Jimmy Stewart is the Hungry Traveler » Cafe

Seattle or Portland? Why not both!

Jimmy — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:05:36 +0000

Recently my travels took me to Seattle and having been there a few times before I wanted to explore a bit, which lead me to the realization that Portland is only 2 hours south! Note to readers: I have been to Vancouver BC several times and decided Portland would be a good investment of time on this trip.

Photo courtesy of Cactus website

The DoubleTree hotel in SeaTac near the airport would be my hub for a few days because I was very fortunate to get a last minute deal there using the Priceline Negotiator at $65.00 a night (about half off). After checking in I asked about a local place that is both unique and trendy and the suggestion was West Seattle, Cactus on Alki. This is a true beach town with a lot of people walking around, enjoying the water and sunset, and just having a good time. They make fantastic margaritas and I’d suggest the Baja and ask them to add an extra jalapeno to spice it up a bit more. Try the butternut squash enchiladas, very unique. The locals can be distant at first to visitors but after a while, they warmed up to me. One in particular, Jimmy, who is a fellow foodie, was most helpful in recommending several downtown locations for future visits.

After a good nights sleep and a speaking engagement the next day I headed south to Portland where I arived within 2 hours. Traffic at the 5:00 PM hour is brutal in downtown but clears up quickly. If you are driving from Seattle, take the I-5 South, merge to the local I-405 Loop and take the Couch Street Exit, turn left at Couch Street and find parking anywhere along the next several blocks. This is the hip little area of Portland where you’ll find Blue Plate as well as Voodoo Donuts. I stopped in at Voodoo and stood in line for about 20 minutes to get a Maple Bacon and Old Dirty Bastard, both would have only be perfected by having a glass of milk.

Photo courtesy of Bob Hoever

This visit to Portland was fun because I got to hang out with a friend from Alexandria VA who happened to be visiting Portland and I finished the evening with a visit to Sandfords Bar and Grill just south of Portland’s downtown to meet up with an old friend who I hadn’t seen in 15 years.

Make the trip to the pacific northwest and check out Seattle and Portland, two great destinations.

Not just another coffee shop

Jimmy — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:19:08 +0000

Peregrine Espresso

I had been meaning to get to Peregrine Espresso for some time now and I happened to pick the coldest day of the year to do so. This says a lot about me and my coffee, I’ll go through great lengths to find a great coffee shop and I think I’ve found it at 660 Pennsylvania Av SE in Washington DC, about a half block away from Eastern Market.

It is small, but coffee shops are not meant to be Big Box Retail in my opinion either, it is green both in color and operation, and it has some of the best coffee you can find in DC. Believe me, I’ve looked all over. I know I’ll have some complaints or what I like to call suggestions, come one and come all with any suggestions and I’ll be happy to give them a try.

Peregrine appears crowded at times but production is quick and painless. The menu is simple and straight forward and the staff are very pleasant. I truly believe they are doing what they love based on how they treat the process and the customer and the result is a wonderful cup of joy. If you are not a coffee drinker, their Tea is served in a nice heavy pot and provides about a cup and a half. If you are on Capitol Hill or at Eastern Market and want a great coffee, walk on over to Peregrine, you won’t be disappointed.

Baked Wired is worth the visit

Jimmy — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:22:49 +0000

I have been wandering the earth for almost 40 years now and half that time has included the wonderful world of coffee. I’ve made several visits to Baked Wired in Georgetown on Thomas Jefferson Street, just south of M St for 2 reasons, the coffee and the granola. By most accounts this is a small shop with two sides, baked goods on the one and coffee on the other. The two go hand in hand IMO. The barista makes a great espresso or any variation there of. The granola is labeled “crack” because of its addictive nature and I have to agree. The pic shows individual cup cakes under the glass of what looks to be laboratory vessels but don’t be overwhelmed as the staff are most helpful in selecting delicious cakes for any craving you may be having. Give Baked Wired a try, I promise you’ll enjoy the visit.

Where’s the Bean?

jimmy — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:50:14 +0000

I had visited Alexandria’s Grape + Bean during their opening week and thought hmmmm, this may be OK. Small place off the main Old Town path where you could get a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. It looked promising at the time. That was some time ago and I’ve ventured in a few times here and there to grab a bottle of wine. Yesterday I visited and wanted to give the “bean” portion of their name a try. Unfortunately I was was disappointed by the lack of properly trained staff and the coffee itself. I paid just under $5.00 for a 14oz cup of coffee that lacked any substance or unique flavor. Throw an “organic” or “fair trade” label on something and double the price regardless of taste appears to be the motto here. I make better single cup coffee at the PNC bank across the street using their Keurig machine. For more than half the price, Starbucks provides a better more consistent cup of joe. For an establishment that puts coffee at the top of their sales pitch, I would have hoped for better results.

Tell me about your experiences at coffee shops around the world.

Gelato in Georgetown

jimmy — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:43:24 +0000

I love walking the streets of any town in the world and finding places that remind me of other cities and places I’ve visited over the years. The other day I was walking up Wisconsin Ave from M Street headed to the Georgetown Flea Market and walked by a place called Dolcezza Artisanal gelato and had to stop because of the big “Argentine” sign. If you ever go to Argentina, get the ice cream at any ice cream shop but my preference is Freddo and if you wonder what flavor to get, get dulce-de-leche. Unfortunately for me, Dolcezza did not make a batch of dulce-de-leche this day but my disappointment vanished once I started the tastings, starting with an avocado flavored ice cream which was smooth and not over powering. I love avocados! I moved on to ginger mint and was ready to order but decided to try one more, the lime and cilantro flavor and was immediately struck by the awesomeness of the lime and calmed by the soothing cilantro. I decided to go with both ginger and lime and enjoyed myself some great, made daily, gelato. Next time, I go for the coffee and I’ll write back.