Tag Archives: coffee

Coffee Wednesday: Arbor Lodge

Arbor Lodge

The wrapper of my chocolate bar casts shadows in the murky rain-light, geometric shapes on the scarred blond grain of my table. Wood grain is all around me; on the walls in cedar paneling, in the burl-y tables, in the rough-edged wooden shelves that house a small selection of merchandise. Pleasant chatter and the hiss and tamp of the espresso bar fill the air.

Arbor Lodge, in Northeast Portland, has captured me with its homey appeal since we first walked in the door a year and a couple lifetimes ago. Owner Scott, he of the vast sideburns and the gleaming earring, welcomes all to his space full of coffee and community with the expansive air of a village blacksmith. The barista’s smile is a cheery herald of her skill with a cappuccino, and I depart with contentment.

Portland, Oregon / morning / The Arbor Lodge

The Secret of Discovering Vision

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Vision. It was lacking, or rather sporadic, for me until recently. Until, actually, we became unexpectedly pregnant with our Little Alien and started having to get our shit together. In a few short months we left the cradle of Independence, MO, and embarked on a country-wide road trip to discover whatever it was we were meant to do in life.

What we discovered was how much we loved coffee and coffee people across the country. I had the same feeling this week while visiting San Diego. Cupping four coffees from around the world–an Ethiopia, a Guatemala, a Honduras, and a Papua New Guinea–in the light-filled space at InterAmerican, I felt that I had come home.

This community? It gives meaning and direction. Count me in.

–San Diego, CA / mid-morning / InterAmerican Coffee

Coffee Wednesday: Cafecito Organico

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I walk through the leafy maze, brushing hanging viney tendrils with my sunburnt arms. The memory of sand still clings to my legs as I ogle stylish shoppers and willowy models in photoshoots. Breaking open the lava surface of a molasses-apricot cookie, I watch the dark crumbs fall on the darker table.

I hold a cappuccino, graced with a relaxed swan. Its bitterness stands in counterpoint to the earthy ginger and sorghum of my cookie, the textures silk and chewy grit. Pages of notes glow in the light. Baristas chatter about their favorite obsolete breakfast cereals.

I am at Cafecito Organico, where the motto is Cafe O Muerte—Coffee or Death. Nestled in the maze of retail stores in Costa Mesa’s The LAB Antimall, Cafecito is a unique shop with a familiar and comforting vision—great coffee, grown on earth by humans.

I, for one, feel more human here.

—Costa Mesa, CA / late morning / Cafecito Organico

The Secret of Gossamer Mornings

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There’s a hum in the air, a suspension of sound, as if we are wrapped in fine silk. On the stubby grass, the shadow-line of the patio roof is a jagged fissure edged with dark and bright green blades. The scent of ornamental pink pepper wafts in the cool morning breeze.

I breathe and consciously set aside the weight of life for the gossamer morning. A cup of Guatemala in a handmade mug leaves a faint circle on the dust-covered wooden table as I sip and ponder.

This morning, there is sun, there is shade, and there is a daughter dwarfed by my red sun-hat. It promises to be a good day.

–Anaheim, CA / mid-morning / Coffea Roasterie, SD