Note: Ristretto Roasters now has two locations which are listed below. Their coffee is also found in many local area restaurants.
My hands are shaky after I spent a happy afternoon at the new Ristretto Roasters on NE 42nd & Fremont. They are one of the few Portland coffeehouses that roast their own coffee, so it is all hand-crafted. Owner Din Johnson, roasts the beans every day on the vintage Probat roaster. He is passionate about his craft, and more than happy to talk shop with you. One nice touch is you don’t have to stick with the house coffee of the day. You can pick a roast, they’ll grind the beans, and drip a cup for you. A nice selection of pastries by Crema are available.
From their press release: “All Ristretto Roasters’ super-premium coffees are hand-crafted, small-batch roasted, and available by the cup and brewed to your order. Full espresso bar, homemade baked goods, free WiFi, and a rotation of interesting art in a mid-century modern setting.”
Since one of the owners writes for this site, I won’t review Ristretto, except to tell you it is a regular stop on my list, and a great way to while away some time while reading the (provided) NY Times.
- Phone: (503) 284-6767
- Address: Now 2 locations: 3520 NE 42nd Ave., Portland OR. 97213 (at Fremont). Google Map, and 3808 N Williams, Portland, OR. 97213 Google Map
- Hours: Daily 6am-6pm and N Williams 6:30am-7pm
- Website: RistrettoRoasters.com
Hmm..I wanted to try the coffee, but I didn’t have cash and the card machine isn’t up and the gal refused to take a check for $3. So, I shook my head in disbelief and walked up to Criolla.
Hey, girl cook: credit card machine went in today, but anyway, we’ve had a ton of people come in without cash; we just told them, have some coffee, pay next time; come back soon! We also take checks! Not sure what’s going on but come in again. I’ll buy you a coffee. And a cookie.
Girl Cook, the cookies are amazing, but hold out for one of the white cookie things too ;)
Hey, she can have one of each…
Coming from SF, the fact that restaurants here take checks at all is astonishing to me. It is a luxury that Portlanders should enjoy because no where in the Bay Area can you pay for coffee (or a meal) with a check. It is pretty much unheard of. Continued success, Ristretto!
P.S. That pound and a half cake is dangerous!
I’ll wait for Bruce Carey’s review before visiting.
Congrats to Ristretto Roasters on a great little retail shop/roasterie! The hard work and true passion for quality coffee shines when you walk in the door. Love the simplicity, love the pastries, the artwork, and most of all the coffees.
Two Thumbs Up!
- Matt
http://www.vivabarista.com
It’s my absolute favorite. The place changed the way I enjoy coffee. Now if I can just get through all the coffee I got for Christmas, I can get back up there for some freshies.
Without a doubt, this is the best coffee in town. Even better then my now second favorite in Seattle! I’m also extremely lucky to have Ristretto two blocks from my house. Plus, they have doggie biscuts for the furry ones. Also, try the pumpkin muffins – out of this world! The baristas are super friendly too! Am I gushing too much? Oh well. Recent studies now claim coffee makes you smarter.
Cheers
Good place. I’m usually in the neighborhood getting a Mocha Borgia at Jim And Patti’s. I guess I’ll get my depth charge at Ristretto’s. Man, I’m going to be so wired…
Ristretto Roasters was on my list of shops to survey in the Portland metro area and I must say I was very pleased. A younger woman was on the LM and displayed great and proper body mechanics for espresso extraction, hard to tell what her dosing was, but the crema was consistent with around 19grams , although I don’t know the contents of their blend vs. country of origin and crema etc. My pull was right at the 2oz mark in the demi, right on, watched her repeat it too! The espresso was great; Din was available and great to chat with! It was a refreshing experience!
Ristretto Roasters is doing a great job, fresh beans from a 12-kilo Probat, and educated barista’s, they’re definitely specialty.
Thanks for the espresso, I’ll be back for some more ..
I had an interesting experience at Ristretto Roasters about ten days ago.
I was getting ready for a climb of Mt. Adams. Coffee, obviously, plays a major role in conquering anything (see: fear, robots, etc.), so I biked over to Ristretto Roasters from my house to get some for the group. I had only purchased espresso drinks and chocolate pound cake from Ristretto (my mom loves the pound cake!), so I asked the barista what whole bean coffee he thought would taste best real early in the morning in a cold, cold place.
