The Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene

I  once again had to return to the Sunshine Coast to pick up some documents and get my taxes done. (Thanks again, Peter). I decided to review one of the longest running coffee shops of recent times in Sechelt called The Daily Roast. This cafe has been a stable of coffee consumers in Sechelt since the mid 90s.

Its first location was a small place on the main street corner. It has an all wood interior, half a dozen tables and one of the first cafes that had an internet connection. Wifi had yet to become mainstream, but the marriage of cafes and internet had begun its courtship.

The Daily Roast was also the first time I tried the Swiss Water Process for decaf coffee and even to my untrained palette at the time I enjoyed the difference. And it was the first time I had ever tasted a decaf coffee that came even close in taste to the regular cup of joe I was used to.

Blast through the next 12 years, four provinces and one territory and The Daily Roast has doubled in size and moved across the street. The Internet station is gone, but they have free wireless and is more of a cafe with soup and sandwiches with beans provided from Beans Around The World.

Crema What Crema

The girl behind the counter took my order quickly and orderly and if anything the price was right. I received two cookies and a 12 oz americano for just over four dollars. But when I saw the americano I knew the price was too good to be true. Their wasn’t an ounce of crema shortly after the double shot was poured on top of the hot water. ( Those of you in the know always pour the shot on top of the hot water to show the quality of the crema to your customer).

As I sat down I let it cool for 30 seconds and took my first sip of what I can only describe as under extracted, no depth, little body and a poor finish of no discernible taste. I would have been happier with a drip coffee spending the extra for poorly extracted espresso.

And while I sat and drank my coffee through the cooling stages, Corey Hart “I wear my sunglasses at night” was streaming through the cafe only to be followed up by Celine Dion . . . I just tried to go to my happy place.

Just before I left I decided to go back and get a 12 oz latte to go, again it was amazingly cheap in comparison to other cafes in Sechelt and yet I was completely disappointed. The drink was made with a single shot, the milk was over heated and the taste was more heated milk with the after taste of coffee. Sadly I couldn’t even finish it and had to drink some water to get the after taste out of my mouth.

I went back a couple days later just to make sure they weren’t having a bad day and this time I tried a 12 oz Kona medium roast of drip coffee. It had been on a heater for some time and it was luke warm, briny, and very weak in taste. I did sample some dark roast and it seemed to have a less briny taste and seemed to hide the imperfections better than my medium roast. In almost everything I tasted at this shop it seemed old, woody or muddy or just not anything desirable in a coffee. Luckily it wasn’t playing Celine on my last trip.

I would suggest cleaning everything with espresso machine detergent (also known by the brand name espresso magic), I have had some Bean Around The World roast since then and the taste was a lot better then anything servered here, Or maybe a change of your water filter?

Barista to blame?

It is always hard for me to give a bad review, because generally I really like finding good cafes, but I also wonder if it is the fault of the barista or if they are just not trained properly. The girls behind the counter were no different in age then their counterparts in Vancouver and seemed to enjoy serving customers and being sociable and cleaning up tables in an orderly manner. But for what ever reason this level of service just doesn’t follow through to the most important part of the cafe. . .  the coffee.

Faces and Places

Where blog was written: The Daily Roast
Drinks ordered: 12 oz. americano & 12 oz latte & 12 oz med roast
Discount of own to-go cup: 10 cents
Barista Skill: sadly none
Barista’s friendliness: sincere, courteous and friendly
Website: none

Short story: I sold my car. I live on The Drive. It is one of the best areas in town to live with out a vehicle. When I need one I use a Car Co-op, take the bus or call a cab. And while this has worked quite well it wouldn’t in a lot of areas. As I used to work out of my car, (and have slept in it on one occasion) it was a proof of concept to show I could really live with out it. And I have been able to very easily …

When I take the number 20 into downtown I kept on seeing this cafe on Richard Street, called Taxi Cafe. Like thousands of cafes in Vancouver I didn’t know a thing about it. But as my visits downtown increased, I kept walking past Taxi Cafe and really wanted to check it out.

I had my opportunity to check out the cafe and noticed it was much much more than a cafe. One of the most successful and award-winning advertising agencies in Canada opened up a Vancouver Office and along with Taxi Vancouver came the Taxi Cafe.

