At the center of the historic Ladd’s addition, in Southeast Portland, Palio Dessert and Espresso House strives for an Old World (European) feel. When I walked in, the café was quiet, with classical music playing softly in the background. There were a couple people in the back room staring at their laptops. I asked the barista two questions: First, what kind of espresso did Palio’s serve? and 2) What was Palio’s best drink? His answers: Stumptown espresso; and a “Mexican mocha”, with cinnamon, nutmeg and ground up chilies. I wasn’t in the mood for straight Stumptown espresso and the mocha sounded a little rich for first thing in the morning, so I opted for a latte instead.

Palio

I wasn’t sure where I was going yesterday when I left the house, so I pointed myself eastward and started walking. It was a beautiful day, warmer than I realized when I left the apartment. I walked down to the riverfront and turned north. It was nearing lunchtime, and when I got down to the river, lots of people were out walking and running along one of Portland’s most beautiful spaces. There were more people out running than usual—it appears that  people are gearing up for next month’s Portland Marathon and getting in some extra miles during their lunch breaks.

I considered continuing north along the river and then turning back into the Pearl District, but the East Side was calling me, so I crossed over Naito Parkway and climbed up on to the Morrison Bridge. As I crossed, I realized that the bridge is a good place to look at downtown and take pictures. I took a few before crossing over the bridge and into the Central Eastside Industrial district. I like this part of town: it’s a part of Portland that works. The neighborhood isn’t as concerned as some neighborhoods about looking pretty, and the array of wholesale and distribution centers is more diverse than I thought. You don’t realize the amount of business going on in this city until you see all of the office supply stores, wall covering stores, lumber stores, industrial bakeries, etc. that are found in this area.

A beautiful day on the waterfront

Continuing eastward, I crossed Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (MLK) and walked one more block to Grand Ave. I turned right on Grand and walked southward. As I crossed Main Street I  noticed a sign to my left that said Bamboo Revolution. Very Portland, I thought. One of the city’s claims is to be the most sustainable city in the US, and a store that sells bamboo flooring and counters fits that mould (Sustainability is a theme that will show up frequently as I write more about Portland.)

A few steps later, I noticed an A-frame sign on the sidewalk that said Coava (koh-vuh) Coffee Roasters. I did a double-take because I thought I was passing a bamboo flooring shop. Apparently, I was right on both counts. Inside I saw a coffee bar, and I couldn’t resist the temptation to stop in and check it out.

Coava/Bamboo Revolution