Coffee Plant barista Marijke Dixon recently competed in the Millrock Latte Art Competition. Photo: Greg Dawson

With two locations, John’s Landing and downtown Portland, the Coffee Plant coffeeshop is putting up a fight against corporate coffee, but without the typical weapons of mass destruction.

[Check out more photos on my Flickr channel.]

In fact, Portlanders definitely will not see owner Michael Miller rolling up his sleeves and shaking his fists at the big coffee execs.

Instead, they will see barista extraordinaire Marijke Dixon beautifully crafting coffees from Stumptown Coffee Roasters’ organicand fair trade selections as well as lead baker Kim Larson creating some of Portland’s finest and most delicious gluten-free bakery items.

“Coffee is evolving,” remarked Coffee Plant owner Michael Miller. “As coffee drinkers become more educated, awareness of coffee practices is becoming more important to them.”

On a recent trip to Columbia, Miller experienced firsthand how meaningful direct trade practices are for local farmers and how it benefits coffee drinkers back in the United States.

“The benefits are twofold. On one hand, farmers are getting a higher price for their coffee and on the other, they’re spending more money on educating themselves to produce higher quality coffees,” said Miller.

Miller, opening his first shop in downtown Portland in 2003, came up with the name Coffee Plant for two reasons. One, for the coffee plant that grows and two for the factory plant that pumps out products. It was a playful play on words that speaks to the heart of the Coffee Plant vision: Create a place downtown that would be an oasis from the madness of the modern working world.

The vision caught on so well that in 2006, Miller opened his second shop at 5915 SW Corbett in the historic Corbett Building in Portland’s Johns Landing neighborhood.

CCP – Gluten Free Baking
Inspired by his eldest daughter’s fight with Celiac, which doesn’t allow her body to process gluten, and with access to extra space, Miller started a gluten-free bakery at the Corbett location.

“CCP offers entirely gluten-free fare to complement our fantastic coffee and espresso,” said Miller. “Our lead baker Kim Larson does such a fantastic job that people can’t even tell the difference. They just taste that good.”

Larson and fellow baker Talon bake the gluten-free pastries and granola, which can be purchased at any of the following retailers:

• The Fresh Pot, 3729 SE Hawthorne
• Downtown Coffee Plant, 724 SW Washington, 503-295-1227
• Divine Cafe, on NCNM campus
• Elephants Deli, NW 22nd
• Flying Elephants, Fox Tower
• Lair Hill Bistro, 2823 SW 1st Ave, 503-27
• New Seasons, Concordia and Sellwood
• Tiny’s Cafe, 1412 SE 12th Ave, 503-239-5859
• Pizza A Go-Go, 3240 N Williams, 503-335-0300