1. Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the gal that took my order. She’s number one because she was so warm and friendly! She agonized a bit over getting my chai latte just right. Anyone who cares that much about my chai latte gets a 10/10 from me. She also wore a great outfit. A combination of sweet, old-fashioned and modern sassy. Here she is with her “Nasty Women Keep Fighting” t-shirt, and totally retro apron.
2. Art. They have local art on display. In fact, I came to Caffe Destino to check out the art. My friend, Ursula McCabe, is the artist in question. Her show ran through the end of October. Our interview is the first in my series, “Women I Admire,” coming soon, right here at O.K. Look, Here’s the Deal. She does beautiful animal watercolors. Here are a few from this show. There’s a little glare in these photos. I did my best to edit it out, but it’s particularly noticeable on the swan’s wing below. I posted it anyway because it’s so very beautiful.
3. Food from scratch. They make everything from scratch, “except the bagels and English muffins,” said Elizabeth. No quarrel here – bagels and English muffins are extremely time consuming. I broke my no-sugar habit to indulge in a lemon poppy seed scone. It’s one of the best I’ve ever eaten – light and flaky, lemony, and not too sweet. Stop eating sugar for a few months and you, too, will prefer things to be very lightly sweet. Absolutely delicious!
4. A great soundtrack. I didn’t realize it at first, but as I was sitting and sipping my latte and blogging away, I was also singing along. Loggins and Messina, Elton John, Tom Petty…works for me.
5. Friendly patrons. I was listening to the gal behind me sing along to a song, and I mentioned the awesome soundtrack. We struck up a conversation that spanned a half an hour. That may be more connection than you’re craving at a coffeehouse, but it’s nice to know there’s such a friendly vibe. I told her I came from a couple miles north and she told me she’d come all the way from Belmont because she loves Caffe Destino so much!
6. Bomb-ass breakfast. My friend, Debbie, arrived the next day and promptly said, “let’s go to that coffeehouse you posted from yesterday.” So, we ordered breakfast and there were many good options. I had the Greek breakfast sandwich with scrambled eggs, feta, tomato, onion, and olive tapenade. Debbie had the two egg breakfast with home fries. I remembered to take a photo of Deb’s breakfast before she dug in. My sandwich didn’t last long enough. We split a scone with jam, which was, yes, homemade and delicious. The portions were generous enough for me to take half my meal home to Vini.
So glad I launched my Travel plans! I’m having a blast exploring Portland as if it were all new to me. It’s amazing how many great places I’ve never been in my many years here. I’ve finally decided to be one of those people who sits at a coffee house and blogs, rather than sitting alone at home. Caffe Destino is one of my top picks!
O.K. look, here's the deal. 