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.

Mazel Tov on the Matzah

If you’re feeling a little fress and are searching for a place to fill the void, head out to Solly’s. I can’t say that I have ever thought, “Hey let’s go there for a breakfast show.” It’s more like, “Do you want to go for a soup and sandwich and pick up a babka and a half a dozen bagels for tea later?”

Solly’s offers a scrumptious soup and sandwich offer, and for a little bit more they add a beautifully tart kosher pickle. Solly’s also offers a comforting bowl of matzah ball soup that sooths even the most restless of tummies. For dessert there are a variety of sweet baked goods. I prefer the mini babkas and the cinnamon buns. As for the coffee, they use Seattle’s best. It is all set up as a self serve utility station. You have to pay for refills but if you are there more for the baked goods and need to have that second cup, I guess you’ll just have to ante up. The shop seats about a dozen people inside and about as many outside, but the place always seems to have a line of some kind - people running in to pick up their favourite goodies, and then running back out before they are busted for their illegal parking job in the neighbourhood. One other note of interest is the shop’s support of youth art. Children are able to display a small number of pieces in the shop and people can comment on the work. The kids can even have a little art opening where they can invite family and friends to their art opening.

Out of 5 Matzah Balls floating in chicken broth
Grub: 5 - Yum! The food is delicious. You only need to be there early enough so your favourite treats do not run out.

Scene: 3 – Everyone in the ‘hood knows Solly’s. It’s an establishment. It has its stream of regulars. The people watching is fine, but you do have to wait a little while to get a decent seat.

Coffee: 2 – Seattle’s Best is okay coffee, but let’s face it. It’s utilitarian. It’s self serve. And you have to pay for refills. Not high on my list for going for a coffee. Lunch, yes. Coffee, not so much.

The McDeal on the McCoffee

When I kept hearing strange murmurs about McDonald's having great coffee, I had to try it myself. It seems as though Mickey D's has taken a page out of Timmy Ho's by asking what you want in your coffee before you receive it so they can given you a false sense of having a custom made coffee. I took cream with no sugar and waited for my little morning liquid supplement to arrive. When I first tried it, the thought of McDonald's "Too Hot Coffee Scandal" ran through my mind. "Will I burn my tongue immediately and be unable to taste the coffee or will I hate it right off the bat?" I have to say my pessimistic views tainted my perspective before The coffee hit my lips. I peeled back the lid and took my first few slurps.

At first I thought the coffee was too hot and too bitter, but as I started slurping down a little bit more my opinions started to change. Perhaps it was some caffeine kicking in, or maybe the cream was finally mixing in with some of the coffee, or I secretly really wanted to like the coffee. Whatever it was I found myself enjoying the little cup of joe. The taste mellowed out and the little cup of coffee that could did it for me.

I actually picked the coffee up in a Bacon and Egg McMuffin with a hash brown for about 5 bucks. The McDonald's on Main near terminal is sketchy at best but serves your McFare the way you McExpect it.

Out of 5 McStars

Scene: 1 - Stay out of there if you can. There is a swanky McDonald's higher up Main around 30th, but the McD's on Main and Terminal is a semi convenient locale for commuters and a great place to go if you have collected enough cans and bottles to buy a McMeal.

Grub: 2 - Okay. It is a bit of a guilty pleasure but I know the food is not good for me which is why I can only rank it as a 2 at its McBest.

Coffee: 2 - Utilitarian. But, as far as brewed utilitarian coffee went, this wasn't bad. In fact it was better than the utilitarian swill I have at work which makes it a really high two. However, let's face it, a 3 means it has to be as good as a mediocre Americano. So until the McAmericano comes along this McRating stays.

Salt and Pepper Needs More Spice

From the outside it looks like a part of the Best Western Hotel Restaurant, and for the most part, it is. The inside has that “family restaurant” feel but with less style. It is pretty sterile inside and the front deck faces Kingsway. I thought that I might be able to sit there a while, pick up a wireless signal and do a bit of work. However, not only is the décor not something to look at, but the furniture physically doesn’t allow you to sit there for long. I sat on the bench near the front door and I have sat in church pews that were more inviting.

