Spielman Bagels Is Now Open on SE Division Street

After opening a pair of Spielman Coffee Roaster and Bagels locations on NE Broadway and NW Lovejoy Street, Rick Spielman and his son Raf have returned to SE Portland with brand new digs directly across the street from the tiny shop where they got their start.

We spoke with Rick Spielman by phone yesterday, and he says he considers his new coffee and bagel shop to be quite special, thanks to outdoor front porch seating, side patio seating, and a garden, designed by locals Sheryl Oldham and Bill Schwarzbach. It sprouts flowers, vegetables, and the heirloom tomatoes that will be served with your lox.

In all, the shop's menu will be identical to Spielman's other locations for the first few months: espresso drinks made from house-roasted beans, babkas, cream cheeses, and lox, and more of the family's naturally leavened sourdough bagels, a process that Spielman says gives them just the right flavor and texture. "The flavor's in the chew," he says.

But expect an expanded menu, as well as beer and wine, to appear in the coming months. Spielman's cagey about what new dishes the shop will serve, but says he's exploring several ideas for the kinds of dishes that would make sense on a menu anchored by bagels.

Spielman adds that the space seats 44 indoors, with plenty of room outdoors for sun-seekers looking to quietly enjoy some lox and a cappuccino on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Spielman Coffee Roaster and Bagels: 2111 SE Division St., 503-946-8297, Projected Hours: 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays