Portland Coffee Hangouts

We’ve been fond of Coffee Time’s mission and spaciousness ever since one of us first visited five+ years back. But this time – (during its 20th anniversary year) – we felt some physical improvements, especially in the front section, made the entry even more inviting, and thus now on par with the shops in our top tier of favorites.

Re. mission, here’s what they include on their website:  “We are more than just a coffee shop; we are a community hub where friendships are formed, local artists are highlighted, students come to study, and of course, great coffee is appreciated.”   Re. spaciousness, the shop offers four different sections in which to sit, each with its own ambiance.   Re. hours, they are open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight.   Now this a community treasure.

Topic-wise, we started with the gear H would need for his family’s Machu Pichu trek, and what D might lend him; moved on to Naomi Klein’s new book This Changes Everything, which asserts that either the global economic system has to radically be changed, or the environment is doomed;  M then talked about the surprising pushback he and his co-teacher of their faith-based course, Protecting the Bio-Commons, received from two young theologians at similar suggestions; and we finished with our thoughts on the State’s ballot measures.   721 NW 21st    coffeetimepdx.com

Thanks go to Willamette Week’s recent Coffee Issue for listing Ovation as one of its favorite new shops opening in 2014.  We liked it for a number of reasons: first is its public bicycle parking – which we didn’t expect given that it is one of the few commercial enterprises in an upscale Pearl District condominium; then there is its massive windows which provide great lighting and good views; and the brightly colored walls; and the unique opportunity to taste Moroccan coffee and tea; and the comfortable upright seats that had some give to them; and the several other subtle touches that lent a sense of humanity to what could have been a cold, character-less space in a modern building.

We were also primed to be in a good mood from the bike ride there as it had been a while that so many of us – (6 plus E’s 15 month-old Sidney) – had been out together.  Our wide-ranging discussion reflected a ping-pong type of conversation pattern.  Sitting across from a building site under construction, we talked about Pearl residents who complained about noise from pile-driving, and luckily bicyclist D, a member of the City’s Noise Review Board, was able to set us straight; we then talked about why anyone would want to be on that Review Board; A told us of his quirky experiences coaching his girls’s U-7 and U-9 teams; H explained the plumbing gnarliness of repairing his broken water main given the maze of other pipes that needed to be avoided; and we talked about upcoming election issues.  All the while Sidney entertained us with his great eye contact, smile, and learning to walk adventures.   941 NW Overton    http://www.ovationpdx.com

Though right on busy West Burnside – not normally thought of as a pedestrian-friendly environment – this shop’s early Sunday morning patrons appear primarily to be residents – many young – of the immediate neighborhood who walked there.  And as opposed to some other NW shops that aren’t abuzz until later in the day, there’s a healthy volume of conversation early on this Sunday.

The shop is a narrow rectangle with a limited capacity, and no room for soft couches, and yet you get the feeling that patrons don’t miss that amenity nor feel rushed by the crowd.  They are there for the long haul regardless.  Maybe it’s one of the benefits of their youth.

The ordering counter and the well dressed baristas behind it both convey a level of seriousness about what’s available and its preparation.  Sterling Roasters, which owns this shop, seems to have developed a product that’s just right for their patrons.

Today’s conversation focused a good deal on H’s and his wife P’s  upcoming December trip to Ecuador (where his son’s family and two grandchildren are for 9 months,) and Peru, including excursions to Machu Pichu, Lake Titicaca, and the Galapagos Islands, all of which D and his wife R experienced two years ago.  Thus, D’s first-hand impressions, and Q+A on topics like altitude sickness, appropriate footwear for trekking, and transportation dominated.    1951 W. Burnside     sterlingcoffeeroasters.com