Lovejoy Bakers

Portland, OR. When you're traveling in a foreign city, or better stated "foreign to you" city, there are some great food-oriented mobile apps.  If you find yourself sans internet and with user friendly reception, good eats are just a few finger strokes away. Outside of the Saturday Market (on a Sunday) I walked through the city of Portland on a quest: where could I find a vanilla cream cheese danish and a good cup 'a jo?

I came across a number of places: Petite Provence, Pearl Bakery, Nuvrei Pastries, Ken's - all of whom I called to ask three pretty important questions:

The bakery has a sweet Vanilla Cheese Danish made with flaky croissant dough and is baked in the wee hours of the morning on-site. I ordered the last one and paired it with a large White Mocha and sat down on this atypically sunny day to enjoy my second eat of the day.  The coffee was incredibly smooth with a hint of chocolate - maybe it was a good day, or maybe it was what would soon learn about Portland: it's just a coffee makin' kind of city.

The flavors of the pastry hit home, despite the fact that I came late in the morning, chose the last one, and realized that mine was a tad overcooked. The pastry was flaky, could easily taste wonderful earlier in the day without reheating, and wasn't too sweet. The size was larger than I expected, more than enough to satisfy, and I couldn't even finish the entire danish - an oddity for me. After passing it to a friend, the validation that it was pretty darn good was heard with each "Mmm" he uttered in his consumption.

The cafe itself hosts indoor and outdoor seating, with a number of fresh breads and other goodies to try. The line moves quickly but with just enough time to survey the potential chow. I was tempted to indulge in a bit more, but I knew with just the environment alone I'd be back for a quick bite, cup, or conversation.

Lovejoy Bakers