Category Archives: coffee

Edmonton Wakes Up and Smells the Coffee

2 Replies
Ryan Arcand runs the most laid-back, excellent coffeehouse you'll find at Iconoclast in Edmonton

Ryan Arcand runs the most laid-back, excellent coffeehouse you’ll find, at Iconoclast in Edmonton

I almost wish *Iconoclast Koffie Huis doesn’t get a lot more walk-up business. It’s selfish, I know. But in the four times I wander in over a week, co-owner Ryan Arcand shakes my hand, asks if I want my usual Americano or pour-over coffee (accompanied perhaps with an excellent muffin) and embarks on a long, relaxed chat. He greets occasional other customers by name, introducing them to anyone else who’s pulled up to the counter of this ultra-cool coffee bar. Conversations between strangers (new friends?) ensue, in stark contrast to the eyes glued to screens in most contemporary coffeehouses.

I’m sure things won’t always be this leisurely. But for now at least, Ryan seems perfectly happy with his low-key approach to marketing this new, central Edmonton coffeehouse. For one thing, it’s a bit hard to find, on a little side street across from a cemetery, with only a sandwich board advertising its presence. Indeed, Iconoclast’s website doesn’t currently mention the coffee bar, let alone its hours of operation.

That’s because most of its business is roasting wholesale beans for a growing list of discerning local restaurants and cafes. The small-batch roaster is at the back of an old, long warehouse that’s been lovingly refurbished with lots of repurposed wood, especially at the front coffee bar. On nice days, the bay doors might be rolled up, a table or two pulled out and a chessboard set up for an extended game between Ryan and local sculptor/part-time barista Rob Willms, who helped refurbish the place. Like I said, it’s laid back.

Iconoclast's roaster is in back of the coffee bar in this refurbished warehouse

Iconoclast’s roaster is in back of the coffee bar in this refurbished warehouse

While all things coffee course through Ryan’s veins, he’s perhaps most excited about the prospect of roasting cocoa, of all things, for use primarily in his partner’s (Sjoukje Bouma) line of Pinto chocolates. During one visit, he roasts a small batch of cocoa beans and scatters them on the counter for customers to sample. They’re nutty, delicious and addictive, the smoky flavour lingering long after I’ve resumed my more frantic day.

Roasted cocoa beans, anyone?

Roasted cocoa beans, anyone? Taste these gems and you might forsake the usual, sweetened chocolate

Folks, this is what a great coffeehouse is all about.

Iconoclast Koffie Huis
11807B 105 Avenue
Monday to Saturday 8:30 am-5 pm (with longer hours as summer approaches)
Iconoclast Koffiehuis on Urbanspoon

The latest entry in Edmonton’s downtown-area cafe scene is District Coffee Co., an offshoot of Nate Box’s popular Elm Cafe, though slightly larger (two tables!, along with some window seating). It’s already attracting a loyal clientele lining up for espresso-based drinks and a short, ever-changing menu of creative soups and salads, scones and other in-house baked treats. The day’s pot pie ($8) is a steaming mix of pulled pork and Granny Smith apple wrapped in a flaky pastry—a nice, light lunch accompanied by a strong Americano (using Calgary’s Phil and Sebastian beans).

District Coffee is in slightly larger digs than its Elm Cafe sibling

District Coffee is in slightly larger digs than its Elm Cafe sibling

A pulled pork and apple pot pie goes down nicely with a coffee

A pulled pork and apple pot pie goes down nicely with a coffee

District Coffee Co.
101, 10011 109 Street
Weekdays 7 am-5 pm
District Coffee Co. on Urbanspoon

A couple of downtown Edmonton coffee shops have come and gone. But Credo remains a stalwart. The reasons? It’s a smartly-run place, with two espresso machines and a little line of pour-overs pumping out good Intelligentsia coffee to a steady stream of caffeine seekers. What really makes it stand out is the seven (seven!) types of fresh muffins pulled regularly from its oven, along with house-made granola bars. It’s the details that matter, and Credo checks every box.

Credo's house-made granola bars help make it stand out from the usual coffeehouse

Credo’s house-made granola bars help make it stand out from the usual coffeehouse

Credo
10134 104 Street, Edmonton
Weekdays 7 am-6 pm, Saturday 8 am-6 pm, Sunday 10 am-6 pm
Credo Coffee on Urbanspoon

Unlock My Chains: The Big 3 Fast-Food Restaurants & Coffee Shops

3 Replies
There's nearly always lineups at Canada's fast-food king, Tim Horton's

There’s nearly always lineups at Canada’s fast-food king, Tim Hortons

I’m all about independent food places and coffee shops. It’s why I write this blog. But I do occasionally sneak into a fast-food chain. Honest, it’s just to use their WiFi connection when I can’t find a local, open coffeehouse and need to locate something or book a last-minute motel, especially if my smart phone is turned off to save roaming charges in the U.S.

