Tea Zone is one of the worst tea shops I've ever been to.

I can see how the atmosphere could be considered relaxing, with its dim lighting, curtained walls and jazz music.

However, the place is not a good working environment or a good place to meet up with people. The lights are too dim to read and the music is too loud to allow you to focus. The $7 "tea for two" only gives you three cups of tea and they put way too much tea leaves into the tea pots. The "flat bread" is just a small, expensive grease soaked pizza. The waiters aren't very attentive or very nice.
Over all, the place is pretentious and crowed.

There are so many amazing tea and coffee shops in Portland and this is not one of them.

-Rikki

Tea Chai Té in PORTLAND on 23rd and NW Johnson

Is probably the best tea place I've ever been to. Yes I know, this is not a coffee place, but they serve drinks of the hot variety, so I believe that reviewing them is okay. SO GOOD!
They have chai (made with lots of sugar and cream, I got mine with soy, damn my lactose intolerance), and all teas imaginable. My favorite to date is Lady Londonberry, said to be the favorite of Princess Diana.
They have comfy chairs and games to play. I insist you go and people watch as well.

Going back this afternoon.

much love,

-Kaya

Ken's Artisan Bakery in Portland!

OH MY GOD SO GOOD! I had the Ken's specialty croissant, and a canelle (I promptly bought two to bring back to have with tea in my dorm, funny how I'm currently eating it... sans tea, not in my dorm...) and a very yummy shortbread cookie. These were all split with Rikki mind you. I am not that greedy now that I'm at college (but if you want to give me free food, yes please!).

Anyway. FABULOUS pastries, good iced tea, stumptown coffee so also good coffee I assume (haven't had that yet, but I will return for more!). They also have soups, pizza, sandwiches. I see food-based adventures in my future all concerning this fabulous little patisserie.

GO EAT AND BE HAPPY!

UPDATE: I went back and had their grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. The grilled cheese was unlike any grilled cheese I've ever had. Meaning it was made with bree cheese instead of good old cheddar. I prefer cheddar. The soup however was quite fabulous (it had a blue cheese swirl, so much yum).

happily content with her canelles from Ken's,

-Kaya

First Portland Coffee Shop to be reviewed! YAY!

Anna Bannana is located on 23rd street in Portland. It's a little house near a salon called "Leepin Lizards".
I didn't actually get anything to drink, I stole my friends drinks, which were all very good. It's the only place I've been to that makes Chia milkshakes.
AND VERY GOOD ONES AT THAT!
Another apparently very good beverage choice if you're looking towards the warm variety is the "Anna Banana Latte," if you like bananas they're supposedly very good.
I don't like Bananas so I didn't try it.
Sorry!
Anyway, the place has free wifi and sketchy downstairs area that is a nice quiet and cool place to sit, but kind of smells funny and you have to be 18 to go down there.

-Rikki

Sugar Bakery and Cafeis a very cute cafe located on Madison. The walls are painted Pink and white and all the cupcakes and things look very good. Their coffee is delightful, they brew Cafe Vita, like I've noticed a lot of independent coffee shops have doing. Cafe Vita coffee has a sharp taste and is very strong.
When I went there I had a latte and a brownie. The brownie was good, but did not taste very brownie-ish. It had brownie texture and looked like a brownie, but it tasted more like hazelnut, which was something I was not expecting. So if you like hazelnuts, go for it.

-Rikki

I would like to add to Rikki's review of Sugar....

I agree the store is adorable. I was expecting a japanese bakery because of it's sanrio-esque exterior. Walking inside I was surprised to find that the pastries are all very french and there is nothing Japanese about the place.
I have visited Sugar Bakery on several occasions and loved it! The first time I had the most amazing coconut snowball (a cushy puffy outside rolled in coconut and sugar filled with a coconut cream inside), so good and one of my friends had a chocolate chip cookie. Oh so chocolate-y.

