Latte Art Heart

I am thankful

I am thankful for living in an eclectic area of town, East Vancouver, on the best street Commercial Drive.

I am thankful for living near my family and the support I have received when I broke my leg skiing.

I am thankful for living in a city that has such a dedicated coffee culture. A place where I can visit three amazing cafes without batting an eyelash. A town where you’ll see dedicated owners up at the crack of dawn pulling shots to make sure the espresso is the best it can be, and not sacrificing quality for profit.

I am thankful that the great cafes are just the public face of the caffeinated culture that is somewhat behind the scenes for those who might be unaware of its influence.

Two things have led me to this conclusion.

The Canadian Barista Championships at the Canadian Coffee and Tea Show were held in Vancouver. To see such a large collection of coffee enthusiasts all in one place for a first timer really showed me how much Vancouver really has to be thankful for. From the Piccolo clan to the Jones brothers from Banks Thomas to Spencer Viehweger. They were all in attendance. For a first timer like myself it was an impressive display of just how much Vancouver is involved with coffee.

The second came a couple weeks ago at a Coffee Lab near you.

Chris Giannakos, left, pours Nathan Slabaugh a cup. Photo by Mark Prince.

I went to Mark Prince’s new coffee lab for an inaugural coffee tasting. It was one of the best collections of coffee sampling I had ever seen.

Phil and Sebastian Kenya Kiru Co-op, left, PT’s Panama Elida Estate, Doma Costa Rica, Counter Culture AIDA Grand Reserve, Counter Culture Hacienda Esmeralda Special

But more than that the amazing collection of coffee was the eclectic group of people in attendance for the inaugural tasting. From baristas to bakers to bloggers. It was a diverse collection of coffee aficionados who were all bringing a different viewpoint to the cupping table.

It was one of the most enjoyable coffee experiences I have had. All the little pieces fell right into place. I also feel that this variety of people would be hard to find in a less coffee-centric locale. Check out the video below from my new youtube channel.

And then here is when you say, “Rob you’re in the know, normal coffee drinkers wouldn’t get this type of opportunity.” Well, I beg to differ and here is why. I run this blog so you can  learn more about coffee. I am here to tell you that these experiences aren’t for the in-the-know of coffee.

Coming in the new year Mark Prince is opening up his coffee lab to courses for the consumer and I only know Vancouver will benefit from this. He will also be teaching people how to make great coffee on machines you’ll be able to afford. So if you can’t afford the $5k Speedster that’s OK  ( p.s. neither can I ).  His classes will be centered around how to make great cups at home.

After attending a number of his tastings at the Bump and Grind a couple years ago and attending a number of his cuppings at the Lab I have only benefited from the vast amount of knowledge in this  geek’s head.

I’ll post a link when his lab is up and running, and hope to take a few classes myself.

p.s. Here is a list of twitters that were in attendance. (My apologies if I have missed anyone)

@circuscoffee
@peter_van
@kafkascoffeetea
@casualbaker
@thecafeguide
@Coffeevancouver
@GI_Spro
@CoffeeGeek

That's a Wrap

As this was the first coffee trade show I have ever been too, I have to say I really had a great time. I got to meet a lot of people in the coffee industry who provide the tools to the cafe’s.

I also got to see the Barista Competition live for the first time and it is impressive. The pressure the bar tenders are under to get every drink down is pretty amazing.

Swiss Family Piccolo

I finally met the lovely and equally knowledgeable Andrea Piccolo at the Swiss Water Booth. Erica and I both took the Swiss Water Challenge which provided two cups of french pressed coffee one decaf on not. Both of us could barely tell the difference between the the decaf and the caffeinated brew. We really enjoyed our chat with the gang at swiss water and hope to find out more about their unique decaffeination process.

A Greener Show?

At 50 cents a piece for this IKEA Älmhult stonewear mug, it is a cheap reusable option.

