Pied Cow Coffeehouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pied Cow Coffeehouse |
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The restaurant's exterior in 2012
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| Restaurant information | |
| Current owner(s) | Jimmy Chen |
| Street address | 3244 SE Belmont Street |
| City | Portland |
| County | Multnomah |
| State | Oregon |
| Postal/ZIP code | 97214 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 45°30′59″N 122°37′53″W / 45.51636°N 122.63138°W |
The Pied Cow Coffeehouse, often called the Pied Cow, is a popular coffeehouse and hookah lounge located in Portland, Oregon. It's found in the Sunnyside neighborhood. The place is known for its unique and varied inside look. Besides coffee and hookah (a type of water pipe for smoking flavored tobacco), they serve tasty treats like fondue, desserts, and small plates of food called mezze. Many people say the Pied Cow is haunted by a friendly ghost named Lydia. The coffeehouse has also appeared in a movie and on an album cover.
Discover the Pied Cow
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The Pied Cow is a special coffeehouse and hookah lounge on Belmont Street. It's located inside an old Victorian house in southeast Portland. The house is said to be haunted!
The menu offers many choices. You can find coffee drinks, cheesy fondue, and mezze platters, which are like small appetizer plates. They also have hummus, desserts, beer, wine, and tea. The menus even have interesting quotes from the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
The inside of the Pied Cow is decorated in a very unique way. It has a "cluttered altar" with items from different artists and cultures. One writer described it as "whimsical," meaning it feels magical and playful. The walls are covered with many Victorian paintings and other interesting objects. There's even a staircase decorated with flowers, silks, and dolls.
The Pied Cow has a nice outdoor area. In winter, the patio is covered and heated. In summer, guests can relax on the lawn. The outside has tall hedges and trees, along with benches and different kinds of outdoor furniture. A large white tent is used for dining outside, lit up with heat lamps and Christmas lights. The Pied Cow welcomes all kinds of people, from students to families.
History of the Building
Before the Pied Cow, the same house was home to a lively restaurant called Buttertoes. This restaurant was opened by three sisters in 1979 and stayed open until the early 1990s. The walls of Buttertoes were decorated with fun murals of fairies and mermaids.
In 1996, an artist named Jennifer "Jenny" Joyce painted a large mural called Keep on the Sunnyside. This mural has ten panels and shows the history and spirit of the neighborhood. One part of the mural shows the Pied Cow house itself. Over time, the mural faded, but it was repainted in 2018 with the artist's permission.
The Pied Cow has also been featured in movies and music. In 2013, parts of the film The Immortal Augustus Gladstone were filmed there. This movie was a mockumentary (a fake documentary) about a very old vampire. The owner of the Pied Cow, Jimmy Chen, even had a small part in the movie. The restaurant also appears on the artwork for Kyle Craft's 2018 album Full Circle Nightmare. Plus, it was a setting for the music video for Craft's song "Heartbreak Junky."
The Pied Cow's Ghost Story
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The building where the Pied Cow is located is said to be haunted! People believe a kind and gentle woman named Lydia haunts the house. When it was Buttertoes, Lydia was known for making things fall off shelves in the kitchen.
Many people think the house looks like the perfect place for a ghost story. Lydia, often called "Aunt Lydia," is described as a friendly ghost. She is said to have her hair pinned up and wear black boots and a high-collared dress. Aunt Lydia would sometimes move things around, like table settings, or shift items in the kitchen.
The owners of Buttertoes even hired a psychic who confirmed that a spirit was in the house. One waitress reportedly quit because she felt so uncomfortable closing the restaurant by herself. In 2009, a server at the Pied Cow mentioned a sink where she always felt "creeped out." Another employee recalled seeing Lydia after a long work shift.
The Pied Cow definitely embraces its haunted reputation. Many visitors still look out for Aunt Lydia while enjoying their drinks and hookahs.