As a result, I get to focus my laser-like observation skills on how these chains operate and the coffee lingo used by regulars: a “double-double” (two cream, two sugar) in Canada’s Tim Hortons and, my favourite, a “tall Ethiopian” in Starbucks. Plus, I invariably order a coffee or snack, seeing as how I might be using their WiFi for half an hour and think it’s highly unethical to carry an empty Starbucks’ or McDonald’s cup from place to place to feign a purchase. Really, I’ve hardly ever done that.

The reason the following places are successful is they, like other popular chains, deliver consistency and predictability, with enough new products thrown in to keep the regulars from getting bored. Mind you, when pulled pork, poutine or paninis hits their menus, you know the trend has long since passed. And the stuff is churned out so fast that “made to order” is not in the vocabulary.

Continue reading →

In Praise of the Simple Coffee-Making Aeropress

2 Replies
The Aeropress is the brew method of choice at Phil & Sebastian's new Calgary coffeehouse

The Aeropress is the brew method of choice at Phil & Sebastian’s new Calgary coffeehouse

In the high-tech coffee world, cafes spend thousands of dollars on fancy machines to produce perfect cups of espresso or drip java. Yet a $25-35 plastic tube is increasingly elbowing its way into the mix at highfalutin coffeehouses.

It’s called the Aeropress, invented by Alan Adler, who also came up with the Aerobie flying ring. I do the Aeropress a bit of disservice. It’s actually two plastic tubes, one rubber-bottomed tube fitting tightly inside the other. There’s just one other piece, a black plastic cap, with a bunch of small holes, that screws onto the bottom of the larger, outside tube.

Here’s essentially how it works. Place a thin, circular paper filter inside the black cap and screw the latter on to the outside tube, placing said tube on a warmed-up cup. Dump freshly ground coffee (16 to 22 grams, depending on cup size and strength preference) into the tube and pour near-boiling water to almost fill the tube. Stir, wait a bit and then push the rubber-bottomed inner tube to the bottom of the outer tube, expelling the coffee through the filter into the cup. It takes a surprising amount of force and time, about 20 seconds, to push the liquid through.

David preparing an inverted-style Aeropress drink at Cupper's Coffee & Tea in Lethbridge, Alberta

David preparing an inverted-style Aeropress drink at Cupper’s Coffee & Tea in Lethbridge, Alberta

The Aeropress has been around for nearly a decade. But maybe because it was so simple or/and coffeehouses had invested so much in expensive machines that it’s taken awhile to win more widespread commercial appeal. But that’s certainly changing. Indeed, I saw Aeropresses being used in three upscale southern Alberta coffee shops in the past couple of weeks.

“It’s incredibly simple but brilliant in the way it works,” says Phil Robertson, co-owner of Phil & Sebastian, which uses the Aeropress to make individually brewed cups of coffee at one of its three Calgary coffeehouses. He loses me when delving into the details of things like the backpressure created in the tube. But the essence is the Aeropress produces a great cup of coffee. I like making it super strong and adding hot water for a potent Americano.

A little chocolate cake? No, it's the thick puck I produce from the Aeropress grounds when making my potent Americano

A little chocolate cake? No, it’s the thick puck I produce from the Aeropress grounds when making my potent Americano

Now, as in anything coffee related, there are many nuances in the way various shops use the Aeropress. Some prefer paper filters, others metal. Some like a coarser grind, others a finer one. Some like the standard method, others an inversion technique. Brewing times may vary.

But the beauty of the Aeropress, beside the low cost, is the simplicity of its use. The average coffee drinker using a home espresso maker is at a considerable disadvantage trying to compete with a skilled barista manning an industrial espresso machine. But with a quality bean and a wee bit of practice, home users can pretty much match the Aeropress results of the pros. A bonus is the workout you get doing those one-armed “pushdowns”.

So when you hear coffee connoisseurs talking about espresso “pulls”, don’t be surprised if they also get into Aeropress “pushes”.

Great Java in Cochrane, Alberta

2 Replies
Java Jamboree owner Jess Johnston meticulously making a pour-over coffee

Java Jamboree owner Jess Johnston meticulously making a pour-over coffee

Okay, I’ll say it. *Java Jamboree, in the bedroom backwater of Cochrane, is one of the best coffeehouses in Alberta. Take that, snooty Calgary and Edmonton.

The reason is threefold: first-rate coffee, a place you want to linger in—beyond staring at a computer screen—and fine food that’s largely made in house.

Let’s start with the most important thing, the coffee. Young owner Jess Johnston or any of her exacting baristas can make coffee any newfangled way you want: espresso-based, inverted Aeropress, Chemex or pour over. Ironically, the only knock I have on Java Jamboree is its reliance on lightly roasted beans from Calgary’s Phil and Sebastian and Victoria’s Bows & Arrows. I just like a darker roast.

Java Jamboree hits all the right touches, like this gorgeous china cup and saucer

Java Jamboree hits all the right touches, like this gorgeous china cup and saucer

Second, there’s the setting. Sure, Java Jamboree is in a nondescript mall with Safeway and Canadian Tire as neighbours and an acre of parking in between. But step inside the door, and you enter a calming world of beige walls decorated with good art, reclaimed wood tables and brushed aluminum chairs, a comfy couch, soft lighting from hanging fixtures and an unobtrusive jazz soundtrack that promotes actual conversation or book reading.

