Tag Archives: #travel

What to Do When You Meet a Mirage : Karla mi Lugo

I met a mirage today. Amber face full of hope and longing, flaming red hair in coils and curls of frantic grace, slender fingers and puckered lips: Karla mi Lugo.

music, street music, portland, portland writer, portland musicianAt first, because I was busy and because I have grown impatient, I avoided her eyes. Don’t talk to me, I thought, because you are beautiful and probably crazy, and I don’t have time to get sidetracked and sucked into yet another personal labyrinth. Also, don’t ask for money because I don’t have any. At all.

portland writer, beverage writer, portland music, street musicianHer music is reflective; a wash of accordion and clear, piercing whistling, and a husky voice like an autumn evening. As I sat, carefully ignoring her, her music sidled into my consciousness with a purity that finally had my attention. I put down my work. I engaged.

beauty, accordion, pretty dressWe talked. 5 years ago I also made my living performing in the streets and hoping equally for engagement and clinking coins from passersby. I am relieved to have left that urgency, but then again: I never handled it with such grace and aplomb as Karla does. Since I cannot offer money, I pull out my camera and lovingly explore the silken planes of her face in the afternoon sun, the crisp stripes of her apron, the delicate arabesques on her instrument.

musician, beautifulKarla will be, in her words, “going on [my] musical pilgrimage to Paris” next month, and, I believe I overheard, competing in an international whistling contest. I wish her the best of luck and glorious chance meetings, and I look forward to her return to our gritty streets.

When you meet a mirage, you’d best drop your work and listen.

music, beauty, portland music

beauty, well met, portland street musicafternoon/ Alberta St. Arts District / karla mi lugo

 

 

 

 

 

3 Classic Seattle Coffeehouses

espresso vivace, espresso, seattle coffee, seattle espresso

Seattle coffeehouses hold a special place in my heart, and I’m not alone. Much has been written about how the green mermaid wrapped her arms around the world from this Emerald City, but not so much has been said about the influence of Seattle’s independent cafe culture. I’m nowhere near able to write the definitive version; still, David Schomer of Espresso Vivace was one of my first/best influences as a young barista, and no visit to Seattle is complete for me without multiple visits to his shops.

coffee, seattle coffee, macchiato, seattle espresso, espresso vivace

Look at that. Take in that flawless surface, the milk and espresso melding in perfection. This, friends, is a macchiato. This, friends, puts most of the thousands of espresso drinks I’ve downed in the shadows. This, friends, is why I haven’t been ordering cappuccinos lately in my home city of Portland. Because I’ve never tasted a milk/espresso beverage made to this level of beauty anywhere other than Espresso Vivace.

analog coffee, coffee, seattle coffee, espresso, seattle espresso

At Analog Coffee in Capitol Hill, I had a delicious shot of Herkimer Coffee, and thoroughly enjoyed photographing the space. The classic “Seattle-style” espresso is giving way to newcomers like Slate (below) but every time I drink a shot like this I immediately think about moving here. Rich, syrupy, viscous, earthy and sweet at once, its makes me remember why I fell in love with espresso in the first place.

barista, seattle barista, victrola coffee, seattle coffee

The last shop I want to mention here is Victrola Coffee, the Capitol Hill location of which was an easy walk from the Convention Center where I attended SCAA last weekend. So busy was I trying to capture the elusive charm of barista Mark’s workflow and face that I only remember my shot being rather ristretto and rather tasty, so I know I’ll have to come back for a more studied impression another time. Regardless, Victrola represents another gritty, classic Seattle shop that is hugely attractive to me.

Not everyone likes this style of coffeehouse–in fact, that’s the whole point of the 3rd wave movement–but I do, and I’ll never be afraid to claim my allegiance to a more classic Italian style of extraction, presented with grace and a complete lack of self-consciousness that is refreshing to this sometimes-weary coffee drinker.

last weekend / Seattle / Vivace, Analag, Victrola

 

 

On Assignment: Cannon Beach

beach, ocean, cannon beach, oregon beach, toddler, cute, sun and sandCannon Beach, and a toddler’s cheeks. The brief sun on our lips and the ocean breeze in our eyes. A break from the craziness of the city and a meditation on all that matters.

family, beach, ocean, three generations, sun and sandThree generations stand overlooking the boundless deep. Toes wriggle into the sand under cold water.

husband and wife, love on the beach, beach, ocean, oregon beachSeparate paths on similar terrain. Hearts locked together and meditations alone. I may be on assignment but I am also fully alive, on a beach, with my family. Life’s circles come together in a perfect Venn Diagram and I stand in the center.

Cannon Beach, OR / afternoon / off the grid

Respect: Multnomah Whiskey Library

cocktail, happy, portland cocktail, multnomah whiskey libraryAt its core, a beverage experience is about respect. It’s not about looking cool, it’s not about creating the most impressive drinks, it’s not about wowing everyone who walks through your door. It’s not about finding identity, it’s not about proving you’re worth notice. It’s not about the latest spirit, the biggest gear, the fastest hands.

As I stepped through the doors of the Multnomah Whiskey Library this week, I had a unique experience and one that has forced me to re-examine the core of my thinking about beverages. I mean, they’re damn cool–of course! I love the sense of belonging that comes from actually knowing the ingredients in my cocktail, or being able to discuss the peculiar behavior of a single origin in espresso with my barista. And I’m not immune to the lure of belonging, of being part of a clique that’s so insular we scoff at the idea of being insular. Honestly, like everyone else I know, all my life I’ve yearned to be part of an inner circle, and the beverage world (with its concentric slide of connections and knowledge) is as close as I’ve come.

cocktail, pdx cocktail, portland cocktail, best portland cocktail, coupe glass, bartender

But beverages are–can be–so much more than that. Long ago, in another city and another life, I took a cappuccino from the hands of a stocky barista with a red beard. We got off to a rocky start, but the beverage between us transcended our quirks and hostility and we fell into love along with the viscous drip-drip of espresso, the spit and swirl of milk. Years later, my husband and I have elevated the rituals of beverages to almost a religious status. We keep an “open coffee house”, we say, and from Sioux City to San Diego we have connected with complete strangers over coffee.

Back to my original statement. The beverage experience can’t be narrowed to one word, but for me, if respect is not inherent in the moment, I want no part of it. Respect for myself, respect for you, respect for the ingredients and processes in our hands, respect for the magical knowing that springs to life between us.

The Multnomah Whiskey Library is relatively new on the scene. It’s already known for  3-hour waits and for its 1500+ bottling spirits library, for its opulent interior and near-perfect service, and I was both intimidated and skeptical before visiting. My intimidation vanished when I saw the genuine welcome in the faces of the wonderful people who served me, and my skepticism melted through interaction with my bartender and the reception of what was truly one of the best cocktails of my life.

multnomah whiskey library, whiskey, portland whiskey, portland cocktail

It’s rare to see a beverage establishment that pulls all the disparate parts together, but the Multnomah Whiskey Library has succeeded. Succeeded not just in giving me a memorable experience, but also in bringing me back to the core of my beverage ethos, reminding me what the damn point is.

Tender me your respect and I will give you mine. Together we will create something new in this strange world. We will celebrate our beverages, we will acknowledge each other.

bartender, portland bartender, portland cocktailPortland, OR / evening / Multnomah Whiskey Library – bartender : Jordan Felix