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    Coffee Guide: Ristretto Roasters

    By CuisineBonneFemme Last Update February 25, 2020 3 Comments

    Ristretto Roasters Portland
    Ristretto Roasters. Photos ©Tim Roth, Pupil Photo

    Din Johnson is a risk taker. When Ristretto Roasters first opened in late 2005, in a tiny slice of a spot on very un-hip NE 42nd Ave near Fremont St, there were whispers of, “Who are these outsiders who aren’t from the Portland coffee scene? They’ll never make it in THAT location. They are insane to open a roastery in such a saturated market.” And so on.

    Well, six and a half years later, now with two cafés and robust wholesale and online retail businesses, Ristretto’s risks have paid off.

    Owner and roaster Din Johnson and a tight staff of roasters and café workers, have put together a business model that works and would be the envy of many cities. A native Portlander, Johnson started roasting beans on his own in Los Angeles, circa 1998. The effort was truly on a micro level, in what his biography describes as a “tin can.” In 2004, he moved back to Portland, and worked his way up to a vintage Probat L-12 roaster, a roaster until 2010 on display and in-use at the Beaumont café. In 2008, he jumped on the chance to open in the new “Hub Building” on burgeoning N. Williams. The new store acted as both a community and retail anchor for neighboring businesses, attracting customers near and far for its covered patio, airy and sophisticated atmosphere and friendly service.

    Ristretto Roasters

    It’s the roasts where they shine. Focusing on single-origin, medium-roasted coffees, Ristretto is doing a wonderful job of converting the “dark roast” masses into loving a mellower, subtle cup of joe. Johnson sources all his coffees, and like others of this passion, changes them with the seasons, availability, and Ristretto’s current tastes and interests.

    The menus feature the standard espresso drinks, iced coffee, and teas we’ve come to expect in a city with this caliber of cafés. But Ristretto, unlike some others, also has a penchant for extremely good baked goods, and feature only the best. They were one of the first to feature the now-coveted Nuvrei Bakery, and more recently were the first in Portland to feature treats from Kim Boyce’s Bake Shop.

    Ristretto is now one of the biggest roasters of the Portland bunch. They prove that having a strong personal compass and taking risks on locations that others might pass up, is sometimes the wisest move of all.

    You can see a 60 second video by Ristretto here.

    Addresses:

    • 3808 North Williams Avenue, Portland 97227 Map
    • Koin Tower: 222 SW Columbia St., Portland, OR 97201  Map  (closed weekends)
    Social: 
    • Website: rrpdx.com

    Related

    Category: Coffee, Portland Coffeehouse Guide. More about Din Johnson.

    About CuisineBonneFemme

    Lizzy writes about the types of food she likes to cook the most; simple dishes based on the freshest ingredients and gently coaxed to bring out their best qualities. Things like roast chicken with crackling skin, meat stews, all kinds of soups, and anything on toast. You know, peasant food like your French/Southern/Thai/Lebanese Mother might make.

    In her past she held many a food service job, from a high-end traditional Japanese restaurant to a grease-pit diner off of Interstate 5. And she claims to still have nasty case of espresso wrist from the 10 billion lattes she made during her barista years.

    Lizzy has an educational background that includes food sciences and politics, and has been a past writer for both cultural and academic publications. She takes a big picture view of the role that all things gastronomic are having in shaping the economy, culture, identity, and ever changing food scene both here and elsewhere. She believes Portland is at a pivotal and creative time food wise, and is constantly amazed and surprised at the bounty our city has to offer.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy Rommelmann says

      April 19, 2012 at 9:22 am

      Thank you, Lizzy Caston! Thank you, Dude! We are having an SCAA and customer and everyone party Saturday at 4pm, free coffee and beer at the Nicolai cafe. See you there xx

      Reply
    2. Kaitlin says

      April 19, 2012 at 3:26 pm

      YAY! This is definitely my favorite local coffee roaster. I LOVE that they go for medium roasted coffees. I’m also ashamed to admit I didn’t know about the Nicolai location and it’s ON MY COMMUTE. Good/bad knowledge to gain ;)

      Reply
    3. James says

      April 20, 2012 at 11:53 am

      newest shop is eye candy. they are a quiet part of the portland coffee culture and everyone is better off because they are here.

      Reply

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