From the Aardvark paper drinking straws to the Baskets-n-bags burlap coffee trays to a hand pump portable espresso maker. This show had a number of booths focused on recyclable, biodegradable and greener products. We fully support the use of a greener more sustainable product, but the other side of the trade show we saw a whole lot of waste.

What we also saw was a lot of sample cups being offered, sampled and then being thrown out. I found it to be a lot of waste with some exhibitors wanting to give us 10 to 12 oz cups of coffee with sleeves etc.  While we were impressed with the marketing venture some of the new producers were trying to accomplish, we felt there was a lot of waste as well.

While I totally understand how hard it is to be a little more green The Salt Spring Coffee Co showed why they were leaders in sustainability. Their coffee samples were given in reusable IKEA Älmhult stonewear mug. After being used they were washed in the clean up area that was provided and brought back to the booth.

According to Banks Thomas, roaster for Salt Spring, he brought the idea to the Island Roaster, but he can’t take credit for it.

“When I was at counter culture they had reusable cups and I took the idea from them,” said Banks.

Salt Spring first introduced the reusable cups at the EPIC Sustainability convention last spring.

This is a win win, one the cost of the cup is only payed out once and then reused, and two the samplers will stick around to finish the coffee and you have a captive audience to make your pitch until they are completed. So I hope Salt Spring doesn’t mind me letting the cat out of the bag on this one and I hope the trend continues!

5 seconds of Fame

I ran into Sophie Lui from Global Television and with one look at my name tag she had me in front of her camera asking about Far Coast coffee, the just named official coffee supplier of the 2010 Olympic Games. I wasn’t surprised seeing that is the hot beverage arm of the Coke-a-Cola company. Sophie asked me to taste the coffee and give it my impression. The coffee was about an hour old and kept in stainless steel vacuum flask.  I thought it was over extracted and  and slightly higher in acidity then body.

I made the news on Thursday night (Yup you can watch it here go to the 11:00 minute mark), but as TV goes, my quote was slightly cut. I didn’t mind, I know the seconds count in a news cast and just so you think I am not a complete snob, I said

“Is this olympic worthy coffee, it certainly wouldn’t get a gold metal in my book, but I have drank far worse.”

The Barista Championship

Kyle Straw, second from right, and the finalist of the Canadian Barista Competion

It was the first time Erica and I had both seen the Canadian Barista Championships competition and in every sense of the word we were impressed with the competition. The timing needed to prepare everything to come out in a certain order, the judging involved with each and every moment is completely rehearsed and practiced over and over again.

Kyle Straw from Caffe Argitano Hornby location came out the top Canadian Barista and will be heading the London England in 2010 for the World Barista Championships in June.

But something that I saw in person that you never really see on the u-stream of the event is the support system that is there for the barista, from sample testing during the set up time to making sure the barista is completely set up. Once the competition starts the barista is on their own.

After the competition the barista goes over the their scores with the judges.  While getting feedback is par for the course, I was really impressed with the amount of detailed feedback that was given back to the barista. This wasn’t just a 30 second, you did well.  Both judge and barista when through the comp in fine detail.

Fine Example

I came to the obvious conclusion that this consultation is the true gift of the barista competition and that it is a shining example of why they are important. If baristas of national caliber spend weeks training for this event and then after the competition spend 5 to 10 minutes going over their scores with one of the judges, the trickle down effect to every cafe must be significant.

Sammy Piccolo the 2009 Canadian Barista Championship

The Coffee and Tea show and Barista Competition has concluded. You can read all about it here.

I have never been to a barista championship. It’s not that I don’t believe in them, I just have had bad timing. I have met a few champion baristas in Vancouver and their handy work is stuff coffee jitters are made of.

So when I heard that the Western Canadian Barista Championships were being held in Victoria I was completely annoyed that I couldn’t make it. My real job got in the way of my coffee addiction again.

So when I heard the nationals were coming to Vancouver, the staff of the Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene are more than excited to attend and watch a barista competition live. But, what are we going to watch? We had to do some research. I checked out the Canadian Barista Championship rules PDF, which is available from the Canadian Barista Academy website. It’s an uniquely detailed list.

According to the Canadian Barista Championship 2009 rules and regulations you will be provided with:

Judges are plentiful.

Four Sensory judges will compare the quality of the espresso based drinks. Technical Judges will watch the skill of the barista on the espresso machine and one head judge will watch them all.

What will the Barista Make?

4 shots of espresso
4 cappuccinos 5 to 6 oz
4 signature drinks
============
12 drinks total

If you have ever worked an espresso bar before you know that pumping out a drink every minute is a decent task of time management, skill and multitasking. And then presenting these drinks for inspection is more than a little stressful.

What the hell is a signature drink?

Signature Drink Base from Atlanta World Barista Championship photo credit: liz clayton

A signature drink is something the barista has developed to show the skill of their craft and to show some artistic flair and style. The signature drink is some of the most unique drink designs and combinations you will ever see. I am no expert in this subject, but I doubt you’ll see any of these drinks ever on a menu because they are so complex in creation and design.

While all of this is going on you also have a hands free microphone in between shots of espresso being pulled and milk being steamed. The barista will talk on a microphone about the origin of the roast and concept of the signature drink and why they got into coffee.

For example check out Sammy Piccolos final round in the 2009 World Barista Championships in Atlanta.

Why do Barista Competitions Matter?

It could be said that like most competitions this showdown really only matters to the people involved. I’ll pat your back and you’ll pat mine scenario.

But really what is more important is the grass roots that regional competitions provide. Just in preparation alone for the regional competitions, baristas are honing their craft and after competitions the amount of knowledge each barista brings back to his or her home cafe is extraordinary. These competitions are held across North America and have thousands of baristas competing and learning about new techniques.

Where is this all going down?

The Vancouver Convention Centre East (Canada Place)

October 14th 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

October 15th 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

How much is it to get in?

It is $15 a day to see the trade show and Barista Championship. But the Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene has a number of free passes available to watch the competition. But you have to pre-register online at the Canadian Coffee & Tea Show website.

Fill out your information and enter promo code: Online9

Once you click “Apply Promo Code” the trade show cost should be zeroed out.

The Coffee and Tea Show has concluded. Read about the show here.

Disclaimer:
• The Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene is not affiliated with the Canadian Coffee & Tea Show and you will be leaving our site to access the free pass.
• The Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene can not guarantee your access to the Canadian Coffee & Tea Show.

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.

Erica Hill moved to Vancouver for a new career, a change an scenery and more then likely the coffee! Since she has arrived we have hired her on as a co-author of the blog. You might call her the senate of the coffee blog.

“The Senate was to be a place of sober second thought so that legislation would receive proper, careful consideration before finally becoming law.” ~ Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister.

Co-Author Erica Hill

And while I don’t think I drink as much coffee as Sir John A. Macdonald drank alcohol having a regular second opinion will improve the quality of the blog. It also is a lot more fun and Erica can be a great devils advocate when she feels the need, providing some good debate over the coffee table at times.

Erica has a degree in anthropology, was once a barista, and is originally from Regina, Saskatchewan.

We had a crew of about 10 people arrive outside Bikes on the Drive for the East Van Coffee Tour. Waiting for the crew to show up I got a text from my editor Stef that she was in bed with the flu, so no live blogging, or twitter updates. Unfortunately for Stef she couldn’t try out a Tree and take over the coverage of the tour. With a group of about 10 people we took off down the hill to Bump and Grind for the first coffee of the day. Fellow coffee aficionado Evan McGraw was able to take up the task of the tour photographer so I could keep focused on the tour.

