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.

Americano Misto

Hello fellow java junkies!

I hope your 2012 so far has been as fabulous as you, my reader. You're pretty damn awesome!

I have a new favourite beverage. Yes, I no longer devote myself to cappuccino's anymore. Instead, I have given my love to the Americano Misto. The Americano Misto is similar to a latte, with the differences being (this is according to a google search) similar to a latte without the foam (a Foamless), except that steamed milk and hot water are added half-and-half (rather than just steamed milk). I personally do not enjoy milk (blech) so having less steamed milk balanced with hot water was something that I appreciated. The taste was a little less sweet and subtle and a bit more strong, which is great as you can taste more of the espresso.

I only had the privilege of trying the Americano Misto from two locations. One was Kafka's Coffee and Tea (2525 Main Street & second photo) and Continental Coffee (1806 Commercial Drive & first photo). Both were different in their own ways and taste but I recommend ordering an American Misto from both. The one from Continental Coffee was a bit more stronger in taste.


So stick around, as my next few blogs will consist of me reviewing Americano Misto's. Have a great weekend!

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Bump N Grind Cafe

After taking into account recommendations from family and friends, I decided to check out Bump N Grind Cafe. Located on 916 Commercial Drive, Bump N Grind Cafe is found way at the end of the stretch of the drive, right by Venables Street. However, it turned out to be a lovely evening, so the trek along Commercial Drive turned out to be a nice one, despite the crazy people who would accustom me at every odd block.

Bump N Grind Cafe is a small, quaint cafe. Its tiny layout is a welcome change for those who want the comfy, cozy feeling of being at home. It had an intimate vibe, perfect for catching up or getting to know someone. It is also the ideal space if you're a student, as there's plenty of space to study or do your assignments. The peaceful, quiet environment won't interrupt or distract you. Its simple, minimal decor felt very welcoming and inviting. Also, they had the nicest bathroom that I've ever seen in any cafe. It looks like a washroom you find in a trendy house. It was very clean and atheistically pleasing.

The server and barista were super friendly. Compared to the last cafe I went to, which was Milano Espresso Lounge Gastown, this was a welcome and needed change. Their smiles were just as warm as the weather outside (yes, warm weather exists during winter in Vancouver). It was all genuine, nothing fake. Their customer service treatment was spot on. I appreciated being treated kindly, instead of being ignored.

Naturally, I ordered a cappuccino. I didn't get the opportunity to watch the barista make it, as I had to use their washroom which I was in awe of. The cappuccino was pretty good. The first sips were a bit bitter and strong but as I drank more of the cappuccino, the flavour improved. The balance of espresso and milk were pleasing to my taste buds. At times, I could taste more espresso but luckily, it was not overpowering. It certainly is one of the top five cappuccino's that I ever had.

Do I recommend Bump N Grind Cafe? Absolutely! Next time I go, I plan to bring a friend so I can hang out and soak up the ambiance and also, check out their awesome bathroom again. Until then, I hope you go!

Milano Espresso Lounge Gastown

The next café that I went to was Milano Espresso Lounge Gastown. Located on 36 Powell Street, Milano Espresso Lounge is a bit of walk from central Gastown. This place was recommended to me, so I decided to check it out.

This was probably the biggest café that I’ve been to yet. It’s very spacious and there is a lot of seating room. The décor has a Gastown vibe to it, so the location was perfect. It felt like I stepped into a trendy café in SoHo. The floor and walls had a clean, simple look to it. There was nothing outrageous or extreme. The coffee bar was quite large and offered an extensive choice of pastries. The drink menu caught my eye as well. It wasn’t your typical drink menu and it looked trendy. The colours drew me in.

The service, however, was less than desirable. I stood at the counter for a few minutes, waiting to be attended too. The counter was a bit high but being 5’8” (well,  5’9” with my heeled boots) I was a bit hard to miss. The set up of the counter was a bit confusing, so I moved around for a bit. Finally, the server/barista came to me. He was friendly, but it was the standard friendly. He took my order and when I told him I wanted a cappuccino, he asked if I wanted one shot of espresso, or two shots of espresso. Having never been asked this question before, I was confused. I answered two and he went on to make my medium sized cappuccino. I was still perplexed and asked my friend, who is a barista, how many shots of espresso go into a medium sized cappuccino. She confirmed two. It makes me wonder if it was cheaper to get an espresso with one shot but even if it is, that’s still not the proper method to make a medium size cappuccino. After finishing my order, I moved on to the pick up side of the bar.