I was hoping to get a response with some flair and, had that happened, I would have purchased whatever coffee he suggested. Instead, I got the Coffee 101 speech (“All of our coffees are medium roasted from the finest beans available, which allows for flavors…”), which is fine and understandable, just not what I was looking for.
I asked for a third of a pound of the Costa Rican and asked him to grind it for french press. He said no, that they only sold coffee in half pound increments. So I told the barista that we were going up to Mt. Adams in an hour and that I just didn’t need that much coffee. There was a long pause. He didn’t really seem willing to work with me, but if you only sell half pounds and don’t want to sell me a little less, that’s fine. I understand that.
What happened next was a little strange, though.
I asked for a half pound of the Costa Rica and asked him if he could grind half of it for french press and then leave the rest whole bean. He told me that he wouldn’t do that. I asked why not? He said that the beans would be fresh for ten days whether they were ground or not (which isn’t true, but again, no big deal) but that to do what I wanted, he’d have to give me two bags. I said okay. He said he wouldn’t give me two bags because it was wasteful and not environmentally sound.
I was, um, a little surprised by that. Surprised enough to leave (I bought some Stumptown from New Seasons again) and I haven’t been back since.
It’s a shame because their coffee was really good and I had had only good experiences in there, but if this barista’s approach to building goodwill is that one coffee bag is worth more than my business…
Even beyond the business perspective of that experience, the amount of bags a coffee roaster uses has much less to do with their environmental impact that their roaster does, no?
And even beyond that, had I ordered any number of drinks to go, they would have been provided in paper cups!
For the record, Ristretto was more than responsive to my comment above. I received not one but two thoughtful emails addressing my experience, and have learned that they will be selling whatever amount of coffee a customer wants to purchase in the future.
Well that’s great, because, as a customer I am always right.
And if I want 15 grams of Costa Rican ground for French press,
13/27ths of pea berry ground fine, but not too, and a half decaf half soy
nonfat flat latte @ a perfect 170 with 2/3 of a scone, split that between debit and cash if you would, oh, and I want three whole beans for my Sambuca, I’m right. The poor customer behind me that just wants an espresso, today if possible, well, he’s right in hating my sorry ass.
The person behind the counter? Pffft! I’m looking for some flair.
I know that this is over the top sarcastic, but, honest to God, can’t you just buy a half pound of ground coffee and get on with your life?
I think Sidemeat does not need anymore coffee.
Hmm.. as my mother used to say, I think he needs to get back in bed, sit there a moment, and then get out on the other side.
Well, she never said that about Sidemeat… at least I hope not! Unless… oh my gosh! Dad!
Handsome as you are dude, I doubt it…
But my point, we are talking about a purchase of less than a 1/2
pound of coffee.
It needs recommendations, flair from the counter person, some ground, some whole bean, lord, what must dinner be like?
I’m the guy that just wants an espresso.
Sidemeat:
Thanks for the flame. I remember the Internet in 1996, too.
Your analysis of my writing is sloppy. If you actually read my comment above, you will see that I asked to purchase a half pound of coffee. You will also see that I did not ask Ristretto Roasters to sell coffee in any particular amount to suit me or to suit people who have difficult times finding work or friends or types of clothing beyond sweatpants. I actually wrote “I understand” if they choose to sell in half pounds.
The point of my first comment was not simply regarding the amount of coffee they would sell me. The point of my second comment was, however, twofold. First, that RR was responsive without me even needing or requesting a response and that I had learned that they will now sell coffee in any amount. Isn’t that information worth sharing on this blog?
What am I missing in ‘I asked for a third of a pound’?
you are in the way of my espresso.
Nancy, you are wrong, meat needs more coffee, much more….
Basta!
I appreciate that while you can pick words out of my comment, you still can’t actually put together why I wrote them. That is impressive. Here is a thought, based on what you wrote (please know that I would never personally attack you because I thought you were fat, or that you hate lines and so should move/continue to live in the suburbs, or that your comfort bicycle looked stupid – my my, I don’t even know if any of that is true!): Good writing is directly related to good thinking, which itself is directly related to good reading comprehension. The correlation coefficient is pretty much 1.0.
Yes, I asked initially for 1/3 of a pound of coffee because that was all I needed for an overnight trip. Why be wasteful? Purchasing local coffee can be expensive.
I will make the following three questions easy for you to parse:
1. Specifically, what is wrong with asking for recommendations from a coffee roaster when you haven’t purchased their beans before? Is that strange? I think it is an opportunity for a business to shine, especially in a market where the barriers to entry are very low.
