Tag Archive for 'coffee'

Something in the muddy water

Published
by
adamd
on April 14, 2008
in culture and food and drink
. 4 Comments

There’s something about the hot, muddy water brew in Portland. It attracts even non-coffee drinkers. What is so magnetic about the many cafes and coffee shops around town?

It may be about our love of the drink, sure. Seattle is considered the coffee capital, but we have held our own. Legendary Stumptown Coffee had seven Portland locations before expanding to Seattle. And what city other than Portland could produce a Rails-powered, award-winning coffee tasting site?

There are plenty of cocoa and tea orders to show it goes beyond the love of coffee. It gets to the core of what makes Portland: community. We go to our neighborhood coffee shop because it’s our neighborhood coffee shop. We see friends, we enjoy the company of strangers, and we remember that we live in a city where people are valued.

So, yes, there is something in the muddy water, whether it’s from the Columbia to the north, the Willamette down the middle, or the brew from the shop around the corner. Whatever it is that keeps us coming together, I hope it never goes away, because when it comes to community, there’s no place like Portland.

Evolution of Hawthorne

Published
by
Dawn
on April 12, 2008
in food and drink and southeast
. 9 Comments

I’ve been a fan of Hawthorne for a long time: loads of vegan food options, bubble tea with coconut milk, shops for almost anything I might need, a Powells branch, and so much more. A year ago, I was lucky enough to find a great house to buy just 2 blocks off of Hawthorne.

I’ve been really surprised by the changes happening on Hawthorne in just the past year. Some of the changes have been good, while others are disappointing.

The disappointing:

  • The Daily Grind went out of business after 20+ years on Hawthorne. I miss being able to walk there for my groceries.
  • Pho Green Papaya opened on Hawthorne and closed less than 2 months later due to lease issues.
  • Pix Patisserie closed.
  • Hawthorne Coffee Merchant moved to a location just off of Hawthorne.

The encouraging:

  • The Cup & Saucer is expanding into the space left by the Hawthorne Coffee Merchant
  • Pastaworks is moving into the space left by Pix
  • Albina Press opened a new coffee shop on upper Hawthorne

These are a just a few examples, and there are plenty more. At this point, I’m not sure whether the end result will be better or worse, but I worry about it a little. All of the cool, independent shops are what gives Hawthorne it’s charm. I hope that we are able to keep them during these changes to avoid ending up with too many chain restaurants and big corporate businesses.