The Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene

Continental Coffee during Sunny Day on The Drive

I felt it was time to visit another long-standing coffee shop of East Vancouver. Continental Coffee has been a cornerstone of The Drive for 30 years and far longer than  the green behemoth that sits right across the street. It has seen its fair share of cafes come and go and still remains busy with a line up to the front door some mornings.

With a wealth of great coffee on The Drive and Vancouver it is sometimes hard to cover cafes that are so close to home. So, we decided to give Continental our undivided attention.

We first visited some weeks back and still enjoyed the family-run operation in strict contrast with the feeling you get with some of the corporate giants of the area. The Americano I ordered was under extracted and really short for a 12 oz. I went back and the nice barista apologized and just added another shot. I noticed these shots were really short in time and thought it could save the owner some dough and make a better cup if the shots were more properly timed. On the other side of the scale Erica found her drink quite bitter even with the addition of some cream and sugar.

Reno for the Roaster

I do remember what the old Continental Coffee resembled before the renovations of Spring 2009 and found the cafe a little less cozy and some what spare. Erica arrived before I had and said she felt the cafe could use a little more care in its aesthetic appeal as the coffee was great but the vibe and feel of the cafe lessened her experience.

The second venture of this cafe review I managed alone and found my Americano has a proper extraction, with mellow undertones of a slightly darker than medium roast profile. It was a joy to drink on a Saturday afternoon with the weekend G & M.  But sadly my second drink some two hours later was an 8 oz. latte with over-heated milk, which burnt my tongue a bit.

Both Erica and myself purchased some beans and found the roast bean fared far better than what was served by the barista. And you know as well as I that all the harvesting, sampling, roasting, cupping and storage can all go for not if the actual brew isn’t timed just right.

Family run operation

The owner of the cafe, Anita Allen, is seen behind the counter most days and was behind the counter the Saturday I re-visited. I don’t doubt the endless hours she puts into the cafe as any small business owner does to run a successful business day in and day out. After chatting with her briefly at the end of the day, I see the passion she has for coffee and it must be one of the reasons why the cafe has been around for so many years.

There is free wi-fi and plug-ins for you laptop users, but the seating is limited so don’t be a cafe loafer.
All in all I give Continental props for being one of the longest standing cafes on Commercial Drive. That along with roasting its own beans for some 30 years is a real dedication to craft and art in the coffee industry. I’d still like to see a more attentive barista behind the bar, but isn’t there always room for a little improvement?

* We at Coffee Vancouver are also not immune to a constant need for improvement.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Continental Coffee
Drinks that was ordered: 12 oz. Americano, 8 oz. Latte
Discount on to-go cup: Didn’t ask
Barista Skill: Completely random
Barista friendliness: Very friendly and welcoming
Website: none
Address: 1806 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, Canada

Cafe Medina on a Busy Saturday Morning

We wanted to check out Cafe Medina and cross another cafe off the ever-growing list. Having Erica along has really helped me out with the reviews. Due to the cafe hours we couldn’t make it on a weekday. So we decided to hit up the joint for some Saturday morning brunch and we were not the only ones, it took 15 minute to get seated.

The wait time was dealt with efficiently, friendly and before we knew it we were seated with menus and a drink order. I love it when a plan comes together.

Erica suggested I get the lavender latte and she would try the lavender mocha. Mine arrived with some nice latte art, a decent amount of foam on top and the milk that wasn’t over heated. The touch of lavender was a nice complement to the latte. I have never been a big fan of flavoured drinks as I don’t like to mask the coffee flavour, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the mellow tones of lavender added to the drink. It was not over powering at all. This drink would certainly complement any weekend brunch.

“Number one coffee since I have been to Vancouver,” Erica said with her hands expressively pointing at the table. “Wow. It had enough sweetness with the chocolate and the milk was smooth and creamy!”

The Layout

12oz. Lavender Mocha, left and 8oz Lavender Latte

When you enter Medina you see a large wall on the North side made of brick reaching to the top of the open ceiling and a bar running down the South side, making this one long and skinny cafe. The serving staff don’t have an easy time getting around, but one waitress made a great joke of it when she had to step over my laptop bag.

