Caffe Cittadella

Ever envision having your own personal cafe located inside your home? Caffe Cittadella is like that. Located at 2310 Ash Street, Caffe Cittadella is seconds away from the Cambie Street Bridge and Canada Line. The cafe itself is fairly young, having just celebrated its second year anniversary just this past August.

I'll admit it. I nearly got lost trying to find this place. However, it was because I kept trying to locate a building that looked like a cafe. Well, imagine my surprise when I found out that Caffe Cittadella was located in what looked like a two story house! The outdoor seating arrangement was plenty, with lots of outdoor room as well. It nearly looked like a country club or a European style outdoor coffee shop or even your own patio. The indoor of the cafe was just as gorgeous. There was plenty of indoor seating too. The cafe had a warm, inviting, homely intimate vibe. It was cozy and comfortable. The ambiance made it feel like you were at home with your own personal coffee bar and barista. Whether you were a student on your laptop or someone catching up with a friend over a cup of cappuccino, this place is for you. Some cafes make you feel like you should leave as soon as you have your drink but this cafe told you to stay. It was spacious, not tight and compact. Space is key. On the other hand, the space between the bar and the area where the server takes your order can be an issue too. I know this one cafe where you place your order at the same place where they make your coffee so that when the line gets long, it can become a nuisance to be able to order your coffee and than move it over to the till without bumping into someone. However, that wasn't the case here. The bar was two steps over from the till.

I was immediately served. The server was fast and efficient. Another nuisance is when you stand at the till, waiting forever for someone to take your order while the cafe is dead and the server is unable to be located. That was not the issue there. It was organized well enough so that the only thing you'd wait for was your coffee. As I stood at the bar, waiting in excitement for my cappuccino, I took in a deeper look of the cafe. The lids for the beverages were located inside an adorable mini cabinet. The set up of the sugars and other coffee essentials reminded me of my own kitchen. I didn't really take a good look at the pastries but from what I hear, they're quite good.  There was even stairs.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that my cappuccino had foam. Cappuccino's are actually supposed to have foam but usually when I order a cappuccino to go, I get latte art instead. When I placed the lid on, nothing spilled or ran over, indicating that the amount of foam was perfect. I took a sip and my tastebuds were greeted with a smooth, creamy rich body and flavour. It felt like there was a nutty aftertaste too. I hope to one day pick up on undertones of the espresso used, such as caramel, orange peel etc. The ratio of foam, milk and espresso was perfect. There is nothing worse than when a cappuccino tastes like a latte because of the milk or when a cappuccino tastes like an espresso because the espresso was too strong. In this case, the milk complimented the flavour of the espresso. It was not flat, but it was not overpowering. It was perfect.

I highly recommend checking out Caffe Cittadella. Lots of cafes claim to be a home away from home but this place is literally like that. Don't rush. Allow yourself to be be awed by the ambiance, service and coffee. If you're not good with directions like myself, keep your eyes peeled for a sign that reads Caffe Cittadella. And if you get lost like I did don't worry because the cappuccino will be worth the mini adventure.

Review

It's been nearly two months since I started this blog, so I figure I'd review my old posts and than pick the best overall coffee, best overall service and best overall ambiance. Let's start with the most important one, best coffee...

Best coffee: My pick for best coffee/cafe is Prado. Prado is located on 1938 Commercial Drive, just on the corner of 6th. At the end of December 2011, Sammy Piccolo, who started Caffe Artigiano, took over Prado and revamped it. Before he took it over, I was a casual fan of Prado and only stopped when I was in the area. Their coffee was average to me and nothing stood out. However, that all changed when Sammy made me my cappuccino. It was love at first taste. The smooth, clean taste was thoroughly enjoyed by my taste buds. It was the perfect matrimony of milk and espresso. With the exception of Kafka's, I find that most cafes make a cappuccino that are too strong (too much espresso) or too subtle (the taste of milk overpowers) but Prado has the perfect blend. I'm also a fan of their Americano Misto's, Mocha's, Espresso Macchiato and Latte's. And don't get me started on their raspberry crumble bar. It's like biting into a taste of heaven. The fresh raspberry taste is the perfect compliment to the crumble texture. And best of all, their raspberry crumble bar is made there. Talk about local. It's nice knowing that the pastries I buy are made in store and not shipped in frozen from some random American bakery or store. I highly recommend pairing the cappuccino with their raspberry crumble bar. Your tastebuds will thank me and thank you.

