Portland Coffeehouse Journal

Coava Come Home

2010-07-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

1300 SE Grand Ave.

Portland, OR 97214

7am-5pm everyday

Coava Coffee are Matt Higgins and Keith Gehrke, two coffee roasters who had the audacity to take a look at the Portland coffee scene and believe they had something more to offer.

Roasting for a little over a couple years now, Coava has made an impression with all coffee geeks in Portland. You can find their beans at the Red E on Killingsworth, Crema Coffee + Bakery, and occasionally Billy has them on rotation at BARISTA and BARISTA II. (I don't know if BARISTA's second location at 1725 NE Alberta is officially called "BARISTA II" but that's what I call it.)

But now Coava has a place to call home. Well, they have a kiosk to call home.

Located inside Bamboo Revolution's materials showroom at 1300 SE Grand, Coava has an incredibly beautiful space where they are now serving incredibly crafted coffee.

Coava will serve you a coffee ($2), espresso ($2), macchiato ($2.50), cappuccino ($3) or a latte ($3.5). As of now, there is no flavoring at Coava and the choice of sizes is not your own. The coffees, americanos and lattes come in 10 oz cups, while the other drinks come in their traditional sizes.

In a city where "coffeehouses" have slowly evolved into "coffeelabs," Coava is just another example.

Taking the time to learn as much as possible about the environment, the people and the process behind growing the beans is the first step. They also have a temperature-controlled green room for storing green beans on site before roasting.

But the beans are only half the story. Coava makes sure that each piece of equipment put in play is well-tuned and efficient. Producing coffee only via pour over, Coava knew they would be going through many paper coffee filters. So instead they opted to design a durable and reusable filter with wider holes that allow for more oil molecules to sneak through and add to the flavor complexity of the coffee.

Right now the seating options at Coava are limited to the reuse of Bamboo Revolutions' makeshift tables with stools, but soon more seating will be available.

Coava is also featuring Crema baked goods including scones, muffins, croissants and their new nut, seed and fruit granola bar.

Veni Vidi Vici, Vita?

2010-04-21T20:40:00.001-07:00

It has been rumored for a long time that Seattle roasting powerhouse Caffe Vita has been searching for a place to set up their own shop here in Portland. Currently they service coffee to many small coffeehouses such as Goldrush Coffee Bar and Caffe Destino, as well as some restaurants such as Violetta.

At one point Caffe Vita was close to sealing the deal at a location on the corner of SW Ankeny and SW 3rd Ave (smack between Voodoo Doughnuts and Stumptown). The plan was scrapped last fall but it seems it has been resurrected.

Turns out Caffe Vita's owner Mike Mcconnell is also the owner of a successful Neaopolitan pizzaria, Via Tribunali. It seems that both Caffe Vita and Via Trib will be shacking up together in that SW 3rd Ave location.

While I'm sure this isn't exactly the coffee splash Vita had hoped to make in Portland, it is certainly more financially viable and gets Vita that much closer to having an assertive coffee presence in Portland.

Curious about what this pizza/coffee mash-up will look like? Luckily Vita and Via Trib just recently opened their first joint location in Seattle's Pioneer Square and there are photos!

There is no open date as of now, but feel free to swing by the site currently under construction and peep the wood-fired oven from the window.

Coffeehouse Christmas List

2009-12-23T18:39:00.001-08:00

Many coffeehouses are closed on Christmas check below or call ahead. Peace and Good Cheer!

Open for Christmas!

Anna Bananna's Coffee, 1214 NW 21st and 8716 N. Lombard: 7:30am-Midnight
Caffe Brioso, 3907 NE Martin Luther King Blvd., 7am-7pm
Coffeehouse-Five, 740 N. Killingsworth: 8am-1pm
Red and Black Cafe, 400 SE 12th Ave.: 10am-7pm

T he Red E Cafe, 1006 N. Killingsworth: 8am-3pm
Speedboat Coffee, 5115 SE Foster Rd.: 9am-1pm
Stumptown Coffee Roasters, all locations, 7am-4pm

Closed on Christmas and Beyond
Baker and Spice, 6330 SW Capitol Hwy: Closed through the weekend
Cellar Door Coffee, 2001 SE 11th: Closed through Saturday
Ladybug Organic Coffee, 8438 N. Lombard: Closed through Jan. 1st

Thanksgiving Coffeehouse Hours in the PDX 2009

2009-11-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

Just because it's Thanksgiving, doesn't mean you don't need your coffee. Your first choice if you are staying in town is to swing by Coffeehouse Northwest between the hours of 8am and noon. Coffeehouse Northwest will be serving all espresso drinks plus homemade eggnog for free! All your generous tips will go to Sisters of the Road.

Below are a few special Thanksgiving hours listings from your favorite neighborhood coffeehouses:

Albina Press, NE Albina and SE Hawthorne, 7am - 2pm
BARISTA, 539 NW 13th in the Pearl: 8am - 2pm
Crema Bakery and Cafe, 2728 SE Ankeny St., 7am - 6pm
Little Red Bike Cafe, 4823 N. Lombard : 8am - 2pm w/ Thanksgiving food specials!
Lyrik Cafe, 2035 NE 39th: 8am - Noon
Posies Cafe, 8208 N. Denver Ave., 6:30am - 2pm
Random Order Coffeehouse and Bakery, 1800 NE Alberta, 6:30am - 1pm
Red E Coffee, 1006 NE Killingsworth: 6am - 3pm
Ristretto Roasters, 3808 N. Williams Ave., 6:30am - Noon
Speedboat Coffee, 5115 SE Foster Rd., 8am - Noon
Stumptown, Belmont and Division, 7am - 4pm
Sweetpea Baking, 1205 SE Stark St., 9am - Noon w/fresh pumpkin pies for purchase!

At The Cupping Table: Ristretto Roasters

2009-11-21T22:44:00.001-08:00

Back in the heat of August, I think it was, Ristretto Roasters set out the blue dishes and little white bowls at their N. Williams location for a cupping of three of their roasts.

(I took many photos of the event and then promptly lost my data cable so I was unable to upload the photos for this blog post until now.)

Ristretto Roasters is led by Din Johnson who has put together a great team of baristas some of who were on hand to take me and many other devoted Ristretto fans through the steps of a professional cupping.

And I say "professional" because also on hand were some of the farmers and coffee experts from South America who joined us in the sniffing and slurping. These guys are the ones growing the beans Ristretto uses and they were a lot of fun to hang out with. They handed out shirts to lucky cuppers and showed us all up when it came to the slurp.

When we arrived we were all given a sheet of paper to write down our aroma and tasting notes on the three roasts on the table. There was a Guatamalen, Brazilian and Ethiopian roast if I remember correctly.

All three were very different from each other from the first dry sniff (grounds only), to the last slurp.

What has always amazed me is how a single coffee can travel over many different aromas and flavors by going through a hot water pour, agitation and finally a cooling off period. Each step brings out different pieces of the coffee's personality that some people would comment that while they thought they knew which coffee they would enjoy most based on the dry sniff, but once they slurped the cooling coffee, their opinion totally changed.

In the end it was the Guatamalen roast that was the crowd favorite. Nobody much cared for the Ethiopian, but that may have had something to do with our biased South American guests.

Ristretto puts on quite an impressive cupping with great care given to the coffee and they really let the participants feel out the coffees for themselves and share what they liked and didn't like.

While it could be easy for coffee professionals to simply dictate to the cupping newbie what they should taste and smell, I think it's important to listen to all the participants' opinons. We are the ones buying the coffee, and we may not be coffee experts, but we know what we like.

I've heard some people in the coffee business dismiss the public cupping because for some roasters the subtle differences in a coffee just don't come across an untrained palate. Or that there is just too much information to distill in such a short time with a coffee that there really is no point.

But even if we bumble our way through a cupping or two, I think a lot can be learned and appreciated in a public cupping.

