GroceryGets Stepping Stone Its official name is The Stepping ice cream hangout of a Gasoline AlStone Cafe but, partially because ley small town. There are plants owner Zane Lowell has never bothinside, red plastic and old chrome, a ered to put up an outside sign, it has few paintings and colorful photomany nicknames: The Rolling graphs, nothing spectacular enough Stone, The Schlepping Stone, The for the newcomer to pinpoint as the Stone, and occasionally among habi- source of the cafe’s cheerful energy. tuees, The Stumbling Block. Conversation overflows from one The cafe is small and bright; an table to another and tends to generL-shaped relic of the American diner alize at the counter. Lone readers tradition. It is tucked into the comer examine newspapers or books while of NW 24th and Quimby and its families chatter over the huge omestucco exterior smacks faintly of lettes. The feel is relaxed, the right gentile tea shops on the nether spot to spend a rainy morning. A reaches of Sunset Boulevard or the donut arrives with a comment about Get High In Style Ides of March has an excellent selection of smoking items, and a lot more . . . Selected Indian, Afghani, Thai and Mexican clothing . . . American Unicorn jewelry . . . Earrings are our specialty . . . and still there’s more. 115S.W.SecondAve. OLDTOWN Portland=222-46B There has been a wonderous nice days and everyone in the neighin the Corbett neighborhood borhood seems to find 5 or 10 minmight just be the right medi- utes a day to stroll over and grab for a community whose spirit a few things for dinner and maybe been long fragmented by wholemake a new friend or say hello evictions followed by greedy to an old one. real estate activity. It makes one wonder what could Sheri, Pat, Gary and Rick have be done to revive or sustain other taken over the Ross Island Grocery neighborhoods plagued with Plaid on SW Corbett and Whitaker St. Pantry Plasticitis — maybe neighand are turning it into a store borhood review boards should be that fills the needs of the vast instituted to oversee and approve majority of neighborhood residents. new businesses. The city could proThey have kept the beer and wine vide starter money for new comthat has been a staple there for munity focused businesses that generations — even before old Man would reflect the needs of each Brown started wandering down for neighborhood. Such boards would his daily bottle — but the Ritz hopefully prevent pock marks like crackers, Wonder bread and T.V. the recent mass immigration of 7 dinners have been replaced by a to 11 stores on NW 23rd to compete dynamite produce section that for with the successful Lovejoy market. its size rivals Cornos and Sheridans The new Ross Island Grocery is in quality. Whole wheat bread, one exciting example that should bagels from the Bagel Lady, Haagen be an inspiration to neighborhood Dazs ice cream, and whole wheat groups looking to improve their fig bars are some of the other area and others bored with the 9 countless goodies available. to 5 routine of working for someone The boards have come down from else’s profit. A the windows, the door is open on the effects of hydrocarbon on the Zane Lowell bought it one Friday the metabolism. The waitress pauses at Thirteenth in 1977. In the nearly two the next table to exchange views years since then, The Stepping with a customer on a recent dance Stone, still flaunting the original performance. A group at the counter Didak’s sign over the door, has retrade pungent remarks with the gained its reputation as a good place dishwasher on the value of a musito gather as well as eat. cian’s union. A well-phrased discus“ Our idea has always been to cresion of Kafka flowers behind you and ate an old-fashioned cafe with real someone quotes Shakespeare to a food, the lowest possible prices, and patiently amused mechanic. At the a pleasant atmosphere,” says Loend of the room a small dark woman well. Success is reflected in the puts down her coffee pot to give a broad cross-section of the communisuccinct Tai Chi lesson to a customer ty which frequents The Stepping in the aisle. From the narrow door to Stone. Families, businesmen, stuthe kitchen a strong male voice cries, dents, teachers, artists, and local “ Do they think this is MacDonald’s? factory workers all find their way to Did they rush da Vinci or Michaelan- the extravagent omelettes and fine gelo?” The true nature of The breakfasts. But The Stepping Stone Stepping Stone Cafe reveals itself. is one of a rapidly diminishing breed. ,“ We are all artists here, working Small locally owned businesses are to support our arts,” says owner dying out in the onslaught of fastZane Lowell. “ That entails shared food chains, pre-processed foods and interests and values.” Lowell himthe boil-in-the-bag syndrome. self is a poet with a substantial body “ I t ’ s very hard. It takes an of work to his credit. His partner, enormous amount of work. We Elaine Kassouf, is a singer and prepare as much of our food as skilled graphic artist. possible on the premises. Our hash “ Our dishwasher is one of the fibrowns enter the kitchen in a burlap nest banjo players in the country and bag marked Idaho #1. Our soups and our waiters and waitresses are dedipastries are all made from scratch. cated writers and dancers. There’s Our breakfasts are the best and an enormous collection of talent here cheapest in town. But it takes the and a lot of respect and liking. It’s kind of labor that excludes everycrucial in a place this small. The thing else, including the writing of Stepping Stone isn’t a business, it’s novels and poems,” says Lowell. an organism. Our customers usually “ The government is making it enjoy it.” harder for us all the time. In another The care is a neighborhood institen years, certainly in twenty, this tution. The builder and original owkind of cafe simply will not exist. ner was Joseph Didak, the founder Small business taxes are wildly out of the Silver Moon. Mr. Didak built of proportion to any possible gross. I the cafe at the foot of his house in pay thirteen taxes. Eight of them are 1948 as an ice cream parlour and based on payroll and five of them on sandwich shop. “ Didak’s” was sold the very stools and coffee cups. If I in 1960 though the Didaks still own paid taxes in the same proportion as the premises and live in the adjoinExxon or Bethlehem Steel, I’d be ing house. A series of owners tried flying.” their hands on the business before MAY DAY SALE April 28-29 10-50% discounts UNITED FRONT BOOKSTORE 701 S.E. Belmont 233-9270 Mon-Fri11-8 Sat 11-5; Sun 12-4 9
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