If you've ever visited the Mercury's NE Portland office, you've discovered that we're in a food black hole. We're between KATU's offices and the Jantzen Building's medical offices. In a four block radius, we've got a convenience store, a coffee shop, and two smoky dives that grill up burgers—and not much else.

Until last week. Two blocks away, Black Sheep Bakery opened a storefront addition to their commercial kitchen, at 523 NE 19th. From 7 am to 4 pm, they serve their baked goodies, coffee, sodas, and other standard coffee shop fare. They've also got egg sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, and a "Frittata o' the day" for breakfast, then sandwiches, salads, soup, and a "Hot dish o' the day" for lunch. I think I know where my disposable income's going to disappear to over the next few weeks. (Notable: The original Black Sheep Bakery location on SE Main boasted "always vegan" treat. This shop has the aforementioned eggs, and there are meat options for the sandwiches. There are also lots of vegan offerings.)