I’m Baaack

I left Portland, OR yesterday at 7am and drove for 10 hours straight through (stopped in Medford, OR for gas).  I had a really good time seeing my family again.  I was cleaning up the house, but the computer was calling to me.  It is going to be another busy day today, so I had better get off this thing.  I’m drinking the Stumptown Hollister Mountain Blend coffee this morning and man is that some good stuff.  I scanned the labels of the coffee I got when I was there (Hair Bender and Hollister Mountain).  I’ve said many times I don’t understand why so many people love Peet’s Coffee.  Don’t get me wrong, it is good stuff too, but I’d take Starbucks over Peet’s any day.  I also have to admit I have probably bought into the Starbucks marketing.  I can be bought, people.  🙂  I tried Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend (see, I buy into their little marketing campaigns) and I can’t say I would buy it again.  There, that should stir the coffee pot and get people commenting!  My favorite coffee places in order:

  1. Stumptown
  2. Tully’s
  3. Starbucks
  4. Peet’s
  5. Seattle’s Best

Stumptown Coffee On Hawthorne Boulevard

Went to Stumptown Coffee this morning with my parents on Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland.  The one on Division Street has coffee roasting, but we missed a few turns and decided to go to another one (next time I come for a visit I’ll go to the one on Division Street).  It was a smaller café than the one downtown, but being on Hawthorne Boulevard, it was definitely more “artsy”.

Coffee Snobs Unite

Belmont and 34th, Stumptown Coffee

When we were eating at Market One yesterday Lana ordered some coffee which was actually really good.  The waiter (who was really nice by the way) came up and even remarked “isn’t the coffee here sooooo good”?  Then he started talking about how he only buys his beans from Peet’s Coffee because Starbucks uses low quality beans.  I must disclose I am a Starbucks fan but also really like Tully’s coffee so when I heard my beloved Starbucks getting attacked I gotta admit it kinda irked me a little.  I’ve been digging around the Internet this morning and found a few rants from others but I can’t find a site that supports his claim that Starbucks uses low quality (or Robusta) beans.  I know there are probably lots of you reading this who have a favorite coffee joint.  In Portland there is a place called Stumptown Coffee which is probably my all time favorite place to go for a cup of Joe.  It is where all of the coffee snobs (not saying I’m probably not one of them too) go for their coffee fix in Portland.  If you are ever in the area you have to go there.  I have personally only been to the one downtown (picture of it above) which I liked because it is a “funky” place; oh and did I mention their coffee rocks?  If you bring coffee back home with you, try the “Hair Bender”.  What is your favorite and why?