Sydney’s Cafe – Portland

April 18th, 2009

Sydneys

An amazing ¾ view of the Fremont bridge greets you when arriving at Sydney’s. A loading-bay door serves as a window, and is opened on nice days for an open-air feel. Clean wooden tables and white chairs contrast with the brick walls leading up from hardwood floors. The overhead lights at most tables provide plenty of electrical outlets for laptops, and of course they have free wi-fi. They even have a little area for kids to play around in, and a few toys to keep them busy. They have very cool looking cups and saucers too.

This is a great place for those web 2.0 entrepreneurs, people that want to go to a Portland café without the grunge or hipsters, or want a neat place to meet for work. Personally I think the hard-core coffee drinker may be left wanting more. Their drinks are more of a café style, rather than coffee shop or brewpub. That is, their mochas are very sweet with plenty of whipped cream and chocolate. Don’t get me wrong, they taste great, but I wouldn’t have one every day. I did try their shots too. They come out smooth and creamy, they’re really not bad. I’m not sure if it is manual or the machine timing the shots. Personally, if I wanted Café Umbria coffee, I would go to Sydney’s not Umbria.

Anyway, to sum it up. Sydney’s is a classier coffee shop, more modern and clean feeling than many in Portland. While not a hipster hangout, it is definitely a Portland café. I don’t feel the coffee alone is worth the trip, I would recommend going for the atmosphere, the view, the people, or as a great place to meet-up and chat.

The Lowdown:

Location: 1800 NW 16th Ave, Portland, OR‎

Roaster: Café Umbria

Shots: Smooth, creamy mouth feel, very drinkable

Other drinks: Café style, the mochas are almost a dessert

Food: In addition to the normal café pastries they have soups, salads, and sandwiches. A little expensive but good.

View: Fantastic view as long as you don’t mind the occasional train (they’re not bad at all)

Music: Calm and classy, but not jazz, it stays in the background

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Thanks – Barista

April 12th, 2009

Thanks Peter for recommending the Stumptown capp, it was the best I’ve had since France!  And thanks Christine or Billy, whoever made it.  Beautiful.

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Nuvrei Pastries

April 12th, 2009

On 10th St, down a flight of stairs, and to the left is the kitchen of a bakery called Nuvrei. This is also the front counter, there is no fancy store front, no fancy café style seating. Just a counter, register, an air pot of coffee, and some of the best pastries you’ll find in Portland. That is, assuming they haven’t sold out that day. They sell out every day, so go early if you can.

While there I met Marissa, who was kind enough to spend some time chatting with me about their various delicacies. From what I head I am very impressed and really respect the place as trying to make the best pastries possible, and for that they need great people. The result was buying an array of tasty treats:

- Chewy flourless chocolate cookie is a huge seller for good reason, so if you see one buy it (comes with or without nuts).

- Cinnamon Danish, delish.

- Berry and walnut scone, fantastic with coffee.

- While I didn’t get the wild berry brioche this time I know it’s great.

A lot of other businesses in the area carry their stuff, so you might have already had some and not known it. Even if you have, look for the sign, or follow the wonderful smells, but either way go to Nuvrei at least once. You will not regret it.

You can also order pastry platters for work.  You get them a little cheaper and will be the envy of your coworkers!

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Anna Bannana’s – Review

April 11th, 2009

Anna Bannana’s (that’s with 3 n’s) is @ 21st between Northrup and Overton

The music is chill’n jazzy stuff, NOT lite jazz, good for an evening writing blogs :) I asked Ian to make me his best drink, which turned out to be a latte with a nice fern/feather/”!”. It was yummy, well done. To get the espresso just right Ian took 3 tries. That’s 3 pulls, not making the whole drink, and 1 was after I mentioned I was going to write this blog. Getting it just right is important, so I commend you sir.

Anna Bannana's front yard

Anna Bannana's front yard

The place is nice and cozy. Anna Bannana’s is in a converted old house so the rooms have a lot of character. The front room has a few tables and a view out to the porch and street. There is a darker, more quiet, room toward the back with some big nice tables. In the basement are some great couches and chairs, it’s a little tight, feels like someone’s basement in their home. Keep in mind that the furnishings are 2nd hand tables, chairs, and couches, and all well used. If you’re into hip shiny new places go elsewhere. If you want someplace that feels like your living room, go here.

This is a very friendly, neighborhood café. During my time there, many friends came through (not mine, they knew each other) or at least a lot of talkative and friendly people.

It’s a great place to go chill for a while or meet your neighbors if you live in the area. Check it out, I’m for sure going back.

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El Grito Del Bronx

April 10th, 2009

Drama @ Milagro Theater, Miracle Theater Group – Portland, Oregon

Want a cheery tale about a young woman overcoming adversity to achieve all her dreams? Then go elsewhere. El Grito Del Bronx is a drama laden with emotional baggage, and insights into the twisted mind.  The play portrays Lulu, a young woman, and her brother’s life having grown up with an abusive father. She does alright, has a relatively happy ending for herself. The route there is not happy however, an abusive father, her brother… let’s say he gets into trouble. Everyone has their own way of dealing with the troubles of their lives, their mother visits her son brother often and relies on religion. Lulu on the other hand tries to ignore the past and prevent the dark miasma inside her from affecting those she loves.

The characters memories come and go. The mental effects of prison are made very clear. Both the victim and attacker have the chance to explain themselves. We all learn that death is needed for life to continue.

Not the type of play to see for a night of entertainment, though it does have moments where a chuckle is called for and necessary. At other times, you would be horribly embarrassed to break the silence even by a shift in your seat.

For more about the play’s fascinating director Antonio Sonera check out Ryan Fish TV.

The awesome cast and great writing made it well worth the evening spent. If you’re interested in seeing it you only have till April 25th, 2009. Tickets are $14.

If it were coffee

It would be a very dark, bold, roast. Straight black for sure, not from a French press, but brewed from an old rickety 1970’s coffee maker. A deliciously fine coffee made rough.

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Barista Exchange

April 6th, 2009

Love coffee as much as I do?  Check out the Barista Exchange!  It’s a great new social networking site for baristas, those in the industry, and those that love the bean.  I’m there, are you?

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Barista – Portland brewpub and coffee shop

April 4th, 2009

In Portland, a simple black-and-white sign hangs from the side of a building at 13th and Hoyt. Inside are a few stout wooden tables, stools, and laboratory beakers bubbling away. In those beakers, delicious coffee brews using light, vacuums, and funnels to siphon the liquid gold through a fine cloth filter. The sign above the door reads simply, Barista.

The first thing one notices is of course the vacuum pots, a set of three beakers with funnels to top them off. Halogen lamps heat the water in the base to a boil, once sealed then water then is forced up the funnel. With water holding at the perfect brewing temperature, coffee is added and stirred to ensure perfectly even brewing. When taken off the heat, the brewed coffee is pulled through the cloth filter into the base. What is served can best be described as a clean, tea like, cup of coffee.  In all my years of loving coffee, and even being a barista myself, I have never seen coffee made this way, it’s fascinating.

The perfection doesn’t end with the vacuum pots, it continues even down to the “regular brewed coffee” in the air pot. It is not your “regular” coffee by any means, it is French pressed, all of it. The mochas? They’re made with real chocolate melted on the spot right before adding it to your drink, not some syrup from a pump.

Who would be so crazy as to open such a shop? Why, Billy of course! A two time winner of the NW regional barista championships, Billy Wilson’s Barista offers a variety of coffees from multiple roasters. Of those of Billy’s crew that I’ve met, Peter, Christine, and one other guy whose name I forget (Sorry!), they’re all great.  They love their coffee, know it very well, and are a pleasure to chat with.

From my experience, and seeing others come and go, everyone has a great time. It’s a fantastic neighborhood coffee shop! This is the type of coffee experience that I love, baristas that know and love their coffee, are happy to talk with you, and where you feel comfortable just sitting and playing Scrabble or reading (you have to bring your own board or book).

If you’re ever in the area or want to make an outing of it, be sure to stop by Barista at least once during your Portland life. Just don’t ask for a Grande Frappucino.

