Posts Tagged ‘portland’

Coffee Review : Papacino on Woodstock 3/5

This weeks Coffee Review is Papacino’s on Woodstock.  There is a coffee shop on Terwilligar called Papacino, and I have no idea if they’re related (cousins maybe?), so if you’re looking for that one, you’ll have to wait.

But moving on!

The coffee shop isn’t bad, the coffee was good and the staff was pleasant.  The atmosphere, however,was a bit off.  First it was too cold for me.  I don’t know if the door just opens a lot, or if their thermostat isn’t working, but coffee shops should be warm places to spend a good deal of time debating which X-Man is the greatest (in case you’re wondering, it’s Professor X.  (Marvel Directory Entry) Not only was he played by Patrick Stewert, who was the best Star Trek Captain (Picard), but he gets a pimped out wheelchair (at least in the cartoon) As far as that last X-Men movie goes I treat it kind of like those last two movies made by the Wachowski Brothers that kinda related the the amazing movie known as the Matrix.).

What does Professor X have to do with coffee?  Nothing. But he’s cool.

Back to coffee.  Aside from the temperature (I had a hoodie on, so it wasn’t like I was in a muscle shirt), there was an odd lack of seating.  The place has several tables, but they were all taken by people intently typing on their computers (like that Family Guy skit where people type in public to look important).  They did have lots of but chairs to sit in, and as much as I enjoy them sometimes I just prefer a regular chair.  The one table we did find was small for two people and covered in crumbs.  mm.. free food.

In addition to the lack of chairs the space felt too big.  Or more like the building was the wrong size for the coffee shop.  I am used to smaller, intimate setting.  This was more like practicing your free throws in an empty gym, a little creepy.  In the same vein as empty space almost all of their displays were empty, which either says they are incredibly popular with the’ baked goods (they did have a good almond poppyseed muffin), or that they don’t stock things well.  Again, it gave me the feeling of the place being too big, and hence, creepy a bit.  Not like ax-murderer creepy, but just off.

Enough with the bad things, onto the good!  I could actually taste their coffee (it’s not Tasters Choice), and the hot chocolate was made with real chocolate.  The people behind the counter were very friendly, and even let me transfer my in-house drink to an “take away” cup.  Definitely a place to go for great service and coffee, no so much if you plan on sitting around though.

If you want to visit Papacino (at least the one on Woodstock) here’s their information!

4411 SE Woodstock
Portland, OR 97206 (Map)
(503) 771-2825 (Phone)

Coffee Review : The Human Bean 4/5

The Human Bean is a nice little drive-through coffee shop in Beaverton, right along Beaverton Hillsdale Highway.  Their signature move (hey, everyone’s  got one, Scoprion, Hulk Hogan, Undertaker) is to put a delicious little chocolate covered espresso bean on top of the drink when they give it to you.  They are a franchise, and only operate drive through locations (So far they only exist in Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and South Carolina).  Oddly enough they started in Ashland, Oregon in ’98.

Now this is a great idea, because they’re delicious.  It is a slightly bad idea because they always tend to melt before you can enjoy your delicious beverage.

Their coffee is pretty good, better than what I would expect from a drive-through (apparently most or all of it is “Farm Friendly Direct”, providing better opportunities for farmers).  Being a drive through is highly convenience, but also kind of annoying.  I like to be able to sit down and enjoy my coffee at a table with a book or internet, not something you can do at the Human Bean.  But, that aside, their service is always great, and their beverages are delicious.  Their straight up coffee is good, but they also offer a wide selection of coffee and espresso based drinks.  Their Mexican Mocha is quite good, just enough spice and lacking the puddle of goo at the bottom of many other places mocha.

Overall a great coffee place, although this location is sadly lacking in seating.  They are on a nice big lot, so there is space to sit around when the weather is nice though.  If you want to visit the Human Bean, here’s their info.

The Human Bean

8355 Southwest Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway, Beaverton –

503-203-1570

Coffee Review : Java Nation 5/5

The Java nation, ruled by Javaniar.

