Ristretto Roasters

Ristretto Reading Series, “The Secret World of Saints,” by Bill Donahue, Wednesday, January 11

Nancy — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:42:05 +0000

Please join us on Wednesday, January 11, at 7 p.m. as Portland writer Bill Donahue reads from and discusses his new book, “The Secrets of the Saints,” released by byliner.com in December. Donahue’s story zeroes in on Kateri Tekakwitha, a seventeenth century Mohawk Indian and Catholic ascetic who slept on a bed of thorns. In late December, Tekakwitha was credited with causing a miracle in the life of a Lummi Indian boy. She will be named a saint, perhaps as early as next fall. But what, exactly, does that mean? How does someone become a saint? What’s the vetting process?

Coffee and treats for sale; wine generously provided by Anne Amie (www.anneamie.com).

Wednesday, January 11, 7pm at Ristretto Roasters Williams – 3808 N. Williams Ave., PDX. Full info at the Ristretto Reading Series page on Facebook.

Ristretto Reading Series events are free and open to all.

Holiday Hours

Nancy — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:09:15 +0000

Happy holidays! All Ristretto Roasters locations will close at 3pm New Year’s Eve, so get your beans early. We will be closed New Year’s Day.

Ristretto Reading Series, “Short Fuse,” by Lili Ristagno, Friday, December 16

Nancy — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:13:22 +0000

Please join us for the book release party for “Short Fuse” (Dymaxicon 2011), Lili
Ristagno’s true crime graphic novel, a book John Chandler of Portland Monthly calls, “like leafing through a madman’s high school yearbook.”

Lili will read from and show slides of her work. Also joining us will be Dymaxicon publisher Hillary Johnson, and “Short Fuse” editor Nancy Rommelmann (that’s me!).

Coffee and treats for sale; wine generously provided by Anne Amie (www.anneamie.com). Music and food after the reading.

Friday, December 16, 7pm at Ristretto Roasters Williams - 3808 N. Williams Ave., PDX

Ristretto Reading Series events are free and open to all.

Short Fuse book trailer

Harper Bates

Nancy — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:36:36 +0000

When Din and I decided to open Ristretto Roasters Williams, we were very fortunate to work with Holst, one of whose principals, Jeff Stuhr, was a customer at the Beaumont location. Jeff hooked us up with a young architect at his firm, Harper Bates. Harper was about 33, tall and rangy, with blazing orange hair and the sort of countenance that, even when standing still, he appeared about to spring into action. He was also, at least with us, always smiling. He was a doll, super-curious about how we saw the Williams space coming together, and eager to let us be part of the design process. I do not exaggerate when I say Din and I always felt, walking into Holst to meet with Harper, like some of the most privileged people on the planet.

The Williams cafe opened in September 2008, just about the time Harper and his wife Amie had their first child, Nari, and also that Harper found out he had ALS. It was just a really rotten hand dealt to one of the loveliest people we have known. Harper died on Tuesday. His memorial is the 15th, the same day we will open our third cafe, which I know he would have dug the hell out of. His work is with us always, and though the photo here does not show his adorableness, I feel sure he would approve. I mean, look at her. Thank you, Harper.

Brian Connolly Show

Nancy — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:46:18 +0000

Brian Connolly‘s artwork hangs at Ristretto Williams through December. The pieces are compelling and a little crazy and so luminous I wanted to lick them.

Loggernaut Reading Series at Ristretto Roasters, December 7

Nancy — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:07:18 +0000

Ristretto Roasters is pleased to host Loggernaut Reading Series. The prompt this time: “Stranger,” prose and poems, with readers John Beer, Apricot Irving and Riley Michael Parker.

Wednesday, December 7, 7:30pm.Ristretto Roasters Williams, 3808 N. Williams Ave., PDX. Coffee available, wine generously donated by Anne Amie.

More information at www.loggernaut.org

John Beer is the author of The Waste Land and Other Poems (Canarium, 2010), which received the Poetry Society of America’s Norma Farber First Book Award. He teaches creative writing in Portland State University’s MFA program. He recently moved to Portland from Chicago, where he wrote about theater for Time Out Chicago.

Apricot Irving has reported from Haiti for This American Life and won a 2011 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award for her forthcoming memoir, The Missionary’s Daughter. She is the founder and director of the Boise Voices Oral History Project and an excerpt of her memoir will appear in More magazine early next year.

Riley Michael Parker is the author of Our Beloved 26th (Future Tense, 2008) and A Plague of Wolves and Women (Lazy Fascist, 2011). Parker is the founder of Housefire, a Portland-based experimental press that has recently issued the work of many exciting new writers.

H2M and RR in WW Give! Guide

Nancy — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:47:53 +0000

Translation: Ristretto Sponsors Hand2Mouth Theatre in the Willamette Week Give!Guide. Donate to Hand2Mouth by December 31 and receive delicious rewards from local businesses.

Don’t forget – Tuesday, December 6th is H2M Day at all Ristretto Roasters locations, with 5% of the day’s profits donated to Hand2Mouth.

Holiday shopping, anyone?

Coffee Roaster of the Year

Nancy — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:44:39 +0000

We enjoyed our visit with Star Chefs earlier in the year. Antoinette Bruno and her crew were so fast, so smart, sophisticated and interested and interesting. For a follow-up, they decided to add three new categories to the Portland Rising Stars Awards, to be held December 5. One of the categories? Coffee Roaster. Here are the nominees; congratulations to all.

In case you want to join me, I’m rooting for Din.

Brandon Smyth of Water Avenue Coffee
Sam Purvis of Coava Coffee
Brian Keefe of Stumptown Coffee
Din Johnson of Ristretto Roasters
Adam McGovern of Coffeehouse NW and Sterling Coffee