It's February and that means we're talking about some more coffee joints in Portland. As you know, I adore coffee, and since I know a lot of my readers love coffee, I wanted to bring back this series, especially when coffee shops come and go so fast sometimes and the pandemic didn't do any of them any favors.
This month I brought back a favorite for Black History Month, also, because there are so few Black-owned coffee shops in our city. But I'll also talk about a few other great ones.
Deadstock Coffee Roasters (rewind from a past coffee series post, to applaud a long-standing Black-owned business in Old Town Chinatown, which now has a second location in Beaverton that I went to after I posted this. We ordered a dirty chai, sugar-free chocolate cappuccino, and a slice of butterscotch pound cake. I'm definitely going back.)
This tiny little coffee joint is like walking into a little bit of an old school hip hop video. They have sneakers and sports memorabilia and a fun piece of art that features a boom box. They have a few stools to sit at, but when I was there they were full, including someone doing homework on a laptop, so they obviously are pretty social in their small space. You won't find food here, or a menu, but they claim they'll make any coffee you want, or you can ask for their specials. They didn't have any when I visited, but I asked them to just make me something cold and the barista suggested the Zero Chill (also seconded and applauded by a customer, or possibly another worker on break).
It is a cold brew coffee mixed with ice tea. Those are my two favorite things to drink! He was nice enough to pour it into an espresso cup first so I could taste it before I committed to a full size, but I was in. It only cost $4, which I thought was a decent deal, considering how good and refreshing it was. I took my drink to go and drank it on my way to my next coffee adventure. There's street parking or you can park in a paid lot across the street. This area of town is unique, but can also be...challenging.
I keep meaning to make it back to Harder Day, because they have a menu full of delicious sounding things that aren't just bagels, like their breakfast burritos. This shop moved in where one of my favorite other shops closed and I felt a bit guilty going there, but I'm not going to not support a local family-owned in-house coffee roaster. That's not entirely unheard of in Portland, but still pretty rare. I always like to try a special, and a lavender latte can either be done really well or really badly. The coffee had a delicate lavender flavor and smell and the brew itself was really smooth. I also grabbed a toasted bagel with cream cheese, which was as expected.
The shop itself is in a very convenient location and is bright and airy. There is okay street parking. You're not going to be pulling into a lot and jumping out. You may have to walk a block or more. The baristas were very friendly, and clearly know how to make a good drink and keep the noise level down for you to sit and relax. I sat in the window, so I could watch people walking by and traffic, and even though the space is large for a lot of coffee shops in town, it still felt warm and cozy.
When you hear that a coffee place (okay, it's technically a bakery) has Japanese souffle pancakes, you make your way over there, stat! What are souffle pancakes? They are tall, jiggly pancakes that can be made several ways. Champagne Poetry has both plain (served with strawberries, honey, boba, Nutella, caramel, or ice cream) and ube. We both got the plain ones. Eric got strawberries and I got Nutella.
I also ordered the honey cinnamon latte, because that sounded like an awesome combo with my pancakes, and I wasn't disappointed with either choice. On my next visit, I'd like to try the taro latte and one of their crepe cakes. Every baked good in their case looks like a work of art and everything is incredibly colorful, which goes with the uber pink vibes of the bakery itself. They play funky 90s jams, or they did when we visited, and there's outdoor seating when the weather is nice. This place is incredibly popular, which is not surprising, given that everything is delicious and Instagram-worthy, and it's also in a very walkable neighborhood, which makes it a place easy for people who live nearby to just pop in.
Okay, that's February for you. All the pinks for V-Day and the effortlessly cool Black-owned for Black History Month and just a cute shop in between. I hope you enjoy them and visit at least one while you're out and about or come to visit.
Tell me your favorite coffee shops from Portland or where you live, or one you'd like me to try for a future review.
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