Why a cafe instead of a waiting room?
Why a professionally trained barista instead of a receptionist ?
I asked cafe manager Chris Reynolds and barista Yvon about this concept.

To paraphrase they wanted to open up the front space of the offices and make it more of a public space; something where they can; one, showcase the work they have done for clients; and two, instead of meeting with a client outside a cafe why not have their own cafe? Also if a client has arrived early for a meeting, why not offer them an espresso or latte? I think this makes perfect sense actually and having the cafe open to the public helps the bottom line a bit and because the agency is all about marketing a brand (Yes those Viagra Commercials are a Taxi creation). So why not show your clients what you can do with a brand and market your own coffee shop in a city that has one of the most competitive coffee environments?

Yes but what about the cafe?

Walking in, you are met with concrete floors, white walls and marble counters. The word Taxi is written on a light wall from across the back wall. But the cafe still has minimalistic aesthetic appeal. There are three screens on the front wall showing the advertisements that taxi has worked on.
The coffee is a dark roasted espresso and is made to a professional standard. I am not a huge fan of the dark roast espresso as it loses some of the subtle flavour you can find in a roast, but overall I was happy with it. Taxi is currently packaging its own coffee and using a roaster based in Toronto called Mountainview.

Yvon was very diligent about keeping her machine clean and well timed. There isn’t a whole lot of traffic from the street that enters into the shop so she isn’t that busy but the beans are fresh and the service is personable and friendly. There isn’t any free wireless for the general public, nor is there any plug-ins.

Is independent a brand?

As far as independents go, I would consider Taxi Cafe one. They are owned and run by a large advertising agency, yet the shop is unique and different and very much has its own flair. Reynolds has plans to open up a second cafe in Toronto that is completely detached from the agency itself. Would I want to see one on every corner? No, but then I don’t like seeing a Blenz, a Waves, a Starbucks and a Tims on the same four corners of every block and in every city. And in saying that I believe Taxi fits the bill as an independent cafe in Vancouver.

Update March 2009: I have been to Taxi Cafe a number of time since this review and although they have changed their roastry to Mountainview, out of Toronto, Yvon still tends shop and I still get a great Americano.

Faces and Places

Where blog was written: Taxi Cafe
Drinks ordered: 12oz. Americano
Discount of own to-go cup: med priced at a small
Barista Skill: solid
Barista’s friendliness: informative and friendly
Website: www.taxi.ca

Address: 515 Richards Street, Vancouver, Canada

I was lead down Railspur Alley in Granville Island by graphic designer Andrea Rodgers. She wanted to show me Agro Cafe. Railspur Alley is one of the hidden jewels of Granville Island. It wasn’t too busy when I was there, but according to Andrea it can get quite busy on the weekends.

Walking into the open, wood-frame interior gives you a real nice, open feeling. I ordered an americano, it was almost too hot for an afternoon coffee but since this was a new cafe I had to give their americano a try. It was going to be a bit of a wait (busy place, four-shot machine) so we grabbed a seat on the patio and enjoyed the busker across the lane.

My americano arrived and just from the crema on top I knew it was going to be a good cup. Although, just a fair amount of crema on top does not make a great americano. The first sip was bold, but not bitter with a full body and a good aftertaste. A seemingly perfectly pulled off shot. I must return.

I went back a few days later to try their lattes. The 8 oz. free pour had some nice art to it and was sweet to my soul. The key to a great latte is not to over heat the milk but provide adequate foam. It sounds easy but few do it well.

The food was a bit on the pricey side for a student but is worth it, as it is all made in house. I did try the homemade potato soup, which satisfied my afternoon hunger. Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends so the environment changes when the place fills up.
Agro is also fair trade, organic and roasts its own beans in small batches upstairs in the cutest little roaster.
The Cafe has Wifi and provides a mellow mood for your enjoyment. I highly enjoyed both visits to Agro and will make it part of any visit to the Island.

Update May 2009 ~ I recently went back to Agro Cafe and found my Americano decent, great crema but some what depleted finish. I still quite enjoyed my Americano and my time in the cafe. I didn’t try the food this time around though.

Faces and Places

Where blog was written: Agro Cafe
Drinks ordered: 12oz. americano & small latte
Discount of own to-go cup: med priced at a small
Barista Knowledge: quite good
Barista’s friendliness: intelligent & swift
Website: www.agrocafe.org

Address: 1363 Railspur Alley, Vancouver, Canada

The Elysian (pronounced E·ly·sian) Room is one of the great homes for coffee lovers in Vancouver. It is home to one of the best traditionally poured cappuccinos in the city.

The Elysian fields in Greek mythology is the final resting place for the gods’ chosen ones. It is not a far stretch to see why Alistair Durie named his cafe after it. The free pour cappuccinos are to die for and the mellow mood of this cafe plays a mix of Zero 7 and Thievery Corporation in the background.

The Cafe is located just behind the Fifth Avenue Cinema, strangely enough on Fifth Ave. It is tucked into a corner of the building and has a very warm feeling once you enter. I love coming to this cafe just before a show to sip a nice americano before attending a flick with a good friend or partner.

Seating is limited as it is barely the size of a one-bedroom apartment, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in quality with 49th Parallel beans. There is also free wireless, but because of size don’t make it your home office.

I felt horrible for guys like Alistair Durie who put time and effort in to perfecting and marketing the Clover, only for it to be sold out to Shultz and the green machine.

What I also love about this cafe is that it is inset from Burrard Street. It fits the mellow mood of the cafe. It could almost be missed if you don’t go looking for it and it contrasts most cafes. I rather like that this cafe is arms distance away from the hubbub, much like the Elysian fields themselves.

Faces and Places

Where blog was written:The Elysian Room
Drinks ordered: Traditional Cappuccino and 12oz Americano
Discount of own to-go cup: large for price of a small
Barista skill: Top Notch
Barista’s friendliness: Cool cucumbers
Website: http://www.elysiancoffee.com

Address: 1778 West 5th Avenue, Vancouver

I am currently doing a practicum at Creative Spirit Communications, it’s been great fun and I am learning a lot. Other than my bosses love of Starbucks it was a great place to learn.
I am also learning about the cafes that grace Granville. I decided to take my friend, Laura Leyshon, out for a coffee at Trees Organic Coffee and try some of their cheesecake that people are talking about.

Let them eat cake

Trees Coffee was started in 1996 and is just one block from the Hastings and Granville Intersection. When you walk in you’re greeted with a great wooden atmosphere and tile floors.
We picked our sinful treats and we both chose the cherry and chocolate cheesecake. We went to pay for our tasty desserts and the total $20 cheesecake bill was really quite shocking. My mind did wonder, “Hey couldn’t I feed an entire village in Africa for the price of this cheese cake?” I felt more guilty for that than for the amount of calories I was consuming. Was the cheesecake the best I have ever tasted? Oh yes. . . .

Walk in the woods?

Laura got herself a latte and I went with the tried and true double shot Americano. Both were quite good and Laura really liked the free pour art she received on her drink.
My Americano was also a nice pull. Since starting my practicum a couple weeks ago, I have gone to Trees on a weekly basis and found that most products were of fair and decent quality.

Seeing the Forest for the Trees

The beans are organic, fair trade and are roasted in the back. They roast in the off hours and the beans that sit there are the ones roasted. The only question I have is: Why have so many types of roasted beans sitting there? And how fast do they go through that production? It is nice to see all the different type of beans displayed, but the oxidation of the bean would degrade the quality of the roast. But with that said, I give my full approval to Trees Coffee and its sinful cheesecake.

Faces and Places

Where blog was written: Trees Organic Coffee
Drinks ordered: Medium latte and Americano
Discount of own to-go cup: large for price of a small
Barista Knowledge: dependable
Barista’s Friendliness: sincere
Website: http://www.treescoffee.com/

Address: 450 Granville Street, Vancouver

Well, my loyal readers, Geoff Howe decided to stay on the Island for a couple more days and so I delayed the Expresso-thon. This is kind of a good thing since I have been out with a cold for the past week.
But I decided to go out and meet a fellow blogger, Peter Van de Reep. He writes Pulling Shots, (The blog has been in Stasis since January) a barista view of the world and works weekends at Wicked Cafe on West 7th and Hemlock. Wicked Cafe was started by Brad Ford back in circa 2004. I had been to Wicked a number of times before, so coming in today was a complete surprise, but not really in the best way.