Ristretto will be holding more cuppings in the future so look out for those. Kudos to Din and the staff at Ristretto for putting on a great show.

I ♥ PDX Coffee

2009-11-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

Heart Coffee and Roasting
2211 E. Burnside
7AM-7PM Everyday

Heart Coffee and Roasting has just opened up shop on E. Burnside and they are ready to show you that the fun has only just begun here in Coffee City, USA.

First off, Heart Coffee seems to have no fear of letting the world in on their passion. Most of the time the roasting is a private affair where the victories and defeats of man vs. machine are hidden from view of the consumer.

Taking center stage is the largest and most expensive-looking roasters I've ever seen. More like a Damian Hurst work-of-art-in-progress than coffee-producing machine, having the roaster out in the middle of the cafe is a bold move.

The dangers of micro-roasting are many. I've heard that the difference of even a few seconds in the roaster can make a huge difference to a batch of beans. Sometimes that difference is only perceptible to the most refined palates. But even still, we'll see if roasting to a crowd will make a difference in the cup over time.

Heart Coffee is one of the more fascinatingly decorated coffeehouses looking like a biology classroom with sleek updates.

There are diagrams of animal innards along with the detailed drawing of a human heart. Everything is cut open and ready for examination at Heart Coffee.

Equipped with a custom espresso machine and a vac-pot station, Heart Coffee currently has five roasts up for your tasting. Kenya Muthewathi, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe grade 2, and El Borbollo’n for single origin espresso; Ethiopia Mordecofe for drip; and Ethiopia Mordecofe and Guatemala Finca Villaure for siphon brewing (aka, vac-pot).

But, that is what they have today. Tomorrow it could change. A fantastic continuation of what Portland is quickly becoming known for, Heart is roasting, brewing and selling coffee with quick turnover. This gives them great control over their product and visitors to their shop will get the freshest brew available.

The Guatemalan is a big stand-out for me. It dances around your mouth giving off tones of cocoa and citrus in the front and cooling to black and blueberry flavors. For a coffee lover these coffees are amazing to taste.

Paired up with this sparkling new coffee is one of the best, and hardly seen baked goods in town. Random Order Coffeehouse and Bakery is supplying Heart Coffee with their top-notch muffins and pies, filled with mostly local fruits. Hopefully this signals a movement toward seeing more Random Order goods in coffeehouses all across town.

So, needless to say Heart Coffee is a must-see for any Portland coffee drinker. Taste the local goodness today, and, well, probably read about it in the New York Times later.

Coffee for the Greater Good...of Business

2009-09-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

I've often wondered what it is that people say to loan officers when they want to start a coffee business in Portland but don't have enough capital to go it alone.

"Yes I know there is a lot of coffee in Portland, but my business will be different..."

"What Portland really needs and wants is just good quality coffee..."

"What!? How many other coffee businesses are there in Portland?"

But regardless, another coffeehouse, roaster, retail brand, or coffee service company keeps popping up.

Hence, Citizen Coffee. Citizen Coffee currently only services the Ecotrust building in the Pearl District, but I imagine their ambitions are greater.

Citizen Coffee's website purports to be "the only Portland coffee venue that features Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers direct-relationship coffee beans."

Sustainable Harvest tries to close the middleman gap between coffee farmers and roasters. It's a noble endeavor with the assumed benefit of better financial structures for the farmer and roaster. But Sustainable Harvest is themselves a for-profit company that itself would benefit from large brokered transactions from an increasing list of farms and roaster-businesses.

Back in Portland though, the same folks that bring you all those lovely Laughing Planet restaurants are the ones who now bring you Citizen Coffee. All of Citizen Coffee's pastries are baked at the Laughing Planet in the Ecotrust building or at the Laughing Planet's commissary.

Oddly enough though you can't find Citizen Coffee at any Laughing Planet location. They are still serving Portland Roasting coffee. I've been told that is only temporary and soon all Laughing Planets will serve their Citizen Coffee brand.

I also assume that eventually the roasting will be done in Portland, possibly by Laughing Planet themselves. Right now all the Citizen Coffee beans are roasted by Dillanos Coffee Roasters up in Sumner, WA.

Laughing Planet has created a fantastic brand for themselves which is the best asset a business can have. The brand is recognizable, respected and trusted among Portlanders. From the Citizen Coffee website, it seems they are continuing their reach with a great brand of coffee that is trying to stand apart from the rest of the coffee pack.

If I was an investor, Laughing Planet would seem like a good place to park my money for the time being. They have a good sense of what it takes to be a successful food company in Portland and I imagine Citizen Coffee is only one item on their long list of possible ventures for the future.

I can't say much for the actual coffee in the cup. I've only tried it once and it was served at an extremely hot temperature. As it cooled though, it seemed full-bodied and pleasant, nothing too outstanding to mention. But I will say that the Cosmic muffin I tried was pretty incredible.

The Cosmic muffin is a vegan, fruit-juice sweetened bran muffin with what looked like apricot pieces scattered throughout. All the baked goods look pretty good actually and I will probably be back soon.

Neighborhoodie Coffeehouses: The Clearing Cafe

2009-09-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

A lot can be said about the big-name coffeehouses in Portland. The Goliaths like Stumptown, BARISTA, and The Albina Press always sneak their way into The New York Times or national foodie blogs.

I think what makes Portland such an interesting place to live and drink coffee is that those big names can saddle up next to the smallest of the small coffeehouses and everyone can be successful.

So begins my small series on finding the "neighborhoodiest" of all neighborhood coffeehouses. The "neighborhoodie" coffeehouses are those that don't even rely on much advertisement or perhaps don't even have a website or blog. They do just fine with their surrounding homes or businesses and have carved out a specific niche market.

These businesses may not grab headlines but they are a necessary part of their hyper-local community. And what's Portland if not a patchwork of small communities sewn together to create most colorful and wonderful place to live?

The Clearing Cafe

2772 NW Thurman St.
Portland, OR 97210
(503) 841-6240

Monday - Thursday 6:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Friday 6:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday:7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Sunday:8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Located at the foot of a busy Forest Park trailhead, The Clearing Cafe is a small coffee space in the quite, colloquially known, "Nob Hill" neighborhood. (Technically it is the Northwest District neighborhood.)

This spot serves up Ristretto Roasters coffee, toasts Kettleman's bagels, and treats its customers to pastries from Nuvrei. In addition, there are some wholly nutritious "Essential Bowls" that will surely bring you back from the brink after hitting the Forest Park trails.

What I especially love about neighborhood locations are the little details that you won't find anywhere else. At The Clearing Cafe you can enjoy a drink called the Honey Cardamom Latte. This great, warming drink is kind of like a chai with a shot of espresso. The coffee takes a backseat to the cardamom and the honey smooths everything out making for a great sipping drink on rainy day.

If you're not spending your time working or visiting with friends, The Clearing Cafe has an interesting selection of books to pass the time. Most notably, I found a small, well-curated pile of poetry. A nice little find considering nowhere else will you find Robert Frost at the ready.

There are many nice little finds scattered all through the city and while The Clearing Cafe is not a flashy destination spot for tourist, it is certainly a must-see for any Portlander.

Portland Coffee is for the Birds

2009-08-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

So what's up with Portland coffeehouses and their bird logos?

Send me an email (portlandcoffeehousejournal@gmail.com) with the names of the above coffeehouses and be entered to win a coffee gift certificate!

Contest closes at midnight on Monday, August 24th.

Update:

Thanks to all who participated in the contest, the answers are:

Posies Cafe
Happy Sparrow Cafe and
Half and Half

The winner received a $5 gift certificate to one of the above coffeehouses. How sweet is that?