“You’re really not making this any easier on me,” she said, jokingly.

“This is a really nice brick building, very open and it is set up well for a place that is so small,” said Erica after observing her environment.

We also had some food. Erica loved her food so much she actually wanted to marry her friccasse and the skillet it came in. The staff had to separate her from the skillet. I had a waffle and a mixed berry that was pretty awesome, but only meant as a snack.

Erica also wanted to have a waffle, but felt the experience would be better served on a return visit, so she could savour every bit.

“The whole coffee and waffle thing is such a good idea,” said Erica.

I was introduced to Cafe Medina last year and agreed with Erica, they do a nice job of both the waffle and presentation. I concluded our visit with an Americano which was perfectly extracted and had decent amount of cream on the top.

Inside a busy but not chaotic Cafe Medina

There is wireless available and the password is at the bar, but weekend mornings aren’t the best for doodling. I had more than a few eyes on me as I made a couple notes on my laptop. I did see a number of people with coffee to go coming out of the cafe. The cafe uses beans from 49th parallel roasters so if you’re in the area and need something better than the waves or fatburger (but we really knew you weren’t going to go for coffee at a place called fatburger) then this is the best option in the immediate area.

In my brunch experiences when you find an awesome breakfast joint, you get an awesome meal, but run-of-the-mill coffee. Rarely have I found the two together. I can honestly say that every visit to this funky cafe called Medina has been a pleasant experience and I would come back any time.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Cafe Called Medina
Drinks that was ordered: 8 oz. lavender latte, 12 oz. lavender mocha, 12 oz. Americano
Discount on to-go cup: Didn’t ask
Barista Skill: Top Notch
Barista friendliness: Very friend and welcoming
Website: www.medinacafe.com
Address: 556 Beatty Street, Vancouver

The PNE doesn't lack crowds on a sunny day

With the end of summer upon us there has always been one event that my family looks forward to, the opening of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE). Co-author Erica Hill arrived and it was important to get her up on a trip that everyone makes at least once in their Vancouver lifetime.

The Superdog show, the pig races and those little mini-donuts are all tried and true traditions of the PNE, but can you find a good cup of coffee on the grounds of Vancouver’s longest running fair? To be honest, we weren’t all that hopeful about finding a good cup of coffee but thought, “Hey why not?” With the free admission on the first day we’d have some extra cash to do something else while walking between shows and events.

We decided to rate coffee on PNE’s grounds an out-of-10 scale. Please note that we are grading our experiences against other cafes on the grounds only.

We totally enjoy the PNE

So, we joined the long line of people to get in. Once we were first checked in we ventured to the show mart to look for any coffee retailers that might have a few things to sell us. We saw lots of sham-wow knock offs, ginzu knives and more than a few locations that sell fudge. But, no coffee.

We thought, “Hey, let’s ask guest services”. . . It was the first time I have been back since the demolition of the food pavilion.

“Ahh, there is coffee near the Coliseum and a bunch of concession stands, but I don’t know where the good coffee is. I don’t drink the stuff,” a very nice attendant said.

So we decided to stroll the street leading to the Coliseum and it wasn’t long until we found Jimmy’s Lunch, which proclaimed Good Coffee. How could we not try it?

Jimmy’s Lunch
“Don’t lose your slip”
$2.50
Boyd’s Coffee Service

We heard this place was the one to come for burgers, but came for the coffee.

We didn’t order lunch we were only here for the coffee, so we were never given a order slip but every employee, all 15 of them, asked, “Where is your slip?” But at the end of the line we were laughing about the lack of a slip. We got the coffee and all we could smell was the fried onions on the grill, something we hear Jimmy’s was famous for. They have been at the fair since the 1920s.

Well at $2.50 a cup we found Jimmy’s Lunch coffee burnt, devoid of any flavour and it could not be improved with any amount of cream or sugar. It could be said that the quality could only go up from there, and was horribly expensive for what we actually got. Neither of us even finished half of a cup. On the plus side, it had a really nice grassy seating area behind the stand. Just remember, do not lose your slip.

As we continued down the walkway to the Coliseum we found a very busy kiosk powered by espresso according to the side wall.

Cheyenne Coffee
“Best cup of the Day”
$2.25 – $2.50
Cherry Hill Coffee

Cheyenne Coffee has the only drinkable coffee on the fairgrounds

They were really moving behind the counter of this kiosk and four people were constantly running out to serve people.

“This was much more than I thought we would find here, they have an espresso maker and not the push button automatic machine I was expecting,” noted Erica.

Although I was concerned by the lack of crema on my Americano, I also wondered if the hot water was on top of the espresso, which dissipates the crema. We couldn’t see what was going on behind the counter.

“It lacks a real punch of flavour, which is only a result of under extraction, but really better then I was expecting to find at the PNE,” noted Robert.

After the coffee had cooled a bit it was a little more enjoyable and had some subtle notes and a sweet acidity. Erica enjoys more of a full body coffee than I, so she felt a little less satisfied. We did actually drink most of the beverages from this location as they have two locations on the grounds.

We then toured Hasting Race Track and sadly found Hastings Deli and Cappuccino bar closed. Erica really enjoyed the view from the grandstands and hopes to return to lose her money to the ponies. . . .

Continuing into Playland we thought we could find at least one coffee stand amongst the Hellevators, Rollercoasters and Midway Game. We did find a concession stand that sold coffee along with burgers and fries but the 15 person line up and the $2.75 a cup kept us at bay.

We basked in the warm goodness that is the PNE mini-donuts and we walked back to the PNE section of the fair only to find this cute little booth advertising independently home-roasted organic coffee. Needless to say we got our hopes up!

Earth Club Factory
“Shot time of minutes”
$3.50
Earth Club Factory Roasters

Earth Club Factory Kiosk, we should have kept on walking

We showed up and found a three-group machine and everything at this cafe other than the unknown roaster said this was going to be a great cup of coffee. But once again our hopes were dashed in a big way. First there was a price difference between a 12 oz. cappuccino and 12 oz. latte by .25 cents. Why? The other thing was we saw the shots running very slowly but yet got our drinks extremely quickly. This proves that just because a coffee shop offers organic, fair trade, small batch roasted coffee doesn’t mean it is any good.

“This cappuccino has no taste. It is watery milk and the milk is burnt,” concluded Erica.

Although my cappuccino was slightly better tasting espresso there was barely half an inch of foam on either drink.

Hopes dashed we threw out the drinks and went to watch some pig races, which were quite popular. With barely an inch of space to be found, after the pig races we went to get some real food and found a French crepe’s place near Jimmy’s Lunch. It was the best crepes we have ever had and the best value bar none at the fair.

Full of junk food, legs weary from scouring the entire grounds and tired from the crowds of people we left the 99th annual PNE and came to the conclusion that although they had some definite room for improvement Cheyenne Coffee was the only place to go once on the ground of the PNE.

I have no idea how the food vending application process worked for the PNE or what type of revenue sharing occurs, but if JJ Bean, Salt Spring, 49th or Wicked ever decided to put a kiosk in the PNE they would certainly give the current vendors a run for their money!

Footnote: I was riding home and saw a number of people walking from the Starbucks on Kaslo with trays of drinks to the fairgrounds, understanding that yes that is certainly your second option.

I have been commuting by bike as much as possible this summer, and with this weather I have totally enjoyed it too. Living in East Van and needing to get downtown I would often take the Adanac Bike Route downtown. It is a super quick route and at one point you come across a green space that you need to navigate in order to continue along Union Avenue into the Downtown core.

If you’re a bike commuter and live in East Van you’ll know exactly where I am talking about and if you don’t bike please refer to exhibit A to my left.

Exhibit A - The Adanac Bike Route

What does this have to do with coffee? Well it is at this curve in the road that I was told by Kathy Sinclair of the VACC that I should make a right turn instead and check out the Wilder Snail Neighbourhood Grocery and Cafe. From the outside it looks like your stereotypical corner store you would find in any community across Canada. But don’t judge this book buy its cover, because it is part coffee house, part corner store and somewhere in the back there is a bit of a bike shop hanging out.

