland's Brooke Jackson-Glidden as "an eclectic space decorated with American historical memorabilia",[10] the interior features framed posters of James Buchanan, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Martin Van Buren, as well as portraits of Geronimo, Martin Luther King Jr., and Harriet Tubman.[11] There are also posters of Four Freedoms, a painting series by Norman Rockwell.[12]

In 2010, S.J. Sebellin-Ross of The Oregonian wrote, "Bipartisan Cafe has a maroon sofa and soft chairs permanently contoured by a parade of bodies, and a fat hole in the middle of the floor looking into the basement."[13] There is also a play area for children.[14]

Menu[edit]

Bipartisan serves pie, including vegan and gluten-free options, as well as sandwiches, soups, and salads.[15]

Pie flavors have included banana cream, blueberry, cherry, chocolate cream,[16] chocolate orange cream,[17] chocolate silk, espresso cream,[18] key lime,[19] and marionberry,[20] as well as marionberry mixed with lemon curd or peach.[10] The owner's family recipe is used for the marionberry pie.[21] The triple berry pie has blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries.[13] Bipartisan has also carried pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.[22]

The business uses Water Avenue Coffee.[18] The seasonal eggnog latte has been described as Bipartisan's "most anticipated holiday item".[23]

History[edit]

The cafe's interior, 2013

The cafe was founded by Hobie Bender and Peter Emerson in 2005.[19][24] The business is housed in a space which previously operated as a hardware store.[25] Emerson has said he "wanted a place where there was political discourse and [he] wanted a place where you could have opposing views and have a civil conversation".[26]

In addition to viewing parties for political events, Bipartisan has hosted meetings for civic groups. In 2009, a group from the City Club of Portland held a meeting about the 1980 Portland Comprehensive Plan featuring urban historian Carl Abbott and city planners as speakers.[27]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the business operated a take-out window.[28] Bipartisan also raised funds via GoFundMe to stay afloat.[29] As of February 2022, unvaccinated patrons could enter the restaurant for take-out order, otherwise proof of vaccination required for indoor dining for people 12 and older.[30] Marcia Fornataro was the baker, as of 2022.[21]

In 2023, the business was sold to former employee Josh Pangelinan.[31]

Emerson's views and employee benefits[edit]

In 2014, Emerson took issue with Portland City Council member Steve Novick's street fee proposal based on trip generation data. He said "the data puts his business in the same category as a global powerhouse" and told The Oregonian, "It's much harder for me to absorb these costs than Starbucks, who have hundreds of coffee shops."[32]

In 2015, The Oregonian noted that Emerson "was originally skeptical" of a statewide paid sick leave bill being considered, "but now sees the benefits of a healthier work environment for both employees and customers".[33]

Emerson has expressed support for minimum wage increases. In 2015, he told The Oregonian: "Money doesn't trickle down. When minimum wage employees earn a higher wage, that money stays in the neighborhood. It's a cycle that thrives when there's investment."[34] In 2016, the Portland Tribune reported that Emerson had 25 employees, the longest-tenured of which were paid $10.50 an hour. The newspaper noted his desire to pay $15 per hour, which he was unable to offer because Bipartisan operated "on a narrow 5 percent profit margin". Peter Korn wrote, "To compensate, Emerson says, he treats his counter workers and sandwich makers as well as he can. He hires more workers for each shift than he has to in order to reduce employee stress. Employees eat free. He works around school and family schedules to make life easier for his workers."[35]

Reception[edit]

The book Walking Portland (2012–2013) describes Bipartisan as a "stellar" family-friendly coffee shop with "fantastic" pies and pastries.[14][36] Portland Monthly included Bipartisan in a 2013 overview of Portland's best pie shops. The magazine called the business the "unofficial community center" that "practically demands that you slow down and share a slice of pie and a steaming mug of Water Avenue Coffee with a friend". Portland Monthly recommended the espresso cream pie[18] and has also said:

It might take you a sec to catch what distinguishes this decade-old, well-scuffed Montavilla café from other Portland coffee shops, but just listen for it: conversation. Real, substantive conversation between real, live human beings. Indeed, togetherness is the mission here, from the walls crowded with framed political posters ... and portraits ... to the monster slabs of housemade pie that just beg to be shared while getting cozy on one of the overstuffed couches. Add a cup of quality Water Avenue coffee, and it’s clear: in these divided times, Bipartisan could be just the place to unite us.[37]

Cheryl Strayed recommend coffee and pie from the "lovely" cafe in her 2019 guide to the city.[38] Thrillist's Pete Cottell included Bipartisan in his 2020 list of Portland's best coffee shops with Wi-Fi.[39] In the Daily Hive's 2021 list of "7 of the best spots to get a scrumptious slice of pie in Portland", Alyssa Therrien said Bipartisan had "perfected" the recipes for the cherry and chocolate cream pies.[40]

Eater Portland included Bipartisan in a 2017 list of 18 "hidden gem restaurants in Portland".[41] The website's Michelle Lopez included the business in a 2022 overview of "where to find legit pies in Portland".[20] Janey Wong and Nathan Williams included Bipartisan in the website's 2023 overview of "where to drink and dine in historic Montavilla".[15] Jennifer Reese included the marionberry pie in the American Automobile Association's 2022 list of the ten best regional Western dishes.[21]

Newspapers[edit]

Nathan Skidmore included Bipartisan's cream pies in The Oregonian's 2008 overview of the best desserts in Portland.[42] The newspaper also said in 2008:

Goggle-eyed devotees boast, from behind crumb-choked lips, that Bipartisan Cafe is home to the city's finest pie. No arguments here. From tart blueberry to gooey coconut cream --just two among a plethora of choices --the pies are benchmark; the crust thin, flaky and unadorned, the fillings fresh and abundant. Throw in perfectly crumbly scones and cookies, and it's no secret why the baked goods' partisans are unified in their support.[43]

The cafe's interior, 2013

In 2010, S.J. Sebellin-Ross said of the triple berry pie: "Lacking the distinct flavors of the berries, the taste is that of the ubiquitous berry pie: a little tart, a little sweet, a little bland. But, dull as the filling is, the real problem is the pale crust, which is overworked until it is as dense and tough as an overcooked steak." Sebellin-Ross also wrote, "The crust of the marionberry lemon pie is the same jaw-achingly chewy crust as the berry pie, and the distinctive flavor of the marionberries is barely noticeable. Although the lemon curd is cloyingly sweet, it has a bright, citrus taste, and the Chantilly cream is perfectly whipped and rich, even if there's too much of it."[13]

Lizzy Acker ranked Bipartisan third in the The Oregonian's 2018 list of the city's best chocolate cream pies and wrote, "Coming in solidly at the upper end of the middle of the pack, Bipartisan's chocolate cream had generally good texture, good flavor, but too much cream for many of the pie eaters, and a somewhat problematic crust."[16] In 2023, the newspaper's Michael Russell said, "Before the rise of Lauretta Jean's, Random Order and Bipartisan Cafe were the go-to cafes for Portlanders seeking good pie."[44]

In 2008, Willamette Week included Bipartisan in an overview of the best places to drink coffee in Portland and said: "The standout collection of political ephemera and housemade pies (try the pear-raspberry!) almost overshadow the perfect neighborliness of this former hardware store in Montavilla. What could be more American?"[25] In his 2015 overview of "things to do" in the neighborhood, the newspaper's Jay Horton said Bipartisan "kickstarted Montavilla's rebirth with nationally acclaimed pies".[45] In 2016, the newspaper's Penelope Bass called Bipartisan "a neighborhood pillar built of delicate, flaky crust ... where it's easy to while away a day among the neighborhood regulars".[46]

In 2010, Patrick Alan Coleman of the Portland Mercury wrote:

The Bipartisan Café may not have booze, but it's a pie wonderland nonetheless. The huge selection of pies is what makes this Montavilla hangout so popular for politicos of all stripes... Expect crusts that are thin and flaky, with focus on the filling rather than structural integrity. That's a good thing considering that the Bipartisan fruit pie fillings are so well balanced—just enough sweetness and acidity without being too thick or cloying.[47]

In 2020, Nina Silberstein of the Southeast Examiner said Bipartisan "boasts the best homemade pies in Portland".[19] Jacob Loeb of Montavilla News said in 2023: "The corner eatery helped launch the century-old downtown main street’s resurrection, defining Montavilla, and has served as the community’s living room for nearly two decades."[31]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Frane, Alex (July 25, 2018). "Where to Drink and Dine in Historic Montavilla". Eater Portland. Vox Media. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  2. ↑ "Work it: Portland is paradise for digital nomads". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 2020-10-19. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ "Pi(e) Day". Oregon Wine Press. 2023-03-13. Archived from the original on 2023-04-02. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  4. ↑ Duin, Steve (May 17, 2012). "Smith looks ahead with an eye on getting it right". The Oregonian.
  5. ↑ "Is Ted Wheeler Ready to Be Portland's Mayor?". Willamette Week. 2016-03-30. Archived from the original on 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  6. ↑ Peterson, Danny. "Hardesty Focused on the Issues". Portland Observer. Archived from the original on 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  7. ↑ Westbrook, David (2011-01-25). "Bipartisan Cafe' to Host Yahoo! News and Neighbors for State of Union Address". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  8. ↑ "Seven Places to Watch the 2016 Election Results in Portland". Willamette Week. 2016-11-08. Archived from the original on 2016-11-11. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  9. ↑ "On our desk - "How to Cook Everything, Th...". March 27, 2012. April 7-9: Author Beth M. Howard's new memoir "Making Piece" explores how making pies helped her overcome grief. Portland looms large in her moving story, so she's doing a series of pie demos and book signings at Pacific Pie Company, Bipartisan Cafe, and Broadway Books.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2022-06-22). "Where to Find Worth-the-Drive Marionberry Pie All Over Oregon". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  11. ↑ "Bipartisan Café". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  12. ↑ Butler, Grant (May 5, 2011). "Walkabout / Montavilla". The Oregonian. When you step into this neighborhood hangout, the first thing you notice is all of the political bric-a-brac on the walls, which look like the offices of the Saturday Evening Post have exploded all over them. There are Norman Rockwell's famous "Four Freedoms" posters, plus ornately framed portraits of America's lesser-known presidents --James Buchanan and Martin Van Buren never had it so good. Then you notice the sea of laptop computers. On a rainy afternoon, 30 to 40 of them may be purring along while their users sip coffee and dig into croissant sandwiches. Finally, you spy the pie! A case is loaded with old-fashioned peach, marionberry and apple pies, available by the slice for $3.25 or whole for $16.25 (plus a $2 pie tin deposit). Crusts are all homemade, and popular pies have vegan versions available (sweetened with agave nectar instead of honey).
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 SEBELLIN-ROSS, S.J. (August 27, 2010). "Sweet dreams of Portland pies". The Oregonian.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Ohlsen, Becky (2013-04-09). Walking Portland: 30 Tours of Stumptown's Funky Neighborhoods, Historic Landmarks, Park Trails, Farmers Markets, and Brewpubs. Wilderness Press. ISBN 978-0-89997-681-5. Search this book on