Also, I thought of another bird logo, a little late to make it into the contest, but here it is:

The Cafe Circuit comes to Coffee City, USA (aka, Portland, Or)

2009-08-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

At The Cupping Table: Coffeehouse-Five

2009-07-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

Readers of this blog are most likely aware that Portland Coffeehouse Journal does the Twitter thing. I've been really encouraged by the number of followers I've garnered in such a short time.

But sometimes, for whatever reason, people stop following me. And while I try not to take it personally, it makes me reevaluate the message that I'm sending through the Twitter-tubes and try to see if it's worth reading.

So when I woke up one morning I noticed that my followers had diminished slightly in the last couple of days. Maybe there's just not enough exciting Portland coffee news out there, I thought.

But really, I can't blame Portland for not being an interesting Tweeter. Determined to get back on track I started making a game plan to visit a bunch of new shops, write a list of new blog post ideas, start some rumors, update links on the blog, etc. (Just kidding about the rumors)

And then this came across my Twitter feed:

Surprisingly, I have never participated in a cupping before. I feel a little ashamed to admit that since I am such a coffee fan and live in such a coffee-fueled city. But there it is.

I've seen cuppings occur at Extracto Coffeehouse and Ristretto Roasters, but never had the time to really go through one beginning to end.

So I biked over to Coffeehouse-Five to give it a go.

Coffeehouse-Five is a relatively newer coffeehouse on the corner of Killingsworth and Albina, across from Portland Community College.

Originally they served Seattle's Caffe Vita coffee but have switched over to local micro-roaster Coava Coffee.

Sam Purvis of Coffeehouse-Five took us through the cupping process explaining the rules like there is no talking or reacting to the coffees as you sniff and slurp. You don't want to influence the other tasters with your reactions!

Sam ground up five different single origins from Coava but kept their identities hidden from us tasters.

He did let us know that the boldness of each coffee increased from left to right as we sniffed and tasted so that an exceptionally strong coffee did not overpower the next, lighter roast.

First we all did a "dry sniff" which includes agitating the grounds in the cups and then taking a big whiff making sure to keep your mouth open when you breathe it in.

This will help bring the scents to the back of the nasal passages and help your brain identify what you are smelling as food and help pick out subtle notes and aromas.

It seemed weird at first but you really need to get your face close to the coffee and then bam! A whole new world of coffee flavors will come springing out of those cups!

After the dry sniff, hot water is poured over the cups and we begin the next round of sniffing. It is really amazing what a difference there is between the dry grounds and the grounds being brewed.

We waited the appropriate amount of time and then Sam led us in a demonstration of how to break the crust that has formed from the wet grounds on top of the cup.

More sniffing and then finally the grounds are gently skimmed from the top of the cup and we are ready to start slurping! Tasting coffee appropriately requires taking in a lot of air as you take in the liquid. So in order to get the most aeration you need to slurp loudly and quickly.

This takes practice as my slurps were nowhere near as loud as the professionals at the table.

We go through a few rounds of this as coffee will take on more of its personality as it cools.

It was a fun and eye-opening experience and I can't wait to try it again with other roasters. Sam let me know that Coffeehouse-Five hopes to open up their cupping table to any local roaster in Portland. All coffees are welcome to stop by and open up their bags of beans to be experienced by the public.

As of now, Coava will be available for sniffing and slurping every Saturday and Sunday at 3pm in Coffeehouse-Five. Be a coffee agnostic no longer. Make a point to stop by Coffeehouse-Five and practice the ritual of cupping.

The New Kids on Your Block

2009-07-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

Oh boy, what a year for new coffeehouses. Halfway through 2009 and already there are enough small businesses out there to revitalize half a dozen neighborhoods.

Below is a quick run-down of the new spots in PDX. Chances are one of these is probably just around the block from you, so be friendly, go meet a new coffeehouse today.

The Red E Cafe - Serving Coava Coffee
1006 N. Killingsworth Street, Portland OR 97217
6AM - 8PM everyday

You know when a really good TV show spins off another TV show? Or when band members of a successful band break off to create their own sound? Well sometimes it happens in coffee too. Introducing Keith Miller and Mindy Farley, onetime employees of the esteemed Albina Press, now running their own shop. Between the two of them they have tons of coffee and coffeehouse experience and it shows. The Red E Cafe is simple, functional and only open a month or so, it already has it's own set of regular customers from the neighborhood.

What is most exciting about Red E is the new coffee being slung here.

Another Albina Press ex-pat Matt Higgins, has been roasting his own beans under the name Coava Coffee. And aside from the occasional BARISTA rotation, Red E is the only place you'll be able to get this great coffee.

Higgins puts a lot of thought, elbow grease and love into his roasts and each cup is full of personality without being overbearing in flavor.

Cartola Coffee - Serving Stumptown Roasters
2723 NE 7th Avenue, Portland, OR. 97212
Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Downright Parisian, Cartola is a sweet little spot in Irvington. Like Red E, this place is brightening up the 7th and Knott neighborhood. It certainly matches the sleek little condo that went up down the block last year, but don't write it off as gentrification. This place has heart.

It was opened up by the hardworking team of Simone de Souza and Kit Ciorba.The shots pulled here are very solid. They manage to tease out the subtle notes of Stumptown's Hairbender more than most places.

You will find a great cup of coffee and originally, you could find goods from Pearl Bakery, the only place on the east side carrying Pearl Bakery items. However they have recently switched to that master of the coffeehouse pastry, Nuvrie.

Posies Cafe - Serving Ristretto Roasters
8208 N. Denver Ave., Portland OR 97217
Mon – Thur: 7am – 9pm
Fri: 7am – 10pm
Sat: 8am – 10pm
Sun: 8am – 6pm

Posies Cafe opened earlier this spring in the Kenton neighborhood. This cafe is the best example so far of micro-local. Jessie Burke envisioned using only the most local vendors, suppliers and employees to create this destination spot for cafe-lovers of all sizes.

Serving Florio pastries, located in the North Portland area, and Ristretto Roasters, also in the North Portland area, Posies sets the bar high for other businesses wanting to be thought of as "local." For instance, all the chairs in the place were sourced from about 4 or 5 doors down the block at the antique shop. That's local.

Acme Coffee - Serving Ristretto Roasters
1431 SE 40th Ave Portland, OR 97214
Monday-Friday 7am-7pm.
Saturday 8am-7pm and Sunday 10am-4pm

Sometimes don't you want to just chuck your desk job and do something that really excites you? Ken Sellen and Jason Gooder did just that, and the result is Acme Coffee. Located off Hawthorne, this place is hard to put into words.

It's a little cluttered on the outside, with antiques and signs decorating the porch of this old house. But step inside and you'll find a finely decorated and warm living room. There is a cherry tree located out back where the neighbors stop by with their ladder to have their fill of free fruit. Friendly is kind of an understatement when describing Acme Coffee.

Like Posies, Acme Coffee is serving Ristretto Roasters, extending Ristretto's reach into the SE Portland area. You can enjoy the always classy Nuvrie baked goods, but for now, you'll have to have cash, as Acme has yet to hook up their card swiping service.

Happy Sparrow Cafe - Serving Batdorf and Bronson
3001 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97214
M-F 7am - 2pm, Sa 9am-3pm

Ever get tired of the same ol' doughnut or scone business you see around Portland? Me too. Welcome to the Happy Sparrow Cafe, where you can get a selection of warm, freshly baked buns with a variety of fillings.

They are called Kolaches and when I stopped by they had a chicken and jalapeno bun, vegan bun, and sausage with Tillamook cheddar bun.

I actually can't wait for the cold, damp mornings of winter to come so I can warm up with a cup of coffee and some of these moist stuffed buns. Also available are flavored sparkling sodas, Vietnamese iced coffee and smoothies.

Elevated Coffee - Serving Stumptown Roasters
5261 NE MLK Blvd Portland OR 97211
6am-7pm everyday

Perking up the Vanport Square development on MLK, Elevated Coffee brings you Stumptown and local jazz. With its white baby grand piano in the corner and lots of local art decorating the main wall, Elevated is certainly trying to be a hub of community activity for the MLK area.

Portland Coffeehouse Journal: The Vegan Post

2009-06-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

To be clear, I'm not vegan. Though I am a fan. I marvel at the will it takes to completely eschew all animal products from your life and strive to live "cruelty free."

Really, it would just be nice to lose some weight and learn how to incorporate kohlrabi into an everyday diet.

But let's say you're vegan and you love your espresso. What to do?

Aside from checking out this great photo tour of Portland's best soy lattes from preeminent local vegan blogger, Jess of Let's Get Sconed, please join me on a short tour of Portland's vegan and vegan-friendly coffeehouses.

Now, I've only found one completely vegan coffeehouse and that is Sweetpea Baking Co. While more "bakery" than "coffeehouse," they do serve espresso and always feature cute folks typing on laptops and perhaps nursing a brand new vegan tattoo from neighbor Scapegoat Tattoo, so they count as a coffeehouse in my book.

This place has absolutely no animal products to offer. As in, you will need to get your latte with rice, soy, almond or hemp milk. The prices are still reasonable and the milks are carefully handled to stand up to the steaming and mixing.

Sweetpea serves up Stumptown coffee and by far one of the best scones I've ever had, vegan or not. They also feature a weekend brunch that is killer. Get stuffed on the freshest breakfast items from a rotating menu. If you live in Portland, you must try this brunch at least once in your life.

Next up is Black Sheep Bakery, also mainly a bakery that sells their treats at farmer's markets and local grocery stores, but their two shop locations are a great place to stop in for fresh-baked muffins and bars.

Black Sheep does not discriminate against us omnivores and does offer moo milk with your coffee. As well, their 523 NE 19th location serves up vegan and non-vegan lunch and breakfast items.

I have to admit that I don't enjoy their baked goods as much as Sweetpea's. Too much molasses for my tastes. At each location they serve up Portland Roasting coffee, which, as I've said before, is not one of my favorite roasters.

I think with a little quality control and tweaking of their muffin recipes, Black Sheep could be a great shop. But it is not at the top of my list.

At the very bottom of my list is The Waypost on N. Williams. I only include it here because they had all vegan items in their display case and had mostly vegan lunch selections.

When I stopped in it was about 8am on a weekday and the only offerings were bagels and one or two vegan muffins. Both of these muffins were stuffed with vegan sausage.

I bought the vegan-sausage-stuffed-muffin. Was a little apprehensive about what it would taste like? Yes. How was it? Let's just say one bite was all I needed to stuff the muffin back in the bag and make a bee line to a different coffeehouse for a decent breakfast.

I think a vegan-sausage-stuffed-muffin could be an incredibly delicious treat, this one was not.

But a yucky muffin was not the only disappointing part of The Waypost. The barista was distracted, almost forgetting to even take my payment. And when he handed me my 12 oz. latte, there was only about 10 oz. of latte in the cup.

It's funny that we sometimes only spend about 3-5 minutes in a coffeehouse and in that time several things can go horribly wrong and turn us off of a place forever.

When you live in a city with so many coffee options, coffeehouses have to be on top of their game all the time in order to keep customers coming back.

Looking to offer another vegan choice in Portland is Back to Eden Bakery. Providing New Seasons Market Concordia with baked vegan goods, Back to Eden Bakery is about to open its doors on its first retail location at 2217 NE Alberta St. any day now. Here's hoping Back to Eden will be serving up some quality coffee along side their cakes and cookies.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the vegan-friendly coffeehouses in Portland. Seven Virtues Coffee in East Portland also has many vegan options. But this should be enough to get you started on your way to getting caffeinated without the cruel.

Coffee at Portland Pride 2009

2009-06-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, June 14th the Gay Pride Parade made its way through downtown Portland. What does this have to do with local coffee? Well, the Mayor's Office invited all the local bike groups to be a part of their "float" and joining them was local coffee purveyors Trailhead Coffee Roasters and Courier Coffee Roasters.

Above is Joel of Courier Coffee Roasters giving his ride a little pride.

Cafe Velo

2009-03-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

Spring has arrived and while not technically a "coffeehouse," Cafe Velo is now operating every Saturday at the Portland Farmer's Market in the South Park Blocks.

Cafe Velo is a movable coffee operation that serves Stumptown coffee via French Press or brewed-to-order in Melitta porcelain coffee makers. They set out the bags of pre-ground coffee in the center of their counter and scoop the stuff into filtered Melitta drip cups. Then hot water is added, carefully stirred and in a couple of minutes you have a very fresh cup of coffee.

Today they featured six different Stumptown blends including the Ethiopia Wondo and Costa Rican Villalobos, which I tried today, all for $2.50 for a 12 oz cup. (No comments on the taste as I just came down with a cold taking my tastebuds out of commission.)

I love Cafe Velo because it gives the you the opportunity to try something new everytime you visit the market. Even if you don't intimately know what you are choosing, I certainly don't, it's
great to get out of your coffee comfort zone and try something new.

Coffee should be treated like wine. There are different varietals and nuances, tones and aromas that you can only pick up on after many cups of different beans. And Cafe Velo makes it easy to get started on being the coffee snob you always wanted to be.

More photos of Cafe Velo's bakfiets here.

Albina Press' Competition Coffee

2009-03-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

Kevin Fuller, owner of Albina Press, and Stumptown Coffee have made available their special "competition blend" beans for sale at the NE Albina Press location.

Today is the last day to purchase your own bag of the coffee Fuller will be competing with in this weekend's United States Barista Championship!

I picked up my bag yesterday evening.

It is a single-origin blend. Sounds like an oxymoron but Stumptown worked with their farm to cultivate two great beans to blend together in what Fuller describes as part grapefruit and part caramel. (Food GPS, scroll way down.)

I'm enjoying the blend this rainy morning and can't wait to see the 2009 champion barista crowned tomorrow at the Convention Center. Good luck to all the Portland baristas!

Coffeehouse Northwest and BARISTA, Part I of II

2009-03-04T06:56:00.000-08:00

Since the early 1990s the coffeehouse has grown from a niche market into a huge industry that has seen espresso consumption shoot up in popularity.

However the differences in the product being sold have become small, completely ubiquitous lacking in satisfaction.

In Portland, people have come to appreciate the small differences that make one business stand apart from another, one coffee roast better than another, one barista much more talented than the rest. Even so, the landscape of espresso and coffeehouses has become more and more flat, and the competition for consumers' dollars more and more fierce.

Location and branding may be the last two options for a coffeehouse business to set themselves apart from the competition here in Portland. Even quality and knowledge of the beans has been taken for granted in this artisan coffee town.

In taking a close look at two Portland coffeehouses, however, there is a new era in coffee approaching. Portland will be able to watch the evolution of the coffeehouse move from a cookie-cutter beverage industry into an interactive and highly variable coffee experience.

Coffeehouse Northwest

Located on the pedestrian unfriendly strip of W. Burnside, Coffeehouse Northwest is almost frustratingly uncharacteristic.

There is little pretension and pretext, but the coffee just tastes better, the baristas just try harder, and the owner, Adam McGovern, just cares a little bit more about bringing an authentic coffee-tasting experience to every customer.

For example, most coffeehouses in Portland use Stumptown's Hairbender roast with Sunshine Dairy's milk to make their drinks. However, McGovern discovered the superior taste of using Organic Valley milk mixed with Sunshine Dairy and uses it for all cappuccino drinks. Organic Valley is a more expensive milk, but the taste experience was valuable enough to make the switch.

Recently Coffeehouse Northwest made another investment to show they care about their customer's coffee experience.

At Coffeehouse Northwest you are now able to order espresso, french press, Eva Solo, Chemex, Melitta, or moka pot coffee. These are not roasts or brands of coffee, these are brewing methods of making coffee. (If you'd like to learn the differences between these methods, you can ask the baristas at Coffeehouse Northwest and they are more than happy explain the different styles.)

The hope is that there are enough people who also want to be able to make the distinction and once they do, they won't be able to go back to Albina Press or any other coffeehouse in Portland. I think the hope is that they not only will stand apart from the competition, but that they will lead the way in a whole new coffeehouse format.

Where coffeehouses have just one or two ways to enjoy coffee beans, Coffeehouse Northwest now has five.

Imagine walking into a coffeehouse at 7am and instead of hearing customers order "12 oz. latte" or "grande non-fat mocha" you hear "12 oz. Ethopian Eva Solo" or "tall Hairbender moka pot."

Some of these methods take up to four minutes of brew time before you can get your drink. The beans are specially ground for each method, water heated, coffee steeped and then served. And in many cases there are certain roasts that work best with each method, making your options for a morning beverage rise exponentially.

Sounds extremely fussy. Sounds like a gimmick to squeeze more dollars out customers. (a 12 oz. moka pot coffee costs $6) But anything you could say about this new business choice isn't something that wasn't already said about the proliferation of coffee culture across the United States in the early 1990s. And none of us would consider ourselves fussy just because it takes more than three words to describe our favorite drink.

McGovern says they are still working out a good flow to get these drinks prepared and equipment cleaned in a quick manner. There will be a slow education process to get people well-versed in the many options and delicate nuances of what they're doing behind the counter. But Coffeehouse Northwest has too big of a reputation, too much at stake, for anyone to ignore this development.

There is also a hope that this will expand the customer experience of each roast of coffee. Bringing out subtle differences in aroma and flavor and causing customers to want to possibly recreate the experience at home.

It is certainly a new approach to coffee unseen yet in the mainstream prepared coffee market.

(Part II: BARISTA, coming soon)

PDX: Tamp Your Face Off II

2009-02-27T07:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from last week's PDX: Tamp Your Face Off II event at Blend Coffee Lounge on N. Killingsworth.

Below, some of the competitors. First-time latte artist, Laurie; and competitors from 10 Speed Coffee Roasters, Doppio Coffee and Lounge, Backspace and Extracto Coffeehouse.

And the finished products. Yes, that is a latte in a half-can of Pabst. Ask for it at your next visit to Blend.

Ristretto Roasters

2009-01-21T19:11:00.000-08:00

This past summer, while biking down Vancouver Ave. to work, I knew that Ristretto would be opening its second location on Williams any day. It was a bright morning and all of a sudden I found myself being pulled east toward Williams to see if Ristretto was open yet and what do you know?

It was their first day of business. Well, it was day zero, really. They were giving away coffee for free. The coffeehouse equivalent of a "soft opening."

Do I have a coffee sixth sense or what?

Now PDX Coffeehouse Journal readers are well aware that I feel a diplomacy to all those coffeehouses out there, each offering it's own unique recipe to the city. Well, there is diplomacy no more.

Ristretto Roasters is my most favorite coffeehouse in Portland.

I've visited their Fremont location before, but it is really out of the way for me. But now, with quality coffee, nice space and a convenient location it takes the top spot on my coffeehouse hierarchy.

Does this mean I have eschewed all other coffees for this one location? Not really. There is no fun in that. I do still believe that all shops out there have something special to offer. I'm just going to be enjoying Ristretto's offerings a lot more now.

Where Was I?

2008-08-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

There I am, a coffeehouse miner in the dark cave of Portland, toiling away to find the hidden gems of coffeehouses long forgotten. And after weeks and weeks of running around the same ol' tunnels, lo' and behold there is a coffeehouse that has apparently been around since 2004, right there in plain sight on NW 21st. It's Coffeetime!

I don't know how I managed to overlook this one, but here it is.

This place has so much working against it, aesthetically speaking. Not-so-great decor, downright ugly murals, cigarette smoke wafting in from the tables outside. But it is what cannot be designed or forced that drew me in and had me sticking around for a couple of hours.

It's that over-used cliche, "community", that makes this place so homey and inviting. People both seem to know each other and leave each other alone.

Somehow it seems that a city will not function if not for these small spaces that serve coffee at all hours. We need more.

Caffe Destino

2008-07-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

Feel free to congratulate me, I've officially "arrived" Portland style: I bought a bike.

With the bike comes bike-commuting, which comes with it some serious consideration as to how many blocks out of my way I will pedal to get good coffee pre-work. So far the number of blocks is zero.

It's incredible that I can name at least half a dozen locations that are open and selling coffee on my way to work and yet still not be satisfied with my options. Portland has spoiled us all.

Anyway, when you are absolutely fed up with your half a dozen morning coffee options sometimes it's worth it to look just a little bit harder and voila! I found Caffe Destino.

This coffeehouse works hard to avoid being detected. They have no website that I've found. The are off of 15th Ave. on Fremont behind Whole Foods and down the block from Starbucks.

If you get there early enough, this place is just about perfect. Lots of breakfast options, Caffe Vita coffee, large tables and competent staff.

If you get there later in the morning....well, I've never witnessed it, but the comments on those restaurant review sites are an even split between those who seem to hate loud kids and the mom's who hate people who hate loud kids.

It's the classic "family-friendly" vs. "public Romper Room" conundrum that many neighborhood coffeehouses have to face. It's hard to spurn either camp as both are dedicated customers.

A good warning sign is the mini kid's table and available toys tucked in the corner. If you see this in any coffeehouse then you should evaluate how important that espresso is to you.

Which brings to mind an incident I experienced in a popular coffeehouse last weekend. Three dogs tied up outside, with owners, and one dog says to the other "I can bark really really loud, and for quite a long while without stopping!"

Not long after that, a barista emerges and says that people have been complaining about the barking and then kinda left the solution hanging in the air. The owner wasn't really pleased and didn't do much to fix the situation. Such a rock and hard place scenario.

Perhaps if the coffeehouse has one of those water bowls out front for dogs, then that would be an equally valid warning sign that dogs are expected to loiter and occasionally bark. You can't really complain if the coffeehouse is being inviting to animals, right?

So if a coffeehouse puts out some copies of Dr. Suess and a tiny table tucked in the corner, then you can't complain about the rug-rat infestation.

You'll just have to look a little harder to find your own coffee niche, but trust me, it's out there.

I'm a Tall Non-Fat Latte, Trapped in a Double Short Americano

2008-06-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

I would bet that any coffee-drinker can remember with great clarity their drink preferences throughout their life, chronologically. We all go through phases where our signature drink changes over time due to age, financial situation, fads...

Here is my biography-by-coffee:

16 oz. mocha (high school years)
16 oz. iced mocha (high school years during the summer)
8 oz. americano, with cream and sugar (college)
12 oz. latte, no cream, no sugar (post-college)
12 oz. non-fat latte, no cream, no sugar
drip coffee

I notice a pattern.

The Evergreen State has a Clover

2008-06-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

Since my spring-time studying has finally slowed, I am anxious to get back to blogging about new coffeehouses that have sprouted up all over.

First though, an email from a reader:

On Sat, May 3, 2008 at 10:25 PM, River Maiden wrote:
I enjoyed reading your blog. Taking a journey into Portland's elite coffeehouses is definitely a worthwhile journey.

If your perception of 'Portland" is in the metropolitan sense, you should take the journey north to Vantucky. We carry Stumptown Coffee as many of the great Portland coffee bars do. We know how to execute it to it's highest potential as well. Also, with the Annex and the Ace taking out their Clovers, River Maiden Artisan Coffee is the only coffeehouse in the world where you can have your favorite Stumptown variety on a Clover.

If you dare venture to the suburbs, you won't be disappointed.

Sincerely,

Aaron Flies
Co-Owner
River Maiden Artisan Coffee
rivermaidencoffee.com

I am very curious to try this Clover machine and with Stumptown beans no less. Road trip!