The food was actually pretty good. It was your $6.50 breakfast with 2 eggs, bacon (3 strips) or ham, pancakes or toast and hash browns with a cup of coffee. The coffee was utilitarian, but the bacon crispy and the eggs made to order. The service was also commendable. The lone waitress appeared to run a tight ship. The food arrived promptly, the coffee refilled quickly and the service unobtrusive. If you are in a hurry and want to stop in for a quick breakfast to get you going this is definitely the spot. It is definitely better than a drive though, but not quite a sit down and stay a while.

Out of 5 Dashes of Salt

Scene: 1 – Some locals- and I don’t mean Main street hipsters – perhaps a hotel guest maybe two and aside from that dead zone. Next door there is a little pub type of area but I can’t imagine it being much of a place to hang out. I overheard a couple of people trying to figure out why the place doesn’t draw in a lunch or dinner crowd in spite of the menu options. Anybody could look around and see that this place some character, and I don’t mean the kind you will find in Best Western chains across North America.
Grub: 3 – Pretty good breakfast stuff for a fair price - shame about the locale. The portions are modest but what they lack in quantities, they make up in service.
Coffee: 2 – Utilitarian. I have to say it is actually closer to a one because it was a little bit watered down.

Sorry, it must have been another Barney I know.

Deja vu? And I'm not just talking about seeing a second Bean Around the World on Main street just off Broadway. I'm talking about the fact that BATW is right next to Cafe Barney just like the BATW location on South Granville. The two joints took over the restaurant and cafe formerly known as Monsoon and Soma (Soma has a new location which opened fall '07 in the old vegan bistro formerly known as Hatch).

Cafe Barney has a clean décor like a Pier 1 showroom. It's seemingly more spacious and airy than its predecessor. The staff seem like it is going for hiring the Main street kind of gals and it is serving up a lot of the same fare that it has at its Granville location. To be honest, although the restaurant has history on the Granville strip, I wasn't all that impressed with this Cafe B. In the huevos rancheros I had,it claimed that it had fresh salsa but it was jarred salsa with some tomatoes cut up and added in, and my co-host seemed to be a little bit overwhelmed by the amount of sausage in her omlette. I know that I am treading in areas that I don't normally go but I have to say that my first impression of Cafe Barney was a little bit disappointing.

Will I go back again? Of course I will. The food was not so bad that I was repulsed into never returning. I just won't get the huevos rancheros again. The place has just opened in the past couple of months so they must have a few kinks to work out just like any other joint.

As for the coffee? I didn't actually have any. It looked just like any other utilitarian coffee I've ever had, even at Barney's on Granville. I'll just have to come back and have a second look at the cafe I thought I recognized.

Out of 5 soft poached huevos

Scene: 3 Very nice people. Our server was accommodating and attentive. As far as the rest of the staff? After working in restaurants when I was younger, I was always told having conversations about your social life out amongst customers while doing prep work was tacky. I can now see why.
As for the clientel, the people in there seemed mostly like the people who I mentioned who would search for this kind of food. Maybe they were people from South Granville who were playing tourist in the SOMA area.

Grub: 2 Like I said it wasn't repulsive. The menu had some variation but pretty straight up like a Pier 1 showroom. If you are looking for your up front no surprises, non vegan, non obscure vegetable prepared on a regular stove, then this place would be great.

Coffee: TBA – I'm going to assume it's utilitarian. I doubt that I will go with an americano the next time I go there even though it is probably offered on the menu. If I feel like an americano, I would rather walk the extra ten meters and go to BATW next door.

Gene, Gene the Coffee Machine

Gene is one of the latest little coffee shops to open on Main... or is it Kingsway? It can be found on that little pie wedge of a block that points north and overlooks downtown framed by Main and Kingsway. It is actually the ideal little location for those who are waiting for that #8 Fraser bus or for those who have just made their latest purchase from Pulp Fiction a few doors up.