Is this cafe trying to be all things to all people? Well no, I don’t think so. I think it is serving the changing community of Strathcona and all of its needs.

I had checked out this place three times, and I love finding these out of the way places, so I thought to myself “time for a review”. Also this review coincides with the introduction of Erica Hill to the coffee blog and we have just been too silent for our own good.

The Wilder Snail

Walking into the Wilder Snail you are greeted by a large wooden bar, some great red cupboards and large red globe lights that Erica wanted to make special mention of. The name is a humorous poke at unusual British pub names.

The owner Boyd Thomson, is an avid cyclist and has a small collection of tubes and bells and other bike knick-knacks that may help you out should you ever have a flat near the shop. I have found Boyd behind the counter every time I have been in the shop, and he runs the shop from behind the bar. The name is a play on words.

It has that coffee shop feel but it has got some other stuff to it also – A gem in the middle of the funky neighborhood, with a park right next door. I could just sit here and read my book on a Saturday afternoon. said Erica

Boyd uses JJ Bean for coffee and a 3 group LaMarzocco Linea for the extraction. Erica had a 8oz cappuccino and found her cappuccino a little on the hot side. My 8oz capp had some great stiff micro foam, just the way I love an old skool capp. Although I have had great macchiatos there before, I also found my second drink which was a macchiato a little on the hot side as well.

Espresso Macchiato at Wilder Snail

The Corner store offers wireless starting a 2:00pm everyday, the cafe is on Hawks just south of Hastings and just two blocks north of the Adanac Bike Route on the other – a well placed cafe for locals and non-locals alike. I would have passed by this cafe for months just because I didn’t know it was there. But I certainly won’t next time I am looking for a quiet place away from the Drive but close enough to home. Both Erica and I applaud Boyd and his Wilder Snail for being one of the coolest corner stores around and hope his niche market of bikes, groceries and coffee is around for a long time to come.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Wilder Snail
Drinks that was ordered: 6 oz. Macchiato and 8 oz Dry Cappuccino
Discount on to-go cup: 15 cents
Barista Skill: Decent
Barista friendliness: Very friendly
Website: www.thewildersnail.com
Address: 799 Keefer St, Vancouver

JJ Bean Mainstreet Store front

The Main Street JJ Bean is one of seven in the string of cafes that are part of  JJ Bean Coffee Roasters. They have a large wholesale and distributing arm which services a huge number of independent operated cafes across the lower mainland.

But the house that I am talking about is exclusively the JJ Bean Cafes located across Vancouver and are owned and operated by the parent company. These cafes are where a lot of barista’s in Vancouver have gotten their start and some cafe owners like Amy York were taught the business before going off to start new cafes.

This is also an exclusive review of the Main Street Cafe as chains go one cafe can not speak for the entire brand.

A short walk up from Broadway you’ll find yourself at East 14th and a bucks on one corner and a JJ Bean on the other. The JJ’s has a large wood finish on the exterior and a huge portal for people watching along main street. Walking into the cafe the wood theme continues with high wood ceilings, a central fire place, with a green titled and  wood bar.  As far a cafes go this is quite the large one with a pair of La Marczocco Linea three group machines and a large fireplace in the center. Their is a roaster in the corner and it is used on a weekly basis for small batch roasting.

The Main Street Patio

Song bird style

The cafe has large garage style windows which open up to the patio during the summer. I must admit I whore for this style of windows and with the type of climate Vancouver has it suites the cafe perfectly. Small little song birds who are quite cheeky in their pursuit of muffin crumbs perpetrate through the large garage bay windows. Personally I think it adds to the cafe. If a seagull came nibbling around my feet I might have a different opinion, but the sounds of the song birds are certainly sweeter then roar of traffic IMHO.

The JJ Bean Coffee Roasters has been going through a re-genesis of sorts the have shorten their line up and refined their purchasing, the Espresso Nero Organic has been really kicking it in high gear lately. I think were coming into a great time for coffee drinkers in Vancouver as the roasters are really challenging each other in terms of quality.

The Americano ordered on the first visit was rich in crema. As it cool I found it kinda mellowed out a bit with a clean finish. I had to down it as I didn’t realize the time, but even doing that I didn’t ruined the finish, although I wouldn’t recommend it.

