Pacific Northwest Coffee

The south is the home of BBQ, New England is the home of lobster rolls, and if you ask me, the Pacific Northwest is the home of coffee. That's not to say that other regions can't do coffee well, but when I think of good coffee, I think of Oregon and Washington. Three of the ten best coffeehouses are located here, and I was able to visit two of them on my recent trip to Portland and Seattle.

The first coffee stop of the trip was Heart Coffee Roasters in Portland. This coffee shop has two locations, one on the east side of the Willamette and one on the west side. While it's next to impossible to pick a favorite of the trip, let alone of the list, this one might take the cake. Well roasted coffee beans + latte art + community tables where you can read or work on your Macbook = sold. It also didn't hurt that it was raining outside while we sipped on our coffee, which contributed to the quintessential Portland coffee experience.

The coffee is roasted inside the coffee house space.

While still in Portland, we also visited Stumptown. Though technically not on the (subjective) ten best coffee houses list, this place is definitely worth a visit. The original Stumptown opened in Portland in 1999, and they now have cafes in four cities: Portland, Seattle, LA, and New York. Good lattes, funny ugly dog art, and a garage door that let you enjoy the fresh air even if it was raining outside.

Our last noteworthy coffee stop on the trip was Slate in Ballard. Much more of a coffee bar than a coffee house, Slate would be an excellent first stop in Seattle for even a non-coffee drinker. The second we walked through the door, we were greeted by Willi, the friendliest barista I have ever met. He brought us to three empty bar stools at the counter, asked where we were from, what we were doing in Seattle, and if we liked coffee. He agreed to make Luca hot chocolate and then started working on the coffee drinks. Drinks at Slate are served in wine glasses, if that gives you any indication of the funky nature of Slate. This place definitely takes the award for friendliest and most unique coffee shop. Even the other locals sitting at the bar were friendly. Before we knew it, everyone was shouting out recommendations for restaurants, bars, and getting around Seattle. 

If you do make it to Slate, be sure to ask for Willi. He's the best!

Ten Best Coffeehouses

I am addicted to coffee. Truthfully. I get headaches if I don't have coffee before 3pm. I once quit a three-week cleanse two days into it because the cleanse didn't allow coffee and I couldn't concentrate in class. My friends will never let me forget the time that I got to the team tent at Head of the Rock before the coffee did. There may have been tears...

Some people might call this addiction a problem, but given all of the recent studies about coffee's numerous health benefits, I see no problem in feeding my coffee addiction. & as if I needed further validation of my coffee drinking habits, 7 out of the 10 best coffeehouses in the U.S. are located in cities that I had already planned on visiting this year. Clearly, the universe is trying to tell me something here!

I was able to visit two of them on my recent trip to D.C. and Virginia. Our first stop was Peregrine Espresso in D.C. Peregrine has three locations, and we checked out the one on Capitol Hill near the Eastern Market. This place is my kind of coffee place, meaning that they stick to the basics and they do the basics really well. No wasting time on mint mochas or caramel marvels and forgetting how to make a latte. 

Latte Art at Peregrine

 They had a decent amount of indoor and outdoor seating, and we didn't have trouble finding a table at all. This felt like a great place to grab coffee and catch up on the NY Times on the weekend. And the best part: a water bowl on the patio to welcome a coffee lover's best friend.

The next stop on my list was the Mudhouse in Charlottesville, Virginia. My parents and I snuck in a quick trip here between dinner on the Downtown Mall and dodging a rain storm, so unfortunately we didn't get to spend as much time here. I could picture myself spending a great deal of time with my Macbook and a massive stack of books in college, and I'm sure it's frequented by the UVA students who are willing to go a bit further for a great cup of coffee. 

Similar to Peregrine Espresso, there is ample outdoor seating at Mudhouse, and arguably better opportunities for people watching. Mudhouse is located on Charlotteville's bustling Downtown Mall, a pedestrian only section of the city lined with restaurants and boutiques. While they don't do latte art, they do roast their own beans. I'm no coffee expert, just an avid fan, but I would suspect that the quality of beans they choose and their roasting process contributes to the "richness" of the coffee.

Both places are definitely worth a trip if you're in the area!