Portland
The opportunity to spend four days in Portland finally arrived. I had compiled from reliable sources a list of 37 coffee shops that would be worth visiting (but I haven’t made them all this time).
Where to start? Eventually I realized that Portland is divided in unequal quadrants by the Willamette River and the Burnside Street and plotted almost all of the addresses in a way that would build four circular routes. I found that it is possible to cover the west side in a nice urban hike and a car is needed between the clusters on the east side.
Portland has several former industrial and deteriorated areas that have been re-urbanized and where coffee shops flourish. Some neighborhoods look hippie-artistic, others yuppie-clean. Some coffee shops were crowded with laptops, others were crowded with coffee geeks, but it was always difficult to find a spot to sit down. No recession in the coffee market.
In my eagerness to know everything as if there was no tomorrow, I exaggerated, got coffee drunk, sick of coffee and saturated to the point I need to take a long break until I drink any again. But I didn’t leave with the feeling that I missed out something and I have a clear (although obvious) list of places I want to visit next time and can recommend if somebody asks: Coava, Barista, Heart, Public Domain, Water Avenue.
Olympia
Every trip from Seattle to Portland starts with a stop in Olympia (or Tacoma, but I had already been there a week before).
Very elegant shop and excellent espresso. I forgot to ask which blend they were using.
Their second location was already closed. At least I know where it is and how it looks like. The outside seating must be fun.
SW Portland (downtown)
Click on the picture to edit the map.
I was skeptic to go to this place because nobody talks about it anymore but it is simply beau-ti-ful and their Prometheus espresso blend is excellent. The printed menu in a glass case outside the door explains their current offerings. This was a fantastic start!
This was in fact the last place I visited before leaving town because it closes on weekends. It has an old Italian feel and the espresso machine is a manual lever three group Rancilio. Regular customers go there to lean on the counter and spend a long time chatting.
After some touristic sightseeing I stopped here to order a macchiato because I was hungry and thought the milk might provide some nourishment. (Pastries? Never!) Serious baristas, large magazine rack, loud music from vinyl and the macchiato was delicious - “perfect balance between the milk sweetness and the taste of espresso coming through”.
Great espresso, “roasted on the other side of the river”. Lots of fun with scales. Pickle jars for everything. Poster of the Perfect Pickle competition on the door. The Howlin’ Wolf Album playing on vinyl. Very close to Powell’s City of Books (everybody please buy a physical book there).
Didn’t expect anything less then perfect from the service to the espresso and it was even better!
NW Portland (Pearl and Nob Hill)
This could be a continuation of the downtown hike.
Large variety of coffee beans from different roasters, nice to see Seattle’s Kuma on the shelf. Three options for espresso: Coava El Salvador La Guachoca, Stumptown Ethiopia Yukro, 49th Parallel Esmerin Enamorado. Coava was recommended and excellent.
I’m glad I came to this landmark before they move to a different location later this year. Everything is so elegant, from the ties to the black gift boxes. The small roaster is used for 10% of the coffee, the rest is roasted “on the other side of the river”. I knew from the NWRBC that each barista at Sterling gets to roast some coffee. The recommended Costa Rica espresso was great.
Here I got the Sterling Ethiopian espresso, also great. Adam McGovern in person came from behind the bar to explain they have always two options of coffee beans that change seasonally.
NE Portland (Mississippi, Alberta)
Well, looking at the map now, it seems it would be possible to do this in a day hike by leaving out the non-essential stops. I split it in two parts and did it by car.
Very clean and new. I spent some time here drinking water and imagining the event described in Caffeinated PDX.
I guess this came into the list because it’s a place you can get good Stumptown if you are in the Mississippi neighborhood.
Albina Press
Legendary shop serving Stumptown. I believe some barista champions used to work here.
I had to decide between Red e and Coffeehouse Five one block ahead. Only when I was back in Seattle did I learn that they roast their own coffee.
This was higher in the recommendation list. Great espresso from PT’s (Topeka, Kansas).
Stumptown neighborhood cafe.
This was the only place I had been to in a previous visit to Portland. Now I had more time to appreciate the pub-style decoration. Excellent Stumptown Gatemala Antigua Buena Vista espresso.
Great espresso from this on-site roaster.
Another Stumptown neighborhood cafe.
Saw the double R logo but didn’t have the energy to stop or take a picture.
SE Portland
Feel free to click on the map.
Started the morning in this brand new commercial center in the industrial district. Chose the single origin over the blend. It was excellent.
I was still enjoying my previous espresso when I arrived here, so I spent some time admiring this immense jaw dropping space. The decision between a Guatemala San Rafael COE and an El Salvador Santa Sofia Peaberry presented on a small clipboard with tasting notes was tough. I chose the first and humble Devin Chapman himself made me a fantastic espresso.
Again, I was still walking in the clouds from the previous experience when I got here. I couldn’t try out this roaster but was greeted by the friendliest barista in town. He was simply sincerely happy.
Stumptown and baguette inside a doll house.
This part of town is definitely Stumptown territory.
This is where it all started. The legendary Duane Sorenson even smiled and waved back to me from inside his new Woodsman Tavern!
Arrived just in time for a cupping about to begin and didn’t attend, shame on me. Origin slideshow on the screen and well designed counter for the cupping.
Another roaster I wasn’t able to try, just admired the oblique decoration.
Stumptown and Coava beans.
From the blog descriptions I was expecting this to be as unique as Coava and was a little annoyed that even the semi-circular bar around the roaster was full of laptops but I don’t care because the Ethiopian espresso was de-li-ci-ous.
Ridgefield, WA
Take I-5 Exit 14 and go East.
Every coffee lover travelling between Portland and Seattle must stop here and show their appreciation. The single origin of the day was an excellent Stumptown Ethiopia Yukro espresso.
Olympia
Last stop on the way back home.
I decided to stick with this beloved original location and see how the Big Truck is really supposed to taste. Perfect conclusion of the trip.
