If you follow me on Instagram, I’m sure you’ve seen Proud Mary pop up on my feed. It’s hard not to keep posting photos from this spot as everything is so photogenic.
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Proud Mary Coffee opened their first stateside location in Portland’s Alberta Arts District. They take great pride in serving premium quality coffee, and even if you’re not a coffee drinker (yep, I’m one of those), their menu offers brunch dishes worth getting excited about. On my first visit, I brunched with a few omnivore food bloggers, and even though I was the only vegan in the group, everyone was happy with the vegan eats.
Proud Mary does offer plant-based milks, so vegans can get their flat white fix with the option of soy or almond milk. (Unfortunately, there is an extra charge for milk that isn’t from a cow’s teat.) For non-coffee drinkers, Proud Mary offers teas, herbal infusions, tonics, kombucha, smoothies, and juices. The pink crush, a blend of watermelon, strawberry, apple, and lemon, was enjoyable, but not a major standout when we’ve got many juice shops in town.
The cafe menu focuses on healthy dishes made from fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. It varies slightly from season to season, but the harissa avocado toast ($15) is a constant. Think avocado toast that’s been fancied up. Grain sourdough toast is loaded with marinated avocado, sprouted lentil tabouli, harissa, and green tomatoes. This is one of the rare occasions I’ve had green tomatoes that are not fried.
The granary avenue salad ($11) with kale, cucumber, and salsa verde may look small, but makes a hearty salad thanks to the toasted freekah, nuts, and grains. This is a good one to order and share with the table.
Another great vegan item is the cauli-town ($14.50), a playful, Indian-inspired dish. It features spiced cauliflower, chickpea dahl puree, sumac onions, tahini, crispy chickpeas, and sesame granola. If you’re a cauliflower fan, you’re gonna love this one.
No Comments