Interested in cupping? Come cup with me!

In order to understand coffee better, I would like to learn how to taste it properly. When I worked for Starbucks a few years ago, I learned some about “cupping” (tasting, in coffee lingo), but I never was able to become an expert at the art. Looking for ideas to improve my coffee skills, I looked around for ways to learn about coffee tasting. In the September issue of MIX magazine, a monthly publication that covers Portland’s food and drink scene, I ran across an article on how to brew great coffee at home. The article surveyed some of the best baristas in town to find out their secrets for making a cup of coffee that people rave about.

One of the sidebars in the article gave some suggestions on where to go to learn the secrets of the pros. One of the tips was that Stumptown gives free cuppings every day at 12pm and at 2pm at the Annex, a tasting room located right next door to the Stumptown Café on Belmont Street in Southeast.

The Annex

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Café Delirium

At the end of my long journey to find Café Delirium, I was like a man who had staggered across the desert searching for water. Thirst had overcome my strength and I was about to give up, leaving myself to bake in the desert sun and feed the vultures. One step short of giving up, my weary eyes spotted something in the distance. Were those trees? Could there be water up ahead, or was it just another mirage like so many others had been? Could I have really found my destination? I was hopeful—and a few steps later I realized I had made it to the promised land! Tears of joy and relief filled my eyes as I stumbled the last few steps into paradise. A lake of fresh, cool water awaited me! I plunged my hands in, then my head and finally my whole body, my refreshment complete. . . .

The sign leading to paradise

Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but you can imagine how happy I was to reach the café after walking for so long. Café Delirium could have been the worst café I’ve ever been to and I would have been inclined to give it a great review. I did enjoy my time at Café Delirium, but not only because it was such a relief to get there. Located in Historic Downtown Gresham, the café is a fun place to hang out. When you walk in you feel welcomed. The large café has a mix of seating: big stuffed chairs, perfect for lounging with a book and a cappuccino. There are a couple couches where you can grab a latte and catch up with friends after work or school. If you want to write or study, you can do that too at one of the café’s several tables.

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Keep it Weird

One of Portland's claims to fame (besides its coffee) is that it's weird. You see signs and bumper stickers around town exhorting the rest of us to do our part (see photo below). Although the idea originated in Austin, Texas (yes, that's a Wikipedia reference), Portland does its best to keep up. I've seen a few things in my time here that are definitely following this advice. Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures yet. I'm going to be on the lookout for things that make this well-caffeinated city, um, unique. If you see anything that makes Portland weird and can get a picture of it, send it to me and I'll share it with everyone. If you have anything that I just have to see to believe, I would love to hear about it!

That shouldn't be too hard. . .

Vivace

Located at the corner of Pettygrove and 23^rd Avenue, Vivace is a well-known café in one of Portland’s trendy hipster districts ( “trendy-third”, as some people call it). The café, with its refinished wooden floors, felt-covered cushioned dining chairs and low-hanging chandelier, reminds me of the parlor in someone’s old Victorian house. The western windows catch a lot of sun (after the leaves have dropped from the trees), good for warming yourself on those crisp fall afternoons. If you prefer to sit outside, there are several tables on the covered porch and also next to the sidewalk along 23^rd.

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Destination Delirium

I was excited when I woke up with a plan for Friday—to find Delirium. After reading the story, some of you might think that I started out there (pun definitely intended). My quest to find the best coffee shops in the area is not limited to downtown and I had heard about a café in Gresham that was supposed to be a good one, Café Delirium (thanks Desiree). Since I’m trying to get to know Portland and the best way to get the feel for a place is to see it on foot, I decided to walk from downtown out to the café, following Burnside Street as far as I could. Google Maps said it was only 13.5 miles (it turned out to be 14.3 miles) and estimated it would take 4.5 hours. That was only half a day—no problem!

Before I left the house at 8:30am, I later saw in the paper that the forecast was for periods of rain. That made me a little nervous because I didn’t want to get soaked. Then again, living in Portland, you have to get used to walking in the rain. I wasn’t going to let it stop me. Besides, if it started raining too much, I could just step into a café along the way and wait it out. The downpours here don’t usually last too long. The drizzle does, but not the heavy rain.

It was a great morning for walking, despite the humidity. The temperature was cool, but there was no wind, so I was comfortable walking in a t-shirt, jeans and my ever-present Chacos.

Fountains and mountains, two reasons Portlanders love living here

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The Bipartisan Café

When I asked for help in locating good Portland cafés, one of the first suggestions to come in was the Bipartisan Café in Southeast. The other day I had wandered to the top of Mount Tabor, so it was just a short jaunt down the mountain and over to the café. I stopped in to check it out.

Arriving at the café at 2pm, I was surprised to find it full of people. There was only one open table. Hmm. Obviously a popular place. The wooden tables and chairs showed signs of heavy usage, as did the couches sitting immediately to the right of the door. The hardwood floor was worn through all the varnish and down to splinters in some places. It was clear that the café was a popular meeting place for the neighborhood. The front window was covered with posters advertising local  bands and other events. Every Friday evening from 7-9pm, the Bipartisan has live music (no cover charge).

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Wandering about Southeast PDX

It was a brisk and somewhat damp morning in Portland when I set out walking. The sun was trying to burn through the light clouds, but with rain forecasted for the afternoon, I was not optimistic that it would win. Like my last wandering, I headed eastward again, crossing the Hawthorne (green) bridge over the tranquil Willamette River. It was just before 9am when I crossed, and there was a constant stream of bicycles zipping towards me as commuters made their way into downtown. Portland is a bike-friendly city (another sustainability thing) and the mayor, Sam Adams has a reputation for advocating for bike commuting. He recently (and controversially) designated some of the city’s water and sewer funds to improving bike lanes and bike safety.

As I crossed the river, I realized that my toes were cold. That may sound like a strange observation, but since my trip to Beijing this summer, I have hardly worn any shoes other than my open-toed Chaco sandals. When I first got them, I was a little skeptical about their suitability for walking. In addition, wearing sandals seemed a little too Portlandish for me. However, after spending five weeks in Beijing, I admit I really like them. They keep your feet cool and are good for wandering for miles, especially once your feet get used to them. However, as the rainy season approaches, I don’t know if I will put the sandals away in favor of shoes or not. Might be a little too cool to keep wearing them (the weather, not me).

On the other side of the bridge I followed Clay street until it veered right and turned into Ladd Street. Ladd took me through a neighborhood of large older houses and there were massive elm trees on either side of the street, forming a tunnel overhead. At the end of the tunnel was Ladd Circle, a wide traffic circle with a small park in the center. On the opposite side of the circle I spotted Palio Dessert and Espresso House (review here). It looked like a great place to make my first stop of the day.

After a longer than expected stop at Palio, my wandering began anew. I left the café and walked up Harrison Street, which I would follow for the next few miles. Harrison, as it turns out, is one of the streets that Portland has modified to encourage bicycle commuting. There are bike symbols all along the street, and medians had been placed at major cross streets (leaving a gap for bikes) to discourage cars from traveling down it. As far as I could tell, the changes seemed to be effective. I saw many more bikes than cars or pedestrians.

Being bike-friendly

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