A Roman Indulgence

The Macchiato was so good I almost forgot to take a photo

8oz Dry Cappuccino

I returned a week later to have an espresso macchiato. The milk was steam perfectly with a decent amount a micro foam and both the espresso and milk melded perfectly together. It was one of the best drinks I have ever had from a JJ Bean. I find it hard to sometimes describe the perfect drink as their are so many variables that can’t be judges or quantified. But everything came together, quality drink, the environment, service, music, mood.

In my second drink I decided to go all out and ask for an 8oz Dry Cappuccino and they delivered in my estimation a perfectly crafted dry cappuccino of which I fully enjoyed from the spoonfuls of foam on top to the perfectly heated milk below.

They don’t have wi-fi, but they do serve food and this place can get dam busy even at the slowest of days. I have been really enjoying JJ’s coffee as of late and these latest cafe visits has certainly excelled in quality from previous visits.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: JJ Bean Main Street
Drink that was ordered: 12 oz Americano & 6 oz. Macchiato and 8 oz Dry Cappuccino
Discount on to-go cup: 15 cents
Barista Skill: Top notch
Barista friendliness: personable and sociable
Website: www.jjbeancoffee.com

Re-Entry Espresso on Main Street

Re-Entry’s launch pad blast off from 4363 Main Street street near 28th street. It has a very 1967 tomorrow-land feel to it. Walking into it you see its blue and grey textured walls, it has a futuristic feel. It also feels like this place could have been an old diner back in the day and it was renovated and made into an espresso bar. It just has that feel too it, the three group Syneso Cyncra fit right into the surroundings.

The cafe also has a one group Syneso Cyncra that they use for testing new coffee and training purposes. I also bet that it’s used as a backup in case the three group machine calls in sick for the day.

I walked in a quiet Thursday afternoon and glanced at the futurist style menu. While my 12 oz. latte was being made I asked if the Ovaltine on the menu was a big hit with the kids. The barista joked that it was more a big hit with the parents who try to get their kids to try it, albeit with limited success, she said.

Ovaltine for you old school folks

She poured the latte in front of me, which I always liked, most cafes do this anyways, but I still think it is worth a mention. I could certainly tell beans from the venerable Seattle based roaster Vivace were used. I could really notice a difference between the Vivace and the 49th parallel I usually drink while on The Drive.

Change is as good a rest.

The latte was rich in taste, with a clean finish with a note of caramel. It was really enjoyable to have something new. I certainly savored it.

Even with being on Main Street the noise of the street didn’t travel into the cafe that much and the hi-fi stereo system was delivering some mellow lazy afternoon tunes. Sigur Rós was playing while I was enjoying my latte reading the latest copy of the Straight, the paper version, the website is not a favourite of mine.

Re-Entry Cafe Interior

Room for Improvement

I was over caffeinated by the time I finished the latte on Thursday so I thought I would try a decaf Americano on for size. I don’t think it is ordered all that often, because the bag of beans was grabbed from underneath the counter. The shot wasn’t exactly perfect and after it had cooled I felt it was slightly over extracted.

I returned the next day for a dry cappuccino which came with latte art? The foam should be so thick that you can’t pour art with it. That in my opinion is not a dry cappuccino, please don’t get me wrong I got a very nice foamy latte, but a cappuccino it wasn’t. The foam for a cappuccino should be stiff and almost moldable, maybe that is just the way I like them? Am I wrong? But a number of girls at Prado do a very nice dry cap extremely well.

In the five espresso drinks I ordered over three days at Re-Entry I received grounds in bottom of every cup and from different baristas. While the enjoyment of each drink was quite nice the last sips always had some grounds.

All in all I rank Re-entry quite high in my cafe experiences in Vancouver. The different in espresso is a nice change and I really liked the style of the cafe. The sign in the washroom was hilarious, but I will leave you to find that out for yourself. As a bonus to this review any cafe with a Mac on the counter gets an extra point in my completely biased Apple-loving opinion. . . .

