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What's does "CC" mean? 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.
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What does "Mugged" mean?
Subject: Doi Chaang Coffee
Coffees Mugged: Single Origin Medium
Rating: 4+ [see key]
Farming coffee often seems like such a distant process in regards to roasting. Especially in my consumption, it seems the only times one sees a farm and roastery combo are with Konas and Jamaican Blue.
But now I can add Thailand to my list, as I was sent a few coffees to try from Thailand coffee cooperative Doi Chaang Coffee. According to their website, the company was started when several tribes of the Doi Chaang village united to sell their premium coffee as single origin coffees to the world. So they put a headquarters in Vancouver, BC and seem to have a pretty slick operation. As I have never had coffee from Thailand and I'm a fan of such ambition, I was excited to see what Doi Chaang had to offer.
I sampled their Single Origin Medium roast first, a coffee that was the lightest of the three coffees sent (though still close to dark) and had also won a 90 from Coffee Review. I ingested the coffee via drip, siphon and french press.
The drip proved smooth, had touches of honey and some bits of clove along with a little bitterness provided by the darkish-ness of the beans. The coffee was thorough in the prior flavors but didn't have much else.
The french press developed the flavors a bit more. This brew was much sweeter, still showing honey and bits of cocoa and cloves. There was more brightness and less bitterness in this cup as well.
The vacuum press was the proverbial baby bear's bed as it was just right. Really sweet honey and cocoa with a noticeable grain-like element, followed with a little clove and a really nice brightness (practically no bitterness in this cup). By far, the best of the three methods for this coffee.
To say the least, I was satiated with this coffee, though it would seem like a good idea to roast it a little lighter to negate the bitter effects all together. If you're looking for a decent medium roast, give Doi Chaang's Single Origin Medium a go.
note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.
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What's does "CC" mean? Location visited: Dryden, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]
Community centers, places where the townspeople hang out, seem to be a thing of lore these days. Sure there's your typical fire hall or space that can be rented out for large events, but an actual community center where people can just stop in without incurring a cost seems to be extinct in most lands.
But it just so happens that the town of Dryden, a small town between Ithaca and Cortland, not only has a community center but has a community center cafe that apparently uses volunteers to staff the counter. Curious how a cafe dependent on volunteer labor looked, as well as the fact that I happened to be in the area, equaled out to a quick stop by the DCCC.
The cafe is located on the corner of what seems the town center. The building is a lovely brick structure with open windows. The interior looks kind of like a community center, with out-dated decor and mostly old dorm furniture, but despite the shortcomings, the cafe demonstrated a nice environment (especially by the windows).
They serve Coffee Mania via pump pot and espresso (for ridiculously low prices too!). I ordered a small cup of drip and via their selection of brews brewed, I went for the Brazil Magiana, a sweet coffee that had reminded me of Yoo Hoo, sweet bread and sunflower sprinkled with cayenne pepper and a little sauciness (I think it was a little stale). The espresso, a medium shot with not much crema, smacked of citrus, milk chocolate and beef broth amidst a milky body and a tingle of bitterness on the end. The tea was available in various bagged assortments.
Given the above drinks were fairly decent AND came from unpaid community volunteers, I have to say I stand slightly impressed. This community cafe took the time to use a decent, local roaster and also take their espresso (at least somewhat) seriously. If I could also give out points for heart, I would.
This is a place that deserves business and hopefully with time, will improve greatly. Stop by the Dryden Community Center Cafe.
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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.
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What does "Mugged" mean?
Subject: Willoughby's Coffee & Tea
Coffees Mugged: Kenya AA Kagumoini
Rating: 5+ [see key]
Sometimes in the dark, short days of winter a good cup of coffee is the only sunshine you get (yes, that sounds cheesy but I've noticed my love of cheesy phrasing seems to increase amidst lacking sunshine). Thankfully, I had a good run with a great pound of Kenya AA Kagumoini sent to me by Willoughby's Coffee & Tea.
I sampled the coffee in the usual three manors of drip, siphon and french press.
French pressing this Kenyan equated to a smooth cup, with sweet peach and apple flavors first, followed with a pleasant nuttiness, wheat grass and some molasses. I found it a beautiful, bright coffee.
The siphon formed a much sweeter beverage with not as much of the peach/apple sourness, thus the cup had more of the molasses, a good bit of grain, some nutty flavors and still the wheat grass. This particular brew I found to be juicy and smooth.
Dripping, the last method produced the molasses with the noticeable brightness offset by a little more darkness and cocoa. The wheat grass still appeared towards the end; an overall good cup though my least favorite of the three samplings (but still a great cup!).
My days were literally brighter thanks in part to this coffee (i.e. it was really good). If you are yearning for a good Kenyan, give this one a run.
note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.
What's does "CC" mean? Location visited: Ottawa, ON