Heard Around Town

2008-02-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

Slow economy? Not here in Portland. Our coffee market is all but booming with more shops opening and expanding at a swift rate!

By now most Portlanders are aware that the famous Albina Press is going to open a second location on SE Hawthorne and 50th. It's been slow-going, but excitement is certainly building around this SE coffee addition and it should be worth the wait.

Also replicating themselves is Ristretto with a new location under construction at N. Williams and Failing in NE Portland. They will be in the same complex as Nutshell and since it is on my commute route to work, I think I'll be stopping by very often.

Remodeling work is coming to a close over at Random Order Coffee. Hopefully the spiffed up shop will give the bakers a more efficient space with which to churn out those lovely pies.

Having previously served Stumptown coffee, Extracto is currently trying out a few different beans lately. They just finished a rotation of Seattle's Caffe Vita coffee and are currently serving Barefoot Coffee from out of California's Bay Area.

I'm not so much a fan of this Barefoot stuff, but not to worry, Extracto is just having some fun bringing in different beans before they start roasting their own. As soon as April they will begin cooking up their very own blends.

Just today while at Extracto I ran into Dani Cone from Fuel Coffee in Seattle. She was a fantastic barista at Caffe Vita before opening her own coffeehouse and then quickly expanding to three locations around Seattle.

Dani is currently working on a book about her fellow baristas in Seattle and wanted to add some Portland flavor to the mix. She had visited Albina Press, Crema, Stumptown on Division and the Fresh Pot before stopping by Extracto to snap some shots of baristas in action. Look for the book to be out this winter.

Seven Virtues and Bipartisan Cafe

2008-02-10T17:23:00.000-08:00

This weekend I boldly went where I rarely go: East Portland. Hanging out at the same places around my home in Northeast was getting old so I did some research and picked a couple of interesting places to spend the weekend afternoons.

On Saturday I tracked down Seven Virtues, an light-filled space on Glisan and 60th. I was very impressed by the great design elements. It's a very neat and well-organized location without being too sparse and hollow.

Each table has their logo stamped on top with a different virtue written on each. I sat at the Honesty table.

Following a very popular trend in Portland, they feature vegan baked goods along side of Crema's animal-filled treats. The vegan cookies came from Sift Bakery, a bakery I haven't heard of yet, they seem like a budding Portland endeavor from their sparse site, but you can also find them at K&F Coffee on Clinton. (Though if you are more interested in a non-vegan delight you need to try the cinnamon roll with gobs of frosting.)

The coffee was decent the vegan soup was passable, but what will keep me coming back is the bright space and great crowd. Lots of neighborhood families and couples enjoying a peaceful afternoon.

But if you want your coffee served with a little more bustle and action, then go check out Bipartisan Cafe. Hilary and Obama have been seen at this coffeehouse over on Stark and 80th. Ok, so it was a cardboard cut-out of each of them. But really this is the place to be this election year. They held a mock caucus recently and are gearing up for the Oregon primary in May. They have the delegate counts posted from all the states up to now and have the best collection of political memorabilia I've ever seen. It looks like a high school history class with a selection of house-made pies in the corner.

All in all it was a very exciting weekend, coffeehouse-wise. East Portland, who knew you had so much to offer?

Coffeehouse Couch-Stink

2007-11-01T01:33:00.000-07:00

Location, selection, population. Usually these are the only three criteria I use to determine where I'll spend my coffee capital.

Often the closest places to me are way overcrowded at peak times, or the quiet spots with great treats just aren't worth the trek on a rainy Sunday.

But sometimes it is worth noting the Coffeehouse Couch-Stink factor.

I think it is a combination of second-hand upholstery, lingering hippies and constant espresso machine steam that creates this unmistakable coffeehouse odor.

Prime examples would be Palio Dessert and Espresso House at Ladd's Addition and Common Grounds Coffee House on SE Hawthorne. In fact, SE Portland seems to corner the market on the most Couch-Stink offenses...Fireside Coffee Lodge, Blend, Sweetness Bakery and Cafe...

Not to say that any of these places are unclean or bad choices. Just that maybe this is just another colorful difference between those sterile grab'n go coffee bars, and those living room coffee houses that seem to say "hey stranger, sit over here, relax, I think someone left half a veggie sandwich between the cushions."

Tiny's Coffee

2007-10-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

Just a little further south on MLK from Goldrush Coffee Bar is a Tiny's Coffee location. Tiny's has two locations, the other being on SE 12th near the Hawthorne Burgerville. I like the MLK location best mainly because on cold and stormy nights, the SE 12th location seems kinda drafty.

They serve Stumptown coffee and Voodoo doughnuts, just in case you've only lived in Portland for five minutes and wanted to do as the tourists do. It may just be that I am burnt out and bitter about the ubiquity of Stumptown coffee, but it seems like the places that have the coolest "living room" spaces, pastries, branding, cute baristas (you know, things that really enhance a coffee experience) are all serving the same drink.

And like I've mentioned before on this blog, I think the Albina Press is the only place that makes Stumptown something to enjoy and respect.

Taking Tiny's drip coffee as an example, I've found on a few different occasions that both the French Press and the Hair Bender they sometimes serve is almost undrinkable. There is way to much acid and really falls flat. Could be just the way they happened to brew the pot that morning but I can always count on both K&F coffee on Clinton St. and Goldrush to have the most consistantly wonderful drip brew.

But, maybe I'm being too hard on a business that plays it safe and consistently keeps it's doors open to the lonely Portlander looking for a place to plug in the laptop and stay connected to the community. Tiny's is great for the people watching and the quick panini lunch. They also have a great website. Maybe a little risk-taking is all this place needs to be a true desitnation coffeehouse.

Goldrush Coffee Bar

2007-10-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

A long time ago I had stopped into Goldrush Coffee Bar about 20 minutes to closing time. The barista told me he had already shut the machine down so I wouldn't be able to get any espresso drinks. Bottled juice anyone? Since that experience I never stepped foot in Goldrush again.

Okay, so I'm not that dramatic. I really just never happened to be in that neighborhood and while craving coffee and so didn't really have the opportunity to give 'em a second chance. But still, I think of that incident every time I drive past on MLK or head down the street to Toro Bravo or the Wonder Ballroom.

I've recently been back several times and discovered that they do have a great staff behind the bar and they serve the Seattle brew Caffe Vita coffee.

Caffe Vita Coffee Roasting Company is a great coffee company with their own distinct personality. All their coffees feel dark and almost bitter but without the sour aftertaste. Just nice prickly coffee, like a good IPA.

I'm not sure what was behind the choice to serve a Seattle coffee with all the nice local roasters we have here, but any coffeehouse that decides to offer something other than Stumptown is, to me, a welcome addition to Portland. In fact they do sell a couple Vita blends and always have two regular and one decaf drip brew on hand.

I love this approach as I've often wondered into a coffeehouse wanting a simple mug of drip coffee only to be faced by Stumptown's exotic "Ethiopia Yirgacheffe" or "Harrar" blend as the only drip option. I always thought these brews were way too flowery or complex to be palatable. So why put this out as your only regular cup-of-joe choice?

For that reason and many others, Goldrush is a great before-work stop. Quick service, lots of breakfast choices (including fruit), and a convenient location on MLK and Russell make it hard to pass up on a dreary Monday morning. The evening scene however is kinda dead. I imagine they don't get much traffic after the workday is done and really can't depend on shows at the Wonder drawing in huge crowds in the early evening. I'm hoping that with all the development on MLK, that will soon change.

It's always been my dream to see coffeehouses so unique and accomodating that they are always teeming with customers and open at all hours. Or at least still pulling shots until they lock the doors and turn off the lights.

Photos! Phinally.

