Why: First came the necessity: Caffeine-infused cups of joe that Zachary Gray used to keep himself chugging along on freelance graphic art projects, sometimes into the night.
Then came the culture: the Portland coffeehouses where he hung out, sipping brew and working on those freelance projects. That’s where he developed a taste for coffee, coffee culture, and all things related to the coffee bean and brew.
Enter the budding coffee connoisseur. Gray bought a home roaster and got to work toasting his own beans. Once he perfected that process, some 2 years ago, he hatched another idea: He wanted to open a coffee roasting company.
“Truly, it’s a passion that turned into an obsession,” Gray said.
When retail space on Grand Boulevard in Vancouver became available, Gray parlayed the roasting project into a coffeehouse and opened Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters, a business that both roasts coffee and serves it.
Atmosphere: The neighborhood is tired-looking, but the building’s fresh coat of lime-green paint hints at renewal.
Step through the glass front door, and the earthy scent of coffee brew wafts about. Clark College student artwork, which changes monthly, dots the walls. Burlap coffee bags hang from the back wall, along with maps and a well-traveled trunk with a venerable decoupage of country stickers. A coffee roaster churns in the back. And, next to the old-school cash register — think punch buttons — a community bulletin board announces neighborhood and Paper Tiger events.
Patrons linger at the scattered wooden tables and blond chairs. Some sidle up to the bar, where you can snag a ringside seat to watch the baristas steam milk and pour espresso.
What I tried: My first order of business was breakfast and a caffeine boost. That came by way of a bowl of granola and a cappuccino.
A sudden rush hit the coffeehouse as I ordered — a mixture of the to-go crowd and those looking to sip and linger. The barista promised to bring out my order in a moment and kept that promise.
First came the cappuccino, topped with a delicate heart and leaf in the foamy top layer. The granola came next, a crunchy mixture that included dried fruit, nuts and oats, all poured into a porcelain-white bowl. The milk (you can also order it with yogurt or soy) arrived separately in a pint-sized pitcher.
The cappuccino was a light mixture of espresso, milk and foam. I’m a leave-the-foam-on-top drinker, so I tasted the frothy bubbles with each warmed sip.
The granola was a hearty mixture, with cranberries for a tart contrast to the nuts and light honey coating. Gray said it’s his wife’s recipe, and fresh batches are made every couple of days.
While Neil Young played on the coffeehouse’s stereo, I ordered a chai tea. The recipe is a house newbie, the barista told me, adding that they’ve been serving it for about a week. In a later interview with Gray, he said he’d been trying to perfect the spice blend to craft a drink that’s authentic and not as sweet as much of the premade fare. He brews it in batches every day or two and refrigerates the mixture for use on demand.
The taste that swirled in my cup was a fusion of scents and flavors: cloves, cinnamon, a hint of cardamom and more, all melded with the froth of steamed milk and a touch of sweetness.
Other observations: Gray, an exceedingly polite man who greets his regular customers by name, sees his coffeehouse as an extension of the neighborhood and community at large. Outside of regular hours, the venue hosts poetry evenings, live music, films and special dinners. During its first year, it has become a cultural hot spot in Vancouver.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: During my interview with Gray, he brewed a batch of Siphon Coffee and offered a sample. Picture those old B movies with a scientist immersed in a lab filled with boiling glass beakers, and you start to get an image of this brew system.
A butane burner boils a glass carafe of water, which, following mysterious laws of science, is suctioned out of the carafe, up a glass tube and into a glass bowl above it, where it’s mixed with ground coffee. As the pressure drops, the brew flows through a filter and back to the carafe, where it’s ready for a cup. The process takes minutes, and the result is a sediment-free cup of coffee that’s the smoothest and cleanest I’ve ever tried. Next time, I’ll order a whole cup to savor and sip. Gray said that in the summertime, it’s refreshing iced, too.
On Tuesdays, free cuppings — tastes of coffees — are offered at 3 and 6 p.m.
Cost: Most things coffee run in the $3 to $4 range. Figure $3 or $4 for a pastry, nibble or bowl of granola.
Hours: Weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Telephone: 360-608-0366 or 360-907-0518.
Where: 703 Grand Blvd., Vancouver.
Health score: Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters received a perfect zero at its November 2009 inspection. Clark County Public Health closes restaurants that score 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
