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]
Gaggia under the knife updates · Tuesday June 5, 2007 by colin newell
Some comments…
Clover coffee · Wednesday March 14, 2007 by colin newell
I am peeling the bulk of this off of the L.A. Times. It is an important read because, unless you did you not know this, Victoria has a Clover Coffee brewer at Discovery Coffee on Discovery Street.
And if you love coffee and have not been Clovered yet, you are truely missing out.
Anyhow… here is some of the article:
In the breve new world of coffeehouses, espresso has been getting all the love. Tattooed baristas pull perfect shots from loud machines the size of Fiats. Lattes come crowned with filigreed leaves drawn in foam; macchiati appear in dainty demitasses of Italian porcelain. The drip coffee drinker, however, is handed a paper cup and directed to a stoic thermos, exiled near the napkins and sugar packets.
But a seismic change is on the way in this highly caffeinated world. Drip coffee is getting a serious upgrade, thanks to a new machine called the Clover. A high-tech gadget that looks like a cross between a water cooler and a microwave (and it’s the size of a small one), the Clover brews a single cup of coffee at a time, to order, through a process that allows the barista to adjust the brewing to fit the flavor profile of specific lots of coffee.
Coffee brewed in the Clover has the depth of flavor of a French-press brew with none of the sediment; it has a clarity and focus, even an elegance, that you just don’t experience with other brewing methods.
And the price for a cup of such brilliant coffee? Two bucks. At least that’s what it costs (for most brews) at the new downtown branch of Groundwork Coffee Co., which has the only Clover in operation so far in Los Angeles. Not bad, when you consider that the machine costs a cool $11,000. read the rest
Victoria B.C.‘s Discovery Coffee has not just installed a new coffee machine – they have reset the bar for great coffee in the city of Victoria. This is drip coffee after all. Sure there are great shots of espresso to be had elsewhere in the city. But the drip coffee? Well, in most cases (and in most espresso bars and cafes around Victoria) drip coffee is an afterthought relegated to dusty old vac-pots… and neglect.
I list about 20 or more cafes on my favored list of great coffee joints in Victoria. And very few of these places really get drip coffee if you know what I mean. Some do. But few.
Consider this: drip coffee needs to be consumed within 20 minutes of brewing (or less…) before the ravages of oxygen turn a great bean into a bitter dreg. The coffee must be ground consistently. The water must be clean and fresh with just the right amount of mineral content (yes, minerals in the water make the best coffee!). Coffee must be brewed into an “air-resistant” thermal cafe. With the Clover, your cup is brewed right before your eyes for immediate consumption. It can’t be beat.
There is a cheaper alternative: The french press.
Chi-chi cafes, like Artigiano in Vancouver, serve press-pot/bodums with some of the finest ground coffee beans available. What is important with this method is timing, temperature and grind style. Done right, it produces a remarkable cup – done wrong, a cup of muddy bitter murk.
Alas, that is another blog entry.
Cheers!
Comment [8]
Live on CBC Saskatchewan - talking coffee culture · Monday March 12, 2007 by colin newell
Talking coffee culture with CBC Regina
My momma used to say… “If you want something right, you have to do it yourself.
So I did.
Live. On the radio.
So – that kind of makes up for the Globe & Mail mess below.
Talking coffee culture with CBC Regina
Something with a nutty, coffee twist · Friday February 16, 2007 by colin newell
Disclaimer If you make these cookies do not take them anywhere outside of your home or kitchen. There are so many people that suffer from peanut allergies that it is just not worth the risk of harming someone.
That said – here is my take on the classic peanut butter cookie with a coffee twist. They are very good and the minute amount of instant coffee powder gives them a pleasant twist on the classic flavor.
In one big bowl add:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter (any style) – I like smooth and organic
Cream the butter and peanut butter with electric blender. Make sure that the butter is VERY soft and at room temperature before you proceed.
Add 1/2 cup of demerera sugar – continue to blend
Add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar – continue to blend
Add one egg, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (sub. instant coffee if necessary) – continue to blend
Gradually add 1 and 1/4 cups white flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
Mix by hand when cheap blender is about to explode.
Form into 1.5 tablespoon sized balls and place on parchment paper on ungreased pan.
Bake in 375 degree oven for about 10 – 12 minutes or until lightly brown at base of cookie.
Cool for 5-10 minutes then eat with black coffee.
