The Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene

“It was a Pleasant Cafe, warm and clean and friendly, and I hung up my old water proof on the coat rack to dry and put my worn and weathered felt hat on the rack above the bench and ordered a cafe au lait. The waiter brought it and I took out a notebook from the pocket of the coat and a pencil and started to write.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

I found this quote at a recent cafe I was at. I think it is why we often head to cafes with books, journals and now laptops.

This is part two into the look at the wireless culture in Vancouver. You can read part one here.

When I need to work downtown I hit the Vancouver Public Library, which has one of the largest collections of free wireless internet in Vancouver. When its internet was down I used to head to Take 5 Cafe on Granville. I wasn’t exactly looking for quality coffee more than I was looking for a quality internet connection. With some extra instruction to the barista I received a decent $2 latte, certainly worth the money I paid for it.  No more, no less. They always have space and don’t mind if you spent most of the afternoon there.

They had extra power plugs installed and had a seating capacity of at least 100. When you compare that to a smaller cafe of 20 – 30 seats and you’ll need substantial more turn over, it all depends on your business model.

The Wilder Snail had an interesting solution to wireless internet. They only turn on the wireless after 2:00 pm. Owner Boyd Thomson says it was part of his plan to offer wireless to his customers, but he also has to cater to his lunch crowd which was quite busy last winter.

A different model

“We want people to spend all day in our cafes. We design our cafes with power plugs in mind and even the smaller kiosk stores have plug ins in the floor,” said Layla Osberg, Director or Training at Blenz Head Office.

Of course Blenz is a franchise-based organization and costs of wireless is up to each cafe owner. But when buying into the franchise you are also buying into the business model. Friends of mine have often commented that they have go to a wireless cafe to give roommates some room or to burn the midnight oil during the end of the term papers.

Personally I have enjoyed the Blenz at Horseshoe Bay more then a few times while waiting for the ferry. Their is such a high turn over of staff at the location the quality of any espresso drink will be completely random. I usually stick with the drip coffee at Blenz. It is far better then the vending machine in the ferry waiting room and the wireless allowed me to get some much needed work done. The first part of this look at wifi was written their while waiting for the ferry that was more then a hour behind schedule.

Wavey Wi-fi

Waves is another chain in Vancouver that has it’s entire business model centered around wireless laptop culture and 24-hour access. Without going into detail I did camp out at one 24-hour cafe for a group assignment that went horribly wrong. The only reason I headed to a cafe was if I went home I would have fallen asleep on the couch. I left at 4 am when I started to see less than desirable patrons sleeping next to me. I have never expected to get a decent cup of coffee from a place that markets itself as a wireless first and a cafe second and haven’t been disappointed.

Return on Investment

Starbucks and Bell offer one free hour of wireless to anyone with a Starbucks Card. This approach helps to keep the Cafe Loafers at bay and if they want to spend all day they will have to purchase wireless from Bell to do it. I tried it out and it worked quite well for me when I needed a wireless cafe on a holiday monday in a small town. But there is a catch. You must have a balance on your card. I login in and then ordered my drink spending the balance of my card. I accidentally closed my laptop. I went to sign in again and had already been kicked out of the system for not having a balance on my starbucks card. All of this had transpired in just over half an hour. The bucks certainly has the return on investment dialed in, but the infrastructure need would be far more then any independent shop owner could do.

So what is a wondering wireless roamer to do? It all depends on what your looking for:

1. If you going to a smaller capacity cafe. Don’t expect to stay all day with out getting a few looks from the staff if you have over stayed your welcome.
2. If you headed to a 24-hour cafe with free all you can eat wifi. Don’t expect the World Barista Champion to be working the 3am shift.
3. If you can’t connect to the internet. Don’t blame the staff they can’t be held accountable for providing a “extra service”.
4. If your going the top award winning cafe in town expecting to find a wireless connection. Don’t be disgruntled when you find they don’t offer any.
5. Always be thankful to find a cafe that does offer wireless when your waiting for a ferry. Anything is better then the vending machine in the BC Ferries waiting room.

I was reading an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal about New York City cafes that have started to ban the use of laptops. I thought it was a really unique issue that I personally have stretched on more than one occasion.

Back when wireless was still a buzz word and digital SLR cameras were only a professional’s tool. I would drive around the city of Winnipeg capturing my assignment and then file my photos from the nearest wireless cafe. Being a freelancer it was actually easier to purchase a coffee at a cafe and file my photos than it would be to drive back to offices on the edge of the city. I was known as the guy who transmited his photos first and ordered a coffee second. Telling the baristas that I was a news photographer and on deadline for the Free Press explained what I was doing and why.

When I arrived back in Vancouver I started looking for a list of wireless cafes. Caffeinated and Unstrung ~ A Guide to Vancouver’s Free Wireless Coffee Shops, became my bible of reputable wireless cafes in Vancouver. It is actually how I found Prado Cafe some four years ago. But since then I have seen some changes in our wireless culture.

Internet is a privilege not a right.

New owners of Bump and Grind Audrey Grant and Joe Peterson found that people were really abusing the privileges provided to them at the cafe spending hours in the cafe, taking up two three seats and even bringing their own food and drink.

“They would order the cheapest thing on the menus sitting here for 3 – 6 hours. We lost a few customers (when they covered up the plugs),” said Joe Peterson. “We knew it was going to happen. We lost a few people and gained a ton more.”

