diff --git a/frontend/src/components/FocusView/DeliverableCard.jsx b/frontend/src/components/FocusView/DeliverableCard.jsx
index 239df78..8f51905 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/FocusView/DeliverableCard.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/FocusView/DeliverableCard.jsx
@@ -17,10 +17,15 @@ export default function DeliverableCard({ deliverable, isActive, index, projectC
       x: e.clientX,
       y: e.clientY,
       items: [
-        { icon: '\u270e', label: 'Edit Deliverable', highlight: true, action: () => onEdit(deliverable) },
+        {
+          icon: '✎',
+          label: 'Edit Deliverable',
+          highlight: true,
+          action: () => onEdit(deliverable),
+        },
         { separator: true },
         ...STATUS_OPTIONS.map(s => ({
-          icon: s.value === deliverable.status ? '\u25cf' : '\u25cb',
+          icon: s.value === deliverable.status ? '●' : '○',
           label: `Mark ${s.label}`,
           action: async () => {
             storeUpdate(await updateDeliverable(deliverable.id, { status: s.value }))
@@ -28,7 +33,7 @@ export default function DeliverableCard({ deliverable, isActive, index, projectC
         })),
         { separator: true },
         {
-          icon: '\u2715',
+          icon: '✕',
           label: 'Delete Deliverable',
           danger: true,
           action: async () => {
@@ -60,7 +65,6 @@ export default function DeliverableCard({ deliverable, isActive, index, projectC
             Selected
           </div>
         )}
-
         <div className="text-[10px] text-text-muted/50 font-mono">Deliverable {index + 1}</div>
         <div className="text-sm font-semibold text-text-primary leading-snug line-clamp-3">{deliverable.title}</div>
         <div className="text-xs text-text-muted/70 mt-auto pt-1">{formatDate(deliverable.due_date)}</div>
@@ -68,7 +72,12 @@ export default function DeliverableCard({ deliverable, isActive, index, projectC
       </div>
 
       {ctxMenu && (
-        <ContextMenu x={ctxMenu.x} y={ctxMenu.y} items={ctxMenu.items} onClose={() => setCtxMenu(null)} />
+        <ContextMenu
+          x={ctxMenu.x}
+          y={ctxMenu.y}
+          items={ctxMenu.items}
+          onClose={() => setCtxMenu(null)}
+        />
       )}
     </>
   )
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/UI/ContextMenu.jsx b/frontend/src/components/UI/ContextMenu.jsx
index fe97c5a..4c3a2bd 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/UI/ContextMenu.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/UI/ContextMenu.jsx
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
 import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
+import { createPortal } from 'react-dom'
 
 export default function ContextMenu({ x, y, items, onClose }) {
   const ref = useRef(null)
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    const onMouseDown = (e) => { if (ref.current && !ref.current.contains(e.target)) onClose() }
-    const onKey       = (e) => { if (e.key === 'Escape') onClose() }
+    const onMouseDown = (e) => {
+      if (ref.current && !ref.current.contains(e.target)) onClose()
+    }
+    const onKey = (e) => {
+      if (e.key === 'Escape') onClose()
+    }
     document.addEventListener('mousedown', onMouseDown)
     document.addEventListener('keydown', onKey)
     return () => {
@@ -15,41 +20,41 @@ export default function ContextMenu({ x, y, items, onClose }) {
   }, [onClose])
 
   // Keep menu inside viewport
-  const W = 192
-  const H = items.length * 34
+  const W    = 192
+  const H    = items.length * 34
   const adjX = Math.min(x, window.innerWidth  - W - 8)
   const adjY = Math.min(y, window.innerHeight - H - 8)
 
-  return (
+  // Portal to document.body — escapes any CSS transform stacking context
+  // (e.g. the Drawer slide-in animation uses translateX which traps fixed children)
+  return createPortal(
     <div
       ref={ref}
-      style={{ left: adjX, top: adjY }}
-      className="fixed z-[200] min-w-[192px] bg-surface-elevated border border-surface-border rounded-xl shadow-2xl py-1.5 overflow-hidden"
+      style={{ position: 'fixed', left: adjX, top: adjY }}
+      className="z-[9999] bg-surface-elevated border border-surface-border rounded-xl shadow-2xl py-1.5 min-w-[192px]"
     >
       {items.map((item, i) =>
         item.separator ? (
-          <div key={i} className="h-px bg-surface-border my-1 mx-2" />
+          <div key={i} className="my-1 border-t border-surface-border/60" />
         ) : (
           <button
             key={i}
-            disabled={item.disabled}
-            onClick={() => { item.action(); onClose() }}
-            className={`w-full flex items-center gap-2.5 px-3 py-2 text-xs text-left transition-colors disabled:opacity-40 disabled:cursor-not-allowed
-              ${item.danger
-                ? 'text-red-400 hover:bg-red-500/10'
-                : item.highlight
-                  ? 'text-gold hover:bg-gold/10'
-                  : 'text-text-primary hover:bg-surface-border/40'
-              }`}
+            onClick={() => { item.action?.(); onClose() }}
+            className={`w-full flex items-center gap-2.5 px-3 py-2 text-xs text-left transition-colors disabled:opacity-40 disabled:cursor-not-allowed ${
+              item.danger     ? 'text-red-400 hover:bg-red-500/10'    :
+              item.highlight  ? 'text-gold hover:bg-gold/10'          :
+                                'text-text-primary hover:bg-surface-border/40'
+            }`}
           >
-            <span className="text-sm w-4 text-center leading-none flex-shrink-0">{item.icon}</span>
-            <span>{item.label}</span>
+            <span className="text-[11px] opacity-70 w-3.5 flex-shrink-0">{item.icon}</span>
+            <span className="flex-1">{item.label}</span>
             {item.shortcut && (
-              <span className="ml-auto text-text-muted/50 text-[10px]">{item.shortcut}</span>
+              <span className="text-[9px] text-text-muted/40 font-mono ml-2">{item.shortcut}</span>
             )}
           </button>
         )
       )}
-    </div>
+    </div>,
+    document.body
   )
 }