The second time I had a fabulous goat cheese and chive scone with a soy latte (so good!) and my friend had a lemon cookie that was very lemony.

My only grumble with this cafe/bakery is the neighborhood (it's on the more sketch part of Madison) and their lack of choices. I went there for brunch on a Wednesday morning around 10 am and they were out of a lot of things that I would have loved to try. Who runs out of goodies at 10 am?

-Kaya

Piroshky on Madison is a little cafe/piroshky place on, well, Madison. The owner is very nice and the coffee and piroshkies are very good, although they don't have very many veggie options. Everything is made fresh, which is AMAZING. If you're looking for a pastry, try the ricotta and cranberry thing is lovely.
If you buy a coffee in the morning, you get a free cookie if they aren't out yet which are very tasty. They're kind of like mini, slightly fluffy snickerdoodles.
They also give out stamp card, which is nice. But you have to get two: one for piroshkies and one for coffee.

-Rikki

Bottega Italiana has best gelato and coffee ever. They have two venues in Seattle one on Greenlake, and the other in Pike Place. I've never been to the Pike Place one, but the Greenlake one is fabulous. An amazing array of mouth melting flavors which change from day to day. My favorite is carmel (Latte Mou). They use Illy coffee, like the kind you find in European cafes. Really smooth and no bitter after taste.

The baristas are very nice, the chairs aren't as comfy as the look, but the food is good. A summer cafe must.

-Kaya

Cupcake Royale

Why I haven't reviewed this cafe before is beyond me. It's fabulous and they have cupcakes! They have two venues: one in Ballard and one in West Seattle. And my friend Zoe says they have one in Madrona. I believe her. Though I've never seen it.

Anyway: Good iced tea, good coffee (by Verite), and AMAZING CUPCAKES. They have every flavor and then some. Like, lavender. Sounds weird, but it's good. My favorite is red velvet. Very good.

I prefer the West Seattle venue. No reason. The atmosphere I guess. Although Ballard, to me, feels very much like West Seattle.

This is a very scatted review. Anyhow, the base of this post is: Cupcake Royale is AMAZING. So good. Go there. Take a dozen cupcakes home, plus buy one for later, or in the car or for the walk to your car. Or for me.

-Kaya

Hello to anyone who reads this, and I don't know if anyone does, but if you do you're awesome.

We will both be attending Lewis & Clark College (located right outside of Portland) next year, so we're going to start adding coffee shops that are located in Portland too!

Hope that it's helpful and enjoyable!

And we'll try to make sure it's obvious what City/State the Coffee shop is in.

Bakery Nouveau

The closest thing to Paris in Seattle. The pastries are exquisite (just like in Paris), the coffee is okay (just like in Paris) and the atmosphere is old fashioned (just like in Paris). They have everything you might want to get walking the streets of Paris, even my favorite french pastry une pistole, although labeled something else at Nouveau, tastes divine.

For those that don't know what une pistole is (go eat one. You are missing out on Heaven itself), it is a french pastry filled with honey cream and melted chocolate. The pastry outside is either made of a light coating of brioche break or, imagine the butter, a few layers of croissant dough, baked to perfection. So good. My mouth is watering just typing about it.

Sadly the venue is a little cramped (just like in Paris!) and very popular so finding a good place to sit it difficult. AND it's in West Seattle, which is fine if you live in West Seattle, but I don't, nor do most people I know, so it's a bit of a trek over the viaduct. But a trek worth making.

-Kaya

Cafe Solstice

Although I really have never had their coffee, or actually been there during actual café hours, the venue is amazing.

Then again, I've only been there while the Senate is playing. And they could make any venue amazing. Awesome actually.

Someday, I plan on having a cup of their coffee and when I do, I'm sure it will be worth it.

-Kaya

Just adding on to this post from Kaya:
There's a reason we don't try their drinks- They aren't very good. If I remember correctly the brownies are good though.
<3

-Rikki