Joe says he kept the internet going for the customers that have respect for a small 20-seat cafe.

“It is a great workspace and people can work here. Wade (a customer) just finished his book here,” Joe said.

And for the people that have a dead battery or no battery and there is a plug on the wall in the hallway, you won’t be able to sit or lounge around surfing your Facebook profile.

“I don’t have a problem telling people to move during a busy weekend, but when we’re really not busy bums in seats are always a good thing,” he added.

Bump and Grind has accepted that we are becoming a more wireless culture and doesn’t foresee a ban on laptops, but that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy a little humour around the subject.

“One of our passwords was talk to each other. We were poking fun at the fact that people weren’t talking to each other,” said Joe. “I got into coffee because I love coffee, not because I love laptops. If I see people having a great conversation over a French press I love that!”

There can be only one.

Prado Cafe has been lovingly referred to as that place without anything on the walls and more recently that place full of mac laptops.
“What happens when you bring a windows laptop into that place?” was asked at a house party I was at once. Well nothing will happen, but according to owner Amy York it is more about the demographics of the neighbourhood than anything about computer segregation.

“I think it is more the type of clientel in the area. There are a lot of people in the arts and they tend to use macs,” said Amy York as she pulled a shot of espresso.

Prado has a different take on laptop usage: They only have one plug for the entire cafe. You’ll either need to sit near the plug or share the plug with someone who is. They freely give out the daily changing password and internet service is somewhat sporadic. In my opinion this cafe has made the best of both worlds. You have the laptop users mostly to one side of the cafe and you have the bookworms and newspaper readers on the other. It seem to work for them as this system has been in use since spring of 2007.

In part two I will look at some further wireless options.

I did the coffee tour on Tuesday and it is a really nice ride. Abet it was in the rain, pray for sun and hopefully the weather office will be nice to us.

We also have some awesome door prizes from Bikes on the Drive, Momentum Magazine and the Coffee Cuff.

Quick Q&A:

Q: Will I have to drink coffee at each stop?

A: We don’t want you to do quad shots of espresso at each cafe that would be overload. I hope this tour to be more of an educational adventure, to give you a chance to try a new cafe or a drink you haven’t tried before.

Q: Can I leave the tour early?

A: Of course! If you need to leave the coffee tour early then sure head off early. We are giving out some fabulous door prizes at the final cafe of our tour so you might miss out on those, but fear not we might have another tour if this one is successful.

Q: Can I join the tour late?

A: Of course! You can find out where we are through our Twitter Account. Or just do the route and catch up to us!

Q: I heard door prizes were bad ?

A: In terms of biking lexicon door prizes are when a car door opens and surprise you end up hit the pavement. We hope this doesn’t happen to you! but we hope you maintain the rules of the road as this won’t be a critical mass and we can’t be held responsible for your biking actions.

Final Notes

I have died my hair my hair espresso brown for the occasion and my hair cutter has given me a fauxhawk for increased aerodynamics (abet under a helmet).

We look forward to seeing you at Bikes on the Drive at 10:30 Saturday morning!

I have done a few coffee tours with friends, the over-indulgent coffee tour Geoff Howe and I took, and the educational tour I took Erica Hill on at New Years Day. The first one was done by car the second was done by transit, the third will be done by bike.

This summer I have been working with Bikes on the Drive developing a blog and some social marketing around their new bike The Tree. The experience has been one of the most compelling and encompassing projects I have ever worked on. I worked with ilan Handelsman and he quite enjoyed an excellent cup of coffee and really enjoys this blog.

Over a few Americanos we hatched this plan of a biking coffee tour to some of the best coffee shops in East Vancouver. After blogging about The Tree bicycle for most of the summer I found that the bike and coffee blog share the same goals: More sustainable products through education. Both ilan and I thought this would be a great way to showcase some excellent roasters, groovy cafes and the quintessential commuter bike all in one shot (sorry no pun intended).

We had the idea and now just needed to extract the details:

The East Van Biking Coffee Tour
Sponsored by: Bikes on the Drive & Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene

Meet: 10:30 am at Bikes on the Drive 1350 Commercial Drive ~ Rain or Shine.
Day: Saturday  July 11, 2009
Cost: Your choice of coffee beverage at cafes we will go to.
Distance Travelled: 9.5 kilometers
Finishing around: 2:00 pm give or take time taken at cafes.

Cafe	Roastry	Espresso
Bikes on the Drive	Devinci	The Tree
Bump & Grind	49th parallel	Epic Espresso
Prado Cafe	49th parallel	Organic Espresso
JJ Bean Main Street	JJ Bean	Nero Organic / JJ Espresso
Re-Entry Espresso	Espresso Vivace	Espresso Viva / Dolce
Elysian Coffee	49th parallel	Elysian Exclusive Blend

Being that this is the first public coffee tour I have ever organized I had a few goals in mind:

1. Variety of roasters
2. Short distances travelled
3. Quality of cafe

which is kind of why we have chosen the cafes we have and the route we did. If it is a success we certainly have another one and will choose a different route with different cafes. So please come out it will be a lot of fun and hopefully good weather.

Tour has concluded thanks for all who came out

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.

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.

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

Address: 4363 Main Street

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).

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.

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.

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).

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

Address: 117-131 Water St, 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

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