What I’ve had there – All of them were fantastic

The Beloya in a vac pot

Straight up French press

Stumptown Capp

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Apartment search

April 3rd, 2009

Been looking for apartments now for a while, some good, some bad, some backwards, some forwards, one or two might’ve even been upsidedown.  I don’t know.  The point is, I have narrowed it down.  The things I’ve been looking for are often contradictory, a short commute to Salem but being close to Portland.  A coworker thinks I should just move straight into Portland, which frankly sounds like a good idea.  But as far as quality of the apartment, space, nice area around it, that sort of thing, these in Lake Oswego seem better.  Yea, I wont be able to walk out my door and down the street to an awesome coffee shop, I’ll have to drive.  But considering the times I’ll be in Portland will still mostly be for the day or in the evenings, I don’t think it’ll be much trouble.

In Lake Oswego I’ll be right by PCC, have a shorter commute than Beaverton, be closer to Portland, and have a small gym within walking distance.  Sadly the apartments are on a hill so I can’t go street running, and there aren’t any shops within walking distance.  So I’ll be driving everywhere.  But still I think they’re the best I’ve found, at least for 6 months.  I can always move further into Portland after that.

Keeping up on my Willamette Week, looking for cool things to do.  Let me know if you find anything, I’ll start trying to discuss what I find/do.  I’ve been playing Theme Hospital too!  It’s pretty fun!

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Coasting along

March 29th, 2009

Roller Coaster Tycoon 2

It’s an old game, from the days when 800×600 resolution was still great. A while back I was talking with a friend about old games we use to play, Theme Park came up, another great game. This last week I thought I’d try Roller Coaster Tycoon 2. The 3rd one would let you actually ride your coasters but the 2nd seems like a better made game. I’ve made a few crazy coasters in the sandbox mode, beaten a few of the levels, made a few rides that get people blown up. Fun stuff.

The scenarios I’ve played so far have just been the “easy” ones and then one of the “challenging,” they’re not hard once you figure out not to grow too fast. The scenarios give you a pre-set area to build in, an old farm, factory, castle that you inherited from your family. Then you are given the goal to have X number of visitors, and a park rating or value of Y, at the end of a set period of time. The first one or two times you try it’s kind of tricky to meet those goals, I kept trying to grow too fast. Once you reach the end and complete the goals, you then can continue on. This is the closest to a sandbox park mode I can find, continuing on from your scenario. It works, lets you go on, but it could be better.

The good and bad.

Good: Simple, cool roller coasters, runs well on any computer, cheap/free, nostalgia

Bad: Graphics lack modern glitz and luster, no free form “build a park” mode, only scenarios, sometimes seems too simple

Playing an old game like this is making want to give others a try. Next I’m thinking… Theme hospital.

I would’ve put in a few pictures but I’m having issues with uploading them right now.

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I have a commute

March 28th, 2009

My commute is an hour in the morning and at least that in the evening. It’s long, takes a lot of gas, and is tiring. Not to mention it’s 100 miles on my odometer every day. But on the bright side, I have a commute. Unemployment is around 11% in Oregon, making it one of the worst places to try and be looking for work these days.

The Oregon Lottery is a great place to be working, everyone has been great so far as showing me the ropes and being nice to “the new guy.”  The more I’m learning there the better of a place it seems to be to start my career.  I’ve already started working on stuff that should be out by the end of the year, woo!

The commute from Beaverton however, is no fun. My apartment search began in Salem, then moved to Wilsonville, then Tualatin, and now around Lake Oswego. A coworker has been suggesting just to go into Portland itself, which is very tempting. But Lake Oswego would fulfill all my requirements, shorter/easier commute, near Portland, near a place to take classes (PCC), and some of them would be right by a gym. It seems like the best option so far so now I just need to wait for the right apartment and then move.

With such a long commute you may wonder why I’d want to stay near Portland. The reason, there’s actually things to do, and I love the city. In a shameless plug check out my brother’s website, Ryan Fish TV, for info on the artsy happenings of Portland. It’s great stuff, and I’m not just saying that because we’re related, it’s actually good info. That sort of stuff is why I want to stay near Portland, you can’t find it anywhere else.

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