Old School Portland For the Win: Anna Bannana's

Anna Bannana’s Northwest

Location: 1214 Northwest 21st Avenue, Portland

Hours:
Weekdays 6am – 9pm, Weekends 8am – 9pm.

Review: There are few coffee shops that I care more deeply about. Anna’s has been a favorite for many years (ZOMG! 15 years or so!), and is an example of the Portland I grew up in. It’s comfy but I still get work done, it’s intellectual without being pretentious, it’s quirky without getting caught up in its own shtick. There’s a basement room that reminds me of the dark underworld nooks that I we used to overtake as a crowd and play crazy board games into the night in my high school years. The upstairs has a great mix of tables and soft couches or chairs for your own perfect study mix. There’s a smoke free front porch for those who like the daystar, and there’s a covered smoking area out back for those who enjoy those old days of coffee and cigarettes. In the back room, make sure to look up and notice the flying pigs on the ceiling. And don’t forget to try their famous drink: a mix of espresso and chai you can request by saying “Doot da doo me.” Come and support this local favorite!

Wifi: You betcha.

Web page: http://annabannanascafe.com/

Price Range: $-$$

Bean: Café Del Arte

Leaf: Tao of Tea

Food: Soup, pastries and bagels, overstuffed sandwiches brimming with spinachy goodness, and my personal favorite for warm weather: an açai smoothie served with granola. YUMMO.

Vegan/Vegetarian: LOTS of drink options, soy, rice, hemp… you name it. For a snack there are some solid options… my favorite is a bagel with chipotle hummus, spinach and tomato.

Beer/wine: Nope. Just caffeine!

Music: Excellent selection, chosen by the barista. Music I’ve heard here often is jazz, gogol bordello, Brazilian music, massive attack… all sorts of interesting stuff.

Art: Rotating shows of local art. Often surreal or with an urban edge. Currently dark oil abstract paintings in rich earth tones.

Crowd: Intellectual, alternative, a fair amount of writers. As the night gets later the crowd gets younger, and takes over the basement room.

Kid friendly: You could bring your kids, but there’s no real play space. Instead this is more of an adult friendly spot to get some serious work done, or some serious goofing off done, depending on what you’re up for.

Extras: If you are a twitter fan, follow one of Anna’s longstanding (and devilishly handsome) baristas, Ike, for updates on his excellent music choices and a secret word of the day that will get you 10% off your drink and make you look like a super spy. Follow him at baristaike.

Rating: ****

Insiders Tip!

Hello my dearios,

It's finals time, so I'm practically camping out at my favorite local coffee spots. One of my favorite study environments is the legendary Anna Banana's at 1214 Northwest 21st Avenue. I'll write a more involved review soon--a spot so great, Rachael Ray gave it good mention when she visited Portland for one of her many food network shows.

The reason I feel the need to share with y'all ASAP, is that Ike, one of the excellent baristas at Anna's has started a twitter account in which he posts a "special word of the day." Look like a super spy when you order, and receive a 10% discount until the end of Ike's shift.

To follow him, check out Barista Ike on twitter! And today's word is Jimmerson until 5pm!

Now go out and get caffeinated, y'all!

NOTE TO NEW READERS

Please pardon my dust, i'm still working out the design so that everything on the page is visible. I apologize for the inconvenience.

The Ugly Mug

The Ugly Mug is the kind of place that welcomes students and community members alike. The bathroom has all sorts of flyers and business cards of events ranging from the gamut from traditional to transcendental. The outlet to table ratio is high, so it’s a great place for getting some work done, assuming you can find a table in this gem. It’s well out of the way, being in the center of Sellwood, which has kept it from being too overrun. Nonetheless, I’ve never been in there when it was empty and the last time I was there I was surrounded by hipsters. Then again, it was finals week…

Location: 8017 SE 13th Ave in Sellwood.

Hours: Mon-Fri 6:30am – 8pm
Sat-Sun 7am – 8pm

Wifi: Of course!

Web page: www.uglymugpdx.com

Price Range: ** (Reasonable)

Bean: Stumptown. The house was full bodied and rich, without becoming bitter. I didn’t even need much milk in it, and I’m a creamy coffee fan.

Leaf: yes! Several varieties of loose-leaf teas.

Food: mostly breads and pastries, two kinds of quiche.

Vegan/Vegetarian: Both Rice and Soy milk available at a small charge.

Beer/wine: Yes, five wines and six beer/ale choices.

Music: Indie singer songwriter type music on the PA.

Art: A new artist every month. This month is large printed photographs of tree bark.

Crowd: Very community friendly. Sometimes a little crowded considering that this space is relatively small, but the people are calm and easygoing. At times swarmed with hipsters.

Kid friendly: There used to be a kid’s nook, but it looks like that’s been moved. The place is pretty small, so not much room for kids to play but a good place to do some coloring or read a story together.

Extras: Check out the row of truly fugly mugs on a high shelf that lines the walls.

Rating: ***