Maybe it’s because I was in a rush, but it felt like it took forever for my cappuccino to be made. Maybe the barista was new, but the whole process dragged on. Thankfully when it was made, the barista was kind enough to make eye contact and say “you’re welcome” when I thanked him instead of rushing off, which I have experienced a few times at other cafes. I placed the cap on my cappuccino and made my way back to the streets of Gastown.

My cappuccino was strong. Very strong. In fact, it tasted like an espresso. Cappuccino has milk in it, but I could not taste the milk. My taste buds were greeted with this semi bitter overpowering taste. To me, the perfect cappuccino is a blend of milk and espresso but to me, the cappuccino tasted like pure espresso. To some cappuccino lovers, they may like that. However, I prefer to taste the espresso and the milk, not just the espresso, and not just the milk.

Sadly, I won’t be returning. It makes me wonder if it’s the roasting or style of beans, as I’ve been to Turk’s on the Drive, which is a sister store, and found that the cappuccino was a bit overpowering too. However, I do plan to try the Denman street location, as I heard it fares better. I just hope when I go there, I’m not waited on forever. The silence makes it feel like eternity. 

Facebook and Twitter

Hi guys!

If you recently checked out my blog, you may have noticed that I have put a link to my facebook page and my twitter account. If you have facebook, you can like my page and get updates and if you have twitter, you can follow me and get my tweets. Blogspot only offers the basic stats about you, my audience ie what country you're browsing from etc so having a facebook page & a twitter account will allow me to know more about you and it will allow you to know more about me. So click on that like button and click on follow & stick around!

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.

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.

 

Elysian Coffee

My next java craving lead me to Elysian Coffee. Located on 590 West Broadway, Elysian is one of numerous cafes located on the stretch of West Broadway. While riding the bus to a Christmas party, the sign caught my eye and as I passed it, I made a promise to myself that I would stop there on the way back, which is what I did.

I was instantly greeted by the smile of the server. So far, the place where I’ve had genuine small talk was Kafka’s. However, one cannot expect all café’s to live up to Kafka’s standard. I brushed that aside, as there have been instances where I wasn’t even served with a smile. I immediately placed my order (a cappuccino, no less) & paid. I was surprised at being charged $3.75. That was the most I’ve ever been charged for a cappuccino, especially that size. I’ve been to cafes where I paid that amount for a 16 ounce, instead of the standard 6 ounce. While surprised, I chalked it up to location. Don’t expect for things to be cheap on West Broadway. I returned the smile that I was given and made my way to the counter where I’d wait for my cappuccino.

As I waited for my cappuccino to be made, I took in the décor. It had a lounge type feel to it. You could sit in the stool & people watch, or you could park yourself in one of the booths. The latter would be more appropriate in a group setting & the former would work better if you were alone. Well, unless you prefer to not face the individual(s) that you are having a conversation with. It was your average café look. Like Blenz or Waves, it’s the perfect place if you’re a student, studying for that test or finishing an assignment. I’m assuming that’s the clientele that frequents Elysian.

With minimum eye contact and a low voice, my barista put my cappuccino on the counter. Eager to try my inspiration for this blog, I took my cappuccino in my hands and headed back onto the streets of West Broadway. I took my first sip & was greeted with the taste of bitterness. While the initial sip was pleasant to my palette, the after taste sadly was not as enjoyable. While I’m no cappuccino connoisseur, I’ve drank enough of them to pick up on certain flavours, notes & lately, if my cappuccino is bitter or not. However, this was my first visit, so I’m not going to set my expectations too high. There have been instances where my second visits to various cafes have been more positive. I will certainly return & if I notice any significant differences, I will certainly address them in my next blog posting.

If you’re a student or just anyone who wants a place to get their work done, than come on down to Elysian Coffee. The vibe will make your studying or assignments that much easier to do.

 

Suggestions

Are there any cafes/coffee shops that you want me to visit in the future? Leave a comment with the places that you want me to visit (if there's more than one, name the location/address) & I will go to there and write a review for you. Some places that I'm planning to review and visit in the future are:

Milano Espresso Bar & Gelato
Continental Coffee
Caffe Artigiano (4539 Hastings Street)

I primarily stick to cafes/coffee shops in East Vancouver but I'm hoping to go all over Vancouver & Burnaby. Thanks!