Last Friday we opened our second Portland location next to Via Tribunali at SW 3rd Avenue. Our petite new space features sliding glass doors and a walk-up coffee window along the car-free block of Ankeny.

The Willows Inn’s Blaine Wetzel

Congratulations to Blaine Wetzel of the Willows Inn, who was just recognized by Food & Wine Magazine as one of the Best Chefs of 2012. Dana Cowin, editor of Food & Wine, called Willows Inn on Lummi Island a “truly pilgrimage-worthy restaurant.” We highly agree, especially when fueled by a cup of Vita.

Read the full profile here.

Image via Eatocracy

Today we bring you a recipe by way of Eatocracy, CNN’s food blog. Our neighbors and collaborators Theo Chocolate recently submitted a recipe to Eatocracy’s Fair Trade challenge. The results are in and they’re delicious. To read more, go here. To start baking, see below.

Theo Chocolate and Caffe Vita Gooey Double Chocolate Mocha Cookies

14 oz. Theo 70% dark chocolate
1 stick butter (114g)
4 eggs, room temperature
1 ½ C sugar (400g)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ C all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
2T finely ground Fair Trade coffee/espresso beans (we like Caffe Vita’s Theo Blend)
6 oz. Theo 70% dark chocolate, chopped

Melt the 14oz. of chocolate and butter together in microwave or in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.

Beat eggs and sugar together until thick and pale, either with a mixer or by hand, about 8 minutes.

Mix vanilla into egg mixture. Fold in cooled chocolate mixture. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together, add the ground coffee, and fold this into the chocolate mixture along with the chopped chocolate.

Right away, drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 350F about 8 minutes. Do not overbake! The cookies will be slightly puffed and very fragile at this point.

Remove from over and allow to cool. These are delicious when still slightly warm but perhaps even better after resting overnight!