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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!
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
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
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.
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.
