Mississippi Ave

Where it all started for us! Our N. Mississippi Ave shop is in the heart of Portland's historic Mississippi District, surrounded by many of the city's finest restaurants and cafes, independently owned shops, cutting edge music venues, and more.

North Portland

North Portland

11am to 7pm daily

120+ craft salts
250+ chocolate bars
100+ cocktail bitters
and fresh cut flowers daily!

3731 N Mississippi Ave
Portland, Oregon 97227

503-974-8349

Est. 2006

Est. 2006

where it all started

Our first shop, N. Mississippi Ave opened in the spring of 2006 out of shared love of food and travel. We picked the shop's location on Mississippi Avenue in North Portland for its unmistakable air of community mindedness and for the irreproachable collection of rag-tag businesses that had sprouted there: a bakery, a coffee roaster, a few bars and restaurants, a carpenter, a lumber yard, and the world's leading lightbulb store. The shop's name was chosen because we wanted to create a place that felt like coming home, where personal connections and sensual pleasures welcome you. Spend time amidst beautiful fresh cut flowers, taste strange and enticing foods, and explore the astonishing depth of the elemental ingredients.

After almost 20 years here, we're still so in love with our neighborhood!

Mississippi Ave Neighborhood Guide

Mississippi Ave Neighborhood Guide

A Complicated Portland Story

North Mississippi Avenue tells a complicated Portland story—one of transformation, displacement and resilience. The neighborhood, also known as Boise-Eliot, has deep roots stretching back to the late 1800s when it developed as one of Portland's early working-class communities. Through the mid-20th century, it became home to a significant Black population during the Great Migration, with thriving Black-owned businesses, churches, and cultural institutions along North Williams and Mississippi Avenues.

By the 1990s, decades of disinvestment and urban renewal projects (including the construction of Memorial Coliseum and I-5, which demolished Black neighborhoods) had left many storefronts vacant and buildings in disrepair...

Read our Mississippi Ave Neighborhood Guide

Meet your shop keepers.

Portrait of shopkeeper Charlotte

Charlotte

Shop Keeper

A meadowling since... September 2018

Favorite salt for everyday eating: Halen Môn Silver. Its crunchy, flaky texture makes every meal look that much more enticing and put together and it goes with everything!

Go-to chocolate bar: My all-time favorite chocolate is Bonnat's Surabaya bar. In deep winter, the smoky flavor and decadent feel of it brings me back to summer camping. Try it on a stove-top s'more - you'll thank me!

After work cocktail: Any spritz, anytime, anywhere. They're versatile, easy to drink and you can get as creative as you want with bitters and garnishes. Plus low alcohol content means I can enjoy more than one at a time.

Hobbies? In my free time, I love to explore the city with my film cameras, delve into music history, and enjoy the company of friends with food, drink, tunes and playing cards!

Portrait of shopkeeper Lyra

Lyra

Shop Keeper

A meadowling since... September 2022

Favorite salt for everyday eating: Definitely sel gris. I make a lot of soups and love the briny, high-mineral nature of it. I also have little pinches here and there when I'm crazing something salty.

Go-to chocolate bar: Mint chocolate. No matter how often I fall in love with new flavors, mint is always my mainstay. The Venchi Mint bar we carry is a perfect example!

After work cocktail: I'm not much of a drinker, to be honest, but I love cardamom bitters in my coffee! My favorite is making coffee with cinnamon, coconut cream, cardamom bitters, and a splash of maple syrup. Yum!

Hobbies? I'm a weaver, and I love creating woven wall art. I'm also a huge foodie and have strong herbalism background, so I love experimenting with flavors. I've even made herbal liqueur over the years!

Portrait of shopkeeper Robert

Robert

Shop Keeper

A meadowling since... May 2022

Favorite salt for everyday eating: Fleur de Sel de l'Île de Ré - excellent crunch and flavor.

Go-to chocolate bar: SOMA Salted Licorice Caramel. I usually don't like licorice, but this is a very delicate and special kind of licorice.

Favorite way to use bitters: Miracle Mile Yuzu Bitters with anything!

Hobbies? Reading, running, astrology, cooking.

our other shops...

SE Portland

NW Portland

New York