2. Upon arriving in a coffee shop, at what speed should people be able to order their espresso? If the answer is “quickly”, then why do people still go to Stumptown?
3. Do you realize what you are advocating?
As far as flair goes, I prefer people that do things with some style. Now, this isn’t necessary. However, I want to see small local businesses succeed. In a crowded market (Portland coffee), small businesses can build goodwill and value (read: survive) through good customer service. To me, that means not just familiarity with a product, but a love for it, and an ability to share that love.
Okay. Unless there are more questions, I am totally done with this.
I have a question: How was the climb?
I figure you wrote them to mean something? But really, people that can not, or will not, complete a very simple transaction, involving a few dollars, for some simply understood good or service, ( coffee comes to mind) should just get out of the way of those of us that do understand.
Perhaps two lines? This one for coffee, this one for questions?
I’m on the Side of Meat. Although I’m usually able to put up with almost anything a customer can dish out, I could easily imagine that line of caffeine-deprived Ristretto junkies waiting for Eric to find his “flair” and move out of the way. Kudos to Nancy for her fabulous business sense in dealing with this off line.
I don’t need flair – just polite behavior and a kick-ass pull. Ristretto always delivers.
are people really so adverse to the expectation of a little customer service?
it’s one of the things that makes small business special: personal service, as opposed to the canned service one would expect at starbucks.
i’m with you, eric.
I’m not adverse to customer service at all, I have made my living at it for thirty years. I have been a customer even longer. It might even be true to say that I understand and enjoy guest service, I’ve just worked a 11 hour shift serving, and here I am, at whatever hour it is (either too late or far too early) posting about service.
Some say I am good at what I do, they may be right.
I think I know a couple of things about serving, and being served.
May I?
One of the frequently overlooked facts is that to get good service you have to know how to be served.
This requires that you understand that, in pretty much every situation that you are expecting service, OTHER PEOPLE are expecting service as well.
I’m looking at you, Eric.
When there is a line, of any sort, for some kind of service, the most people can get the best service if it all moves quickly.
Think of any time you’ve been in the line at the store, any store,
and the person in front of you wants, oh, I don’t know, maybe…
these items rung separate from those items.
Could I have those in separate bags?
May I write a check for this one? Oh, and I have exact change
for the other! Let’s see, fifty, fifty five, fifty six, fifty seven….
Or, if the (Eric) in question is oh, so hip,
‘I’m Conquering Mount Adams today!
Can you suggest a bold mix for us mighty folk?
I think 3 oz. ground should do us.
and, um, maybe…3 oz. whole bean for the rest of the week
you don’t really have much flair, do you?
I’d like to talk to the manager…
I’m going to blog this whole thing!’
The thing is, Eric, that a person with any sort of life, a tiny bit of understanding, some perspective, maybe a sense of their own smallness in a very large world, chock-a-block full of other people that value their time and energy and worth, just as much as you value yours, would have simply asked for a half pound of ground, PLEASE.
Yes, I think that qualifies as a 1996 flame.
Please, don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
“Correlation coefficient”?
Could this entire exchange get any more whiny, passive-aggressive, and symptomatic of middle-class people with no real problems?
Wait. Don’t answer that.
(this is an affirmative reply to Kevin above)
A few weeks ago, I was visiting Portland. To fortify ourselves for a drive through Troutdale and beyond, my friend suggested we stop at Ristretto — “best coffee in Portland,” he claimed.
This is relevant: I was probably dressed like a douchebag yuppie. My friend and I were going trail running, so I was wearing… well, you can imagine. Also, to my regret, my Volvo was parked outside.
I ordered a doppio. The cashier looked confused, and the barista smirked at me and said, “um, that means a double shot of espresso. It’s a *Starbucks* term.”
This was the most awesome experience of my life.
I post here not to complain, but to congratulate. Good on you, snobby Portland Barista! Were I not geographically distant, I would seek your gentle but acerbic chiding daily. Perhaps I’d order a Grande Americano one day, or a “solo”. I’d make up terms that might sound Starbuckish. I would visit when the winter snows started to melt, in hopes that I might join the line behind a demanding mountain climber, who would sharpen your tongue and hone your pretension, and — ah, think of it! — order a Venti Caramel Macchiato!
The espresso was delicious, though, seriously.
