Cafe review - Stick in the Mud · Saturday July 7, 2007 by colin newell
There is still a pleasant buzz when great specialty coffee comes to a city the size of Victoria B.C. (200,000).
So, you can imagine the palpable excitement when better than average coffee came to Sooke B.C. Canada.
Some 25 miles down a windy West Coast highway, Sooke is a town with about 9700 souls. From personal observation, there is not a lot of great coffee to rave about. That changed today as the Stick in the Mud cafe opened for their first full day.
Photo at right: David Evans enjoys the first-day energy at “the Stick in the Mud” Cafe – click photo for larger view
Stick in the Mud is the pipe-dream of one very youthful David Evans. At 39 years of age, David has been drinking coffee for about 4 years. And although he did not just wake up one morning deciding to bring fantastic specialty coffee to this small town, he did have some help from some talented foodie friends.
None other than Markus of Sooke’s own Markus Wharfside Grill took David to Discovery Coffee 6 months ago. For David it was a defining moment.
Within 4 months, the Stick quite literally rose from the mud on the quiet Eustace Avenue, one block away from Sooke’s downtown junction of West Coast road and Otter Point Road. And however out-of-the-way this caffeinated alcove might be, the Stick offers its guests the options of a colorful interior or 3 or 4 outdoor patio tables to enjoy their brew.
And wonderful brew it is! Powered by beans from Discovery, Hines of Vancouver and (soon) Coffee Warbler of Vancouver, David holds court behind his La Marzocco espresso machine. He managed to keep up a lively patter with a near endless series of patrons and at the same time pulling flawless beverages.
We had iced de-caf lattes and soy macchiato – and they were spot on.
The Stick in the Mud cafe joins an impressive (and growing) pack of fine specialty coffee outlets (all independents of course) on Southern Vancouver Island – our initial impression is that it has quickly moved up the ranks to destination cafe on day-one… based on my first taste impressions that is. Few can claim that; Discovery, the Habit, and Coyote Coffee to name a few.
The Stick is in good company.
Colin Newell lives in Victoria B.C. Canada and spends a lot of time in coffee shops – some of them great coffee shops!
Comment [8]
Movie review - Inland Empire · Friday July 6, 2007 by colin newell
Ok. I do not actually do movie reviews. But I am making an exception for those so unfortunate as to fall into the World of David Lynch. Here is your warning.
David Lynch’s latest movie (and I most certainly use this term loosely) Inland Empire is an utter mess.
Inland Empire is an amalgam of all the Lynchisms ever cast on celluloid.
And unless you knew this already, Lynch is the ultimate trickster – using obvious visual metaphors and simple stories to create the illusion of complexity and plot.
Inland Empire has no plot. There is no story. It is one manipulative juxtaposition after another – woven like a spider on LSD.
Inland Empire has it all; Dark corridors. Men and Women in rabbit suits. Dark language speaking gypsy freaks. Simple dialog repeated – delivered in circles. More dark corridors. More blood. Bare breasts. Heck, there is even a monkey.
Bottom line – if you are thinking of spending some money to see this movie. Do yourself a favor. Give the money to a stranger or street person. Or visit a bar on the wrong side of town. Walk up to a prostitute and offer her (or him) 50$ to take the night off. Anything. Just don’t see this movie.
David Lynch’s Inland Empire is film-making proof that the man that brought us Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart and heck, even Dune has lost his marbles.
Colin Newell lives in Victoria and writes about pop culture, the arts, politics and Western Living. His only hope is that he is never forced to see a movie this bad… ever again.
Comment [3]
Insane Espresso-Ginger Snaps · Wednesday July 4, 2007 by colin newell
Looking for a sweet cookie that will leave your pancreas begging for mercy? Check out my Ginger-snap recipe – They have a well defined ginger bite, a warm dark sugar tone with just a hint of coffee.
click on image at right for larger view
They are great warm from the oven with a giant mug of dark sumatra coffee – or Earl Grey tea. The choice is yours.
This recipe appears to have made about 2 dozen cookies but results will vary.
1 Cup brown or demerara sugar
3/4 Cup soft butter
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Molasses
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder.
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp. Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
Cream together the sugar & margarine.
Add the egg & mix together well.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well together.
Roll into small balls (about 1 in. diameter), then roll in sugar to coat.
Put on cookie sheet & bake at 350 F for 6 or 7 to 9 mins. Cookies will flatten out somewhat as they cook. Cookies are golden brown when cooked.
Enjoy and enjoy. And remember, the longer they cook the snappier they get.
Colin Newell lives and works in Victoria and finds the time to enjoy the simple things – like home baked goodies with piping hot coffee!
Island's Best series - The Crow and Gate · Monday July 2, 2007 by colin newell
In 1972
something truly magical happened. No, it was not the year I was born. If only.The Government of British Columbia introduced changes to the beverage industry to allow neighborhood pubs in the Province.
Click the image at right for an enlarged view
Like the specialty coffee revolution (currently well underway in Canada) the arrival of the Pub on the Canadian dining scene would forever change the fabric of the eating out experience.
So let’s celebrate shall we? Please raise a glass to one of Canada’s finest pubs (and I have visited a few); The Crow and Gate Pub in Cedar, British Columbia – a few KM south of Nanaimo.
The C&G is somewhat unique in that it is located kind of in the middle of no where. Well, countryside is not exactly in the middle of no where. Close perhaps. It is a bit of a drive for the average Island resident. From Victoria, it is about one and 1/2 hours at the posted speed limit – just under 100 km. Do yourself a favor. Take the Island Highway straight up along the East Coast of the Island, past Duncan, Chemainus and Ladysmith and turn off at the Cedar road exit. Do not panic – it is probably about 12 km down a series of country roads and there are signs everywhere. The Crow & Gate pub is at 2313 Yellow Point Rd., Cedar, B.C.
The Crow & Gate is a very solid copy of an English pub. It is not a Pub Style restaurant by any stretch. It is a Pub. Keep this in mind if you are a family with children. You must be 19 years of age or older if you wish to partake of the food and drink here.
The Food – Everything is made fresh at the Crow & Gate. Nothing comes out of a can. Typical English favorites include Steak & Mushroom, Steak & Kidney Pie, Ploughman’s Lunch, Fried Oysters, Scotch Egg, Melton Mowbray and the like. If you do not like English food at its very best, you are not going to like this stuff. I do and the quality is superlative.
The Drink – The Crow & Gate does not serve watered down American Beer. This is the real deal folks; Kilkenny, Smithwicks, Guinness and a wide selection of local and regional artisan beers are on tap. The beer and the food are the perfect compliment to each other.
My meal – In the photo above, I ordered the Steak and Mushroom Pie. It is, as always, the best I have ever tasted. Perfect pastry surround a wonderful beef stew filling with just the right amount of beef gravy. Each meal comes with a serving of side green salad and potato salad. Pate is an option if you are eating with someone who has ordered a Ploughmans. The Pate here is incredible.
Summary – If you like food and drink (and who doesn’t?) and are visiting Vancouver Island, the Crow & Gate Pub is a must do while you are here. No exception.
In a continuing series on Island food and drink, Colin Newell critiques the best of the best among Island establishments.
