Showing posts with label Ottawa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ottawa. Show all posts

Sunday, March 07, 2010

CC: Xpresso

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What's does "CC" mean?

Subject:
Xpresso
Location visited: Ottawa, ON
Free WiFi ? : yes

Rating:
4+ [
see key]



Hitting a local spot for a meal doesn't always work out when visiting a city on a cold winter evening. The weather on a recent trip to Ottawa became a hurdle for my wife and I as we braved the raving winds for dinner. But determined to eat a good meal, our fortitude paid off, as we found mighty fine Mexican fare at Ahora Mexican Cuisine.

Next on the list (for me at least) was a decent cup of coffee. We ventured out into the cold on a shaky lead to a place nearby called Xpresso, apparently owned by the same people who own a local Indian restaurant called Shafali. We found the place soon after, with black signs (
somewhat hard-to-see-in-the-night) and open windows. Inside there was lots of Indian art amidst a red modern decor and a cozy furniture.

The coffee comes from Reunion Island Coffee, a roaster out of Oakville, Ontario (though Xpresso's website claims they use Intelligentsia). I had the Ethiopian via drip, a light roast with blueberry, chianti and lemon throughout; a tremendously good, fruity cup of coffee with a medium body. The espresso, pulled medium/long despite asking for it short, had chocolate notes followed by a strong bitterness that had a developing salty facet as well as a milk-ish body (i.e. fair shots). The tea was free leaf and Xpresso also had beer and wine options.

Though the experience satisified my desire for some evening coffee, I felt the place had a lot of potential to be even greater. Never the less, if you're in town, give Xpresso a go go.


Monday, February 22, 2010

CC: Bridgehead Coffeehouse

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What's does "CC" mean? [109 and 366 Bank St locations]
Location visited:
Ottawa, ON
Free WiFi ? : yes

Rating:
4+ [
see key]


Going north in the winter seems tremendously unnatural but occasionally, one has to strap on a thick scarf, don some mittens and drive to Canada. Fortunately, this trip had promise of a nice relaxing stay and a little exploration of never-before-visited Ottawa.

Upon arrival, one of my first destinations was local coffeehouse operation Bridgehead Coffeehouse. According to a few locals, Bridgehead is one of the only places to grab good espresso in town, thus given its close proximity to my hotel, it was an easy respite after the long drive.

After checking in at Hotel Indigo (turned out to be a swell stay by the way), I made my way to one of their four Bank Street (366 Bank St) locations. The exterior of this and most Bridgeheads is mostly window save a snazzy, dark wood sign. Inside, this cafe radiated a warm, chic feel with an exposed brick wall, a bustling counter and an orange, cream and gray color scheme.

Bridgehead produces their own line of coffee, seeming to err closer to dark roasts. I ordered a cup of their Peruvian, a medium roast that actually acted more like a dark roast, as the brew held a peppery and bitter flavor throughout, some sugared grapefruit up front and a touch of nutmeg in the middle. A fair cup that I really thought too dark to be medium, so to give Bridgehead's medium roasts a second try, I went to another Bank St location (109) the next day to try my fortune. Oddly, they also had the Peruvian on tap and at the very least, I credit Bridgehead with consistency, as my second cup of Peruvian was practically identical to my first.

But their espresso is what initially drew me and their espresso is what ended up winning my admiration. The espresso blend, a coffee that looked like a light/medium roast in the grinder, was pulled by skilled hands to produce a beautiful, short doubleshot that held a nice crema and harnessed the powers of lemon, soft pretzel and chocolate truffle. The tea was free leaf.

While I wasn't floored with the darker Peruvian experience, I suppose it is quite possible I simply had misfortune with one of their coffees and that the others will blow me away (experience tells me otherwise, but only further sampling of their coffees could settle that). In the end, the conundrum of a coffeehouse that produces quality espresso but only pumps out lackluster drip is new to my list of unique experiences.

All in all, if you happen to be in Ottawa, try out Bridgehead.