The folks we saw in this place were young hipsters sipping their straight espresso shots and working on their Macs. They went well with the decor of 180 degree view through the super tall windows, the minimalist industrial feel of the pipe fixtures and the institutional furniture - and by that I mean the chairs and stools that can be found in any elementary school. All of the accessories had very clean lines (I actually really like their saucers with the off center cup well). It appears to still be a work in progress, but it is shaping up to be a very cool place. We are hoping that they will be able to get a permit for the steel tables and chairs outside to create that Euro feel.

The Americano I had was smooth (there was a potential danger of the barrista adding too much water which was quickly averted) with a little bit more of a bitter taste than what I usually go for, but very good nonetheless. I don't know where they get their baked goods from but the 'power muffin' that I had was filling and tasty filled with a variety of nuts, dates and chocolate. I am sure that there will be more food items on the menu once th place has finished up a bit more and got its feet wet. Maybe they should star getting baked goods from the people at Re-Entry? Hmm?

Note: I had to laugh as we left the cafe. If you remember to go out the Main Street exit, check out the little handle sign. It has a clipped out picture of Sean Penn with the caption "Don't push me!"


Out of 5 Sean Penn Punches

Scene: 4 - It has great potential to be a very happening place and not just because a community center is opening across the street from it. The views are spectacular, the people are almost too hip but the place is still shaping up.

Grub: 3 - There really wasn't a whole lot to offer but what we had was great. Hopefully, as I mentioned before, the place is still in the midst of getting its act in order.

Coffee: 4 - The coffee was great. However, indicate how much water they put in the americano if you are particular. The coffee was a little bit too cool when it was served which can kill the coffee if you're not careful. Otherwise I would definitely go back again. In fact I know I will when they get a little bit get a bit more grounded.

Our Town Ain't no Bean Town ...Yet

Our Town is the kind of coffee shop that I would have thought I would enjoy hanging about more in. Inside there is a multilevel seating which provides a nice perspective for people watching. There is also a nice little couch area in there and they serve coffee there! However, it isn't really the first place that pops in to mind when I think I want to go somewhere for a cuppa. There is no weakness in the strength of their coffee, they serve baked goods and sandwiches, and there seems to be a steady group of people who flow in and out out like any corner coffee house. The main south wall is a giant window that lets all kinds of sun in and yet, it still doesn't do it for me. Although from a coffee business standpoint it has some excellent qualities, I still feel that it is lacking some character of some kind. The Little House on the Prairie Oleson's General Mercantile meets the New Hampton decor just doesn't do it for me. Yes, it is still another puzzle piece in the eclectic Main Street style, but for my personal tastes it seems to fall flat. It's not that I dislike it, I just don't love it. If you are looking for a blow your head off and keep my body twitching for hours four shot Americano - which I made an absolute mistake in doing one day - go for it. I think I did it because the price difference between a 2-shot and a 4-shot seemed so minor at the time, and I thought, "Hey, why not?" I'm better now. It took a little self hugging and rocking and someone to help talk me down, but I'm good.

Out of Five Oleson's Mercantile licorice whips

Scene - 2 Sorry all you regulars, but it did nothing for me. There didn't seem to have that buzz one kind of gets when you walk into a coffee house. Everyone seemed like they were too sedated or over caffeinated despite the 4-shot Amercianos available.

Grub - 3 The baked good I had there was so-so, but they did have a some variety. If I am not mistaken though, it seemed to me that things were all wrapped up in cellophane which tells me it's at least a day old, or they close up early.

Coffee - 2 better than utilitarian, but there really wasn't anything extra special about them. I remember there were blended drinks and they seemed either too sweet or not sweet enough. I think they need a little training on maximizing crema and reducing bitterness as well. It's like I said, the place has potential but there are just a few things that haven't been solved yet.

