The Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene

One of the reason I love Prado Cafe so much is the sense of community that is shared there. I also really enjoy the service I receive. Hence what happened on Tuesday afternoon. I walked in and asked for the girls to surprise me with anything on the menu, (except chai, I was in a coffee mood). Olivia eyes lit up and said “Really?”

So I left them to do their dirty work and found a seat. Brandi was working the bar and they were both waiting patiently for my response. I saw some nice latte art on top, but knew it wouldn’t be that easy to figure this out. I was dealing with trained professionals here.

A first sip and it was mocha in origin.

“Do you like it” was Olivia’s question
“Is it too sweet” was Brandi’s
It was quite good, but what was it? I am calling it a Americano Mocha Misto.

Ingredients (in order of appearance):

Pouring of the Mocha Misto at Prado

• Chocolate sauce
• chocolate power (to help bring out the latte art)
• Double short shot espresso
• Hot water
• Steamed whipping cream
• Latte art in the shape of a heart.

If I walked into any chain store and asked for them to surprise me I would have gotten a strange look back, but these girls, who enjoy their craft decided to have a little fun and creativity on the job. It is one of the reason why I go and check out coffee shop and do this blog. I am not sure how the girls are going to top this one. . . .

I, shockingly, didn’t take a photo of this masterpiece but I will next time I am in.

Announcing the first annual:

Americano Smackdown. . .

A fellow classmate, Michael Breuer has taken me up on the Americano Smackdown Challenge. We have both chosen a cafe, His will be Starbucks on the Drive, mine will be Prado and we will face off in the Americano Smackdown. . .

Stay tuned this could get ugly. . . .

Back, way back in the winter 2006, I checked out a café called Soma on Main Street, I enjoyed the café and the space, along with the magazines available to read. If you like it enough you could purchase a new copy.

The Outside of Soma Cafe

I liked this café and it had some decent night hours too. . . Well fast forward a year and Soma has made quite the change, almost an extreme makeover for those who enjoyed their old space.

New Diggs

The café is now located just off Main on East 8th and feels very much more upscale – almost posh in comparison.
I was there with a friend and once she arrived we ordered at the bar and our drinks were brought to our table by one of the servers.

Although the space has changed the coffee is still provided by 49th Parallel Roasters and almost everything they had on the menu is still available at the new location.

Espresso by day, wine by night

It will be interesting to see if they can pull off coffee house by day and wine bar by night. They seem to want to accomplish both (I feel a Winnipeg flash back coming on. . .)

Bar Italia, of Winnipeg, and centre of the little Italy, was able to pull off the coffee crowd by day and the bar crowd by night. They also had a large patio which helped with the bar scene through the summer months.

But it felt a little weird to walk into the café late at night with a laptop, or adversely to enjoy a pint during the day.

I would find this split personality the only hurdle that Soma would have to over come to reach the echelon of top cafes in Vancouver. But then maybe it is not trying to do neither.

Free wireless is available for you laptop fans and the password changes daily, just ask your server for the code.

Faces and Places

Where this Blog was written: Soma Cafe
Drink ordered: One shot Americano
Discount of own to-go cup: 10 cents
Barista Knowledge: Solid skill
Barista Friendliness: Good service
Café website : gone 404
Google Map Location: is no more

Patio in Front of Turks Coffee

The wood grain tables counter and chairs give this place a good feel with a small comfy area in the corner and a patio area out front that always seems to have a few characters through out the day. (I usually pass Turks on my way home and also notice how full the patio is) The café has been around The Drive for at least 15 years and is owned by Milano Coffee.

The Americano was true to form a nice bold taste with long lingering after taste and not a hint of burnt or bitterness, this Patrick knows his stuff. (He has since left Turks)

The only thing that bothered me about this café is they don’t give a discount for bringing your own to-go cup. Not 10 cents, nothing. . . .

Training issues

Sunshine streaming into Turks

Turks suffers from a lack of training for the staff. According to a couple of current and former employees to properly train the staff it would cost the owners to much and would be cost prohibited to give each and every staff member complete and proper training even if they only stay a week. I really feel for the owners they have a business to run and getting staff is the economy is hot (was hot) is a hard task. But when this review was originally written in June of 2007 all the barista were knowledgeable and I never had a bad drink, As of March 2009, I can barely get a decent drink made at Turks, this has nothing to do with the economy and everything to do with the amount of time the owners are spending with the rookie staff.

