Rocky Butte Espresso Bar: an Update

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Photo credit: Rocky Butte Coffee Roasters

I stopped by the Rocky Butte Espresso Bar earlier this week and thought I’d share an update on what’s up with them these days. First, my latte with a touch of cardamom syrup (from Portland’s own Holy Kakow) was very good, and it was great to chat with James Helms, one of Rocky Butte’s owners (Parkrose’s Bryan Atkinson is another owner) and barista extraordinaire. We love having them out here in our little corner of Portland (Sumner-Roseway-Madison South), which I continue to enjoy more and more the longer I live here.

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Rocky Butte Espresso Bar is Open

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Photo credit: Rocky Butte Coffee Roasters

Today the Rocky Butte Espresso Bar opened up for business in a space on the corner of NE Fremont and 85th Avenue. There’s not much in the way of cafe action out here east of 82nd Ave, so their arrival is a much-welcomed development. We first learned about the new spot from James Helms, one of the owners of Rocky Butte Coffee Roasters, over on Nextdoor, and the response by the community was heartening and impressive. I can attest to the fact that their coffee is delicious, and having had a cup today when I stopped by reminded me of just how tasty it is.

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Four Things I Learned This Week (December 13)

Welcome to Four Things I Learned This Week! We have a nice variety this week—enjoy!

Twisted Croissant expands. Good news for Twisted Croissant fans: you’ll be able to find their products at Zupan’s Markets! Via their Instagram page: “Starting Monday @zupansmarkets will be carrying our croissants! NW Burnside, Lake Grove in Lake Oswego, SW Macadam in John’s Landing. We are excited and thrilled to be at their markets!

New Seasons sold to South Korean’s company.  Big news in the local grocery store scene: New Seasons was sold to South Korean company Emart. Sale should be finalized in the new year. New Seasons has been owned by an out of state company for a while, so now it’s owned out of the country. There was hope that it could have become worker-owned, but that did not come to pass.

Coffee molecule love. Fascinating little tidbit on Facebook: “I was told that this light fixture is a caffeine molecule! How cool is that?!! This is at Case Study Coffee on NE Alberta.”

Tinker Tavern coming to Montavilla. Not much out there right now but a new drinking and eating establishment named Tinker Tavern is opening in the old Eco Baby Gear location in  Montavilla (7890 SE Stark). The liquor license indicates Eric Mahan of Stammtisch and Prost! is involved.

Woodblock Chocolate and Their Bicerin in Portland

Great Portland food: The bicerin drink at Woodblock Chocolate in Portland, Oregon.
The bicerin drink at Woodblock Chocolate.

While running errands this past weekend, I found myself at a sign pointing to the cafe at Woodblock Chocolate, one of Portland’s bean-to-bar chocolate factories. I had heard about their cafe space but had never visited; I’m now wishing I had done it sooner. There, I had many choices of chocolate bars, caramels, truffles, and drinks to consume, but it was the bicerin that really caught my eye and made my tastebuds happy.

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