Isn't this the kind of coffee shop you'd like to hang out in?

Isn’t this the kind of coffee shop you’d like to hang out in?

Finally, there’s the food, a trucked-in or warmed-up afterthought at most cafes. Here, there’s a short but good menu of house-made fruit scones, breakfast wraps, a daily soup and a couple of paninis. The culinary features are four grilled cheese sandwiches, highlighted by an aged cheddar with caramelized onion jam and prosciutto and a side of their own ketchup.

Java Jamboree features four grilled cheese sandwiches, including this one with aged cheddar and prosciutto

Java Jamboree features four grilled cheese sandwiches, including this one with aged cheddar and prosciutto

So, you might prefer a café in Alberta that serves a bean or even food you like better. But I challenge you to find a place that can match these three pillars of a great coffeehouse.

Java Jamboree
#9, 312 5 Avenue West, Cochrane, Alberta
Monday to Saturday 8 am-6 pm, Sunday 9 am-6 pm
Java Jamboree Coffee Co. on Urbanspoon

How Do You Spell Portland’s Best Coffee Shop?

1 Reply
Portland could well challenge Seattle for the title of Coffeetown, USA

Portland could well challenge Seattle for the title of Coffeetown, USA

It’s hard throwing a pound of fair-trade, organic beans in Portland without hitting a coffeehouse. In many parts of town, they’re on every street corner, often with a few more squeezed in between. For all I know, Portland might rival Seattle as Coffeetown, U.S.A.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters is the local heavyweight, with a vast bean empire and some half dozen cafes in town, closely followed by Ristretto Roasters. There are too many independent, often one-off, places to mention. Suffice to say, the expectation levels are such that many food carts offer pots of French-press coffee, sourced from local micro roasters.

Minimalism is in at Ristretto Roasters in Portland

Minimalism is in at Ristretto Roasters in Portland

But I might just have to side with the mighty New York Times in naming tiny downtown *Spella Caffè as the top espresso puller in Portland. I walk into this jewel—no bigger than an oversized closet—and am greeted by three uniformed people. Now, this is what I call service. While waiting for the barista to prepare my macchiato, another guy describes their affogato, a gelato drenched in two shots of espresso. I also talk to owner Andrea Spella, who moved to this shoehorn location after the usual burst pipes and overheating persuaded him to abandon his coffee cart. The batches at his southeast Portland roastery are equally tiny, weighing in at 11 pounds.

Don't let the small size fool you. Spella Caffe's espresso packs a heavyweight punch

Don’t let the small size fool you. Spella Caffe’s espresso packs a heavyweight punch

My macchiato to go or to stand (really, there’s no place to sit) is served in a tiny cardboard cup. But boy, does it pack a punch. None of that thinly roasted, sour-tasting stuff here. The thick, full-bodied taste lingers on my tongue long after I’ve taken a pound of roasted beans to go.

Spella Caffe
520 SW 5 Avenue, Portland
Weekdays 7:30 am-3:30 pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday
Spella Caffe on Urbanspoon

Seattle’s Finest Coffee?

3 Replies
Espresso Vivace may be the top hipster pick for coffee in Seattle

Espresso Vivace may be the top hipster pick for coffee in Seattle

It’s Seattle, folks, where Starbucks got started more than 40 years ago and many a novel and email has been read. It’s the place that really put cafe society on the map in North America. So not surprisingly, there are lots and lots of coffee shops around, many of them micro roasters and just as many devoted to the art of making precise cups of java of any style imaginable.

Espresso Vivace pulls a fine, smooth espresso at two cafes and one sidewalk stand, while Victrola Coffee Roaster also has three shops, serving nice pour-overs, some soaring into the price stratosphere depending on the chosen bean. A nice discovery for me is Caffe Ladro, a roaster/scratch bakery with a dozen area cafes and single cups done three ways: Clover, Aeropress or, my choice, Clever (think French press without the sediment).

Much less heralded but a place I thoroughly enjoy is Moore Coffee Shop, in the downtown Moore Hotel. Parking’s a bitch, but the small cafe is a haven of serenity, where I sink into a nice leather chair to savour a strong, double-shot Americano (believe they use local Caffe D’arte beans).

Enjoying a fabulous Americano at Moore Coffee Shop in downtown Seattle

Enjoying a fabulous Americano at Moore Coffee Shop in downtown Seattle

Owner Lupe has included some nice touches such as slices of, say, apple, in a complementary jug of cold water and a little square of good chocolate placed on the saucer. He’s also added some good, $6 sandwiches, like a caprese with fresh mozza, to the menu. Let’s hope the cognoscenti don’t discover this sanctuary.

Moore covers all the nice touches like this jug of fruit-infused water

Moore covers all the nice touches like this jug of fruit-infused water

Moore Coffee Shop
1930 2 Avenue, Seattle
Weekdays 6:30 am-5 pm, Saturday 8 am-3 pm. Closed Sunday