The best brew near you

Just like many other people in the PNW, I am completely addicted to caffeine. The most coffees I had in one day was seven, and the number of days in the last year that I’ve gone without drinking coffee is zero. Like any coffee connoisseur,  I have my favorite spots: Café Delirium, Black Pearl Haven, Legal Addiction, and Kombi Coffee. Even with my favorites, I still like getting out and trying new places.

Here are the ‘best of the best’ coffee shops I’ve been to lately.

Water Ave – Portland

Coffee, sandwiches, pastries – yum! Water Ave has a reputation for being wonderful and they are just that. The coffee company roasts its own bean, along with brewing fresh espressos. In its café, Water Ave serves a number of different coffee drinks, delicious lunch and breakfast sandwiches, and pastries, ranging from macaroons to triple-chocolate brownies.

My meal contained two coffees, an egg sandwich, and a cookies-and-cream French macaroon. My first coffee, a vanilla latte, was beautifully poured into a three-tiered heart shape. The second coffee, as I am unoriginal, was the same drink, but iced. Each time was to perfection, as if the baristas were mind readers and knew I liked a lot of vanilla syrup.

Though the cookies-and-cream macaroon was to die for, Water Ave’s egg sandwich was even more pleasing. I’m talking lipstick didn’t matter good. The egg wasn’t as I was expecting, being fluffy and hockey puck-shaped. It was the spring field greens, Parmesan, and herb butter inside the English muffin that really did me in. I watched myself take bite after bite of blue lipstick, not caring. The sandwich had the lightest hint of a salty taste combined with fresh-tasting herbs. The words “you sunk my battleship” rang through my head as I conquered the sandwich. I knew as soon as I took my last bite that I would have to buy this breakfast delight again, along with some of their other lunch items.

Water Ave is open every day, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s located at 1028 S.E. Water Ave., on Portland’s eastside.

Silk Espresso – Gresham

I shamelessly ate a large slice of coffee cake from Silk in under two minutes while driving to the next café on my list. The coffee cake didn’t last long, but let me tell you, it was delicious. The cake was perfectly spongy and moist, topped with the mouthwatering perfection of a brown sugar cinnamon crumble.

The coffee shop also offered cookies, peanut butter crispy bars, brownies, croissants, muffins and breakfast sandwiches on bagels. Each item tempted me, my eyes betraying my wallet. I settled for just the cake and a vanilla latte. Brewing its coffee to perfection, Silk uses Stumptown Roaster for its beans. Coffee can be brewed multiple ways, such as espresso, French press, chemex, aeropress, or beehouse, along with the classic drip method.

Rather than being called baristas, the ladies working here go by ‘Silklings.’ The coffee shop has gone from one drive-through location to four locations and back to one, in the span of ten years. At its current home, Silk has a quaint atmosphere. The shop is decorated with brown and gray wood, industrial hardware-styled shelving and furnishing, and teal coloring splashed around the interior.

What is most amazing about Silk is that it offers a number of gluten- and dairy-free foods and drinks. Leah, the owner, said that they also choose not to charge more for milk alternatives.

The espresso shop is located on Stark and Hogan in Gresham (southwest corner), just a minute drive from the college. Silk Espresso is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Brewed Café & Pub – Vancouver

The best part about this café is definitely the good-looking employees. If the barista’s looks don’t blow you away his coffee will, and if that still doesn’t work, take a look at the chef.

The shop offers a number of items, including espressos, brews, wines, sandwiches, and homemade soup.

Upon arrival, a very nice homeless man told me “the best thing Brewed has to offer is their soup.” Unfortunately I didn’t eat the soup, instead settling for a Chipotle Chicken Sandwich.

Served with a decoration strawberry and kettle chips, the sandwich came on a tin lunch tray. My lunch included thinly sliced chipotle chicken, mayo, spinach, red onion and tomato, grilled on white bread. While at Brewed I only managed to take a few bites: This was either due to the handsome chef talking to me (I really didn’t want to get my purple lipstick smeared all over my face) or the fact that I had already stuffed my face with coffee cake on my drive there. Either way, I found myself reheating it for dinner later that evening… literally as I write this. I swear, anyone watching me eat this sandwich would probably think I was on drugs. I found myself talking to my chipotle chicken, telling it “you’re so, so delicious.“

I also purchased two coffees, both my classic vanilla latte. This particular coffee isn’t the most difficult drink to brew compared to, say, a caramel, quad shot, half caff, soy, or macchiato. I learned that this coffee shop roasts its own bean, and through the power of Instagram stocking I saw proof of the beautiful latte art the cafe offers.

I found Brewed very delightful. If I ever find myself in downtown Vancouver there’s no way I’d pass up the opportunity to grab coffee here, or finally try the soup.

Open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Located at 306 Main St. in Vancouver.

Advocate Staff