Place to eat: The Gladstone Coffee, Portland, Oregon, United States

About this place:

One of only a couple of really good coffee shops in an otherwise devoid part of town. The Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood is not one of the areas of Portland known for it's culture. This hole in the wall shop is a welcome departure from the relatively sleepy residential feel of the surrounding blocks. The only competition nearby is from two starbucks shops, three blocks north and south of gladstone. Serving excellent Stumptown coffee, this shop has the neigborhood's coffee connoisseur market cornered.
The main difference between the Gladstone and other more trafficked coffee hotspots in Portland is that it is not so much a place to be seen as it is a place to hide away from all the places to be seen. You could actually sit in here for hours getting homework done or just taking in a well made latte and some fresh air in their spacious backyard. They serve good beer, too!