Getting back into the groove - with the launch of V2 · Saturday March 7, 2009 by colin newell
There is a sense of relief when you hit the crest of any hill. And in life, there is no shortage of hills. Why do we climb them? I don’t know. Maybe because they are there and we like the view.
Anyway – The Coffeecrew.com V 2.0 is out – for all to see. And dang it, I am a little bit proud… like a new Dad, whose new child has 5 hands and 12 toes (kidding…) – In this case, I have a website… that has taken the content and photos and features from the previous version and moved it forward a click or two. I hope it pleases coffee lovers on some level.
Other things I am working on: Writing a review of the ECM Cellini espresso machine. Reviewing the Sara La Piccola Pod espresso machine. Reviewing a Black box that allows you to turn your PC into an air traffic control center (as an observer of course) with some delays built in. A nice toy with a frighteningly high price tag… So if you are an aspiring pilot or ATC specialist, this might be a wise investment.
Food reviews… have been writing for EAT Magazine British Columbia for the past 3 months – and that is a gig with an almost monthly guarantee of some activity.
I get the feeling sometimes that I have way too much on the go. Then again, you only get one life and this one is not a dress rehearsal.
Anyway. New website. Almost all of my sponsors and ad clients have gotten on board to hand out some prizes and promotions – so if you are looking for some free stuff, check the website from time to time.
As things calm down a bit, I may get back to a rant or two – if I am suitably prompted or provoked. Think of me as a poorly behaved junk yard dog on the end of a very short and rusty chain. Go ahead. Poke a stick at me.
Hats off to Bubby Roses Bakery and their glowing review in Monday magazine. I have been preaching this for years – if you want the very best of anything baked, there is only Bubby Roses. Every other bakery in Victoria are miserable shadows of The Bubby – there, I said it… that should generate some hot water.
Onward!
Getting back into the groove - with a new website · Friday February 27, 2009 by colin newell
Apologies to my regular legion of reader… for my absence. I apologize. Have been crazy busy proofing the new coffeecrew.com website – well ahead of schedule thank you very much.
I had to borrow another domain name to set up and populate the new site – putting my music project – the two old goats – more or less on standby. Which was OK because that website gets very little traffic.
Which got me picking around for a test domain name… you know – just to play around with. And it came as bit of a surprise to find just how many people are sitting on domain names – I mean, all of them!
My goal, when helping others get an online presence – is to keep URL brief and to the point – but stay catchy and quirky (if appropriate).
And staying away from domain names like BigRedBunniesLeapingInMyFace.Com
Haven’t actually checked that one…
Too much typing. I am more into shorties like abcd.com or xyz.com where possible and practical.
Ah, the web. Which reminds me of 2 or 3 conversations I have had this week with folks eager to advertise on the new coffeecrew website – who are fairly new to the information superhighway – and want the leg up that a text link or banner on my popular website would provide… at a very reasonable cost.
The 3 folks reported spending, on average, over 10,000 dollars on a basic website with a simple shopping cart. Is this the average? When I stopped doing paid projects for folks around Victoria, I was charging (typically) under $2000 for a fully functional dynamic website with or without some basic cart features and a domain name.
So what the hell happened?
These days I do a lot of pro bono stuff – just to keep my hand in and feel good about it. I gave up doing paid web development because, by and large, I prefer the lack of pressure – even though I often deliver fully functional solutions within 72 hours of commencing the project. Yea, I guess that is fast.
Anyway – another couple of weeks or so… and I should be able to get back to the good stuff… right here…. on the blog.
Love Canadian Style · Saturday February 14, 2009 by colin newell
An elderly man stands over the grave of his wife. He is visiting here for the 2463rd day in a row. Rain or shine.
A happy pooch (click on photo below) waits patiently outside of Habit Cafe waiting for his master. His expression is priceless.
My coffee companion tells me about the love of his life that he has been courting for the last 3 years. Unrequited. But there is progress.
A bedraggled barista drags himself into the cafe for the first time in 2 weeks. He is a new dad.
I worry about a friend. Is he doing the right thing?
I wish my mother “Happy Valentine’s Day…” – she says… “Back at you Son…”
I remember meeting my sister for the first time. And my Dad.
My wife and I dine at the Fifth Street bar and grill and reflect over 15 previous valentine’s days.
It’s love.
Cafe culture Winter 2009 marathon post number four · Saturday February 7, 2009 by colin newell
On any given day or week I might discover 1 good cafe. If it is great I might come back again – actually, even it is a little bit sexy, I will come around for another shake.
At left – Stovetop Chambourd Coffee maker from BodumUSA.Com
Today was unusual. I stopped by The Parsonage/Fernwood Coffee Roasters and Khona Coffee in the same day. Each of these is going to get a blog entry all to their own – but for the time being, I will combine them in this mini-review.
The Parsonage eatery on North Park (off of Cook Street) in Victoria has had a devoted following for over a decade (if memory serves me correctly) – for its rustic approach to food and drink.
And when business partners, Ben Cram and Rob Kettner had the opportunity to snap up the Parsonage and leave behind their old jobs… they jumped at it.
Ben is a red seal chef with a colorful and successful career anchoring local haunts like Pescatores and the Bear Mountain Resort.
Rob is a professional journalist and videographer whose skill behind the lens has taken him to Afghanistan and beyond.
(Rob and Ben) – Two very different guys with a lifetime of friendship, they appear to compliment each other. These boys grew up in Winnipeg where espresso coffee was not exactly ubiquitous – but common in this City’s Little Italy.
The backbone of the Fernwood Coffee operation is a 23kg Deidrich Roaster which rests in a space formerly occupied by a bicycle courier business. The energy here is palpable but still in development as these “brothers in coffee“ learn the ropes.
Andrew Khoo has owned (and created) Khona Coffee for 2 years. He combines a zeal for cafe culture with a mastery of fundamental business principles – to push his creation to the leading edge of the caffeinated wedge. I first visited Khona Cafe today after an over-stimulated day of cafe visiting and talk story with Mark Engels of Bubby Roses Bakery. And walking through the door (of Khona) was much like walking on stage at a rock concert… while it’s in progress. Now that’s energy!
Not satisfied to just make coffee, Andrew makes education and inspiration a primary goal – to deliver knowledge to his customers, to make it fun and to make darn sure they are getting the best product possible. Oughtred Coffee of Victoria-Vancouver provide the raw materials (single origins) and Andrew (and his uber-skilled baristi) deliver the goods in a refreshingly new way; coffee brewed in French press or Aeropress! Oh yes, and the espresso coffee can be a single origin too if you want.
I tried an espresso, an almond macchiato and an Aeropressed Sumatra: The espresso’s were single origin and the Sumatra was amazing – again, a full review is in order and will be delivered shortly.
Needless to say, I am still buzzing.
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