Papaccino's

Another frequent flier. I love this place. They make great coffee, they make awesome breakfast sandwiches, they have a cereal bar, they have a fireplace, they have crossword puzzle books, an open air human observatory (also known as outdoor seating), a ladies knitting group, local art, aaand, they are one of the sponsors of the Woodstock Farmer's Market.

So, whether you're looking for some (fairly) quick, delicious food, a good cup of coffee, or a chair to fall asleep in on your lunch break and miss your clock-in time, Papaccino's is the place to go!

The lovely sandwich you see gracing the top of this entry is a sausage, egg, and cheese bagel. Hot off the grill. Mm.

Public Domain

I love this place. It is the snobbiest coffee shop I've been to in Portland. And by that I don't mean that the employees were rude - they were very friendly and accommodating.

What I mean is, this place makes you feel... very chic. The first time I went, I felt very underdressed, and ever after, changed accordingly. Everyone in the place was wearing a pencil skirt and jacket -- well, not the men, of course. Not that kind of coffee shop.


The place is very open, sparklingly clean, and very light -- floor to ceiling windows. Their coffee-making area is like a T.V. show kitchen, open for all to see, right in the middle of the shop.








Now, it would be a tragedy if for all the hype I've been building if they didn't also have good coffee! I would try their speciality: a pourover. It's an interesting way to brew - a twist on drip coffee. They had several different flavors or aromas to try, a roast from Kenya is what I had. Very fresh taste, no fancy stuff, just black, delicious coffee.

Their pastries are also quite delicious. In the photo you see I had an apricot cheese danish. With a freakin' whole apricot!

Marino's Adriatic Cafe

A·dri·at·ic

/ˌeɪdriˈætɪk, ˌædri-/ Show Spelled[ey-dree-at-ik, ad-ree-] -- adjective

1. of or pertaining to the Adriatic Sea.

There's a neato little coffee shop out on SE 41st and Division called Marino's Adriatic Cafe. They are a great local coffee shop; eclectic furniture and coffee cups, good brew, tasty pastries. My latte was pretty dang good. Sadly, they burned the inside of my apple strudel to a crisp and didn't have any more, BUT -- they presented me with this little delicacy as a peace offering: a real apple cheese danish... thingy. It was probably better than the strudel, anyway.

They also have wifi, so check them out sometime, send me a note!

Habibi

On a quest for Indian food in downtown Portland, Dad and I discovered this little place instead. Habibi serves Lebanese cuisine. The place was mostly empty, and we were greeted by low lighting, and Shakira music.


I tried the Spinach Pie, and Turkish Coffee. The Spinach Pie was gorgeous, and very different. Besides spinach, it was made with some herbs, lemon, and pine nuts, which gave it a very tangy flavor. It's a good vegetarian option, and it was also pretty tasty with some of Dad's lamb.

The Turkish coffee came in a nifty little pot (as you can see) and though it wasn't very thick, it was pretty strong (if you're a wimp) and very, very sweet.

I believe Habibi has two locations: SW 10th and Morrison, and SW 3rd and Pine. Try them out! They're authentic and delicious. And they serve pretty food.

Starbucks: Caramel Apple Spice

This blog has been really good for me, in that it makes me write, every day, and in that it makes me try new things when maybe, under normal circumstances, I wouldn't.

So, today, I really branched out, went out on a limb, tried something new: at Starbucks. I know! How crazy would I have to be? I just looked at the menu, and did the mental equivalent of putting my finger on a random number. What I came up with was the Caramel Apple Spice drink.


It made me gasp -- no, I didn't burn myself (not THIS time!)-- but this was the most delicious drink ever to pass my lips! I think Willy Wonka has come to life, and made apple pie into a drink at Starbucks. Who knew? It was a perfect blend of apple cider, cinnamon, and caramel. I drank it in about two seconds flat. Let me tell you now, 12oz will NOT be enough!

Peet's Coffee & Tea

In the land of coffee, it is hard NOT to run into a great coffee shop on every corner. Each coffee shop has its own unique flavor to bring to the table, something that sets it apart from the others.

Peet's has a new Raspberry Mocha. It is beautiful. It is delicious. It is a little sip of heaven in a mostly-recycled paper cup. It is chock-full of coffee (you call the shots), laden with chocolate, and hinted with raspberry. You better get whipped cream on top, because they drizzle this bright, yummy berry sauce all over it, and you cannot live without this drizzle!



Another of Peet's unique must-haves is their salted caramel. It's a dark chocolate truffle, filled with a lightly salted caramel filling. Rock salt sprinkles the top - make sure to savor the rock salt, it makes ALL the difference!

Their raspberry preserve scones are worth a try - the scone is crisp, and the preserves are sweet!

Raspberry mocha: 3 (approx)
Salted caramel: 2 (approx)
Raspberry preserve scone: 2.9

St. Honoré Bakery

My cousin Kate and I took a little jaunt on St. Patrick's Day from PSU to NW Thurman, in pursuit of some bucolic delights at St. Honoré Bakery.

It's an adorable little bakery, well-lit by the afternoon sun, with outdoor sidewalk cafe tables, and edible decor. When first you walk in the door, you are greeted by someone behind the counter. But pay them no mind. Instead, I direct your attention to the pastries and cheesecakes and chocolate slivers peering from inside the glass case.