2007-09-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

The Fresh Pot (Hawthorne)

2007-09-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

I only recently discovered that you can order books from Powells.com and instead of paying for shipping, you can pick them up at any Powell's location. I picked up my two books at the Powell's on Hawthorne the other morning and then stepped into The Fresh Pot for coffee.

There always seems to be a line eeking into the bookstore boundary and I absolutely love the utilitarian design of the long bench, small tables and opposing chairs all spaced so evenly like a study hall.

There was a large selection of Sweet Pea bakery treats along with the ubiquitous Voodoos and some Pearl Bakery croissants. I chose a Marionberry muffin from Sweet Pea and a chocolate Voodoo for my coffee partner. (She was next door perusing the books on how to can any type of fruit or veg you can imagine. It is fall harvest time, after all.)

When I got to the counter and placed my coffee order I failed to notice the "No debit or credit cards" sign until my shots were already being pulled. I apologetically explained to the counterperson that I forgot it was cash only and pulled out four ones that I had off-handedly grabbed from home on the way out the door. The total for drinks alone was going to be $6.50.

She seemed unfazed and explained it was fine and I could just pay the balance the next time I was in.

I can recall another instance where a coffeehouse that I visited very often was having problems with their debit card machine and so if customer's couldn't pay cash they just wrote down what they ordered in notepad and asked people to pay next time. This seemed reasonable to me since I and almost everyone else who visited that spot were regulars.

The Fresh Pot, however, is a place I haven't been to in maybe 8 months, so I am anything but a regular. Did the counterperson just not want to deal with denying me coffee since the shots were already out and the milk was already poured? Maybe. But maybe if this happens a lot it's just as well to keep the line moving and count on the nice people of Portland to repay their debts.

But if it happens at all, isn't that reason enough to break down and get the debit card machine set-up? It does cost money, I understand. You lose a small percentage of each transaction you take everytime the machine is used (the cost of having the swipe card service and having the funds deposited directly into your company's account). Plus Visa and Mastercard themselves take a chunk out of your sales too, which is why many shops have a minimum purchase to use the debit machine.

But seeing all those tables full of paying customers and a built in customer base streaming in from the Powell's location, I can't see how denying this service is saving them loads of money. It's a hassle, it's an expense, but being a cash only location is something that keeps me out of coffeehouses all the time.

Luckily I was able to reroute my coffeepartner to the cash machine (where we had to pay the service charge to take money out of a bank that was not ours) so that we could get our pastries and settle our debt to The Fresh Pot. Everything worked out ok, the muffin was surprisingly moist and very cake-y and the coffee was, as usual, a very balanced and chocolately-tasting cup of Stumptown.

Little Red Bike Cafe

2007-09-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I made it out to the Little Red Bike Cafe in St. Johns to enjoy what everyone's been raving about. It is an extra-sweet little place with doting service and a friendly atmosphere.

I normally only go for a simple pastry and coffeedrink in the mornings, but I couldn't resist their breakfast sandwiches. I had myself a Zoobomb which had egg, cheese, carmelized onions and this great creamy-spicy aoili that really made the sandwich.

Little Red Bike seem to be churning out lots of different desserts everyday and I wonder if they are going to settle in to a few rotating ice creams and specials or if there will be a constant "what's coming next" feel for the offerings.

I'm all for mixing it up in the kitchen but consistency and reliability keep me coming back to my favorite places time and again.

Drip coffee was all I had this time around and it was pretty good. The food is what makes this place stand out and so I really hesitate to even label the Little Red Bike Cafe a "coffeehouse," it is more of a cafe or restaurant.

Their pastry case contains items from what I consider the only bakery in town to rival Crema's baked goods: Fleur de Lis Bakery. If you have not had a scone from Fleur De Lis, then you have not lived life. They are rich and moist without being oily or heavy. And it doesn't really matter which type of scone you get, you will be a fan of them all. (Extracto also carries their goods.)

I will be back to this coffeehouse/cafe/restaurant, if for no other reason than to try the Courier Coffee Milkshake.

Crema Bakery & Cafe

2007-09-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

With friends in from Brooklyn the pressure was on to show off as many good coffeehouses in Portland as possible. Duly impressed by the variations and quality goods that came from many of the houses in the city, Crema was the creme de la creme.

It probably helped that it was mid-morning and we were starving. Walking up to stare at the pastries behind the glass and then turning around to walk back to the end of the line was torturous. Often I find myself making a pastry choice and changing my mind around three times before I finally get to the register.

I love the A.M. buns with their true and direct orange flavor nestled among the crunchy-sugary flakes of swirled pastry. The breads are good, the muffins are a little dry, but good. The only item I haven't had too much of is the bread pudding. They have a rotating selection of flavors and it always looks moist enough to go swimming in. (If swimming in bread pudding is a fantasy of yours.) But I've promised myself to break out of my routine and I'll give the bread pudding a go next time.

I'll reserve any long-winded comments about the actual coffee. They serve Stumptown (yawn), just like most coffeehouses and they don't quite pull it off as well as Albina Press. It's great, but not reach-for-the-stars great.

The bakery in the back of the coffeehouse is almost always abuzz with what seems like dozens of busy bakers coated in flour and bringing pan after pan of warm pastries out to torture the line-waiters.

Possibly the best part of Crema, next to the baked goods, is the art. I think they consistently show high quality work without falling into the trite and faddish forms of coffeehouse art that sometimes kills the mood at other places. The art can be audatious and smug but it is always quality work. And looking at great art helps, as I may have mentioned before, waiting in that line is torture.

St. Johns is So Lucky

2007-08-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

There's a lot more to see recently in the tiny neighborhood of St. Johns. A new gelato shop that looks interesting and two new coffeehouses.

Ladybug Organic Coffee Company is opening soon. They are going to be perhaps the first 100% organic coffeehouse in Portland. They really love organics. Really.

Just from viewing their site, and the 5 page employment application, you can see they take this organic/sustainable/local thing very seriously.

While I can appreciate and commend this new company for their endeavor, I can't really see this being their best selling point. Since so many other coffeehouses are already doing their best to offer local and organic products, showcasing this practice isn't that much of a draw on its own.

However, if they also happen to make the best scones, or pull the best shots, or have the friendliest baristas then it will make them a place worth visiting again and again. Otherwise it's just another day in Portland when a green business opens its doors.

As well, the much blogged about Little Red Bike Cafe is now open. I haven't been there myself and so am a little unclear as to whether this place crosses the line between "restaurant" and "coffeehouse" or "coffee shop". Semantics will be the death of me some day.

Can't wait to try it out though, they are the newest place in Portland to serve Courier Coffee. Bravo Courier and Little Red Bike! More small-batch coffee Portland!

Never Too Much Information

2007-08-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

Recently Ben Worthen posted on the Wall Street Journal's Technology Blog that:

"The first mistake that companies make when they’re designing a Web site is copying features from competitors. Bells and whistles are worthless if they don’t help a customer find what he’s looking for. Manning says that too few companies take the time to sit down with customers and find out what they’re using a Web site for and what information would make a site more helpful."

What does this have to do with coffeehouses? Businesses where customers are naturally spending a larger amount of time and money on, year after year, need to be able to tell the public as much information as possible about their business. Especially since the number of coffeehouses in Portland has reached near-saturation, the public's choices are so numerous that the smallest bit of helpful and easily accessible information can mean the difference between snagging another regular customer or watching someone walk by to the coffeehouse down the block.

Just because the purchases are smaller, doesn't make the business any less important. I think Starbucks is a pretty important business that makes its billions one $2.00 purchase at a time.

While it is true that location is still the number one reason a customer will patronize one coffeehouse over another, when there are several "near-by" coffeehouses to choose from, which one wins out and why?

Take the three coffeehouses within blocks of each other on Alberta: Random Order, Star E Rose and Concordia Coffee House. I think it's a given that if you want to find out some info on a local business, or any business, or anything in the world you are going to hit the internets first. So I did. (What else would someone do? Find the Yellow Pages?)