Java Nation, in Beaverton, brews the potent elixir of Stumptown Coffee, something I do not see on the West Side very often (Eastsiders, you got it, but your streets are also all wonky).  I should stop there because if I keep going i’ll just get in trouble (again) for bashing the East Side of Portland (weirdos).  Java Nation is wedged in between 2 Starbucks (one across the street, the other across the other street).  The outside is rather bland, except for the big Stumptown banner which draws people from across the parking lot to it’s caffienated elixir.  Inside it is spacious, not too big, but enough space to allow it’s patrons to feel comfortable.  There are several tables, and some overstuffed leather couches and chairs to relax in.

Creepy cuphead people.

The ambiance is nice, quiet, bright enough to read but your eyes still work.  The entire back wall is a mureal (picture above) of some lady pouring coffee into some creepy cup-headed people (at least they look happy about it).  There’s a lot going on in it, I’d recommend you go and look.  They have the normal selection of coffee (lattes, mochas etc), and their sizes are one step up from what I have become used to (a small is 12 oz, medium 16, and large is 20).  I had a medium regular coffee ($1.75), and, being Stumptown, I was not disappointed.  It had good body and a nice flavour unlike Starbucks’ burnt garbage water (don’t get me wrong, they can be good in a pinch, but their Pikes Place roast is just terrible).

“Every Time you use a straw as a stir stick, a ninja cuts the head off a kitten and doesn’t even care.  Please, think of the kittens.”

Their staff is very amicable, cracking jokes and providing some “lively banter” as I believe it is called.  Java Nation offers free Wifi, although it is unsecured, so don’t log into your porn sites or bank accounts while visiting.  They also have numerous handwritten signs and notes around (such as the one above and below) to help patrons come to decisions about straw usage and garbage placement.

“Hey Asshole.  Don’t put your trash in here.  ~Your Conscious”

Overall I was very pleased with my visit to Java Nation.  The only danger I see is spending too much time and money there.  For more information please visit them!

Java Nation

www.javanationcoffee.com

4130 Southwest 117th Avenue
Beaverton, OR 97005-4632
(503) 520-8759

Alpha Omega Elite. Supergate II. Superyard XT.

Trip to the Mall, Part 2

Andy and I ventured to the mall again.  This time to Llyod Center, a vastly different mall than Washington Square.  Less upscale, and much larger.  Plus, it has an ice skating rink.  Although, we’re constantly creeped out by all the seeming pedophiles that skate with the kids. And we’re also creeped out by the Scientology “Stress Test” booth that is set up on the ground level.  (Ron L. Hubbard Institute?).  How a sci-fi writer got an Institute named after him is beyond me.  The only upshot of the “Stress Test” (Andy actually took one once.. they use “E-Meter“, some bullshit device that only really measures galvanic skin response to determine your stress level.  Apparently Godzilla stresses us out) is that it is right across from the Pirate store.  Yes, Llyod Center has a store devoted entirely to Pirates.  Or rather, people who want to BE pirates.  They have just about everything to deck out your pirate ship, plus appropriate garb.  The only thing missing is the Grog.

The parking lot at Llyod Center is.. interesting.  The first level, “1″ has a Fish next to it, 1a has a bird, 2 is a cloud, 2a is a star and 3 is the Sun.  It kinda makes sense, low to high, but I’d switch the Sun with Stars since I’m pretty sure every other star in the sky is further away than the Sun.. at least that is what Science tells me.  Also, where did they get the idea for the pictures, Lucky Charms?  Where’s the heart and clovers?

Like all good malls, Llyod Center has not one, but TWO gaming stores, both of which happen to be EB Games.  I guess the only upshot of having two of these is that if you’re on one level you don’t have to over-exert yourself by standing on an escalator for ten seconds to get to one.  I love this store, but I do have a problem with the used games, which I am sure many people also do.  A quick search of Google turns up hundreds of people pissed at this.  Here is just one example.  As a gamer I appreciate the ability to recycle games, but I constantly feel the burn of selling something for $5 only to see it being sold for three-four times that…  Fortunately I have found CD Game Exchange in Portland.  I’m sure these guys use the same scheme as EB, but at least they’re (more) local, plus they have a great selection of music and games.. much better than EB’s.

Llyod Center has a great little remote control (RC) shop… although it is a bit creepy.  The front has dozens of different RC toys, from helicopters to tanks (they actually shoot things!) to trick cars.  They even let you play with some of them, and come on, who doesn’t love an RC car?  The rest of the place is devoted to more random, creeptastic shit.  It feels like they didn’t know what to add, so they threw in some sports memorabilia,  generic plastic toys (GI Joe ripoffs, miscellanious dinosaur toys etc.).  It’s kinda like being stuck in China Town.

