Before our trip, I saw that there was a just opened coffee shop called Carnelian...
It was next to a a vintage store, of which there are many in Portland, that was about to close (and is now out of business for sure). More on that in the next post. What I love about Portland is that every neighborhood has their own coffee shop or shops. Each one has their own spin on coffee and decor and display a sense of personality. In this case, the owner was a rock collector and his new shop also serves as a way to showcase his massive collection.
As you walk in, you can see the rocks on glass shelves on the back wall. The seating area echoes the name of the shop and had a retro feel to it. Very retro.
I liked how he had rocks everywhere! He even invited us to take a look and even touch them.
Many specimens, he said were collected in Oregon.
This was a fake gem I'm assuming plus some of their branded coffee bags.
Here's even more rocks...
He mentioned that this one looked like a thick piece of steak. The color is washed out in my photo, but it did really look like a piece of meat!
Our drinks trio: Kombuch for TC, a mocha for Bert in a really unique mug (made in Mexico) and my cortado.
Gotta love how the owner wants to educate others (see the book?):
The mug shape was really cool. Bert liked the way it felt in his hand. The latte art wasn't bad either. The sub milk here was Oatly, a brand of Oat milk which was new at the time. Now most hip places have Oat milk in addition to soy and almond or even coconut milks.
I believe this was the start of Bert's obsession with Oat milk in his drinks1
My cortado was in a really cool mini rocks glass with an amber tone to it. It was smooth in taste and well made. I had regular milk in mine.
In all, a fun and cool shop with a laid back vibe and an enthusiastic owner.
Here is a review from a Portland Cycling Group's coffee review blog, Portland Coffee Hangouts (I love their blog!):
"Carnelian Coffee" May 27, 2018
This is a group of men who cycle on a regular basis and choose a different coffee shop each time. They rate the coffee houses based on the drinks and/or food offered, comfort (roomy or not) and decor. Whoever runs the blog also does a very detailed blow by blow update on their weekly discussions! I found out about their blog after coming back from our trip and wished I had discovered them sooner. I really enjoyed reading their reviews on the places they've visited.
Carnelian Coffee
6923 SE Foster Road
Portland, OR 97206
www.carneliancoffee.com / fb page + reviews from you know where
Since the vintage shop was next door, we thought we would have a look...
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