It was a dark and stormy night….
No, wait. It was dark, yes, but stormy…no. Just cold. Winter in Portland tends to make you do crazy things…like have coffee in a haunted house on a Sunday night.
A Coffeehouse Named after a Classical Composer
Everyone knows someone who has an old, eclectic grandmother. Well, this is where she lives, and she loves her old-fashioned Christmas ornaments hung haphazardly from the ceiling. And she also loves her white string lights arranged in foreboding Roman numerals on the wall-papered dining room.
We ascended the stairs to the 1902 Craftsman-style burgundy house to get our coffee and dessert on. Inside the dimly-lit foyer, I immediately felt like I was a guest in a cozy home. In the dining room to our right came the gentle tickling of the ivories. We were in for some live classical music. A hand-written sign instructed us to pick up a menu and seat ourselves.
Located in Portland’s Buckman neighborhood, Rimsky-Korsakoffe House is the oldest running coffeehouse in Portland. Since 1980, owner Goody Cable (that is SUCH a cool name) has been slinging out some of the best coffee and deserts in the metropolitan area.
Prior to 1980, she hosted classical music events in her home. Opening a classical-themed coffee house seemed to be a natural extension of that, as another one of her passions was baking. Ever the conservationist, she is big on recycling (good thing she’s in Portland!) and has refused to have a sign advertising the business. It has worked for her for 38 years.
And apparently, the place is haunted. There are tales of certain tables that will vibrate of their own volition. Sometimes even rotating or elevating. Each table is named after a classical composer. We had the Chopin table.
But we saw no evidence of spookiness the evening we were there. No, we were free to enjoy our dessert, dim lighting, cozy atmosphere and all, with a live pianist to entertain us in the background.
Their menu is handwritten and on laminate. The prices are very reasonable, with nothing over $9.00. The menu rotates slightly, although a few tried and true items are always there.
While the selection of coffees and delectable eats are not huge, they are substantial, with all of the usual favorites and a few gems thrown in. Items such as mocha fudge cake and their own special banana split (usually the most expensive item on the menu.) They have straight up coffee and decaf, with a small array of flavored espressos and mochas, along with a smattering of teas.
My companion had that evening’s special, blueberry cobbler a la mode and I had the chocolate raspberry fool. A warm and welcoming punky girl took our order and was back within minutes with our coffee, then shortly thereafter with our desserts.
As we sipped our caffeine, several more people drifted in and the place began filling up. We lingered there for over an hour, leisurely enjoying our tasty treats and soaking up the relaxed and groovy atmosphere.
We shared our desserts and savored them slowly. My raspberry fool was creamy, dreamy and rich. The blueberry cobbler was savory, crunchy and warm – and paired with the ice cream it was so very heavenly. We didn’t want to leave and vowed to each other to come back again and again until we had sampled everything on the menu.
Things To Know
- Rimsky Korsakoffe accepts ONLY cash. It’s part of their charm.
- Be sure and go upstairs to visit their restroom. It’s just as curious as the main dining room. Maybe even more so!
- They don’t have a website (they don’t really need one, which is rare in this day and age.) But it helps to know their hours, which is usually 7 pm ’til the wee hours of the morning (about 1 am) Check out their Facebook page here.