Best Service: I didn't have to review my old posts to figure this one out. The best service title goes to Kafka's Coffee and Tea. Located on 2525 Main Street, Kafka's is on east Broadway and Main. Kafka's is fairly new, just over a year and half old. Whenever I need somewhere to go to get some writing done, I go to Kafka's and after the first sip of their cappuccino, the spark that gets my inspiration going lights up. It feels like a home away from home, a place where my imagination is born. I also give huge credit to the barista's for making me feel welcome. I must give a shout out to a barista there by the name of  Genevieve. She is the sweetest, most kindest person that I have ever encountered recently in the service industry. She serves each coffee with a smile and makes the effort to get the names of the regulars. Her small talk is welcoming, not annoying or overbearing. If you ever go to Kafka's, I hope you're lucky enough to have her as your barista because not only is she really kind, but she makes great coffee as well. The rest of the barista's are kind as well. Nothing is worse than barista's who make you feel like you're intruding on their time. That certainly is not the case for Kafka's. It's impossible to get a bad coffee or bad service there.

Best Ambiance: The best ambiance title belongs to Caffe Artigiano. Located on 4539 Hastings Street, this is the only Burnaby location. As soon as you enter this Caffe Artigiano, you feel like you stepped into a cafe in Rome, Italy. Seeing how Caffe Artigiano was started by Italian-American Sammy Piccolo (yes, the new owner of Prado) it seems fitting that the cafe has a European feel to it. The decor was atheistically pleasing, a real pleasure to the eyes. The cafe is very spacious, with lots of lovely lighting. Your eyes cannot help but fall upon the floor and tables. Instead of cheap seating arrangements that you may find at other cafes, you'll find a classy, upscale decor. However, it's not over the top or overbearing but it certainly is a welcome change. It has a warm, inviting vibe that makes you sit down to enjoy every sip of your beverage instead of taking it to go. Having the barista's dress all in black gave the cafe a professional edge too, which shows that management care not just about the coffee they make, but the people who serve it.

So if you ever find yourself in North Burnaby or East Vancouver, be sure to go to Caffe Artigiano, Prado and Kafka's. And make sure to go those cafes when you have time because really, how can you enjoy the best coffee, service and ambiance when you're on the run?

Caffe Artigiano

My next cappuccino craving took me to Caffe Artigiano. Located on 4539 Hastings Street, this is the only Burnaby location.

As soon as I entered the café, my attention immediately was transferred to the barista’s. They were dressed all in black. This was one of the rare occasions where the barista’s at a café had uniforms on. To me, it said that the owner wanted to run a professional establishment.  I made my way over to the counter, ready to place my order. I was immediately greeted by the warmness of my server. She was cheerful, but not to the point where it became overbearing, annoying and fake. As I waited for my beverage to be prepared, my barista made small talk too. It was genuine, which I appreciate as I dislike when conversation is forced. And besides, the wait is not as long when you’re talking to someone.

Out of all the cafes that I’ve been to, Caffe Artigiano had the best décor. It looked like a café that you find tucked away on the streets of Rome or Vienna. The lovely lighting and comfy seating arrangements brought the café to life. It was like I was transported back to the summer of 2005, where I spent 6 weeks making my way through Eastern and Southern Europe. The place had a European ambiance to it and like all the cafes I went to in Europe, it invited me to stay. How could I say no to a place that my ancestors would love? It was absolutely beautiful.

While it was not the best cappuccino I’ve ever had, it certainly was one of the more memorable ones.  The tones left on my palette were pleasant and the flavour was distinct. My friend allowed me to help myself to her caramel macchiato and it was absolutely delicious. It was like there was a flavour firework in my mouth. The caramel tasted real, not synthetic or fake. The sweet taste of the caramel and vanilla was a perfect compliment to the espresso. It was like the perfect marriage in coffee heaven. I have been officially convinced to go back and try their caramel macchiato. After all, there are only so many cappuccino’s I can drink and I’m sure that not everybody who reads this blog drinks exclusively cappuccino anyway. So if you want me to try a particular beverage at a particular cafe, let me know in the comments.

Would I recommend Caffe Artigiano? Absolutely. If you want an authentic feel of Europe, both in your cup and café, than head on down to Artigiano. I hear they have the best Spanish Lattes in town so if you want a twist on the classic latte, than go grab one next time you're in the area. After all, with such a flawless caramel macchiato, it’s hard to go wrong with a Spanish latte.