Three

It was the morning before the Northwest blows up in a sick sea of green and blue to root on their beloved Seahawks in the SuperBowl, the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  We set off in our urban exploration vehicle to inspect the flavors of Common Grounds Coffeehouse in SE Portland.  This 20 year old coffeehouse is our third stop in our adventure to explore all of the coffee shops in Portland.

They serve Caffe Vita coffees, Foxfire teas and have a small menu of breakfast items and sandwiches.  If it's been a longer day than coffee or tea will cure they also have a few beers and wines available to unwind with.  On this morning I went with a latte while Kathi had an americano and a breakfast sandwich.  I didn't taste the sandwich but she said it was pretty good.  On the menu it's noted that the ketchup is of their own making.  Kathi noted the foam decoration on the top of my latte and wondered outloud if that's the only one barista's know how to do in Portland.

The shop is filled with event posters, local art, games to play, free wifi, and a magazine rack.  Everything a patron would need to camp out for as long as they wanted.  The seating is a combination of small tables, large tables, a counter, some couches, and some seating out in front.  We opted for a table for two right next to a couple playing backgammon.   I did't explore the back of the shop but it looked like there might be some venue space in the back for some of the acts that they host.

Although we didn't stay very long, as we were both a bit tired, it was a nice visit and a shop that would be fun to have close to home.  The service was excellent and friendly and the wait for our beverages and sandwich was minimal.  Clearly in the 20 years this shops been in business they've learned how to do it right.

Two

Our coffee date this morning brought us to Coffeehouse Northwest on the corner of Burnside and Trinity in West Portland.  This is one of Sterling Coffee Roasters two locations, the other is in NW Portland on 21st.  The outside is modest but has plenty of bike parking.  Directly across Burnside is a Starbucks for those with a little less refined taste or for the unadventurous that just want the standard fare.  On the other side of Trinity Place is Panda Express, I will tell you that parking there is highly discouraged; I'm sure the skull and crossbones on the warning sign makes that point clear.

The shop has one main coffee bar for ordering with a secondary location in the back for all of your  creamers, sweeteners, and other additives needed to personalize your brew.  It is corner location which has windows on two walls which allows a lot of light in. There is one large table that can accommodate a group and then about a half dozen smaller tables for two. Today's music was from the early part of the 20th century and included some big band and jazz stylings.

The choice of coffee this morning was Illubabor Ethiopia which according to the write up tastes like orange creamsicles and butterscotch.  Both of us ordered drip coffee and drank it black.  The coffee is self serve from a pump style carafe.  Sadly it did have a taste like it had been sitting in its own heat for a while.  For a roaster I would think they would want to serve their coffee in the freshest manner possible.  I'm not saying it was bad, it was actually pretty tasty.  I'm just getting spoiled these days after using the AeroPress to make my coffee at work.  Doesn't get much smoother or fresher than that.

So if you find yourself heading to Powell's Bookstore or on your way to a cold and wet Timbers game and want to stop in for some coffee Coffeehouse Northwest is a convenient spot.  The service is very friendly, the coffee is hot, and the atmosphere is very Portland. 

One

The start. This morning we kicked off our adventure to explore the coffee scene in the Portland area with what we are simply calling "coffee dates".  Unique, I know.   

Our first date took place at Coava Coffee Roasters in the Industrial District of SE Portland.  I chose this shop as it was part of the inspiration to start this coffee date tradition.  Kathi and I have really enjoyed watching Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, during the episode that Jerry had Fred Armiston as his guest it was this shop they stopped in.  Portland is known for its bridges, hipsters, roses, beer and of course its love of coffee; with as many coffee shops as there are we decided it would be fun to get out and visit them all.   So today it all began.  Date #1.

The coffee bar shares space with Bamboo Revolution's showroom.  Beautiful bamboo pieces and antique machinery accent the open space which is surrounded by large walls of windows that brighten up the place in a sea of natural light.  Seating is a bit limited but we happily shared a table with another patron.  The open space of the showroom was a playland for a couple toddlers roaming the place while their parents sipped their beverages.  

Coava has a very simple menu: coffee, espresso, latte, cappuccino, and macchiato.  Simple.  I ordered a coffee, El Gorrion from El Salvador, to be specific.  The coffee is individually brewed per cup and was smooth and delicious.  Kathi ordered a latte made with an espresso roast of which I can't remember the name.  When I brought her drink over to the table her first comment was, "this is so pretty I almost don't want to drink it".  Then we both pulled out our phones for the obligatory social media post.

The service was very friendly and the barista was super helpful when it came to assisting us in our roast choices.  You have a choice of two coffee roasts and two espresso roasts only noted by name and with descriptions of the beans varietal, location, altitude and process. Without the barista's further description we might as well had flipped a coin without some interpretation and further information.

After leaving the place we talked about our future dates and decided that we may have set the bar pretty high for the upcoming shops by visiting Coava first.  The place was fantastic, but we are committed to our mission and will not just make this spot our weekly coffee date location.