cafe velo

i needed to go run an errand today during lunch and took a side street that i don't take very often. this cute little cafe caught my eye on the corner of sw 6th outside of the the big pink and right on the transportation mall. several different lunch counters have occupied this space in the past but i love what this one has done for the curb appeal.

i popped in just for a minute to look over their menu, which sounded really good. when i got back to work, i googled this little gem and this is what i found out about our new neighborhood business.

cafe velo started as a mobile coffee cart over at the portland farmers market in the south park blocks. the owner, rick wilson, quit his high tech job, purchased a european bakfiet bike (the cool three-wheeled kind that looks like a boat) and opened up shop. he felt that this was the perfect business for portland because it involved a bike, coffee, and sustainability. it turns out he was right. his business is booming at the farmers market and now he has a permanent home as well, referred to as cafe velo 2.0.

at cafe velo 2.0, he still offers made-to-order drip and french press coffee by stumptown, but also offers a few other varieties of coffee as well. i have not yet jumped on the portland made-to-order drip coffee bandwagon but now i think i'll give it a shot to see what all of the fuss is about. however, what really caught my eye was the great lunch menu he boasts at the tiny cafe.

the menu is based on rick's time living in paris when he encountered the diverse ethnic selections of parisian street food. he offers flatbread sandwiches, falafel and hummus, soups, tagines and one of my favorites-paella. i cannot wait to go back and try some of these wonderful flavors of spain, morocco and tunisia right here in our very own neighborhood!

cafe velo is at 600 sw pine 503.719.0287 and is cash only. there is a menu listed on their website cafe-velo.