A Bostock on Top of a Volcano | Coquine Market

I’ve spent the majority of my adult life working in and frequenting cafes and bakeries and have somehow never tried what might be my new favorite French pastry; and I’m even more excited to share about a new favorite bakery that introduced me to it.

I’m talking about the Bostock pastry I just got at Coquine, a neighborhood market and restaurant at the top of Mt Tabor, an extinct volcano in Southeast Portland. The pastry, traditionally made to repurpose Brioche from the previous day, is soaked in orange syrup and topped with crunchy almonds. Coquine’s version had streusel and jam mixed in. It was somehow both simple and complex in a way that makes me hesitant to mention because of how paradoxical and perhaps cliche it sounds, but I can’t help myself.

The market is already bustling 15 minutes after opening on a Saturday morning, the baristas calling the locals by name and happy to accommodates folks from the neighborhood as well as travelers like myself.

There’s that mix of familiar and special that resonates with a place like this, the sunlight streaming over Mt Hood and into this beautiful space brimming with smiling faces and neighbors excited for the weekend. Coquine strikes an obvious chord with the community here and perfectly balances excellent hospitality with their comforting approachability and welcoming service to match.

These are the types of places I’m looking for when I seek out a cafe in a new city: familiar neighborhood spots with friendly service to match, all around great offerings that subtly stand out the more you sit with them, spacial design that is so distilled it can’t help but go unnoticed when you pay attention. Coquine offers their own distinct take on true hospitality and I can’t wait to return.