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Re-Entry Espresso
Drink that was ordered: 12 oz. latte & 12 oz. decaf Americano
Discount on to-go cup: You get nothing!
Barista Skill: Top notch
Barista friendliness: nice but not chatty
Website: www.re-entry.ca

Last summer, almost a year ago I ask Gio Corsi to help me review a famous cafe and attraction on The Drive. Cafe Calabria.

Gio Corsi might be 98% Chimp, but 100% authentic Italian

You might know Gio Corsi from some of his other rolls on the Internet. He plays the Russian Ambassador on the famous Tiki Bar TV. He also writes wrote a food blog called Vancouver Eats (he now writes Singapore Eats) and has been know to take some damn popular flickr photos.
Gio had also just returned from a trip to Italy and who better to help me review a cafe then a Italian-Canadian who just got back from Italy?
Well that summer came and went and still not a post was updated, I felt horrible, but was so behind the 8-ball in way to many project I still let this one slide. Come the new year both Gio and myself found ourselves unemployed due to the recent economic downturn.  I had decided to relaunched the coffee blog and I was determined to make good on a promise and concluded this review.

I just keep moving on…

Well as luck may have it, I found work just down the street and Gio well he found work in Singapore. Yes our lovable ambassador of food and all things tiki has moved to Asia and while we couldn’t fit in a return visit to Calabria. I promised to return a finish what we started and save some face.

Finishing what we started

Caffe Calabrian, Circa Summer 2008

Cafe Calabria has been an establishment on The Drive for 32 years and they have the memorabilia to show for it. I first tried the gelato, it was the tiramisu a little pricey and fresher could be had on The Drive although in the heat of the summer this is nothing to complain about.

Gio arrived and we went up to the bar and ordered a cappuccino and double espresso.

“The crema was a bit weak but it tastes like Italy, appearances can be deceiving,” said Corsi.

We both though the Italian of the year was a bit cheesy but it plays to the theme of the place well.

“But baring that this is the great melting pot of european goodness… Italian coffee across the street from a Thai take out and a Greek resturant.” said Corsi.

It is places like this that really make The Drive.

“You can tell a good place from everything else because it always has all the old Italian guys sitting out front.” said Corsi.

Calabria is always busy I have never seen it empty or without people sitting outside although I am sure it happens occasionally.
Going back a year later I had both a Americano and a 8oz Dry Cappuccino and both were decent I also had a biscotti that hit the spot. I have had a variety of quality and service at Calabria as it almost depends on their mood. The roast is also quite dark but something you would expect from an Italian roaster, overall quality is decent and drinks are consistent to their style, oh and character, nothing in Vancouver comes close to this cafe in terms of character.

Cappaccino with cocoa

I did enjoy my last visit and hope to see Gio back in Vancouver with in a couple years where I sure will toast his return to The Drive.

Where this blog was written: Caffe Calabria
Drink that was ordered: 8 oz Americano and 8oz Dry Cappuccino
Discount on to-go cup: none
Barista Skill: Old Skool
Barista friendliness: A little rough around the edges (but not ball busting)
Website: none

I always like a challenge. Sometimes I think a little too much. But when my friend Suzanne Stunder said, “I didn’t know there were any other places other than Starbucks that are worthy of my money.” Well, you’re just asking for it.

Elysian Coffee on Broadway

I also thought this was the perfect opportunity to multitask and check out the new Elysian Coffee location at Ash and Broadway. (Check out the review the original the Elysian Room). So on a beautiful Friday morning I jumped on my bike and rode through the beautiful cherry blossom lined streets of East Van to this new local just before Cambie street.

Walking in to this joint you get a very minimalist laid out cafe with subtle tones of brownish gray and white walls. The bar really showcases two clovers when you walk in. They are unmistakable in shape and size.

At the counter the barista tried to guess my drink. Man do I love that. . . It shows just how much they love their job. Although he was third-time lucky (wet cappuccino) he also handed me a glass of sparkling-carbonated water while I was waiting for Suzanne to show up.

