Page Text: Maeve Opens This Friday
Some of the things you’ll find at Maeve
Earlier this year I wrote about Maeve , a coffee and wine bar in Sellwood with a projected April 2022 opening. Well, that target has been met and they are opening this month—a soft opening Friday, April 8 starting at 7am; opening day is Thursday, April 14 (also at 7am), with a grand opening party on Saturday, April 16 from 4-8pm.
Behind the Name and More on the Space
I met up with Amanda and Kendra Stark, the proprietors of Maeve, this afternoon to see the space and chat with them about their current status with the business. I asked them about the name, Maeve, and why they chose it. They said, “We had a whole list of names to consider! But we chose Maeve because we liked it, it’s an Irish name and it means “strong and intoxicating.” The Stark sisters are of Irish descent and the pairing of coffee and wine is a good match with the meaning of “Maeve.”
I asked why they decided to go into the restaurant/hospitality business and they explained how a mix of events—the pandemic, a death in the family, their jobs (“both of our jobs were kind of depressing”)—all pointed them in a different direction from where they had been. Originally they considered opening a dive bar; then Amanda had a child and the realized something more family-friendly was a better fit for their lives. They saw the old Buttercraft space was available and jumped at it, bringing their love of coffee and wine with them. Thus, Maeve was born.
Cheery yellow bench seating in the front.
The space in this almost-100-year-old building is comfortable and relaxed. There are a couple of pink chairs, a yellow bench with a couple of tables, and a four-top in the middle of the dining area. They told me that when they got the space, the walls were grey, so they painted them white. There’s that lovely cloud mural on a wall that was originally covered in a bookcase.
Pink chairs, cloud mural.
There’s also a section of the opposite wall covered in wood slats in a herringbone pattern, which was there already. It looks nice and suits the vibe. They’ll be displaying the work of local artists on that wall.
Maeve’s back patio.
There’s also a good-sized skylight that lets in plenty of light. Outside in the back is a patio that will be able to seat more folks (up to 20) and eventually they plan to add a covering to half of the seating back there. If you look up you’ll see a bit of tree canopy, which should help keep things cool in the warmer months.
Part of the tree canopy above the patio.
Food and Drink
What you can expect to drink and eat at Maeve:
Coffee and relations: Nossa Familia coffee for espresso drinks, cold brew, and drip (regular and decaf); Smith Teamaker for teas; matcha and chai; hot chocolate; steamers. Dairy and alternative milks available.
Wine: mostly natural wines and biodynamic wines—reds, whites, rosé, sparkling, all curated by Amanda. She will feature a selection of wines on a rotating basis.
Wine cocktails created by Kendra: think wine mojitos, mimosas, wine margaritas, and beyond.
Non-alcoholic drinks: seltzer, Italian sodas.
Food: pastries from Shoofly, all vegan and one GF; crepes savory and sweet; focaccia and tomato soup from neighboring Pizzeria Stellina; charcuterie and cheeses from Cowbell; salad; a couple of baguette sandwiches, including a “chèvre chaud” with warm goat cheese, tomato, and basil; snacks like energy bars and Tim’s chips.
There is also a retail element to Maeve. You can buy a bottle of wine, bars of Moonstruck chocolates, bags of Nossa Familia coffee and Smith Teamaker teas, and even earrings by Grateful Mess Designs.
The wooden-slat wall gives extra warmth to the room.
I love Amanda and Kendra’s energy and found them easy to talk to—hospitality must be in their blood. We chatted about a variety of topics—of course, about Maeve, but also about current events and worldwide food systems. It was a delight to hang out and enjoy socializing together with them.
At the grand opening party, they’ll be celebrating with family, friends, and as the Irish poet Yeats says (with a little editing on my part), “friends [they] haven’t yet met.” That would be you. So stop on by this sweet space run by two smart women and enjoy some time with good food and drink in beautiful Sellwood.
Maeve
6664 SE Milwaukie Avenue, Portland
Open Thursday through Monday, 7am to 11pm. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.