Dave Knows Portland

Blogged into existence: The Little Red Bike Cafe

by Leave a Comment

Little Red Bike CafeThe Little Red Bike Cafe (4823 N. Lombard St) is now open.

A few months ago I stumbled upon the eponymous blog with the stated purpose to document the process of building a restaurant in our beloved hometown of Portland, Oregon.

I too am a native Portlander, and I too aspire to open a cafe/pub/restaurant/bar someday, so I was naturally intrigued.

The first post tells the story of how Ali and Evan realize a restaurant is in their future:

Perhaps it was the morning when the whipped cream exploded all over the kitchen, and all we could do was laugh despite the thick coating on the ceiling, walls, cabinets, and even in- between the stacks of plates. Or maybe it was when the nice woman returned to our booth at the Farmers Market moments after eating a small pint of our creamy roasted red pepper and tomato soup with garlic cheese croutons, only to ask if she could buy it by the gallon (literally). Whatever it was, it wasn’t long before we realized that this could no longer be a part-time job for us, it was our future. Now we find ourselves “self employed,” excited and anxious to build The Restaurant.

Over the next few months Ali and Evan guide us through their search for the perfect location, the quest for a durable ice cream machine, their vacations, their meals, their coffee supplier, and sundry other trials and tribulations related to building a restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

I recommend starting at the beginning, and scrolling backwards (forwards?) through the blog to witness the restaurant blooming, but also make sure to go visit The Little Red Bike Cafe:

Little Red Bike Cafe
4823 N. Lombard St.
Portland, OR 97203
Tuesday-Sunday
7am-3pm.
After-hours “bike-thru” window coming soon…

Spicy chai from the Rose City

by 2 Comments

Dragonfly ChaiI’m a coffee drinker. Black. Maybe once a year I’ll have a not-too-sweet mocha, no whip.

But heading to work the other day, suffering from a summer cold, I craved something hot and sweet and spicy, so I stopped in at the Coffee Crutch (1023 SW Yamhill St.).

Coffee CrutchThe barista gives me a choice: the ubiquitous Oregon Chai or Dragonfly Chai . . .

“What’s the difference?”

“Dragonfly Chai is spicier. “

It tastes as one would expect; of tea and cardamom and cinnamon and ginger. But it’s spicy, much spicier, and less sweet than other chais, and delicious. I won’t wait to catch a cold to try another cup.

Later I found out it’s a small local company, and in general I like to support local companies, so there you go.