No Drip Here

Substitute photo of Suzanne Stunder

Once she arrived she immediately asked for a drip coffee and was surprised to hear there wasn’t any available. I told her the coffee was on me so she ordered a macchiato and was impressed by the little heart she received, (don’t get that at Starbucks now do ya?). After we caught up on state of the world, I started to ask her about her love affair with the bucks (or any other chain for that matter). Suzanne was also feeling a little camera shy during the review so we have this substitute photo from her facebook page.

8 oz Wet Cappuccino

“I feel like home when I am in a bucks. It is my second home no matter where I go, I know what to expect. But what else is there?” asked Stunder. “The problem with me is that I am not a conoseiur of coffee. I think McDonald’s coffee is great. I reheat my folgers after it gets cold. It is not all about the coffee for me, I am much more about the experience.”

We discussed what experience she had at the chains that she liked.

“It is not about being cheap, it is about enjoying the experience. [For example] I’d rather have a $20 dollar bottle of wine with good friends then a $100 dollar bottle of wine with a bad date,” said Stunder. “My life is too busy for unrealistic expectation. Especially from my coffee… I want to get my coffee, I don’t want to be let down first thing in the morning.”

A mate by any other name

Elysian Coffee Interior

While we both agreed on this subject, the topic of a 60 oz cup commercial coffee urn came up and our paths show that we both drank our fair share of bad coffee. Apparently Suzanne started drinking coffee at the young age of six at her dad’s autobody shop and she was quite the fan of the coffee mate back in the day. She surmises that this is why she is not a coffee aficionado. . .

Well, I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy fight. so I decided to bring out the big guns and persuaded her to try a sample of the Karmaro Tanzania Peaberry from the clover without any cream or any sugar.

Excellently prepared and served by other barista on duty at the time, Jonathan and if only I could capture the expression on her face. . . It was priceless.

Karmaro Tanzania from the Clover

“OK, that is good, what is that, how can I order it?” she asked.

I then explained that this coffee was similar in price (actually it is .50 cents more a cup) and how the clover actually works. When she first heard there wasn’t any drip coffee admittedly she thought it was odd. So I also explained how it wasn’t about being an elitist when it comes to coffee but more enjoying the fine experience of a great cup. If you are going to pay two dollars for a cup of coffee, shouldn’t it be awesome?

I did forget to mention that Starbucks purchased the Clover from the Coffee Equipment Company for exactly this reason, in my opinion. . .

Once Suzanne had left for the beach I chatted with Matty Kolehmainen about the future of  Elysian Coffee as the canadian dealer for the clover machine. Basically, what they were able to do was purchase as many machines as they could before the sale to Starbucks, and they are all but sold out (Alistair confirmed he has two left). Now with a future that is uncertain for the machine and independent cafes.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Elysian Coffee
Drink that was ordered: 6oz capp & 12 oz. Karmaro Tanzania from the Clover
Discount on to-go cup: You get nothing!
Barista Skill: Top notch
Barista friendliness: Awesome
Website: www.elysiancoffee.com

Wicked Cafe on Hornby

For a guy who lives his coffee life simplistically nothing is really more complex than really trying to upgrade a computer that just doesn’t want to leave the safe confines of the Tiger operating system for Leopard. (For you non-mac geeks that is going from 10.4 to 10.5).

But, while my laptop was getting re-imaged I decided to check out the latest incarnation of Wicked Cafe located on Hornby St. This cafe certainly came to play with the other kids in the sandbox. (As that bully Starbucks is throwing sand a few store fronts away and Artigiano tracing a few rosetta’s sand mandala at the other end of the box).

This Wicked Cafe is a long, slender beast with a comfy bench along the length of the right side and small, two-person tables that parallel the benches down to the coffee area. This  cafe has not one but two Clover coffee machines and a pair of 2 group La Marzocco GB/5 espresso machines that are used depending on how busy it gets.

It opened early in 2009 and I have been to it a few times since it opened, I also took Erica Hill to the cafe in our  Girl in the City coffee tour we had in the new year.

Klie stirs the Clover

This time I had a Clover 12 oz. Rwanda Zirikana from Intelligentsia which had a really nice flavour of a dried berry but not over bearing in acidity and yet balanced equally as well in body. It had a really clean finish that was complex and yet refreshing second cup of the day. This was one of the best Clover coffee’s I have had since my first in 2005, as I am usually an americano type of guy.