. I have had great drinks from Turks but I have also had some pretty weak and poorly made drink, it all depends on barista. I also can’t find any evidence of direct trade practises.

Location Location Location

I still, and always have like the vibe you get when you walk into turks, I am not sure Turks would be a place I would recommend if it wasn’t for the location on the drive. Because of the eclectic nature of the the environment that surrounds Turks is the only thing that saves this place. They still play awesome music, have free wifi and it is still a place I can sit down and enjoy the environment.

Faces and Places

Where this Blog was written: Turks on the Drive
Drink ordered: One shot Americano
Discount of own cup: You get nothing!
Barista Knowledge: Poor
Barista Friendliness: Nice good selection of music

My Starbucks Roommate

I’ve lost my roommate to Starbucks

First I have some horrible news, my roommate and his girlfriend, confessed to me that they still go to Starbucks, he goes there quite often and can’t stop going, this after he joined my Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks group on Facebook.
“I can’t live this lie anymore…I enjoy going to Starbucks…and I like some of their coffee too. It’s not you, Robert…it’s me.”
But I was always suspected him as a Starbucks junkie, He would hide his frappuccino plastic cups in the bottom of the trash or give them to his girlfriend to conceal his real habit.

Can A&E do an “Intervention” on him?
What about SA (Starbucks Anonymous)?

Suggestions, I need suggestions people, I am at a loss, he is the best roommate I have ever had. He doesn’t leave any dishes in the sink nor has his parrol officer phoned, so I guess if that is his only fault I can deal with it. . .

Are you a Caffeine Geek?

If you love science, caffeine and need a new set of coffee cups for your office, kitchen, check out these cups by Think Geek with the caffeine molecule. They also have T-shirts and to go mugs.

Think Geek Caffeine T-Shirt

Think Geek Caffeine Mug

Front of Benny's Bagels

I heard through the grapevine that Benny’s Bagels on Broadway was open after a fire had damaged the business last January and left it closed for a couple of months. I thought a review was in order if they were open.
It was after a Friday morning class that I decided to check this place out and after a long bus ride that took forever both tired and hungry and hot, all I wanted was bagels.

All I can say is wow, this place looks amazing, The entire shop from top to bottom was finished in wood and after the fire. The floor was replace along with the railings on the second floor of this high ceiling café. There were some great and groove tunes that were just loud enough to get into but yet subtle enough to carry a conversation over.

I first tried the focaccia bagel toasted with cream cheese and it is most likely the best bagel I have ever had in my entire life. I would give it a 15 out of 10. The only problem was I savored so quickly I had to get a second one.
I then tried the Cinnamon and Raisin Bagel and, although it wasn’t as good as the focaccia one, it was still a 9 of 10 in my book.

Inside of Benny’s on Broadway

Coffee? oh right coffee. . .

Benny’s also serves coffee from the North Vancouver based Bean Around the World Roastry. I really wasn’t in a coffee mood when I arrived, but I still give this shop my seal of approval. Bring any size and style of to-go mug and they will fill it for a buck fity ($1.50).

They are also planning a welcome back Benny’s open mike night and free wireless available for you laptop users. The café is also licensed with Okanagan Spring on tap, not that I sampled a pint or two on the padio after writing this blog. . .

I would say whole (wheat maybe) heartily welcome back Benny’s!

Update: April/2009 I went to try the coffee, I stayed for the bagels. True to form Benny’s focaccia bagel is still the best bagel in the entire world, If I only could eat one begal for the rest of my life it would be a Benny’s focaccia bagel. The Americano was decent. I am not a fan of a extremely dark roast, but that is more of a personal preference, their was plenty of crema and cooled nicely.

Faces and Places

Where this Blog was written: Benny’s Bagel’s Broadway
Drink ordered: drink what drink it’s all about the bagels. . .
Discount of own cup: You are charged the “to stay” price
Barista Knowledge: decent
Barista Friendliness : Awesome, I was even ID when I ordered a pint of ale (I am 30!)
Café website : none