Fall Colors Canadian Style - Life on the streets of Vancouver 1986 · Sunday November 9, 2008 by colin newell
My wife and I are in our forties and although we do not have any children, I often get asked…
“Grandpa, what was life like in the eighties?”
This is where a parent realizes that their child has wandered from the McDonald’s play area only to be interrupting my moment of rapture with the brand new McDonald’s All-Beef Angus burger – available for a limited time only.
And they say: “I have no idea why little Joey asked you such a thing…”
Fair question though. So let me answer.
I had just finished a 4-year coop term and apprenticeship with the Federal Government of Canada in the sagging months of 1985. (And) With a fresh Expo 86 Season pass in my hands and the prospect of unlimited unemployment, I planned to do the bulk of my career development at this once-in-a-lifetime World technology Expo.
But let’s back up half a Back to the Future moment shall we?
In October 1985 I was finishing up the final stages of my education at B.C.I.T – I was on salary with the Federal Government of Canada on full expenses. Many of my classmates were on unemployment benefits while they were away from their employer so I was not too vocal about my situation.
During the day I studied hard and at night I frequented some of the many popular night clubs in Burnaby and downtown; Systems, Richards on Richards, Love Affair and Coconuts out in Burnaby on Kingsway. I lived near the current location of Metrotown (it was under construction at the time) and I would walk to many of the hot spots – often many miles along Kingsway towards New West, on week nights or weekends.
The difference was: The likelihood of being hassled, beaten or shot at was about as likely as winning a jackpot lottery or having a Steinway grand piano fall on my head from a Russian Soyuz space station… or both… on the same night… while wearing a thin leather tie, Ocean Pacific shirt, Emanuel un-constructed white sport coat, lime green cargo pants and deck shoes without socks.
In fact, walking down Kingsway in Burnaby in 1985, I was more likely to encounter an elderly black labrador dog gnawing on a bone by the side of the road than see a gangster or a drug deal.
It was that safe. So what happened in 20 years? Permissive laws? Higher stakes in a profitable drug market? Not enough prisons? Prisons that are too comfortable? A court system that is more revolving door than rehabilitative? You tell me. Vancouver is very quickly becoming a War zone – and as of yet, there have not been too many civilian casualties.
In my next chapter on the life and times of Vancouver in the 1980’s, I will drone on and on about my Ray Ban Wayfarers and my Season Pass to Expo 86…
And I wear my sunglasses at night So I can, so I can Keep track of the visions in my eyes
Comment [3]
Fall Colors - shades of cool and great coffee at Street Level Espresso · Saturday October 25, 2008 by colin newell
Ken Gorden, owner and chief barista at Street Level Espresso on Fort Street, Victoria B.C. Canada leads me down a winding and mysterious staircase into a catacomb underneath the city. Life in the Victoria underworld is a semi-connected circuit of storage areas, utility wiring, plumbing, tunnels… and intrigue.
In Ken`s case, it is his storage locker for Street Level Espresso – the latest addition to the modest collection of great cafes in Victoria. I have lived in Victoria a long time and if memory serves me correctly, I have never been down there – it was cool and fitting for a first impression of this new cafe and the sacred ground it sits on.
Ken Gordon is well known in Victoria B.C. coffee circles as master class espresso brewer who previously held court at Cafe Fantastico and Habit Cafe. But when you are as good at the coffee game as Ken is, there is no cafe that is going to hold him back – unless it`s his own.
Street Level Espresso is the creation of Ken Gordon. At less than 400 square feet, it packs more caffeine sex appeal per square inch than any place I have been to recently. But how does he do it? Ken takes the best practices he has learned in some of Victoria`s hottest joints – added his own design ideas… and then plunked it as close to Victoria`s own Ground Zero (Douglas and Yates). At 2 blocks away from the cities center, Street Level Espresso could arguably be called Espresso Central.
In the 40 minutes that my wife, Andrea, and I were there (near closing time actually), there was an endless parade (no, pageant) of hyper beautiful people – Apparently Ken has some interest and connections to the arts and music scene and it shows – all his friends and admirers were all coming in at once… and were they hot!
Well. Add me to that list. His coffee (Origins from Vancouver) is prepared to perfection. He knows how to pull a wicked espresso and is a great story teller. His interest in cafe culture and coffee history is thorough. So be prepared to talk story while he prepares your favorite drink.
I am a pretty harsh coffee critic (at times) and I give Street Level Espresso top marks for knocking the ball out of the park in short order.
Comment [1]
Fall Colors - Cafe Artigiano comes to Victoria · Wednesday October 22, 2008 by colin newell
People tell me that the cafe market in saturated in Victoria B.C. Canada. Nonsense! I keep saying that there is a lot more room for coffee in Victoria. And with that…
Caffè Artigiano President Willlie Mounzer has announced the opening
of its first Victoria location – 1140 Government Street.
The Piccolo family created Caffè Artigiano which opened in Vancouver, BC in December 1999 – their branding included “Latte art” on their sidewalk signs. On some level, few people took much notice. It was the actual quality and consistency of the beverages that sold Vancouver residents.
Like the Girl next door that we do not always pick up on right away, Artigiano slowly built a following looking for quality joe, a comfortable environment with a bite of sass built in. In my many trips to Vancouver in the first part of the 21st Century, a stop at an arti used to be absolutely necessary.
Within the last two years, the Piccolo brothers sold off the enterprise to Earl`s creator, Willie Mounzer – and with that, speculation that the success and sexiness of Arti would tank. Did it? Not for me to judge. I still pop in from time to time when I am in Van – and yes, some of the jive is off the vine – and that could possibly be a psychological effect of something beloved being tarted up and branded out – Mini-Starbucks style. I mean, this is what Starbucks used to be; sexy and tasty.
Anyhow – Cafe Artigiano is finally coming to the city of Victoria B.C. – and yes, we might be some of the first caffeine-addled in line – if only to criticize what we had come to love – Caffè Artigiano will be located on Government Street – Victoria… in the lobby of the Bedford Hotel. They will be brewing premium cups of joe with the Clover single cup brewer and churning out at least some of the energy that has taken Vancouver by storm.
Comment [2]
Canadian Color - Mousse abuse self-help clinic · Tuesday October 21, 2008 by colin newell
Popped by the Chris and Steven show webpage – linked here.
The CoffeeCrew maven of all things caffeinated, Sara Lee Spector, did a really nice spot on their show and the video is now online. How to find it?
-Head over to the Steven and Chris page here
-Click on Watch more Videos over on the right.
-Click on All Video Clips under categories
-Click on Shopping as a category
-Click on The Smart Shopper Coffee Episode
Yea. Sara is hot and turns up the heat on great coffee.
When it was originally telecast a month ago, we were shocked and dismayed that there was no credit for Sara, her cafe roastery or the CoffeeCrew website. They fixed this oversight and we thank them. My faith in the CBC has been, at least, partially restored.
Comment [2]