Star E Rose has no website that I could find. Furthermore, I didn't see any posted hours of operation when I walked by the other day. Isn't posting your hours Small Business 101? (The counterperson said they close at 10pm.)

Concordia Coffee House does have a website. They have plenty of info on their site like a list of menu items, their "coffeehouse" philosophy, and photos of the space. They even mention that they are "open late for the night owl". Fantastic! But I could find no hours of operation on the site. What does "open late" translate to in real time? Apparantly 8pm. At least those business hours were written down on paper and taped to the front window.

Random Order, however, has a smokin' website. Looks very expensive and is loaded with great graphics and tons of info on the food, coffee, art, crafts and neighborhood. Best of all they have their hours right there on the home page: "6 a.m. to 8 p.m. everyday". Except they actually close at 9pm.

In the end I stopped by Star E Rose as it was the only place left open when I was out and I dropped over $6.00 on a brownie, iced coffee and tip.

I have coffee money I want to spend! Finding a place to spend it shouldn't be hard to do.

Shout out!

2007-08-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Food Dude for giving a shout out to this blog!

It's still in the early stages, but soon there will be snapshots, more links, and most important - a list of the hours of operation for the coffeehouses of Portland.

Because there is nothing worse than trekking out to visit a new coffeehouse spot only to find a CLOSED sign instead of a latte.

Half and Half

2007-08-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I tried out Half and Half for the first time. I guess anytime I'm near the Pearl or Downtown I don't immediately think to stop by Half and Half for coffee. It's kind of hidden away, which is great - makes it a special treat when you wander past it on your way to Powell's.

It's a tiny location, perfect for it's style and coffee. They brew Courier Coffee, a small - very small, roaster in Portland. David to Stumptown's Goliath.

A friendly, hulking figure greeted me and my coffee partner. From the look on his face, I think he thought we were tourists. There was a group of tourists at the end of the block following a man with a megaphone who was trying to explain the concept of "Zoobombing" without much luck.

I probably looked as wide-eyed and confused as the tourists when I ordered my coffee and asked what was in all their pastries. When I go to a new coffeehouse and there is no line allowing me to poke around a bit before I order, I get a little flummoxed. I settled on the lemon muffin, with a nice, tart glaze on top.

The coffee took a bit to come up and when it did I wondered over to the milk and sugar bar. My coffee partner was in a hurry and as we left I was certain I didn't see any half and half! The amazing irony I thought! Was this purposeful? Was it an unfortunate oversight?!

"No," my coffee partner explained, "it was on the table behind you."

Albina Press

2007-08-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

I don't often visit Albina Press because of the hype. And the anti-hype. Some of the public chatter about the coffeehouse has been that the baristas are both snobby and drop-dead gorgeous, that the coffee is the best in town and totally overrated, that you can see rock stars there and that there are too many hipsters. It's a mixed bag of reviews though most are glowing reviews of the actual coffeedrinks themselves.

Since so many people in Portland have such strong opinions about Albina Press I have been scared to either love it or hate it, and therefore tried to keep my experiences with the coffeehouse ambivalent.

I did drop by this past Friday morning before a weekend drive to Seattle to fuel up. That would have only been my fourth or fifth visit to Albina Press and so far I have not been snubbed by a barista, they were relatively attractive, I did see a rock star once, and the coffee drinks are certainly the best-crafted ones in Portland that I have tasted so far.

The even-keeled coffee kept it's great flavor all the way to Centralia. The day-old pastry I bought with the coffee did not. (Pastry note: Crema's Morning Buns, or "A.M." Buns as some coffeehouses refer to them, are not day-old worthy.)

The drink was encouraging and since I now live the NE 'hood, I'll keep going back to taste and to try to explain here why I think the way Albina Press pours Stumptown beans is better than even the Stumptown coffeehouses themselves. Maybe it's the extra hype included with every cup.

Busy Coffeehouse? Save Your Seat!

2007-08-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

There is another interesting food service-related discussion on the Portland Mercury blog about coffeehouses. Particularly the "homogeneous" and "daylit only" coffeehouse and bakery Crema.

I agree with the majority, if the coffeehouse is busy and you have come specifically to sit for a while with your coffee mug and food item, then yes, saving a seat is necessary. Beyond that it is not against any rules, spoken or unspoken.

Extracto

2007-07-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

I had heard about Extracto before I had been inside Extracto. The name made me think of an industrial space with metal-art on the walls and stainless steel coffee cups. It's not like that.

It's a toddler-happy place in the Alberta neighborhood and the only coffeehouse within easy walking distance of my new home. With a long low counter that shows off their Tiffany-teal espresso machine, the space reminds me more of what a montessori school cafeteria would look like. Lots of toys in the corner, happy art, large pastry and bottled soda selection, and school-house tables and chairs.

Last weekend I had walked there with the family to pick up breakfast. It being a Sunday and late in the morning, there was, of course, a line. Almost to the door but not quite. The person in front of me hung in there for about 2-3 minutes before she went ahead and walked out the door. (She must have been from out of town.)

The guy in front of her was hugging his laptop and a few magazines glancing often at the dwindling number of free tables. I envied him. That looked to me like the recipe for a perfect morning: some reading, web surfing and a chocolate croissant with coffee that he would eventually order.

Even though the line was long and the place full of people, I half resented and half admired the counter-person's personal attention to each customer. She offered suggestions, asked for clarifications, inquired if they had a stamp card and smiled often.

This would annoy almost anyone in a long line who are probably waiting for their first nourishment of the day. But in a small neighborhood place like Extracto, you have to come in with that expectation. The house is on its own clock, they've got the urgency to get you your drink fast, but not at the expense of a smile and comment on how the Garden Bread is tasting that day (moist and fruity).

So it was with great confliction that when I got to the front of the line I offerred up my complicated drink order (sure, please mix the non-fat and whole to make a 2%-ish drink) and pastry selections and also asked for a stamp card...and then paid with a debit card.

Long lines like these at serious coffee places always remind me of standing in line at Vivace in Seattle and hearing a certain flabbergasted customer exclaim, "why would anyone wait in a line for coffee?!"

I guess it is because it is not just coffee that we're getting. We wake up with not just a coffeedrink and donut in mind before starting our day. The drink is just the least we expect from our daily coffeerun. We really wake up with a hunger for a certain place, certain smells, and certain smiling faces. We wake up wanting to spend a good amount of time sitting and reading or catching up on work.

If we just wanted to get some caffiene and sugar we would've gone to a fast-food restaurant or one of those coffeeshacks holding down empty parking lots.

The coffeehouse is an entirely different place and the premium you pay for your coffee also covers the rent of your seat and table. You are allowed to sit and loiter as long as is reasonable.

My college English teacher explained that this concept went back at least as far as those expatriated American writers and artists living in Paris during the early 20th century. They may have only been able to afford a cafe au lait and bread, but it would let them occupy a "clean well-lit place" to sit and daydream, sketch and write, for as long as they wanted.

So to be awarded the chance to sit, relax, read and generally enjoy a lazy Sunday morning with good quality coffee, waiting in a line is the least we can do to pay for that coffee experience.

I Am Not a Coffeehouse Expert

2007-07-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

I am not a coffee or coffeehouse expert, but I've enjoyed many coffeehouse spaces around the northwest for about 15 years.

The coffeehouse as our society's "third place" (a place that is not home or work) has always excited me. To describe a place that is not solely defined by its products and location, but by its "feel" and "personality" is one example of how our changing economy and culture have collided into this relationship between customer and coffeehouse.

And in this relationship people demand certain traits in their third places: convenience, originality, stewardship, variety....there as many coffeehouse experiences as there are coffee drinkers.

This journal will be my attempt to record my personal perspectives of those third places around Portland, OR, so that others may read, argue and learn about the coffeehouse culture and how it adds to our larger culture.