In May of last year I wrote about Northern Pacific Coffee Company being under new ownership. A switch to Mike's East Coast Sandwiches (a Seattle-based pre-made food company) was not well received, as owner Ed Cedras recently told me. As a new owner in 2011, Cedras was focused first on improving the coffee - using Valhalla and a selection of South American import beans that had even this non-coffee drinker swooning over the aroma.

Since the ownership change, Cedras has also devoted time to fixing up the popular Garfield Street coffee shop's dining menu, and made a sharp detour from pre-made to fresh and local. Northern Pacific Coffee Company now serves bagels made in Puyallup, jumbo muffins from Mama's Bakery in Lakewood, and bread from Wild Wheat Bakery in Kent. Sandwiches and mixed green salads are made when ordered. Breakfast is served all day, with prices affordable at $3.50-$7.

A house-made triple threat brownie uses 90-percent cacao and Nutella and tastes as amazing as it sounds. Bonus size sugar cookies, berry bars, gluten-free peanut butter cookies, chocolate peanut butter brownies, banana bread and breakfast cookies made with whole grains and oats - in addition to soups, spreads, and salad dressings - are all made in-house. 

[Northern Pacific Coffee Company, 401 Garfield St. S., Parkland, 253.537.8338]