Don't go Brekka-in' my Heart

Brekka Bakery on Fraser is the other coffee shop in my scope of view that has been under consideration. Breka Bakery looks like a place that is so close to having it right for a cafe. They are close but for some reason it still has not hit home for me. They do serve espresso - I mean really, what self respecting European bakery claiming to be a cafe wouldn't? - but again they are using Lavazza style beans which is very European, but I still find to have too much of a burnt smokey flavour for my preferences. The baked goods are wide in selection, but truly when I have one, I always expect it to be better. I see these creamy desserts that could balance the smokey coffee taste and then I pop the baked good in my mouth and...It's baked but really not that good. I must give it credit for the breads that they create. They do produce some tasty breads that look good and come in a variety of densities and flavours which they will thin or thick slice for you on the spot. Perhaps they should just stick to Brekk-in' bread with friends.

Out of 5 slices of European style baked bread

Scene: 3 When you look around the options you have on Fraser - Starschmucks not withstanding -it is slim pickin's. This place actually has some decent seats and there is a variety of people who go there from families, hipsters, locals and students. Perhaps it is developing a bit of a following after it renovated a couple of years ago. Who knows? Maybe they will evolve into the neighbourhood establishment where people will actually head to as a destination. Ahh, who am I kidding?

Grub: 3 Mostly because of the bread. The place does serve the odd counter dish like Mac and Cheese for kids but it really is a bakery, everything from cakes, tarts, buns and breads. All of them baked. You judge which ones are good.

Coffee: 3 It's okay. I would almost say 2 but I know there are those people who love the flavour of Lavazza and the coffee is not necessarily utilitarian. If you are looking for a place to sit, have a coffee or read the paper, see the odd neighbour and maybe have a brownie, this could be your place.

Euro Breads, Bakery and Cafe

This is one of two cafés on Fraser that one can go to for an espresso that I know of. It is around Fraser and 27th Avenue and could be easily missed if you were not looking for it. The cafe is a decent size but appears small because there really is not too much to it. It has a few chairs and tables inside and out, but for the most part the cafe saves its room for the stand up glass door fridges and display cases. The people in there are friendly but are not really interested in having you stay, nor go. They are there to bake the goods and maybe serve some coffee. I would say out of the three things that they claim to be, they are definitely a bread place. They have an entire corner dedicated to breads they make which area combination of wheats, seeds, gluten and gluten free breads. They also have a Georgian flat bread that is worth noting. I have to say that one of the things I do like having when I go there is their Borscht. It is hot with a dollop of yogurt, and served with a piece of flat bread. Yum! The rest of the baked goods are okay by my standards (actual baked goods not including cakes) but I couldn't say that there was anything other than the breads that stand out in my mind. Kind of the same way the store front blends in with the rest of the neighbourhood.

Out of 5 European Slices of flax seed gluten fee bread
Scene: 2 pleasant enough and not disruptive. The people are very unobtrusive mostly because they don't really care if you are there or not. The people who go are usually locals or the odd person who happened to be on Fraser and found themselves needing a coffee. It's actually not a bad place to go and quietly escape to read a book or do a crossword.

Grub: 3 There are good select items, but for the most part the baked goods are inoffensive, and you know that they make it one the premises. I only sometimes wonder about the freshness and turnover, since the place doesn't always seem very busy.

Coffee: 3 I'm not crazy about the grounds. I think they use the Lavazza or something similar. The beans always taste a little bit over roasted and a bit burnt, but they serve it the way you ask for it. It isn't the fastest service in town either, so don't think you are going to be able to et out of there in under 10 minutes if you think you are just passing through - and that's if you are the ONLY one in the store.

