With family in Portland and Eugene, we spend an unlikely amount of time buzzing up and down the I-5 corridor. If I’m flying solo, I take the train and pack a picnic, but with just one extra person it’s cheaper to drive, though a bit of a bore after the 37th time. Coffee isn’t just a luxury, it’s a requirement. We try to stop somewhere different every time, unless we find a real score, and then, we go back.
I spent a long weekend in Kalama once for the Discovery Days Festival, a gathering that celebrates the relationship between the Kalama tribe and, you guessed it, Hawaii. The festival is a combination luau/powwow with lots of music. While wandering the main strip with a fellow uke star, we discovered the Antique Deli and Mall. The coffee is nothing special, but the baked goods are home style all the way and the place is full of locals on the weekends. The ginger cake? Yum.
413 N 1st St Kalama, WA 98625
We’ve struck out in Salem on all previous stops, but this time, aided with a little technology, we scoped out the Governor’s Cup in the center of Salem’s old downtown. I had a nice fluffy sweet chai and the house coffee was a good strong brew. The treats were picked over on a Sunday morning so I can’t speak for the offerings there, and it looks like they don’t bake in house. A fine stop for caffeination, not so great if your expectations run on the snacky side. There’s free wifi, so if you absolutely must check your email, you’re set.
471 Court Street NE Salem, Oregon 97301
The best we’ve discovered so far – and there are lots of stops we’ve overlooked – is Boccherini‘s in Albany. They’ve got a full lunch menu, a pastry case full of towering cakes, a wide selection of teas, and make a perfectly fine cup of coffee. The chocolate cake is moist and covered in yummy butter cream frosting and ganache. It’s a little more than halfway between Eugene and Portland, but for the right combination of good treats and coffee, this is the place. We’ve made a point of stopping here more than once, it’s worth it.
208 First Avenue Albany, Oregon 97321