Being that Wicked is the Canadian distributor for Intelligentsia it is not surprising to see a huge Intelligentsia logo on the back wall of the cafe and Intelligentsia info on the tables and machines. I have always been impressed with Intelligentsia’s transparency and accountability to produce a better product and a better way of life as a number of roasters have a paragraph to describe their roast and origin of the bean. Intelligentsia has an entire product data sheet where you can totally geek out on coffee info.

Its coffee is damn good and the location is really decent and a quick jaunt from the Robson and Hornby mecca of activity. The cafe doesn’t have wireless, or more than one power outlet on the outer edge, but not a big concern as there is plenty of “Internet Cafes” Downtown to chose from. The cafe serves food, along with the unique selection of muffins and sweets in a menu that is unique to other Downtown cafes. On this visit along it wa playing the music a bit too loud to carry out a business meeting if I were to have one.  But I am sure it has full control over the volume and can adjust accordingly.

Is it coffee I’d sell my soul for?

Well since the bank, VISA and Apple currently have equal shares of my soul at the moment I am not in a position to negotiate but it certainly is worth a trip.

Update – Aug/09 Black Cat Espresso running quite nicely and macchiato.

Where this blog was written: Wicked Cafe
Drink that was ordered: 12 oz. Rwanda Zirikana from the  Clover
Discount on to-go cup: 30 cents
Barista Skill: Solid skill
Barista friendliness: Cool and very Intelligentsia
Website: wickedcafe.ca

Smart Mouth Cafe

During a brief stint working in Gastown, before the horrible thing called a recession hit, I would take a walk down Water Street and hit this cafe called Cafe Luna. But what I didn’t know at the time was it wasn’t even Cafe Luna anymore. The cafe got a new name, new owners and a new roast.

What has captured my attention about Smart Mouth was what they always have written on the sandwich board out front. This has ranged from how hot the staff is to how Britney Spears isn’t allowed in, to suggesting you need to call you mom. . . (The author did call his mom after reading the sign, she is doing fine).

Sign from Winter 08

A funny sandwich board might get me in the door once, but the experience is what made me come back. The cafe is two levels with the bar and counter in the top level and a seating area on the ground level. The walls are all painted black with tiny little halogen lights hanging everywhere.

Sign April 2009

What did you say your name was?

Both inside and out on this cafe you’ll see the double branding Smart Mouth Cafe and Cafe Luna. Did this cafe developed a case of schizophrenia? Multi-personalities or is just a little bipolar? Well actually none of the above. Apparently it is just a little hard to remove all of the branding of one cafe and replace it with another when you have a 100 pound sun disk hanging behind your bar.

This is a saucy little joint that will poke fun of anything happening in the city. Most staff wear T-shirts that say “Hello my name is Smart Mouth” and these cast of characters are lead by Ron Downie, and he is usually found behind the registrar making fun of something or someone. . . but don’t worry most of it is actually self deprecating.

Smart Mouth Name Tag

The serious side of a smart mouth

What they are serious about is the espresso. I have had everything from a 12 oz latte to an 8 oz cappuccino and a 6 oz macchiato all the way down to straight shots of espresso and never had a bad shot. It has always been worth the trip into Gastown. (Any excuse to walk down Gastown’s cobblestone streets is a good one).

Interior of Smarth Mouth Cafe

They also have some groovy music playing, something that according to Downie keeps him awake and sharp witted for those smart mouthed customers. The cafe also has wireless, is licensed and serves soup and sandwiches with a side of abuse.

In the long term I hope to see all of the Cafe Luna branding taken down or at the very least covered up. Branding is almost as important as the espresso served behind the bar but don’t judge a books by it’s cover.
I totally approve of this cafe, its horrible sense of humour and its really awesome espresso. It has certainly put its money where its mouth is.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Cafe Lu. . . . Smart Mouth Cafe
Drink that was ordered: 12 oz latte (amongst others)
Discount on to go cup: Medium for the price of a small
Barista Skill: Solid skill
Barista friendlyness: Sassy and smart
Website: none