Friday, March 23, 2007

Café Noir

Named after the famous film noir classic The Blue Gardenia starring Raymond Burr and Anne Baxter, this small café is one of our favorite places to stop for a breather and a hot cup of java when we hike down to N. Mississippi. Also a micro-roaster of their own line of coffees, this place is what heaven's going to smell like if any of us ever get there.

Set in a little grouping of shops, it has a very pleasant interior with a bar and a couple of tables, but I prefer to sit out outside at a table on the spacious plaza in front, which features a cleverly designed bio-swale. Rainwater from the roof runs down a series of metal chutes (making nice watery noises when it's raining) and into a sunken pool of marshy plants that filters the runoff and allows it to seep into the ground. Practical and beautiful. We like it.

Details: Blue Gardenia Bakery & Coffee Roasters, 3747 N Mississippi Ave. Phone 503-460-2583.

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