Cafe Hermosa Needs Menos Cosméticos Y Mas Café

Along 7th near the bike path there is a little coffee shop on the corner that would seem like a great little place to stop, get your coffee and be off to where ever it is you are going. In fact I did just that because it was on my way and seemed so convenient. I should have known better. It actually is not as easy as one might think if you were not on you bike or on foot, but that wasn't the problem. I went in hoping for a little perk me up in the afternoon with a little snack thinking that this might be just what the blood sugar ordered. When I ordered my coffee, I thought that it was poorly made. Made close to the specifications, but for the most part tasteless. I also ordered a couple of baked items which they were out of which relegated me to a muffin. I thought, "Muffins aren't a bad thing-" unless of course you are going to be slapped for twoonie and handed over a Costco Blueberry Muffin. Hello!? How could a cafe with all of the packaging of somewhere that had their act together get the important stuff so wrong? I don't know if I want to risk having to go back to see if they got it right. Maybe in time I can go back and try to see if they can make it up to me but for now I wll travel that extra block and a half to Main street and go to Gene, where they got the coffee to taste good and look pretty.

Out of the five cups of starch found in a single Costco Muffin
Scene: 1 No one was in there at the time which should have said something to me in the first place. Secondly the person who was working there looked as though she didn't even want to be there.

Grub: 1 No selection. No more with the Costco muffins.

Coffee: 1 It wasn't good. It just wasn't good.

Turks West

I happened to be walking along 8th Avenue when I realised that Turks from the drive had opened a Turks on the West Side. The Co-Hosts decided to try it on for size and I have to say it was a nice fit. The cafe could easily be missed from the street as it is tucked in from the sidewalk and on a second floor. However, when you walk in you realise that you have stumbled upon a great little cafe that has floor to ceiling windows that look on to a nice little deck over looking the park, mountian views and a nice little section of the city. The place is quite cozy with its wall sofa style seating and its little tables. Strangely the majority of the people we saw in there were men who either work in the area or are just passing through to get their caffeine fix. You can get your little baked goods from the cafe but nothing more. They sell their classy coffee travel mugs and bags of Milano beans but for the most part the cafe is just that. A cafe. The purpose is clear. They are there to serve coffee and you are there to drink and enjoy it.

Out of 5 Travel Mugs
Scene 4 - The place actually doesn't feel like there is any kind of "scene" per se, but rather a great unobstructed view of scenery that highlights some of Vancouver's best features. Aside from that the staff seem very friendly and the place is comfrtable enough to talk in and hang out.

Grub 3 - It has your standard baked goods that go well with coffee. You pretty much couldn't go wrong with your choices. They even have yogurt and granola if you really wanted it.

Coffee 4 - It was actually quite yummy and it looked good. I thought the espresso was pulled a bit too long evident by the white crema on top, but for the most part, the barista wanted to make sure that the coffee was made to your liking. They use Milano beans which you can purchase straight from them.

The Edge - Sharp, But Could Be Sharper

I was recently accused of not having a cup of coffee for 5 months. On the contrary, I have been searching out some new coffee shops to explore. One of those coffee shops is the Edge on 8th and Yukon. When you enter it is laid out like a sleeker Bread Garden of old. It has display cases but in the background you can see a grill menu which serves breakfast and lunch in a little seating area to the side. The place has huge front windows and has a deck out front. It also has a little coffee bar stool counter that you can sit at if you are just darting in. I liked the fact that despite the dark modern colours used in the design, the place is relatively bright. I wasn't too crazy about the half service: order at the counter, you take a number and then they bring it out to you. The people are friendly and easy going, but the half service thing makes it feel a little bit like a cafeteria. It is a great place to sit down, read a paper, meet some friends and prepare to do some serious shopping at any of the box stores down the street. This place is a "I need to get a coffee and maybe a bite with my people before we head out" kind of place.

Out of 5 coffee grinding blades

Scene: 3 The locale is kind of funny right now because of all of the construction that is going on, and the box stores nearby. But as my Co-Host pointed out, the Olympic Wa-h-illage will be opening nearby so this place could be getting in early to season the edginess a bit before the games. The ability of bevies on the deck in the summer time could also amp up some scenery points. the staff seem cool but I think the place still needs to step out of a bit of the contemporary minimalist and get some art up on the walls.

Grub: 3 It has decent choices for the food, and what is served is good. The Edge Breakfast is the 2 eggs, choice of meat, hash and toast for $8. Not bad but could be better.

Coffee: 4 When I took my first sip I knew that it had that familiar flavour. I was pleased to find out that the shop served 49th Parallel beans which are my favourites! They even sell them whole bean by the pound.