Veni Vidi Vici, Vita?

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.

Goldrush Coffee Bar

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.