Hawthorne's Espresso Ante Has Been Upped!

Well, the wait is finally over! Billy Wilson opened his second coffee shop a couple weeks ago, to the jubilation of coffee lovers all over southeast Portland. Like the original location, this one's called The Albina Press, despite the fact that it's on Hawthorne rather than Albina. Of course, keeping the name consistent is almost mandatory from a business standpoint, but still, Hawthorne Press would've had a nice ring to it. Regardless of the name, it's a more than welcome addition to the neighborhood. I used to head up to the Albina shop from time to time, but I haven't been getting up to North Portland much these days, so it's nice to have the Press within walking/biking distance.

The Albina Press crew have attained near rock star status for their espresso skills, which have won them a slew of awards in recent years. Fool that I am, I only order the French Press when I'm there, a situation I'll have to rectify soon. They did a pretty nice job with the space (which is actually two combined storefronts next door to the Sapphire Hotel). Perhaps this is why it took them so long to open. Here's some eye candy to tide you over until you can make it in for a shot: