The Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene

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.

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

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.

“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

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.

“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

Address: 590 West Broadway, Vancouver, Canada

Hey, how’s it been going? Are you new around here let me show you around…

No I am not trying to pick the average reader of my coffee blog, but what would you say to a caffeinated consumer who was new in town and wanted to know about the great little places, the hidden gems? Well, hopefully I can serve for all your coffee needs.

So what’s new here at Van Indy Coffee Scene 2.0:

Better Cafe Reviews
Over the past two years of this blog, living on Commercial Drive and being generally interested in the coffee scene I learnt an awful lot. The whole essence of this blog is to pass on the most accurate information I can. I’ve done some minor editing of archived posts but only to keep information current as some of those old posts are damn popular.	Cafe Reviews
Interactive Map
I always liked maps especially when they are interactive so now you can find a visual representation of the great cafes ( in my humble opinion ) via this map. Just click on the icon to bring up the review of that café.	Interactive Map
Our Mantra
I really like to show people where I am coming from when I write a review or give my opinion. This page is after two years of coffee knowledge, what we at the Indy Coffee Scene and what I rate on. Also a code of ethics for users to see where we’re coming from and what we look for, and once advertising appears on the site, what type will be allowed.	Transparency of Reviews
Coffee Terms
When I first started in coffee a number of years ago I found the amount of rhetoric and marketing surrounding the coffee vocabulary baffling. What some call one thing, others call something else. Well I decided to stake my claim on this lexicon and collect over 100 coffee terms that are currently used in Vancouver. Two of these will be released every Tuesday in something we like to call Terminology Tuesday.	Stove Top Espresso Maker
Resource List (aka the blog roll)
This is where you can find links and resources that we think showcase good coffee knowledge and other helpful sites.	Coffee Beans and Clover Coffee Brewer
Social Media
We have also joined twitter so you can follow us at coffeevancouver. We have a flickr group called ( Vancouver Indy Coffee ) where we’re posting some awesome coffee photos.	Our Flickr Group
And What’s Coming:
User Generated Coffee Terms
Don’t find a term that we have made? Then submit your own, (a very short sign in will be required). We’re still working on the details to make your submission painless and easy and while that is happening please enjoy ours. Plenty of news, reviews and general musing about coffee in Vancouver. Stick around, this is about to get interesting…	Double Shot

Meet Erica Hill, (Erica has moved to Vancouver and now co-authors the blog) I have known Erica for a number of years as we both lived in Portage la Prairie at the same time. Now Portage doesn’t have much of a coffee scene actually there was only one indy cafe called The Grindstone and Erica worked there. I had sinced moved back to Vancouver and she moved to Lethbridge and then Regina, but she always gave me a hard time about my Starbucks rant, amongst other things, I said well there is so much more to coffee than just Starbucks. And while in Vancouver there is more to coffee, but Regina? Not so much.

Erica decided to come to Vancouver to celebrate new years and get a break from the snow of Regina, and we couldn’t deliver the usual balmy west coast weather she wanted, I was able to show her around some of the cafes in Vancouver, and so here are one girls thoughts about coffee in Vancouver. For better or for worse. . .

Drink & Cafe	Drink	Roast (if known)	Comments
49 Parallel Cafe	8 oz Latte (1 shots)	Epic Espresso	The coffee wasn’t bitter, I could drink this coffee with out a lot of milk. 8oz with one shot and I didn’t need a lot of sugar.
Prado Cafe	12 oz latte	49th Organic Espresso	I like how (the cafe) wasn’t as crazy busy or intense, I like the big cups, I can taste the flavour of the coffee more. I don’t like the bitterness of most coffee, but I do like the taste of coffee.
Tony's Cream Puffs	Tony’s Deli and Catering		Cream Puff intermission, hmmm. . . .
Bump and Grind	Clover 12oz	Costa Rica Montes de Oro Honey	It is the only coffee I could drink black, It actually tastes better black than with cream and sugar. . .
Other visits from her trip
Wicked Cafe	12 oz Latte	Black Cat	Creamer, smoother in taste. Love the intelligentsia logo….
Starbucks	12 oz Latte	Starbucks Roast	It was a good amount of coffee flavour and it wasn’t overwhelming… and the sweetness was kinda spicy…like cinnamon or something… It was creamy and the foam was actually kick ass.
Bread Garden	16 oz Latte		My latte never showed up, I had to go up and ask for it. So they finally brought it out like 20 minutes after it was ordered and it tastes awful…it was more like an Americano with foam… and it was super bitter. I added so much milk and sugar and it still tasted disgusting, very watery… Like normal shitty coffee that had been steamed. I just left the whole thing sitting there, never drank any of it.

Conclusion:

I felt like the barista’s were more involved with the customers at the locally owned coffee shops. They make you feel like a friend, at Starbucks they have kind of like a production line set up and you are purposefully separated from the barista.
I like talking to someone and making friends with them…at the ‘minimalist’ coffee shop, the woman there (Amy York) was really nice…they were all actually really nice.
At the locally owned coffee shops I feel like I can get what I want, but at Starbucks I feel as though I have to order only what’s on the menu, pre-made drinks.

And now at home:

Well just pure disappointment at what lattes I could get in Vancouver but will never be able to get here… I LOVED the latte art, it’s so easy to learn and people could take a short course to do it.. and the baristas are just so boring here now…
I wish there was a nice friendly coffee shop here and actually I wish there were more options for coffee shops in Regina…if you don’t want a chain store then you have very few options.

(Editors note: Much like Geoff,  Erica now mail orders her 49th Parallel as she missed that “Good Vancouver Coffee” way to much)

Well… I really didn’t go anywhere, but I had graduated school found a real job (and was layed off due to the economy four months later). I got kicked out of my Starbucks loving roommates apartment because he wanted to live with his new wife, the audacity, I thought!

What has happened coffee wise in the last couple months?

• Bump and Grind excels in quality and has a monthly coffee cupping hosted by Mr. Coffee Geek himself Mark Prince.
• Fare trade not so fare at all?
• Interviewed by The Point on CBC about the poor man’s latte (help me find it online)
• Cafe Luna gets a Smartmouth and a new owner.

Ya but what about the blog?

Q: Are you ever going to post more stories, reviews, rants?

A: Yes

Q: Can we get added to your fair trade list?

A: No, but not because we don’t like you. The fair trade list isn’t very fair and it never really became what I wanted it too.

Q: When are the improvements coming to the site?

A: I hate to give a wrong time line but any major improvement won’t be made until the new year. (Updates have launched March)

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

You don’t need verification to be classified as fair trade or organic, but it can help. If you just put fair trade on your roast, without giving any information about where the roast is from or who has farmed it, then it is much like lying on your resume.

“Verified” gives you that little bit of information to say “OK, a third party has checked into this and what they say is true.” A lot of the confusion comes from fair trade being closely associated with organic. Although the two are usually marketed together it doesn’t mean that what is a fair trade roast is automatically organic and what is organic is automatically fair trade. Fair trade certification doesn’t even measure quality or taste all it does is

Take Starbucks for example, it says it has a fair trade roast, but only by its own accord, and the information is very limited to the consumer. It gives you almost no knowledge about what you’re drinking, so their is no paper trail about this coffee, the plantation, or the process the farmers uses.

Also, some roasters do not support third party verification because it takes money away from the farmer.

An example is Victrola. Which doesn’t have any third party verification, but does participate in the Cup of Excellence Competition. Cup of Excellence celebrates the achievements the farmer has made in cultivating the best bean using the best practises and then it is auction off to the highest bidder.

What a lot of educated roasters do is direct trade coffee, a number of them also participate in the Cup of Excellence as well, but what these roasters do is provide information about who it purchases from, who the owner of the farm is and usually pictures of the plantation and how the crop was picked. What these two roasters and many others do is called direct trade coffee 49th Parallel affectionately calls its relationship coffee.

It is not an exact science nor is it fool proof and is a some what controversial subject. But if you have an educated roaster and an educated barista, you will get an educated consumer.

Amendment April 09 :

The Fair / Direct Trade Coffee List has been discontinued until a better way of listing roasters is found.

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

Walking along Granville there is a lot of sushi joints, clothing stores and stationary shops, but what has excited me most about my frequent Granville strolls is the opening of a new Caffe Artigiano.
I have found the Hornby location all too busy some times and found the surroundings of this new cafe a well kept secret. It was fast, friendly and I dare say the latte was better than the one from the Hornby crowd.
On my second trip to Artigiano, I met Sammy Piccolo who told me that they were looking for a few good barista’s for there new Burnaby store. So if you want to learn from one of the best in the world, here is you opportunity.
He also promised a tour of the 49th Parallel Roastery and I am looking forward to that!

Take two

Almost across the street from Trees Organic Coffee is Take 5 Cafe and they were advertising the $2 latte of any flavour. I have never been a fan of these promotions because I believed it also lowered the quality of the product. But feeling adventuresome, I walked in.
I must admit that is wasn’t the very best latte I have ever had, and I have had far far worse. The point I am trying to make is that if you put effort into a quality product regardless of the quality of your roast, you will notice a vast improvement.
This isn’t a full review of Take Five, but with a good barista and the right knowledge price does not always equal quality.

Best Starbucks in the Neighbourhood?

Starbucks have another piece of spam advertising on the doors of their establishment, proclaiming the best expresso in the neighbourhood. Well on who’s authority? Again this is a smooth marketing campaign for Starbucks, because it is all a matter of opinion. But I think it just looks funny. They are trying really hard to get the perception of quality once had when an automated machine hasn’t improved what a properly trained barista can do. . .

5, 4, 3 . . . and we’re live.

I have started another blog:

blog.robertdall.com

This is more a personal blog that is about my web design and photography skills and anything that isn’t coffee.

In addition to the new blog I have also re-launched a brand new website for web design and photography. This site has been rolling around in the back of my head for years, but it was only until now that I had the technical knowledge to do it. Please check it out.

We now return to your regularly scheduled program.

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

Geoff Howe arrived from the Island primed and ready to go for our little tour of Vancouver cafes, but with him having to be back in Saskatoon on Monday we had a lot to sample and not much time. What to do ? Well instead of making each cafe its own post I decided to make a table. A coffee table (sorry I have a horrible sense of humour).

But kids, don’t try this at home. After four hours, five cafes, six drinks and 12 shots of espresso, both Geoff and I were more than done. This isn’t something I would suggest or even do again, but as photographers who love coffee it was fun while it lasted. But much like any bender, it has some drawbacks. . . .

Cafe	Geoff	Robert	Notes
	12 oz Latte (2 shots)	12 oz Americano	Robert: Brandi, my favourite barista of all time is back!!! In addition to Brandi being back Prado set the tone for the rest of the day. Geoff: Overall pretty good, the extraction was a little bitter, but it hits the spot. Barista had a pleasant demeanor within the comfortable surroundings.
	12 oz latte (1 shot)	Espresso Macchiato	Robert: Turks, where is the love? Ever since Gisele left months ago, I have rarely been back and now I know why. My Macchiato didn’t have any foam on top. It was more like an 8oz latte, which any Starbucks monkey could have made without the proper training. Geoff: It is not of a calibre I was expecting. If I can make it at home better, then it is sadly lacking. If people are doing this for a living then they should be better at it than I. I come for the experience. The ambience is nice but the coffee lacks some quality
	12oz latte (2 shots)	12oz Cappuccino	Robert: Micro-foam of awesomeness, I have been back to Soma a number of times and enjoyed the cafe each time. Don Wilson usually tends bar on Sunday mornings and is quite the knowledgeable baritsa. Geoff: Perfect temperature, solid latte art.Aftertaste a little strong but overall great experience. Friendly barista, knowledgeable about industry and trends, willing to learn. Soup was fantastic.
	Clover 12oz	Clover 12oz	Robert: We tired the Colombian – Antioquia and barista Mathew Kolehmainen gave us some Kenya – Mwiria to try and true to form the Kenyian was better then the Colombian but also almost twice the price. Thanks for the sampling Matt! Geoff: My first time tasting coffee from a Clover. Pretty neat. A lot of body in taste, almost overwhelming, but it kept me wanting more. It tastes better following a slight cool down. Kenya is my favourite, although we didn’t try Ethiopia. The barista Matt knew of my favourite Saskatoon cafe – Cafe Museo, and it’s barista Jimmy. Small world!
	12 oz Latte	12 oz Latte	Robert: 49th as good as ever, and interesting to chat with barista Colter Jones about the green machine in Seattle, smart guy, I’d enjoy a longer chat one day. Geoff: Really impressed by the feel of the place. The modern simplistic, West Coast style feel. You can really tell they put everything into their craft just from the feel of the place. Meeting the Canadian Barista Champion Colter Jones who happens to be from Saskatoon, my home town. In terms of the coffee I honestly could not appreciate it. I was too buzzed by the morning I was gone. Let this be a warning, Don’t try this at home. . . I definitely want to go back!

• Afterwards we both felt a little like Kramer from Seinfield

Here are some more photo from the rest of the day