Bump and Grind
We arrived at Bump and Grind and I enjoyed some espresso and ice cream. I got this off of the menu item from Bump and Grind and it hit the spot on a warm summer morning. It’s available through out the summer months. For the next tour it would be awesome to have someone to look over the bikes that way it won’t take us forever to lock up the bikes each and every time	Espresso and Ice Cream at Bump and Grind
Prado Cafe
Arriving at Prado Cafe it was a busy as ever, with Amy and Sara behind the bar we were able to get our drinks with out much trouble. Since I was well aware of what being over-caffeinated can do, I decided to go for a decaf macchiato. I was amazed by the absolute quality of the decaf it was by far one of the best drinks of the day. I gave a little talk about the cafe and the modifications of the La Marzocco FB-70 that Amy York made.	Espresso at Prado
JJ Bean Mainstreet
With barely a seat to be found at Prado we finished our drinks and took off for Main Street and JJ Bean. The 10th avenue bike route provided us with some shade from the blaring sun. Arriving at JJ Bean we found barista Robert Csar behind the counter working up a sweat. Putting him through his paces, Evan had a great photo of her soy macchiato from JJ Bean. We lost a couple tour people after JJ Bean, I think I might keep the next tour to three cafes. But the tour must continue!	Dry Cappuccino at JJ Bean
Re-Entry Espresso
Arriving at Re-Entry we had some definite need for some more bike parking. Even with a bike rack right outside the cafe we couldn’t find enough parking for our crew. Makes me wish the cafes of Vancouver had something like what Stumptown has in Portland. We met Matt Bishop and I found that he actually uses darkroom timers for timing his shots. What an awesome reuse of technology! You set your dosage to any amount you want with dials and hit the timer button that starts the grinder! The group had dwindled down to five by this time but we had a real nice chat with Matt Bishop and learnt a bit about red espresso for those who aren’t so addicted to caffeine.	Darkroom Timers at Re-entry
Elysian Room
ilan showed us how close Main Street was to the Ontario Bike Route and so we popped over and cruised down the hill to Elysian Room and the conclusion of this tour. A number of us were coffeed out by this point. But we all had a some of that awesome sparkling water they serve from the fountain and we all shared a clover press of the guatemala just to give it a try.	Espresso at Eylsian

Things I learned from this tour

• It is really hard to park 10 bikes on a normal street and we ended up locking them to each other
• Five cafes is much too much and the route was too long to keep everyone together
• If we do another it will certainly be a different route with different cafes
• I am not sure we could get much better weather. . .

Tree Coffee Cuff

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

The Barista Jam came to the Radio Station Cafe. It was a hot Sunday afternoon on the long weekend and I decided to bike down from the drive to the East Hastings haunt. I didn’t really know what a barista jam was but after reading Mark Princes (aka the Coffee Geek) Tweet I decided to take a Sunday afternoon off from work and check it out.
The Jam comprises of a dozen barista’s from a few cafes and who ever could pull the best shot of espresso grinder, judged by Robert Csar Supervisor of JJ Bean on Main Street and Mark Prince, from Coffee Geek.

Competitors chill during the judging at the Radio Station Cafe

This was the first “Jam” I had been to and there was so many things I enjoyed about spending a lazy Sunday afternoon watching barista’s compete for nothing but a belt buckle, a couple bucks and the admiration of thy fellow peers.

Other interesting notes I found from the day were:

• • It gets really hard to shoot 12 different pictures of a barista working a three group La Marzocca Super Caimano with a point and shoot digital.
• • It is really hard to watch a barista jam without being able to enjoy some espresso yourself.
• • I pulled my first shot of espresso in about five years and although I had the grace of an elephant ballet dancing, 23 seconds later I had a decent shot.
• • Vancouver has a great community of involved coffee enthusiasts who truly enjoy the adventure, mastery and complexity of serving a great shot of espresso.
• • People who volunteer to do the dishes are AWESOME!

This little Jam started last year at Radio Station Cafe making this only its second. I hope two things continue on to next year. One, that the jam just continues, heck I will even help sponsor next year if needed. Two, that it remains as fun and low key as it did this year. No one was wearing any colours or sporting any logos (other than the bags of coffee themselves, which is ok) and there wasn’t anything on the line other than a spent afternoon and some fun with fellow enthusiasts. While we need the Barista Championships in Canada (congrats Sammy) and the world, this is one that should remain just for the fun of it (and the belt buckle of course).

Gallery of Photos with captions

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