Tucked away in the quieter neighborhood streets on the south side of Cannon Beach, just one block from the ocean, Sea Level Bakery + Coffee makes a strong case for the title of best bakery on the Oregon coast.
Opened in 2014 by couple Jason and Liz Menke, the cozy, modern cafe (which was remodeled in 2023) offers fresh-baked bread, sandwiches and bowls in addition to its well-stocked pastry case where there are no bad choices.
On a recent visit, the case was stocked with sticky buns, biscuits, scones, banana bread, kouign amann, Danish, pound cake, muffins and five kinds of cookies. There was also something called tide truffles, a vegan and gluten free treat that sells in packs of three. In a neighboring case were loaves of fresh-baked bread, as well as baguettes, ciabatta and slices of focaccia.
Offerings rotate seasonally, sometimes even weekly, based on available ingredients and the whims and experimentations of the staff bakers.
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On a recent visit, we ate a raspberry pistachio scone with lemon glaze that was sweet and delicious. A soft biscuit, dusted with cinnamon sugar and loaded with marionberry jam, was a great accompaniment. I made a mental note to pick up a baguette on our next beach day.
Sea Level Bakery + Coffee is tucked away in the Tolovana Park neighborhood of Cannon Beach, about a mile from the main drag.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
People walk the sand on the south end of Cannon beach, near Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site on the north Oregon coast.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
A biscuit with marionberry jam at Sea Level Bakery + Coffee in Cannon Beach.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
Jason Menke said he grew up going to French boulangeries with his grandmother, where he fell in love with the idea of serving a community through food. When the couple opened Sea Level, in the old Waves of Grain bakery space, they wanted to bring that boulangerie culture to the Oregon coast.
“We felt like it needed to be both a cafe, coffee ship and a bakery,” Menke said of the business. “We just know that people need better food options, particularly at the beach.”
Grab a table on the covered patio outside and you might feel like you’re joining the Cannon Beach community. On our visit, a local woman introduced us to her dog, who stared hungrily at our pastries. We eavesdropped on a group of surfers nearby. A family of sleepy tourists shuffled in and plopped down around a table with cups of coffee. The indoor seating, which consists of a few smaller tables, is crucial for the rainy season, but when the weather is nice the patio is idyllic.
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Sea Level, which is nestled into the Tolovana Park neighborhood, is a surprisingly peaceful place given the commotion all around it. The main drag of Cannon Beach, which is choked with tourists in the summer, is only a mile to the north. And only two blocks south is the busy Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site, which attracts upwards of 1.2 million visitors each year.
“When we first started it seemed like a curse to be in that part of town, because it was quiet down there,” Menke said. But after a couple of years, once business caught on, the couple grew to appreciate their place in Cannon Beach.
“We like to say that we’re Tolovana proud,” he said.
With their major remodel still fresh in the rearview mirror, the couple finds it hard to think too much about the future. But when pressed, Jason Menke said they’ve been dreaming about adding yet another offering to their cafe: pizza. After a successful one-time pizza night last year, the couple has been toying with the idea of making it happen monthly or even weekly.
That would only be another extension of their mission to provide good food to the community on the north Oregon coast.
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“There’s definitely not enough good food at the beach,” Menke said.
The takeaway: Sea Level offers everything you could want from an Oregon coast bakery: great pastries, good coffee, ample seating and a quick walk to the beach.
Sample menu: A biscuit and jam ($4.25), a seasonal scone ($4.25) and espresso ($4).
Drinks: Coffee and espresso from Portland’s Heart Coffee Roasters, with tea and a rotating menu of seasonal drinks.
Details: Counter service with indoor and outdoor seating. ADA accessible with parking spot, ramp and restroom. Open 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 3116 S. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach; 503-436-4254; sealevelbakery.com.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
