Monday, October 25, 2010

CC: Public Domain

'
What's does "CC" mean?

Subject:
Public Domain
Location visited: Portland, OR
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating:
6+ [
see key]




A well-decorated shop really goes a long way. I am all about the quality of the coffee but a cafe should breathe life and purpose to the the cafe. On the flip side, when a coffeehouse induces yawning and fringe comas (at worst disgust or horror), it's not only hard to be in the space but in a lot of ways, slightly depressing.

In the land of Portland, they seem to have an abundance of nice venues but by far, the one that really caught me was a little downtown operation called Public Domain. Outfitted in a corner space with splendidly open windows, Public Domain uses its extensive coffee operation (a pair of 2 group espresso machines and 6 grinders) to showcase like a culinary display. The cafe has seating along the windows mostly, the room feels huge amidst a room full of woods, whites and dark grays all lit by well-distributed lighting.

And though the cafe proved gorgeous, the coffee is always where my heart rests, and Public Domain propped my blood pumper up high. PD roasts their own beans (apparently every barista gets a crack at it) and from their selections, I chose their Peru San Ignacio for my espresso and the El Salvador Las Delicias in a french press. The espresso, pulled well with a nice crema, held notes of dark cherry and strong lemon, a little oregano, bittersweet cocoa, a pinch of cinnamon and some white chocolate (a good display of flavors with little detraction). The french press fired off bullets of honey, grass, mint leaves, hops and a dot of chick pea (a lighter coffee with lots of good quality). I did not note their tea.

Though I was able to spend little time in PD's posh shop, I will remember my experience well, given the many pleasantries. If you happen to be downtown, saunter over to Public Domain.

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:18 PM

    Hey, I can't view your site properly within Opera, I actually hope you look into fixing this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds like a great little shop! I'm not in the area often but I will have to try to stop next time I'm over there.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous,

    Works fine when I check it in Opera. You using the most up to date software?

    Since I run with Blogger, the issue is out of my hands either way :).

    Thanks for reading!

    Bill

    ReplyDelete
  4. When I grab a cup of coffee in a cafe, I always, always check the ambiance first. I want to make sure that as I settle myself with my coffee, I'd feel comfortably at home. Public Domain looks like a nice cafe to hang out in for a coffee break. And it's great that their baristas crack their own coffee beans . That only makes it more interesting for people to go there.

    ReplyDelete