Prado Cafe Raspberry Bar

Guys, I'm not the most religious person, but I'm pretty sure I experienced a taste of heaven earlier. I decided to return to Prado Cafe (1938 Commercial Drive, just on the corner on 4th) for their Americano Misto. However, upon reading online reviews of the cafe, I noticed that everyone raved about the raspberry bars, and how they're the best thing ever. My sweet tooth was acting up, so I decided to try the raspberry bar as.

Well, I'm certainly glad I did! After taking the first bite, I felt instant ecstasy. The fruity raspberry taste did a happy dance on my taste buds as it lingered. The crumble bit was the perfect compliment, giving it a nice texture. It tasted fresh, not like it was laden with chemicals or preservatives. And even better, it's baked by someone who works at Prado, instead of it being shipped in frozen. If you support local food, than show it by ordering it. I wanted to take a photo of the entire thing but unfortunately, I succumbed to the delicious flavour. I will, however, post the remnants of it. I do highly recommend you try it when you're on the drive. Make sure to pair it with their world class cappuccino. In fact, I can confidently say that Prado makes the best cappuccino in town. Oh, and their Americano Misto is pretty damn good too. I'll have to try it again but next time, I'm going to pair it with their latte.

So next time you find yourself on Commercial Drive, (particularly on the corner of 4th), come in and order their raspberry bar and cappuccino. Your taste buds will thank you.

Prado Cafe

After partying 2011 away and getting roughly five hours of sleep, I woke up exhausted. Knowing that caffeine was the only way to put some life into me, I decided to venture out for my first coffee of 2012. My java craving led me to Prado Cafe. Prado Cafe is located at 1938 Commercial Drive and nestled on the corner of 4^th and Commercial.

My eyes were immediately stimulated by the décor of Prado. The windows were large and a dream come true for those who like to people watch. If you get lucky by getting the perfect table, you can watch life happen on the streets of Commercial Drive. The clean, evenly spread out tables told me to stay.  I would have stayed but every table was occupied and also, I had to be at my grandparent’s place for some Greek new year traditions later that day. The floor was really nice as well. It looked like home away from home. I immediately felt invited and welcomed. The vibe and ambiance was great. Because there was a line, I had a chance to check out the crowd and barista’s. Some Commercial Drive cafes attract hipsters and some attract elderly men. Well, Prado had those types of people and more. It seems like Prado’s crowd is those who enjoy life and a good coffee. The pastries looked tempting as well. I may just try one next time I'm in.

People have told me that you have to be lucky to get good service anywhere on Commercial Drive. Well, I guess I got lucky because everyone from the server to the barista were really nice and welcome.  We exchanged genuine small talk and smiles. There was nothing fake. Thankfully, small talk was all I could muster because I was still way too tired to formulate any words.  All the barista’s looked and dressed differently, with different styles of clothing, beards and hair. It was a pretty electric crowd there, which I liked. Naturally, I ordered a cappuccino and got the 16 ounce, which was the biggest size. This was going to be my first cappuccino of 2012 so I was pretty excited.

Well, that cappuccino sure set some standards for the new year. Kafka’s still makes the best cappuccino but it was still pretty damn good. It was a smooth, clean taste. It was a perfect blend of espresso and milk, with the foamed milk being the perfect sweet compliment to the strong taste of espresso. It wasn’t overly strong, but it wasn’t subtle either. After a few sips, I instantly woke up. I felt energized, ready to take on the afternoon with my Greek relatives. I wish there was a bigger size so I could enjoy more of this amazing cappuccino. I will, however, be back soon to get another cappuccino real soon. Their cappuccino is the kind you need to have more than once.

I highly recommend Prado. If you ever get some free time, head on down, grab a spot and try their cappuccino. It’s definitely one of the better cafes on Commercial Drive and one worth checking out.

And to the readers of this blog, happy new year! May 2012 be your best year yet. Thanks for sticking with me & I look forward to posting more blogs for you!

JJ Bean

I decided to spend my next experience at coffee central aka Commercial Drive. Also known as Little Italy, Commercial Drive is full of authentic Italian cafes and independent coffee shops. The weather was unkind to me this day and because of that, I did not feel like walking far. I decided to stop at JJ Bean. Located on 2206 Commercial Drive, this JJ Bean is one of many JJ Bean’s spread out across Vancouver.

The second I walked in, I noticed this place was a hipster’s* paradise. People dressed in plaid were glued to their mac books, furiously typing away. When you walk along Commercial Drive, you will notice four different types of people: the hipsters, the LGBTTQ crowd, the creepy old men who assume you’re a nice Portuguese or Italian girl (for the record, I’m Greek and Croatian and no, my name is not Maria) and the others. The others can be nice, normal people who you’ll come across anywhere else in the city or the others can be crazy individuals who kindly tell you to fuck off when you ignore their rampant shouting outside the liquor store. But anyway, the hipster’s hang out at JJ Bean.

There was a bit of a line, which was expected. That allowed me more time to check out the “scene”. The place was packed. Every seat was occupied. Obviously, that meant that the place had good coffee and good service, right? Well, I was kind of wrong.

The server, who wasn't too friendly, gave me a smirk and begrudgingly asked what I’d like to order. Well, it looks like I may have found the first café with awful service. Not wanting to be a rude as the server, I politely asked for a cappuccino and requested a medium size. I gave them a 10 dollar bill and they practically threw my change at me. Perhaps I worked at the wrong type of retail, but I’m fairly certain that the server is supposed to tell you how much change you have been given back. I thanked them and they gave me a look like I wished a plague on their houses.

The barista fared better. He actually acknowledged me by my name (well, it did say it on the order) as well as the how’s your day been. I appreciated that more than the lovely server that I just pleasantly dealt with. He then said my name again as he handed me my cappuccino. I thanked him and he smiled back. Well, it was certainly nice to know that not all their staff was not as warm as the weather I longed for.

I tasted the cappuccino. While it was good, it did not stand out to me.  However, I do appreciate the fact it was not weak. It had a richer body to it as well.

JJ Bean left an overall mixed impression. I thought I was in the minority with how I was treated but after consulting two other individuals, they proved my statement to be true by confirming that the service they got was awful and rude too.  Even they enjoyed the coffee as well, they felt that the service wasn’t worth it. I even received a story of how a server rolled their eyes at one of the individuals while they were searching through their purse for change. It was not the cappuccino that left a bad taste in my mouth, but how I was treated.

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*For the record, I don't mind hipsters. I was just trying to paint an image with the people there.