Monti's Cafe

8600 SE Stark StreetPortland, OR 97216

This cute little cafe is located inside the Monticello Antique Marketplace off SE Stark and 60th. Wow!! Great tasting coffee!! I had a hazelnut soy latte and my fiance had a chai tea latte and both were delicious. There are shelves of cool books nestled between tables, free wi-fi and plugs for laptops. This is a great way to start a day off ....breakfast and a bite to eat and walking around this huge antique mall made up of over 100 dealers selling their precious finds.

Jim and Patty's Coffee

4951 NE Fremont StPortland, OR 97213

~The Original Coffee People~ GREAT service! I went in the other day and asked what their sugar free flavors were and the guy behind the counter started listing them all off and said "but we are out of cookie dough". Unfortunately that is the one I wanted so i made a squishy face and he immediately turned around and asked a coworker if she would go look for cookie dough in the back....minutes later she came out with the cookie dough flavor in hand, raising it high above her head and exclaimed "I found it!" Now that is customer service! The coffee is strong and good and the fresh baked goodies are equally delicious. The atmosphere would be great if it wasn't always so packed :) Two thumbs up.

The Press Club

2621 SE Clinton StPortland, OR 97202(503) 233-5656


Are you kidding me with how good these crepes are??? Wow! The crepe with pancetta and mushrooms was heaven on earth. I ordered the Ursula sandwich with brie, turkey and roasted red peppers yesterday and it was also crazy good! They have photography/graphic design mags lining the walls for your reading enjoyment.The wine selection looked extensive for such a lil' place and beer by the bottle is also served! Oh Press Club....I wish I didn't live so far away from your scrumptious lunches.

Redwing Coffee and Bakery

Update! Redwing is now closed :(

1700 SE 6thPortland, OR 97253 (503) 445-9900

Awww! What a cute little coffee house! The barista took his time to make a simply fantastic hazelnut latte. If you've ever tried to make nice thick foam with non-fat milk then you know how difficult it is! Despite the circumstances he managed to serve a perfectly brewed and steamed cup o' joy :) Ironically I also turned around and ordered a banana nut scone with dried apricots and dates in it. I haven't eaten yet today as I woke up 3 minutes before I was suppose to be heading out the door to an interview in SW Portland! This baked goodness thoroughly filled me up and satisfied my breakfast craving.On top of serving an array of pastries, pies, cookies and cakes baked fresh daily they also serve soups (todays special is spicy peanut stew with chickpeas! Yum!) and salads including one called The Ginger Tahini. Hot and cold sandwiches are also served with selections like tomato cheddar melt and BBQ tofu.Beers on tap right now include:Ninkasi Total DominationBlackhole PorterBlacklab StoutLompoc Strong DraftTo take from this review: These guys know how to bake a mean pastry!

Fireside Coffee Lodge

1223 Se Powell BlvdPortland, OR

Great staff, good food, Open 24 hours, 20+ flavors of espresso smoothies, Chai smoothies, fruit smoothies..serves the best coffee ever roasted (Boyds), free wi-fi and bands sometimes on the weekends. I was there last night and was reminded of just how much I love this place. I ordered a small chef salad and a coffee from the Barista and even though he had two people in line he still ran my salad out to me. My boyfriend ordered a chai tea latte and he wanted the smoothie...i don't know if he specified that or not but he replaced the hot one for the smoothie free of charge. What a bad-ass! It was a great quiet place to hang for a couple hours last night while re-vamping a resume and drinking a hot cup before hitting the sack.

Three Friends Coffee House

201 SE 12th AvePortland, OR 97214

This was our second stop on our hunt for a new coffee shop for the evening and it satisfied a number of desires.
1) A comfy couch to sit and edit photos and blog
2) Nice baristas
3) Interesting sugar free syrups
4) Free wifi - you know Starbucks charges right?!?
5) A hot latte brewed to perfection!
We walk in and a 20 something guy comes running in and plants his left hand on the counter to propel himself gracefully over the ledge to land effortlessly other side. He asks what he can do for us in a very pleasant and not out of breath at all voice. I don't know whether to cheer and congratulate him on his landing or act like I didn't see it. I glanced around and everyone was going about their normal business so I said in a low voice "so...that was cool.." . What kinds of sugar free flavors do you have? He turns around to this decorative wooden bar back of sorts and pulls out these hidden cubbies, at least six of them full of syrups and starts naming them off. After the fifth one I was so excited I could hardly help myself. Normally their are only a couple to rattle off and I get uber disappointed (Starbucks again). Anyway, I had a white chocolate and macadamia nut latte on a comfy black couch and happily edited photos.