• Please see the update at the bottom of this review •

Brad Ford is the Canadian distributor for Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea, who starting roasting in 1995 and is completely a direct trade shop even before it was chic to do so.
I first had a Madagascar Vanilla Rooibos tea supplied by Steeps Tea, which helped relieve my ailing cold. Then with Peter at the helm, I had a 12 oz foamy latte with some awesome foam art going on. The quality of their coffee is really on par with the top cafes of Vancouver, and their baristas have the knowledge to back up any questions you might have.

Quality does not equal comfort

When I first entered the cafe, the door was left open, and brought in a lot of noise from the street. When some one went to close it because they were cold they were quite boldly stopped by one of the staff.
I found a seat at the large communal table in the centre of the cafe and had a large chill run down my back from the open door. Peter later told me that behind the counter it is really, really hot from all the machinery and well I sympathized. It didn’t increase the enjoyment of my stay.

I also remember a couple of years ago that most of the seating were comfy chairs. I saw only two chairs (there is actually four), a huge table that could sit many people. I think the comfy chairs suit Wicked a lot more then the large table.

But the thing that bothered me the most about my visit to Wicked was how loud everything was. From the noise of the traffic on the street, to the yanking of the grinder, to the sound of the cash register. There was also a large tube coming from the kitchen into the front area. It looked as if the kitchen was under-construction.

The end of this story is that although there is a lot of room for improvement on Wicked’s ambience the real proof, is in the quality of the roast, the knowledge of the barista, and the quality of the pour. All of which were top of the line.

It is just not a place I would go to study for an exam or read a book.

Update March, 09: I was in Wicked Cafe on Hemlock recently and found the place quieter, the service was quick and coffee was excellent. I found the barista working behind the bar weren’t as noisy either. Noise of a espresso machine and grinders can’t be helped, but what can be helped it how hard you are on your equipment. If you watch the girls at Prado or the boys at 49th Cafe you can still have a conversation over a working cafe. Music was pretty mellow too. 

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Wicked Cafe
Drink ordered: 12 oz latte & 12 oz Rooibos
Discount of own to-go cup: didn’t ask sorry!
Barista Knowledge: Best in Vancouver
Barista’s friendliness: friendly and knowledgeable
Website: www.wickedcafe.ca

Address: 1399 West 7th Ave, Vancouver

In the last of the Seattle cafes review we head to Bauhaus Books & Coffee.

Walking into Bauhaus you can’t help but feel the culture that surrounds you. Bauhaus is located In Capitol Hill (but nearer to downtown than most) with views of the Space Needle and plenty of outdoor seating.

Class act

I spent a morning at the cafe waiting for my Greyhound back to Vancouver. The staff were awesome, the drink wasn’t bad but it was definite room for improvement.

This two level cafe had a real nice feel to it. I was sitting having my latte and reading my email and I briefly looked up and saw a graphic designer working with his stylist on my left and a man sketching architectural drawings a few tables down. I felt right at home and only wish I could spend a bit more time. Like most of the cafes I really wish I could have spent more at Bauhaus. But with Seattle only four hours away I know I will be back.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Bauhaus books & Coffee
Drink ordered: 12 oz lattle
Discount of own to-go cup: Drip coffee for a buck (any size of mug)
Barista Knowledge: Decent but not excellent
Barista Friendliness: Friendly and Knowledgeable
Website: www.bauhauscoffee.net

Address: 301 East Pine Seattle, Wash, USA

When walking into the Victrola Cafe and Roastery Pike Street location you see high ceilings, brick walls, large bay windows that let you look on to the street but also into the roasting area. this cafe has a large open feel to it as has a great subtle feel to it. Thanks to Amy York of Prado for suggesting it.

This is a place where I could get my groove on to throw downs some prose.

As smooth as honey, as sweet as love

After witnessing all that is Starbucks at Pike Place Market and needed some mellow moments of creativity and good coffee. The barista behind the counter was cool, not suggesting any special drink or trying to up sell me on anything. I knew I wasn’t in Starbucks country anymore, this was a good thing. . . . The Americano was smooth to the taste and a delight to experience with not a hint of bitterness. It was one the best decafe’s I have ever had.

