On a day like today... · Tuesday January 24, 2006 by colin newell
A photo gallery from a past San Francisco trip!
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Buy in haste, repent at leisure... · Friday December 9, 2005 by colin newell
This time of year, people are spending money, lots of money. Some of it goes online. Some of that hard earned dough is going to be spent on an espresso machine, coffee brewer or a pricey accessory like a burr grinder.
In a perfect World, it would be no more difficult that filling in the online order form or making a phone call or two and waiting the 5 days for your order to arrive.
In the World that you and I live in, it is a bit more complex. By and large, every sidewalk bricks and mortar business or online enterprise that sells coffee stuff is pretty much on the level.
Truth be told, the internet (and most physical storefronts) are pretty competitive places and noone would be in business very long if they weren’t straight with their customers.
Still, a few rules for the consumer go a long way. Here are some to keep in mind:
- buying online? Ask about warranty and the type of warranty
- ask about the return policy
- ask about after-sales service – everyone has questions
99 times out of 100 you are going to have a good experience.
For a more detailed look at buying coffee stuff online, read my full article over at coffeecrew.com
Ground Zero for Victoria's best coffee · Saturday December 3, 2005 by colin newell
There are more coffee joints in Victoria than car dealers and, let me tell you Bernice, they all want to sell you something. Trick is to find what you are looking for.
Personally, I look for the people that know what they are talking about (in a way that makes sense to my pearl sized brain), people that believe in what they are doing, and lastly people that do not give me the crazy-creeps talking about coffee in a way that I just do not get!
Sam Jones, Victoria’s ubermyster coffee god, holds court at 2% Jazz on Douglas Street (adjacent to the Times-Colonist building). Surrounded by the finest in coffee-espresso hardware and only the finest baristi that the city has to offer, Sam takes the bean to levels that other cafes can only daydream about.
The thing about Sam is, he cultivates leading-edge ideas in the kind of positive environment that offers genuflection (courteous acknowledgement) to everyone in the coffee-chain, from the farmer to the cup.
As Dave Anderson (of Ottawa) and I sat in 2% Jazz, the other day, it became readily apparent that every single body coming through his door was a little wiser about the caffeine bean than the average schelp that walks into Starbucks looking for their Vente whatever.
Sam is a teacher, a damn good teacher. He believes his gospel and when he starts to preach the good word, you cannot help but listen.
I could not help but gaze in wonder as he led Dave, by the hand (Ok, stretching here) up onto his raised pulpit behind his glistening Synesso espresso machine. I could almost hear the choir as Sam coached Dave through the fundamentals. Dave, who is a seasoned coffee-nerd from Ottawa, came away exclaiming “That was the best coffee I have ever had in my life!” Where else in Victoria would you actually become part of the espresso experience?
Only at 2% Jazz, that is where!
If you want real coffee and the best espresso that the city has to offer, drop your pretense and your double-cupped swill take-away and get your feet down to 2% Jazz.
A diner for all time... · Saturday November 26, 2005 by colin newell
For all the praise heaped upon superlative gourmet coffee and, begging your pardon if I offend, slow-food in the 21 century, there are too few words spoken singing the praises of the grease n’ grill.
A significant portion of my best years (today and in the past) have been spent in diners like John’s Place on Pandora Avenue in Victoria, B.C. Canada.
I recall crossing their syrupy-sweet threshold way back in 1985 for the first time; Pancakes, sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs and black coffee. Oddly, 20 years later and (damn, I confess) 100 visits under my belt, I have the blood pressure of a 19 year old girl.
20 years ago I was a bright eyed, pre-internet, kind of guy frightened of the future. Ah, the uncertainty of being in your mid-twenties and wondering what the future would bring. Nothing takes your mind off of your worries faster than a fluffy waffle with cream cheese and maple syrup.
So, here we are in 2005. Two decades ago I sat in John’s Place with a table full of young friends, some of whom I still call friends today. Looking around, today, I see other young people (and older people) enjoying the solidarity of good food and friendship.
I really believe places like this keep us young, at least at heart. So the next time you are sitting down to your yoghurt, organic berries and 12-grain dry toast, fight back, say no… and find your diner.
