Day 1. Heart
Day 2. Barista
Day 3. Coava
Don’t get me wrong, I love Seattle. We have so many wonderful things to toot a horn about. I mean afterall we are the birthplace of coffee. Kind of. But Portland has stepped up their coffee game – as you may have noticed with these last three posts.
Coava you were my favorite. With your expansive shared space fitted with concrete and bamboo – your sleek modern coat made me swoon. But it was your coffee that made me love you. And while I may not remember what I drank that fluttery delight that rushed through me upon the first slurp I will never forget.
And, Coava, I must thank you. For you are one of the few coffee shops that ALSO has great pastries. Usually you have to trade one for the other but not you. You got both right.
Coava is doing more than just serving coffee from behind the counter. Their site offers several of the their favorite tools for brewing including the Kone filter designed for use with the Chemex and other pour over brewing methods, including Hario. This stainless steel filter was designed as a sustainable alternative to the paper filter while also producing an excellent cup of coffee.
As a lover of the smooth and balanced cup that the Chemex produces the Kone filter is on the short list of coffee equipment I am currently craving.
Dear Coffee, I love you wrote a wonderful review of their visit to Coava.
Thanks for another great trip Portland.
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21 Comments
Such a great pictorial.
Oh, looks dreamy. Nice shots.
looks amazing! Speaking of coffee making.. have you tried the ‘Presso’? I saw it advertised and it looks amazing! Thanks for the great pics!
What about restaurants? Any good ones? Or good ones to go with kids?
I got the Kone for my husband for his birthday and we LOVE it…Coava is on my list when in PDX next. Thanks for the beautiful photos…
I just discovered your blog and am really enjoying your great photos! Also, the toasted flour shortbread sounds amazing!
Thanks Rosa! Welcome.
Christina – What a great present. I don’t know why we don’t have it yet.
Definitely check out Coava – it’s a must.
Nurit – Clyde Common, Pine State Biscuits, ClarkLewis, Meat, Cheese, Bread – little hole in the wall sandwich shop, Per Que No – hole in the wall Mexican
I don’t know many kid friendly restaurants although Pine State, MCB and Per que no are so low key kids are definitely welcome.
Have a great trip!
Bre – I’ve heard of it. I want.
I need a coffee sponsor so I can “test” all these amazing products. 
Thanks, Ashley!
Nice pics. I liked the last one the best – the one with the coffee in the cup. When I looked closely I saw the shape of a heart in it.
What an amazing place! I’m in love with your blog! ♥
you do an outstanding job telling a story with your pictures! i am not a big fan of coffee, but why is it that so many people like coffee? i mean is it one of those things like “meal shares” where you meet with people while catching about each other and enjoying some good food? or is it more a habit and a culture thing?
Ashley, thanks for these coffee posts. Because of you, I enjoyed three delightful visits to Coava this past weekend. I would leave Seattle for Coava. (Well, not really, but I’d seriously think about it). We fell in love with the first cup, felt caffeine deprived 3 hours later, had another cup, and then went back the next day.
In case you didn’t get a chance to talk to Matt, the owner, it’s just him and one other guy doing most of the work. He’s even growing coffee plants in his basement to learn more about what makes a good bean. A Chemex and Kone filter are high on my to-purchase list now.
Patricia – Thanks so much for commenting. I’m so glad you went (x3)
. Isn’t it amazing.
I didn’t meet the owner but my husband has talked with him. I love businesses that are built on such immense passion.
I love this post so much! There’s a place here in LA called Coffee Commissary (my favorite LA coffee shop by far!) and they serve Coava Coffee. I get their Ethiopia coffee every morning–so amazing!
Your photos are just breathtaking!
Ashley, Coava was SO awesome! The best coffee ever! So glad I read about it here just in time before our trip. Or do I… I’m hooked. An adict. Want to move to Portland
What would you say is the best place for coffee in Seattle?
Nurit – So glad you liked it! It’s amazing. In Seattle I like Herkimer, Stumptown (Portland based), and Vivace. Nothing quite like Coava though.
Oh, funny! I just went to Coava for the first time this week and took the exact same picture of my cup of coffee (I had a cappuccino made with the Rophi espresso).
Delicious! And the bamboo is gorgeous. A very Portland place.
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[...] Excerpt $(function(){ $("#startbox").html("Ashley E. Rodriguez is a former chef turned teacher, blogger, and mother who publishes a beautiful food blog called Not Without Salt. The site is filled with culinary adventures, recipes, and photos that all make you want to #popitinthegob. In March her family took a trip from Seattle to Portland and visited a few of the top shops in town—Coava, Barista, and Heart. The photos from their trip are fantastic and I wanted to share a few before sending you over to her lovely site to see the rest.See the rest of the photos at Not Without Salt [...]
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