I agree with sidemeat on this one. Asking for a lot and not getting exactly what you want might be a bit irritating, but not for long. If that exchange bothered you, then maybe you should have talked to the manager (privately) or just don’t go back. But to rush home to blog about it is just plain sad. These sites shouldn’t be about the next best “tell all”. Please!
Was the kid at the counter annoying? Probably. Was that situation that big of a deal that you needed to throw dirt? Probably not.
Don’t scare everyone in the Portland restaurant industry into losing their “flair” because they don’t know who will be blogging any given situation. Making sure to please the masses is the reason for the cookie cutter service you are trying to avoid.
I miss the days of “NO BACK TALK”.
here’s my thing. i’ve worked @ an independent coffee shop. we roasted our beans every day, too. this made it super easy to do things like sell 1/3#; or 1/4# ground, 1/4# whole. and we were expected to offer recommendations based on the customers taste. we even roasted to order if someone wanted something special. it’s really not so compilcated.
if i wanted uneducated, you-must-buy-a-pound-at-a-time service, i’d just go to starbucks.
also, eric did not mention whether or not there was any sort of line behind him, so why even bring it up????
Unclesally welcome to this mornings late nights w/sidemeat.
As some of you know now, and all of you will know soon enough, this is the portion of this site where a tired, cranky, increasingly drunken sidemeat vents his frustrations earned from long shifts serving you, the loving public. Many of our guests are in the service industry, that’s why they’re up at these ungodly hours. Others are people that started out with promise and good intentions and just somehow got lost.
We make no promises and we intend to keep them.
Anyhow, like you, I have worked in micro roasters, but this was back in the day, when a cup of drip coffee, freshly prepared, was a new thing.
If someone ordered a latte, that WAS the order; no non, no soy, no peppermint/almond.
You actually pulled a lever to pull a shot.
Coffee was sold in pounds, or half pounds.
Yet, despite that, we were happy.
And the lines moved quickly.
My memory isn’t great, but I do remember serving caramel lattes
at AROMA back in ’92 or ’93 and thinking ‘what is this shit?’
Pretty soon, (thank you, the whole it’s about me, and what I want, success of the mid 90′s)
No coffee order could be placed in less than three modifiers.
Into this world a new generation of guests have been raised.
Erics do not mention lines behind them because they do not see them.
Gone, I suppose, a time when, if someone wondered if they liked a certain bean, roast or blend, they might try a cup, and decide for themselves.
Before risking a whole half a pound.
Thank you! Hey, it’s been great for me.
This mornings show brought to you by, uh, man the print is small, and why does it keep moving? Oh!
Chianti.
You should try some, but buy two, it goes fast.
oh, sidemeat. you are the living end!
Sidemeat, you need an upside down doppio con panna. (Try ordering that at Ristretto, see if they know what it means…)
This is one of the best coffeehouses in town. I usually stop in for an espresso whenever I find myself in the Beaumont neighborhood. The first time I went in, I sort of invented my own drink on a whim and the barista was happy to make it for me. I have always had great service and fantastic coffee at Ristretto. My only complaint is that it’s not next door to my house.
While I very much enjoyed the above gripe-fest – how did no one jump on this statement from Matt Higgins?
“A younger woman was on the LM and displayed great and proper body mechanics for espresso extraction, hard to tell what her dosing was, but the crema was consistent with around 19grams , although I don’t know the contents of their blend vs. country of origin and crema etc.”
If that’s not ripe for ridicule, I don’t know what is.
It’s barista-speak, RJ. And yes, the customer (reader) does not need to know it; they should notice only that the espresso is excellent. That said, there’s a lot that goes into making the espresso excellent, and like any niche group, roasters/baristas drill down to find out what works and what doesn’t; hence, caring about the 19grams and the pounds of pressure and the ideal number of group heads on the espresso machine.
a) I’m going to make it a point to try the coffee at RR as soon as possible
b) Checks are an outdated form of payment and accepting them tends to be a more a liability for the business than accepting other forms of payment. In retail management we had an unhappy number of check returned to us. Debit cards are what checks always should have been, and easier to carry in a pocket as well.
c)Starbucks terminology should be burned at the stake. The sizes are small, medium, and large, perhaps an extra large. I should think that trying to order a venti something, or a starbucks drink with their terminology would be indicative that you might be less inclined/able to appreciate a spectacular drink after downing all that scorched tasting starbucks crap. But that just me, the guy standing behind you angrily because you just ordered three drink, none of which consisted of less than five words, who now has to wait seven to ten minutes to order my single damn cup of coffee.