Big 'C' now stands for Crave

One of the favoured brunch spots, Big C, about four years back turned into a new restaurant of a forgettable name which then turned into what is now known as Crave. After visitng Crave a couple of times now, I have had the pleasant surprise of delicious food, almost over the top polite service, and delicious food. The restaurant has a beautiful little patio in the back that has a pleasant little zen-ish garden thing happening there. ( I actually think that they have speakers in the shape of rocks so that the speakers don't interfere with the theme they have going on back there.) I recently visited the place for brunch and found the food to be quite good, and with healthy portions. I wouldn't say that I would rave for Crave but I certainly wouldn't direct people away from it. They had a couple of things that I thought looked good. It had these crazy large pancakes that came in a triple stack that looked very fluffy and came with an in house fruity compote. I don't know how these flap jacks stacked up to Bert's but I may have to revisit the place just to taste these. The second thing that caught my eye was the panatone french toast. The person I went with said that the panatone toast wasn't "quite as 'eggy'" as he would have liked them, which I can appreciate, but they weren't bad. I don't know how they stack up against Seb's banana bread french toast but I can bet they aren't nearly as rich. As far as the decor and ambience goes, I would say that it is a little more Pier 1-ish than the other eclectic- artsy places on Main. It has big black and white prints, contemporary smashed glass designer dividers, a roll up garage door to the outside front patio, and the little zen patio out back. It filled quite quickly, and maintained the old school Big C brunch time line up - so go early.


Out of 5 sweet and juicy turkey sausages

Scene: 3 The scene was good. The service was great. The people who were there seemed like they were the "just west of Ontario Street, but liked to venture to the east side to take in the action". It did seem a little out of place for what one might expect on Main, but if Main is about a mixed bag of style, then throw this one into the mix.

Grub: 4 I had the standard 2 eggs any style, toast, hashed brown potatoes, and these delicious turkey sausages. I had no complaints, but I know that I could get the same thing somewhere else for less - everything but those sausages. However, the specialty breakfasts mentioned above did pique my interest for yet another visit.

Coffee: 3 Well, the friends and a nice place to chill was fulfilled, but the coffee is yet to be desired. It seemed pretty utilitarian, but then again, they served an americano but keep in mind it was served at a restaurant which is not really made to any particular specification.

Saltspring Island Coffee Company comes to Main land

Once Saltspring Island Coffee Company took over the locale of the old Coffee Cow, I have taken SSICC into consideration of places to go for a brew. Although I have deep respect for ex-Canuck Cliff Ronning #7, previous owner of Coffee Cow, the name Coffee Cow was a terrible name. (Are you calling customers cows? Are you calling the servers cows? Are you saying that the coffee comes directly from a cow and we are practically drinking directly from its teets for the freshest brew making all of us calves? I don't know if I am insulted or grossed out.) SSICC has an excellent locale where they have wisely made almost all the walls into glass on a lovely corner next to a crosswalk with the long side of the shop being a row of south facing set of tables and chairs. The baking seems pretty standard, as is the other food, and the coffee is acceptable when you get what you want. If anything, the way you get your coffee, much like the service, is a little bit hit and miss. There are times when the coffee and service is exactly as you had hoped, making the coffee experience lovely. Then there are the times when you ask for your americano three quarters full in the smaller size cup and you practically get an extra water americano in a large cup. If only the coffee and the service was a little bit more consistent, I think I would frequent the place a little more. With so many coffee shops on Main where I know I will get what I want, what is making me stop out front aside from the crosswalk? I would say that the real coffee felony about this place is just how it is so average. It's got a good locale. It's bumped up some of the decor. Now let's see about the food, service and personality.


Out of 5 Coffee Cow Teets

Scene: 3 - Only because of its south facing row of table and chairs. It make the place warm and the extra space makes it stroller friendly for those Main Street parents to park out their pimped out prams.
Grub: 3 Average to really average. You'll get what you are looking for but I doubt anyone will write home about it.
Coffee: 3 Average. Like I mention up top, it's hit and miss. Hope you get more hits that misses.