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Wong, Janey (2018-07-25). "Where to Drink and Dine in Historic Montavilla". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "We ate, and then ranked, 8 chocolate cream pies made in Portland". The Oregonian. 2018-03-14. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  17. ↑ "Who makes the best pie?". The Oregonian. March 11, 2016. p. 06.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "Portland's Best Pie Shops". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-04-02. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 "Bipartisan Café". Southeast Examiner. Archived from the original on 2022-07-04. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lopez, Michelle (2016-10-26). "Where to Find Legit Pies in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Reese, Jennifer (March 2, 2022). "10 Best Regional Western Dishes". American Automobile Association. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  22. ↑ Frane, Alex (2017-11-16). "Where to Pre-Order a Pie for Thanksgiving in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-05. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  23. ↑ "These Portland-Area Cafes Are Offering Holiday Drinks, Blends & More". iHeart. Archived from the original on 2021-01-03. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  24. ↑ Achen, Paris (August 15, 2017). "Portland's Bipartisan Cafe: A vision of small-town civil discourse". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Best Place to Drink Coffee". Willamette Week. 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  26. ↑ Labrecque, Jackie (2017-06-08). "Comey testimony perks up customers at local cafe that welcomes politics". KATU. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  27. ↑ "City Club group to discuss '80 Portland Comprehensive Plan • Daily Journal of Commerce". Daily Journal of Commerce. 2009-06-08. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  28. ↑ "To-Go Window at Bipartisan". Montavilla News. 2020-07-14. Archived from the original on 2023-01-31. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  29. ↑ "Support Montavilla's Core". Montavilla News. 2021-01-18. Archived from the original on 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  30. ↑ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2021-08-06). "A Running List of Portland Restaurants and Bars Checking Proof of Vaccination". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "Change of Ownership at Bipartisan". Montavilla News. 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  32. ↑ Theen, Andrew (2014-06-25). "Portland street fee: Business owners give Mayor Charlie Hales, Commissioner Steve Novick lots to think about". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  33. ↑ Rede, George (May 27, 2015). "Sick-leave legislation still stalled". The Oregonian. p. 06.
  34. ↑ Theriault, Denis C. (April 14, 2015). "Minimum wage fight heats up". The Oregonian. p. 01.
  35. ↑ Korn, Peter (January 14, 2016). "TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT" (PDF). Portland Tribune. p. 2.
  36. ↑ Ryan, Ver; Ohlsen, Becky (2012-02-07). Walking Portland: 30 Tours of Stumptown's Funky Neighborhoods, Historic Landmarks, Park Trails, Farmers Markets, and B. Wilderness Press. ISBN 978-0-89997-682-2. Search this book on
  37. ↑ "Bipartisan Café". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-03-03. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  38. ↑ Strayed, Cheryl (2017-09-11). "Cheryl Strayed's guide to Portland, Oregon". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-03-10. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  39. ↑ Cottell, Pete (March 5, 2020). "Portland's Best Coffee Shops With WiFi". Thrillist. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  40. ↑ "7 of the best spots to get a scrumptious slice of pie in Portland | Dished". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  41. ↑ "18 Hidden Gem Restaurants in Portland". Eater Portland. 2016-09-07. Archived from the original on 2021-12-31. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  42. ↑ Skidmore, Nathan (2008-10-10). "Best Bites: Dessert". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  43. ↑ "Scene The big night out Carlyle 1632 N.W. Thurman St. 503-595-1782 $$$ A lively bar scene and a livelier dinner menu with elaborate, unexpected dishes that draw upon French and American regional cooking. The menu runs spendy, with most entrees...". The Oregonian. November 23, 2008.
  44. ↑ Russell, Michael (2023-03-17). "50 pandemic-time restaurant closures that changed Portland dining forever". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  45. ↑ "Things to Do in Montavilla". Willamette Week. 2015-12-24. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  46. ↑ "Montavilla". Willamette Week. 2016-08-22. Archived from the original on 2022-07-03. Retrieved 2023-06-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  47. ↑ Coleman, Patrick Alan. "Always Room for Pi". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2023-06-07.

External links[edit]


Other articles of the topic Food : Honey, Kreplach, Starbucks Corporation

Other articles of the topic Oregon : NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship, The Portland Mercury
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