The Meadow - NW 23rd Ave. — Local services in Portland

I first found the Meadow when I was looking for a specialty salt after hearing about it on one of those cooking documentaries on Netflix. My ex boyfriend was obsessed with salt, so I wanted to get him some. I think it was the black lava salt.

I looked at a lot of different places, including a,Avon, and other chain gourmet stores, but I wanted to make sure I was getting good quality, and I wanted it to be a place that specialized in exactly what I was looking for, salt. I’m a firm believer that if you want the best product possible, the person making it will probably specialize in that particular product.

He really loved the salt, and although we’ve broken up, and it was many years ago, I’ve continued to get their emails. They don’t send out too many, so I’ve never felt like I was being harassed by them, and I was always genuinely interested at looking at their products.

Recently my current boyfriend and I have become really into popcorn, but we’ve been so disappointed by all of the gross popcorn salts from the grocery store. Then I got an email from the Meadow, and it mentioned a popcorn salt set! What?!

I gave it a few days, because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend the money, but then I caved. I’m so glad it did! It was worth the price. We love all of the unique flavors: butter, roasted garlic, Himalayan pink, smoked cheddar, kala namak, and sriracha. Our favorite was the cheddar.

The bottles seem small, but there’s more packed in there than it looks like there is. Also, you don’t need a ton of it. A pinch goes a long way. Plus the packaging was super cute!

I am also all about supporting great small businesses, even if their not in my local town. We will definitely continue to support this one, and enjoy their...

Not only is this cute confectioner collating and curating a considerable collection of chocolates cultivated from all corners of the globe, they're also seemingly informed and knowledgeable about each item stocking their shelves. Even from the brief interactions we had with the counter clerk (whom I suspect was also the owner), every question we asked was answered, accompanied by suggestions, the layout and organization of the store was explained to us, samples were offered (and enjoyed), and we ended up walking out with a variety of delectable things each tailored to the particular tastes of each member of our party!

Additionally, you'll find an almost overwhelming selection of salts and spices, bitters and books, candies and candles, among other goodies tucked away in every corner. Even someone as sugar-averse as myself walked away with a high-cacao & red chili bar and some seasoning salts, but anyone with a sweet tooth (or not) owes it to themselves to pop into the Meadow and pick the sweetest-smelling (or tasting) treat tailored to their treat...

Such a fun store to visit. We passed them by on our way to The Paxton Gate and I made my friend turn around to walk in here with me. They have so much flowers, an enormous selection of chocolate, a really cool section of himalayan pink salt bricks and so much more. If you are looking for little candies/chocolates to bring back to your friends I would say this is the best place to go, and they have a lot of portland locally made chocolate which I thought wad very nice. The lady at the register was so sweet and answered all the questions my friend had about himalayan pink salt. Dont miss the section by the register, the $1 each matcha chocolate I got is delicious. Overall just a very...