Great Balls of Fire!

Did that get your attention? I’m so tricky. This really has nothing to do with balls or fire.

From September 10^th through October 3rd, Raul Rodas, the current 2-time barista champion of Guatemala, will be hand-crafting drinks at Crema Bakery (SE 28^th and Ankeny). The novelty! The spectacle! It’s like a little circus in there, what with Raul and the cappuccinos and the muffins. Oh, the madness.

This year Raul placed 7^th at the World Barista Championship, the highest finish for any barista from Central America EVER. That is neat.

While you’re in Crema, you will be tempted by the baked goods, and just so you know, resistance is futile. Futile and lame. Why resist? Just buy that lemon crème muffin you’ve been eying and get on with your day. Everything is baked in-house daily from scratch, and even the vanilla syrup and Chai are homemade. And who are we fooling? Homemade means healthy. I mean, if you take away the butter and sugar, those Zucchini muffins are basically just vegetables.

Bakeries inspire a simple kind of euphoria, and when coupled with great coffee, good lord! Crema now serves a rotating selection of Stumptown roasts, Intelligentsia, and Ecco Café.

Splendid Table did a bit about Crema when Jane and Michael Stern (of Road Food fame) visited the bakery, and Crema’s booty can be found across Portland in such establishments as the Albina Press and Cartola.

In other news, I made this.

Get that paper!