Best coffee is in Victoria B.C. · Friday August 17, 2007 by colin newell
As a semi-professional observer of the Specialty Coffee phenomenon in North America, I meet a lot of very passionate people – I mean, the very best of the very best. And some of that most intense passion is right here in Victoria B.C. Canada.
Buon Amici Cafe owners Derek and Gina Lucas have all the qualities of virtually any randomly selected successful business people: They are intensely passionate about coffee, its origins, the people in the industry and yes, their devoted clientele.
Buon Amici’s Coffee at 110-645 Tyee Rd. is the home to Western Canada’s best barista. Derek has the experience and energy to back up the challenge.
Derek Lucas was one of three Victoria area coffee experts to claim bronze, silver and gold at Wednesday’s Western Regional Barista Competition in Vancouver. Vancouver might have the rep, but the numbers reveal that it’s Victoria that’s ground zero for best of bean in Western Canada.
In past conversations with Derek he has revealed “It is not enough to have a reputation as a good cafe – you need to deliver time and time again without fail” he said, taking out a moment to pour personal latte art at a surprised customers table.
The recent Vancouver event places 12 skilled baristas against each other to claim a trip to Toronto for the Canadian championship. The fact is, barista competitions are now a big deal and they are international. A Vancouver victory is only one step in a growing list of internationalization in coffee World.
Here is the skinny on the competition: Each coffee expert is given 15 minutes to prepare four servings each of espresso, cappuccino and a signature drink for a panel of judges. Competitors are judged on taste, speed, design, creativity and showmanship.
I watched contestant Paul Reimer (of Discovery Coffee) in the weeks leading up to the event. He is a picture of youth, a University of Victoria student in Computer Science Engineering as well as one mature dude with an air of wisdom beyond his years “This is the pinnacle of my career this far – going up against so much talent” Reimer offered as he brought sample after sample of his best drinks for me to taste..
Amongst the best that Victoria has to offer, I could not help but feel that there was a Fifth Element that gave the Victoria crews a distinct edge.
Silver medalist Logan Gray of Discovery Coffee, Victoria gave me a hint, “We work together and play together sharing some of our secrets…” Discovery owner and partner John Riopka offers the following: “You can take the best that HABIT Coffee & Culture, Cafe Fantastico and Buon Amici’s has to offer and find some of that energy here. It is positive and friendly. We can only do better if we cooperate.”
And cooperate they do. Discovery Coffee is part of an amazing program called “Cup of Excellence” — it has international roots in the coffee growing regions and brings fairness and justice to those that toil the hardest in the industry – the farmers.
“(On some level) people like Sam Jones (owner of 2% Jazz espresso bar on Douglas Street) are more partner than competitor… fellow messengers (if you would)” Shane Devereaux infers. Shane manages Habit Coffee and Culture on Pandora avenue and sees opportunity for virtually limitless growth in the city. Sam and Shane as if one person, “Coffee is like wine. No one hesitates spending 7 to 12 dollars on a glass of good wine.” I agree. One day more and more people will be better acquainted with the similarities between fine wine and great coffee.
Habit Coffee and Culture hosts weekly coffee tasting (cupping to be precise) on Tuesday afternoons at 522 Pandora Ave. It is a somewhat more relaxed and informal version of the staid cupping that goes on in the varied brokerages and green coffee clearing houses. Rows of cups are lined up with samples of ground coffee. Ground coffee is splashed with hot water. Coffee is allowed to brew and then tasters are turned loose in the ritual of sniffing, slurping and spitting – a dance only truly understood by the initiated. It’s fun and informative.
In the weeks leading up to the Barista competition, I skulk in the background watching the creme de la creme of Victoria’s coffee scene hone their skills. From time to time I get offered a great drink to express an opinion on. I am always impressed and excited at the level of energy here, the generosity and humility. And so it goes. There is something truly amazing happening in the Victoria coffee market. If you live here, get out and order a drink. If you are visiting, make sure you get in some of the action.
Colin Newell lives in Victoria B.C. Canada and finds himself at Ground Zero of the specialty coffee revolution.
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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!
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Hanging with Brad and Paris · Monday June 18, 2007 by colin newell
If you are visiting Victoria B.C. Canada for the 1st time and want to get some breakfast (lunch or dinner for that matter too…) without leaving with that empty feeling – then maybe, just maybe Lady Marmalade is for you.
Tucked in at 608 Johnson Street near Government Street, Lady Marmalade appears to be little more than a hole in the wall – but do not be deceived. There is space aplenty within – and once past the front door and the seat yourself sign, you will find 30+ tables. No, I didn’t count them all — but this particular Saturday morning, all of them were filled except one.
I have always thought that the secret to a successful cafe (or diner, bistro, restaurant, etc) is taking the tried and true and putting a quirky spin on it.
You know – flirt with the outrageous without going that catastrophic one step too far that leave diners bewildered.
Lady Marmalade is also that place.
Take the Eggs Benedict – perhaps the best in town.
Take the old recipe you know and trust… and throw it out the window.
Add wild salmon… and sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and arugula… well, you get the idea. It was good. Very good.
Lady Marmalade is popular with the Grunge meets Oceans-11 crowd. Slacker dude Vince Vaughn, Brad Pitt wannabees show up in muscle Tee’s and homemade costume jewelry… big sunglasses… the works.
Girls outnumber the boys in Paris Hilton form; pizza sized sunglasses, mini-skirts/shorts and lululemon is de riguer…
Young people with lots of apetite for carbs after a nasty night out.
Our first visit to Lady Marmalade was during a full house kitchen slam – everything was flying.
The only downside to my experience was cold food.
Ok. So the Benny was room temperature. I can excuse this totally because the place was busier than a train station.
The hollandaise on the Benny was perfect – I have never had better.
My other bone to pick was the bread with breakfast – it was a kind of rye bread from a local bakery “Wild-Fire” that was sliced too thin – as a result it came across more biscotti or melba-toast than real toast.
Oh yea – and who serves a teeny bowl of salad with a breakfast plate?
All in all, I would rate Lady Marmalade on Johnson Street a solid 8 out of 10.
Colin Newell lives and eats in Victoria – He wanders the streets of many Canadian cities looking for genuinely good eats. In this continuing series on food and drink in Western Canada, Colin stresses the point that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Gaggia under the knife updates · Tuesday June 5, 2007 by colin newell
Some comments…