I began a conversation with Chris Sharp about Macintosh battery life on the MacBook Pro and then asked “Do you worked here.”

His response was “ya kinda, I own it”

Fair Play

We had a good conversation about fair trade certification of the coffee beans and why direct trade is better then fair trade. I quite enjoyed my conversation with Sharp, I learnt more about the foundation of the direct trade agreements roasters like Sharp have and why it is more important to foster these types of relationship. I certainly agree with Sharp seeing what importers like 49th Parallel has done with the relationships with their farmers which has brought a lot of social conciseness to the coffee scene in Vancouver.

The café is certainly top of my list for Seattle cafés and has some nice soothing music to it. I certainly recommend this cafe to any visitor to Seattle, it is worth a visit.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Victrola Cafe & Roastery
Drink ordered: Decafe 12 oz Americano
Discount of own to-go cup: You get nothing
Barista knowledge: solid skill
Barista friendlyness: Nice, but not all that talkative
Website: www.victrolacoffee.com

Address: 310 E Pike St. Seattle, USA

I checked out Stumptown’s Capitol Hill location very briefly, but what I saw I like, it was a different type of feel then Victrola. The two barista’s behind the counter were very lively and full of energy who had great aditudes when I walked in. I had a 12 oz. Latte that was poured perfectly with some funky free pour art. I barely had a chance to take in the surroundings. I did ask few locals and they all approved it’s awesomeness. I on my next trip to the emerald city I hope I get some more time in Stumptown.

Where this blog was written: Stumptown Pine Location
Drink ordered: 12 oz latte
Discount of own to-go cup: Did not ask sorry..
Barista Knowledge: Lacking in some latte art, but skilled none the less
Barista friendlyness: Two funny, cute and full of energy female baristas
Website: www.stumptowncoffee.com

Address: 616 East Pine, Seattle, Wa.

It is kinda odd to walk all the independent shops of Pike Place Market seeing all the fresh fish, local produce and general buzz of a local market place only to run into one of the largest corporate chains in North America.

Pike Place

The location has three cashiers and two barista’s working a three head machine. No tables or chairs and barely room to move due to the number of people. The drink was a 8oz Dry Cappuccino (no other information was given). It was made  perfectly, sure the expresso was complete crap but the drink was made exactly as a dry cappuccino should be. They also didn’t ask me if dry was like foamy they knew what dry providing these barista were familiar with a wide range of lexicon. For the volume of people on a warm and sunny New Years Eve afternoon it was amazing how well they were working that machine. I had my drink in seven minutes from time of ordering which is decent due to the massive amount of volume served.

While just blocks away. . .

But why can’t this excellent of quality be applied across the board, why just a blocks away from the famed Pike Place Cafe is it the same cookie cutter cafe that makes that same poorly made cappuccino on automatic machines. The automatic machines where brought in to speed up the services and reduce wait times, but at Pike Place I didn’t have an unusually long wait time. The staff handled the rush easily and effectively with teamwork.

Are the employees any less at the other locations, or are they just supplied with more training?

I find an unusual paradox that Starbucks found a good thing at the Pike Place more then 35 years ago and wanted to share this experience with the rest of the world, this I whole hearty agree with. But yet the rest of the worlds Starbucks don’t even remotely resemble the unique nature that is the Pike Place Cafe. Yes their are some really bad independent cafes in Vancouver and yes some chains stores are better then others, but what I really see at every other Starbucks and many other chains is a complete lack of training, knowledge and  a overall lower quality of service and in the immortal words of Howard Schultz:

“we have had to make a series of decisions that, in retrospect, have lead to the watering down of the Starbucks experience, and, what some might call the commoditization of our brand.” ~ February 23, 2007 ~

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Pike Place Starbucks
Drink ordered: 8 oz Dry Cappuccino
Discount of own to-go cup: 10
Barista Knowledge:  Both cashier and barista were quite knowledgeable
Barista Friendliness: quite nice, with a soft up sell skill set.
Website: www.starbucks.com

Address: 1912 Pike Pl. Seattle, USA