"A little French, a little Scandinavian, Maurice has been a daytime oasis for over a decade. Stop into the whitewashed downtown cafe for their fika—a.k.a. coffee and a black pepper cheesecake with three-nut sablé. This spot is also the move for leisurely midday meals full of winter greens overflowing with matsutakes and warm goat cheese, open-faced Norwegian smørbrød topped with anchovies, trout roe, and black radishes, plus glasses of orange wine. But any time spent here will be a welcome break from Portland’s casual-to-a-fault lunch scene. photo credit: Brooke Fitts photo credit: Brooke Fitts Food Rundown Maurice’s menu changes daily, but they generally keep a few classic dishes and play with the components. Quiche Du Jour This is a perfectly French quiche that leans more custardy like Japanese tamago than what often passes as quiche in the US, served simply with a salad that might be tossed with celery leaves and dates. photo credit: Lani Conway Classic Norwegian Smørbrød Open-faced sandwiches on rye bread just feel more festive than your typical ham and cheese. At Maurice, there’s typically a few variations on offer like one topped with skagenröra, a dilled mayo-based shrimp salad full of cucumber slices and trout roe. Black Pepper Cheesecake Need a special treat? Maurice’s famous black pepper cheesecake is the sweet (and a little savory) solution. It’s served in individually baked rounds atop a three-nut sablé, and is garnished with seasonal fruit and flower petals so pretty it’ll take every ounce of inner strength to not post a picture." - Krista Garcia