Chance of Rain Cafe

1522 SE 32nd Avenue, Hawthorne

** Perfect ** And I cannot accentuate that enough. A feeling of familiarity that I cannot place comes over me upon entering this relaxed dimly lit cafe. Books line the right side of the space and booths are in place of the traditional wooden table and chairs that inhabit most cafes. Reggae music plays at a medium volume which prevents eaves dropping but allows for conversation at a regular volume. The staff and customers are extremely friendly and low key. I feel at home in no other way a cafe has made me feel. Ever.

I am surprised at the extensiveness of the menu, especially for veggie and vegan options. *Marinated cucumber*Tofusion burrito*Eggplant Parmesan*Nachos*Italian salami*House and Caesar Salads*Hummus vegetable*Mustard, Dill and cuc salad*Bacon and Swiss*Butternut Squash soup*Black bean Chili*Roasted Red Pepper soup

8-10 bottled beers and wine are served. There are also some beers on tap including
Walking Man's Knuckle DraggerLaurelwood's
Tree Hugger Porter and
Caldera's Dry Hop Red.
There is of course a full espresso and tea bar as well as pastries and bagels. Every Sunday they feature a DownTempo Brunch from 10am to 2pm where they have live music, djs, electronic or instrumental sets. I can't believe I have never been in here! This is my new favorite wireless internet hangout!

Coffee Crutch

Coffee is certainly a crutch for most every breathing human. Whether it be be the warmth it provides on those early morning drives or the taste of coffee doused in Carmel and chocolate...or of course the supposed "jolt" of caffeine that helps you accept the fact that the sun did indeed rise and it's time to be that corporate number once again.
It is hard for a coffee house to stand out in a city with one every 50 feet but the Coffee Crutch has a few unique attributes that I think help them keep their head above water in this saturated Portland market.
They serve Nossa Familia Coffee which has been grown, harvested and sold by the Dias family in Brazil since 1890.
To accompany your cup o' joe you can grab a pastry salad or torte and enjoy the rotating art gallery, free wifi and live music.

1023 SW Yamhill St. Portland, OR

Pambiche!

2811 NE Glisan
Portland, Or 97232
503-233-0511 ext 3

Happy Hour:

10pm to midnight (weekends)

2pm-6m (weekdays)

I love love LOVE this Cuban restaurant/bakery/coffee and dessert house!

They have so much to offer that they need 4 menus to feature it all! Their authentic Cuban creole lunch/dinner menu is roughly four pages long and consists of everything from appetizers to ensaladas, empanadas, sandwiches and large plates. All platos come with a side of fried green plantains served with fresh lime or you can order it as a side dish. The Arroz con Pollo is Velencia saffron rice and creole chicken cooked with Caribbean beer and Mediterranean herbs and spices garnished with petit poi and pimientos served with ensalada caribena for the lunch menu and also Maduros (fried ripe bananas) with the dinner entree.

The breakfast menu is just as long and scrumptious! Breakfast is served from 7am to 2:00pm and includes options such as a cafe with an assortment of pastries and tropical fruit medley or Cuban french toast. If you're really hungry they offer a Cuban steak dish or your choice of several omelets or egg dishes that have all of the following ingredients in them : chorizo sausage, ham, Gulf shrimp potatoes, asparagus and pimientos.

Desserts and coffee alone are excuses to come here. From cheesecakes to macadamia nut meringue with passion fruit mousse. Try the Torta Domino to satisfy your chocolate craving or a Maximo for a fruity pastry moussy chocolate combo!

Insomnia Coffee

The best sugar free mocha I have ever had!!!! Insomnia is run by three young friends who have managed to create the ambiance, taste, friendliness and comfort of a well established 20 year old business. The owners work as much as their employees, so you know you are getting the greatest service and best coffee there is available. They support local business owners and serve organic fair trade coffee and desserts. They stay open until 12:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays to feature a set of local musicians. I couldn't ask for anything more, Insomnia coffee has the art and purpose for coffee drinking perfected!

5389 W Baseline Rd Hillsboro, OR 97124