Food Review : Papa Haydn Desserts 5/5

Papa Haydn, a myth for many college students and a mecca for many others, is a delicious dessert restaurant in Portland.  I say dessert restaurant because, while it does offer “normal” food, it’s desserts are the more delicious part (also because I have only ever been there for dessert…)  They have three locations in Portland (Westside and Jo Bar at 701 NW 23rd Ave, and Eastside at 5829 SE Milwaukie Ave).  I have only had the pleasure of going to their Westside location, although I am sure their Eastside is just as decadant.
Their dessert menu is as extensive as it is exquisite. (note that not everything is reflected on this menu)  My most recent purchase was a piece of Triple Chocolate Torte, a very chocolate choclate cake.  So chocolate, in fact, that it took two of us about 2 hours to finish the darned thing.  I have also had their cheesecake, which is just right, not too crumbly but firm enough, and their version of the classic rumball (it was almost the size of my fist and took two days to fully devour).  
The waitstaff is very good at what they do, polite, informative, and helpful if you cannot decide between Autumn Merainge or Boccone Dolce.  Even if you are only getting an order to go the staff will take their time to help you decide the best coma-inducing treat to procure.
So if you’re in the mood for some food-coma inducing desserts, or a place to sit and talk with friends over a cup of coffee and some great cheesecake, check out Papa Haydn’s in Portland.  It gets 5/5!

Food Review : Hollywood Burger Bar 5/5

No, not THAT Hollywood, the one much closer to home in NE Portland.  The Hollywood Buger Bar is perched right on the corner of Sandy at 4211 NE Sandy, and offers a great, cheap menu of food to eat.  They serve both Breakfast and Lunch, although so far I have only sampled their lunch fair.  It was quite delicious.  The Bacon Cheeseburger delivered exactly what it promised, delicious, crispy (not limp and wet with grease) bacon, cheese and a burger along with all the fixin’s (well, most of them anyways, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle).  It also came with just enough fries that I could finish them all and not feel like I was going to explode.  All of that, plus a chocolate milkshake (a REAL chocolate milkshake, not one of those watery messes you get at most places… thick enough you HAD to use a spoon to eat it).
The staff was friendly.  Friendly in the “down home” kind of way, not the plastic “I need a tip” kind of way.  It reminded me a lot of the diners back East, where the waitress would scold you for not finishing everything or if you ordered an extra side of bacon.  I get the feeling the people serving us owned the joint, another good thing to see.
The reason for the 4.9 instead of a straight up 5… they ran out of Malt for my Chocolate Malt… And while the chocolate shake was delicious, it ain’t no malt.  If you’re in the mood for a good burger, and find yourself in Hollywood, definitely hit up the Hollywood Burger Bar.  You’ll get great service, a cheap burger and, if you’re lucky, a great malt.

Hockey Trip : Portland Winterhawks vs. Seattle Thunderbirds

Last night I went to a Portland Winterhawks game with some friends.  And it was one helluva game.  Well, the first two periods weren’t really anything special, unless you’re a Seattle Thunderbirds fan (not many of the 8750 people there were…). In the 2nd the Winterhawks were getting trounced, it was like they lost their steam.  But in the third, they definitely bounced back…. I lost track of all the fights that broke out, but there were quite a few, especially after a Winterhawk “accidentally” tripped up the Thunderbirds goalie.  One of the T-birds defenders went off and slugged the Hawk… which ended up in 17 minutes of penalties for the T-Bird.  Then there were the two guys getting in a fight with a Linesman in the middle (YouTube has nothing, so here’s a link to another Winterhawks fight.)  Then there was a sucker punch to the back of the head… LOTS of penalties on both sides.

But, the highlight of the game wasn’t all the fighting (although it was fun to watch two guys beat the crap outta each other), it was the hat trick by number 12.  Actually, no, that wasn’t the highlight.  With 2.6 seconds left in the game and 6 men on the ice (1/3 of the fans had left at this points) and down by one point everyone KNEW what was going to happen… but they also HOPED something different.  And this time, they hoped right! The Hawks scored with 1.5 seconds to go.  I almost felt sorry for the T-Birds.  That was the highlight… random people hugging, hi-fiving, cheering, and generally going crazy.  The Winterhawks ended up winning in the shootout (here’s a pic from my camera… which explains why it looks like nothing).

