Portland, OR • Ace Hotel x Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Date: 07-06-13
Location: 1026 SW Stark St.
Words and photography by: Luis Valdizon
Website: stumptowncoffee.com

It really doesn't matter whether you have love for Stumptown Coffee Roasters or refuse to give praise where it's due. The impact that the Portland, Oregon-based company has had on American coffee culture is unquestionable. From the onset, they have lifted and exemplified standards both large chains and neighborhood coffee shops aspire to meet. From the sourcing of their beans, to the roasting of them, to the highly skilled baristas behind their coffee bars freshly grinding and pulling shots of espresso for you, your coffee experience at Stumptown is handled in-house, top-to-bottom. That in itself is something to commend.

Our team was fortunate enough to stop by their location beautifully kept and designed within Portland's Ace Hotel, a boutique hotel chain with a world-class reputation for their service and stunning interiors. Inside, we were kindly greeted by baristas who served us their Cold Brew coffee on a smouldering summer's day. After we finished our drinks, I managed to strike up a conversation with one of the gentlemen tidying up after an afternoon rush of patrons. After thanking him kindly for their service and telling him it was our first time in the city and our first Stumptown experience, he gifted me one of their bottles of cold press coffee (pictured above). I was taken aback by the gesture—more important than outstanding coffee is exceptional hospitality. It's hard to not appreciate a company that gives their employees the liberty to serve their customers the best they can within their means.

Although we haven't had the chance to visit any of the other Stumptown locations in Portland, Seattle, New York or the soon-to-be Los Angeles residence, I highly recommend you visit this particular one. Detailed design work and tasteful curation is noticeable everywhere, from the lobby of the Ace Hotel to the inside of the coffee shop. We didn't have the pleasure of staying at the Ace this time around, but I hope to rest my head in one of their lavish rooms in the near future. If the hotel is anything like what I can imagine, it is definitely a place we would like to capture in more detail for the site.

Portland, OR • Pine State Biscuits

Date: 07-08-13
Location: 2204 NE Alberta St. Portland, OR.
Photographed by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: David Morris
Website: pinestatebiscuits.com

Growing up in West Virginia, homemade biscuits are something that we take pride in and are very critical about in the Southern part of the U.S. While recently visiting Portland, OR, for the first time, it was a nice surprise to discover a place that not only carries on the traditional taste, quality and care put into the biscuits I grew up eating, but takes the practice to a whole new level. Tucked away in the Alberta Arts District not far from where we were staying in PDX is Pine State Bisucits, a Southern-inspired eatery that has received critical acclaim and cult fanfare, and was a must for us to try out. Upon walking in, we were greeted with a handwritten chalk menu that had an abundance of delectable choices. The atmosphere was both country and rustic, and the staff was friendly and proficient. I chose The Chatfield, a biscuit with fried chicken, bacon and cheddar cheese, topped with apple butter. After a wait of about 15 minutes, the biscuit came out fresh and enormous, and a glass of organic, hand-squeezed orange juice made for the perfect pairing. It was hands-down one of the best biscuits I've ever had and one of the best meals of the tour. My mouth is watering as I write this. Even if Portland wasn't the great city that it is, I would still go back just for another Pine State Biscuit.