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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Palio Dessert and Espresso House

At the center of the historic Ladd’s addition, in Southeast Portland, Palio Dessert and Espresso House strives for an Old World (European) feel. When I walked in, the café was quiet, with classical music playing softly in the background. There were a couple people in the back room staring at their laptops. I asked the barista two questions: First, what kind of espresso did Palio’s serve? and 2) What was Palio’s best drink? His answers: Stumptown espresso; and a “Mexican mocha”, with cinnamon, nutmeg and ground up chilies. I wasn’t in the mood for straight Stumptown espresso and the mocha sounded a little rich for first thing in the morning, so I opted for a latte instead.

Palio

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Café Cello

Café Cello, located downtown across Yamhill Street from the Central Library, shares a Victorian-style house with the Pulse Salon. The café is fairly intimate, with five tables plus a row of seats along the front window. You can sit at tables on the front sidewalk if you prefer to watch the Max trains pass by. Inside, the deep red walls give the space enough character to be interesting, but are not so outlandish that they are distracting. The café has a couple stuffed chairs that are good for sitting and reading.

Café Cello

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Coava Coffee Roasters

I wasn’t sure where I was going yesterday when I left the house, so I pointed myself eastward and started walking. It was a beautiful day, warmer than I realized when I left the apartment. I walked down to the riverfront and turned north. It was nearing lunchtime, and when I got down to the river, lots of people were out walking and running along one of Portland’s most beautiful spaces. There were more people out running than usual—it appears that  people are gearing up for next month’s Portland Marathon and getting in some extra miles during their lunch breaks.

I considered continuing north along the river and then turning back into the Pearl District, but the East Side was calling me, so I crossed over Naito Parkway and climbed up on to the Morrison Bridge. As I crossed, I realized that the bridge is a good place to look at downtown and take pictures. I took a few before crossing over the bridge and into the Central Eastside Industrial district. I like this part of town: it’s a part of Portland that works. The neighborhood isn’t as concerned as some neighborhoods about looking pretty, and the array of wholesale and distribution centers is more diverse than I thought. You don’t realize the amount of business going on in this city until you see all of the office supply stores, wall covering stores, lumber stores, industrial bakeries, etc. that are found in this area.

A beautiful day on the waterfront

Continuing eastward, I crossed Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (MLK) and walked one more block to Grand Ave. I turned right on Grand and walked southward. As I crossed Main Street I  noticed a sign to my left that said Bamboo Revolution. Very Portland, I thought. One of the city’s claims is to be the most sustainable city in the US, and a store that sells bamboo flooring and counters fits that mould (Sustainability is a theme that will show up frequently as I write more about Portland.)

A few steps later, I noticed an A-frame sign on the sidewalk that said Coava (koh-vuh) Coffee Roasters. I did a double-take because I thought I was passing a bamboo flooring shop. Apparently, I was right on both counts. Inside I saw a coffee bar, and I couldn’t resist the temptation to stop in and check it out.

Coava/Bamboo Revolution

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Jitters

[Author’s note: I am still planning to write about Portland’s coffee scene, but I wanted to tell you about a place I found right before I came back to PDX last Friday.]

The day after we finished harvest, I found a coffee shop in my hometown where I could sit down to write a few things. It’s called Jitters, and it is located on Main Street in Dayton, WA. Here’s what I found out about Jitters, just in case you ever pass through Dayton. Jitters is a great place to go if you’re looking for a quiet place on a rainy day. With its old, red-brick walls and its well-worn hardwood floors. Jitters would fit in well in Portland’s coffee scene. Located in the heart of Main Street, the café resides in the historic Engle Building, built in 1887.

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Exploring Portland

Portland is a unique place (just ask anyone who lives here—they’ll tell you) and I’m going to spend the next few months learning all I can about the city and  bringing it to you through this blog. For those who live here, maybe I can find some hidden treasures that you didn’t know about. For those of you who don’t, I hope to give you a reason to come visit or at least help you understand why Portland is not just ‘Seattle Lite.’ I want to find the places and stories that make Portland interesting.

One of my goals for Caffeinated PDX is to have it be an important source of information on the coffee shops and cafés of Portland (and wherever else my adventures take me). Over the next several months, I will be writing about Portland’s coffee culture and the people and places that make it unique. I hope to visit cafés, roasters and anyone else who has an interest in coffee in order to find the best that Portland has to offer.

As I visit the cafés, I want to give you a sense of each place’s offerings—the atmosphere, the amenities, foods, etc.—things you might want to know before you go. More importantly, I hope to catch up with the owners, managers and  regulars, to find out what they love about their café. There must be some good stories out there, and I plan to find them and share them with you. So if you know of any places in PDX (or around the Northwest) that are just can’t-miss, please tell me about  them. I want to check them out. Thanks!