Other than the game, I was highly amused by the nachos.  My friend got some nachos… but they forgot the cheese!  Without cheese are they really nachos?… aren’t they just chips?

They also had a “dash for cash” in the second intermission.  I was not really sure what was going on, but basically they threw a whole bunch of coins on the ice and then two teams of people (black and red?) scrambled to collect as much as they could in under 2 minutes.  I know the Winterhawks matched the red teams booty for a donation to the Oregon Humane Society (roughly $2400 total last night… good for them!), but I have no clue what the money actually went too…  here’s a picture anyways… must be a bit embarrassing to scrambled around for coins for everyone’s amusement.  It reminded me of the scene in Shaun of the Dead when they use Zombies for game shows (link to YouTube).

Anyways, the Winterhawks took some names and kicked some ass and it was good.

Coffee Review : Fat Straw on Hawthorne 5/5

Publish Post

What else is there to say?  Their signature drinks are Bubble Tea, which due to the massive nature of the bubbles requires a fat straw to drink.  It is generally served on ice, and is quite refreshing.  There are many, many flavours of bubble tea, mango, green, thai, pineapple… just about every flavour you can think of is bubble tea.  The bubbles themselves are quite delicious (and tons of fun to shoot out of the straw at people ala spitballs from 5th grade).  They also have different things you can put in the bubble tea, aside from bubbles (but then, I would argue, it is no longer bubble tea!), such as lychee jelly or pineapple jelly (jelly tea?).

Aside from bubble tea, they also have a great selection of food and hot beverages.  They make some delicious bagel sandwiches (the ONLY reason they don’t get 5/5 is because unless you get there at opening many of their bagels are sold out!), including cheese and egg, or turkey and egg, or any combination there of.  They also have vegetarian options that are quite delicious. 

Their hot beverages are standard, but good.  Regular coffee (no decaf drip   ), espresso, chai etc.  You can get a hot bubble tea as well (I like them on a cold day, especially the Taro one.. it’s purple!), but then the bubbles get slightly melted… poor bubbles.They also have an extensive tea selection from the Tao of Tea, both loose leaf and fresh brewed (pictures left)

The staff is very friendly (and cute!), and have consistently gone out of their way to help me out (giving me a new cup, water if I ask.. when I went more frequently they would even remember my order).  

Their prices are reasonable, about what you would expect to pay for coffee (1.50 for a medium), and bubble tea is ~$4 for a regular (only one size).  They do have punch cards, so every 10 you buy, you get one free.

Fat Straw does have 2 locations now, one at 4258 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland – (503) 233-3369, and another at 806 NW 23rd Ave, Portland – (503) 206-8541

So, if you’re looking for a great coffee / bubble tea place that has a friendly staff and a welcoming 
atmosphere, go to Fat Straw!  But go early if you want a bagel!

Oh, and they have free dum-dums!  But don’t be greedy.. only take one. (Root beer’s the best!)

Coffee Review : The Albina Press on Hawthorne 5/5

I just got back from the Albina Press (link to Yelp), and it was great!  I had heard that they have some of the best coffee in Portland, and now i am more inclined to believe that  Even though I only had the decaf Americano (I know, I’m a wuss, but it was still good) I thoroughly enjoyed the coffee.  The shot wasn’t off, like decaf sometimes can be, and it had depth to it’s taste, unlike some espresso’s I have had that come out more like dirty water. 

The atmosphere is nice and warm, although it can be quite crowded at times (I take this as a good thing… must mean they’re doing something right!).  They do have art work on the walls, some of which can be good, sometimes it’s weird, but hey, that’s Portland for you.  Aside from coffee they also have some baked items, I have no clue where they come from, but everything I have tried has been delicious.  They might even have day old for $1, which is a steal since it’s basically the same as the new stuff (tastes just as good anyways).

Overall, I’d definitely recommend a visit to the Albina Press on Hawthorne, they get 5 out of 5 from me.  They have another location up on Albina, but since I’ve never been, I have no idea what it’s like!