For lunch, I had a very hard time deciding between the Quiche Lorraine and Jardinere, the Tian Provencal, and the Vol au Vent. I eventually chose the latter. Vol au Vent is a flaky pastry puff, filled with chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, leeks and creamy sauce. It's how I always imagined a flan was, in the Redwall books, until I discovered what a flan really was. I like these better. :)


They brought it to me toasted, which made the pastry crispy. It was almost like a pot pie. I also ordered a cranberry juice. My cousin Kate ordered the soup du jour, as you see pictured up top!

Vol au Vent: 7.2
Cranberry Juice (very small bottle): 3.2

VooDoo AND Stumptown!

Since my last visit to VooDoo Doughnuts was unsuccessful -- line length to attention span ratio was too great -- I decided to try again. I had it on good authority that their maple bacon bar was a necessity of life. Necessity of life means waiting in line!

While waiting in line at VooDoo, not only was I told that I look like Kelly Preston, but I also learned that they perform weddings at Voodoo! Apparently one of the guys there is licensed to. So keep in mind that if you ever want to get married, you could do so -- under a gigantor doughnut replica.


I purchased a maple bacon bar, and a voodoo doll. Although they sell Stumptown coffee on site at VooDoo Doughnuts, I wanted to swing by the actual Stumptown for a sit-down experience. Once again, great barista with mad milk-pouring skillz, absoballylutely excellent coffee! It went perfetly with my bacon and maple.

Sadly, I seem to have left my voodoo child at the bead store I stopped by on the way home. I hope someone eats him! However, this is a perfect excuse to go back to VooDoo in the very near future.


Maple Bacon Bar: 2.5
VooDoo Doll: 1.3
Stumptown Cappuccino: 3

p.s. VooDoo only takes cash -- so either have some at the ready, or remember to use the ATM (it's right inside the door) before it's your turn to order! Or else you'll look like an idiot. I personally tested this method out for your benefit.

p.p.s I don't really look like Kelly Preston.

Mr. Jolly's Coffee Bar

Since I do not have an iPhone with a Starbucks locator app (do they have those? Should I patent one if they don't?) I was forced to find alternative means of espresso on my way to Ten Thousand Villages this morning. What I discovered was Jolly.

Mr. Jolly, in fact! On NW Everett (and 9th, I believe!) there is a little cafe called Mr. Jolly's Coffee Bar. I was just in for a quick mocha, but they had some tantalizing pastries available, and also serve lunch, etc. There is a little sitting area, which is pleasantly located on the corner, and would make for good people-watching.

My barista was a man named Giuseppe, who was very generous with the espresso, and had the coolest accent!

I'll be back for lunch sometime soon!

Mocha: 3.5 (double shot espresso)

Stumptown

This place is so good, Nickel Creek's mandolin player Chris Thile wrote a song named after it! I'm always excited to go to Stumptown. Today, I was going to go to VooDoo Doughnut, but the line was longer than Crystal Gale's hair, so I skipped out (for today, that is!) and went to Stumptown down the street instead!

Stumptown refers to Portland's old nickname from the late 1840's, when the city was growing so fast that the trees cut to make way for roads remained as stumps until things slowed down and they could be removed.

The atmosphere at Stumptown is great (I've been to the one on Hawthorne and the one in NW PDX) - the people are unique and polite. I don't fanny around with Stumptown - no mochas or syrupy drinks. Just unadulterated espresso. Today I ordered a macchiato. My barista poured a perfect milk heart right into it - no tricks, no sticks. That deserves a round of applause.

I also got a pastry (I justify this by telling myself that it's for the sake of my blog). Stumptown's Berry Brioche is pretty tasty. It's a very moist cake, and the berries (black, rasp, and straw) are really tart. I would recommend sharing -- I could hardly finish the whole thing!

Also, they have the cutest little brown cups!

Macchiato: 3.5
Berry Brioche: 3

Starbucks: Dark Cherry Mocha

When Alison Krauss sang about a "new favorite," she didn't know what she was talking about, because Starbucks' new mocha hadn't arrived yet!

This, my friends, is my new favorite drink from Starbucks. If they are still giving them out, you should at least try a free sample of the Dark Cherry Mocha. Technically, its major debut is March 9th (right around the corner -- just like Starbucks!) but I definitely got one last week. Despite this lovely weather we're having, I recommend one hot, rather than iced!

They are deliciously cherryful, chocolaty, and of course, loaded with coffee! Thank you, Starbucks!

Cheers.

Starbucks

I know Starbucks is not a new concept for people, but how can you blog about Portland drinkery without it??

I LOVE STARBUCKS. I cannot begin to gush enough about it. Their coffee is the best. Try their peppermint mocha. I tried it one Christmas, and I've been hooked for years! Their chai lattes are delectably spicy, and their scones are delicious. If you haven't tried their Cranberry Bliss Bar, go do so now!

On top of great coffee and scrumptious pastries, Starbucks is pretty much the least-evil corporation ever. They really put back into into the world. They use fair trade coffees that support farmers and ensure quality, organic coffee. They support people in need by donating proceeds for things like Ethos Water, and they are committed to the conservation of the earth, through communities like the African Wildlife Foundation, Conservation International, and scientific studies like Earthwatch International.

All in all, great coffee, great food, great company. And there's one on every corner. :)