Summer in Portland

Stumptown coffee, and more

Most people who know me know that I'm not much of a coffee drinker, although I've been becoming more of one lately. My dissertation support group meets at a very nice coffee shop every Sunday, and most of the time, I indulge in a little cup of coffee. But, Portland....Portland has good coffee. Really good coffee. There's lots of coffee here, different kinds suited to different palates...the requisite Starbucks and Seattle's Best (is it really the best Seattle has to offer). There's Coffee People, one of my favorites. And Peet's Coffee, not one of my favorite tastes, but I like the atmosphere. There's lots of local coffee shops, too, and I honestly don't remember them all, but over the years, I've visisted many of them. But finally, I have found the best of the NW: Stumptown Coffee. It turns out that there's Stumptown Coffee, a small chain of shops scattered around the metro. These have long lines and crowded tables and good coffee. Then, there's the small coffeeshop that sells Stumptown. These have short lines and waiting tables and good coffee. Really good coffee. Coffee that's like oozing chocolate on a hot summer day. Coffee that's like sitting in a dark corner, listening to John Coultrane or Miles Davis. Cold press iced coffee with just a little bit of hazelnut syrup. That's the way I like my coffee, I found out this week.