Crema from a Stove Top?

That's like asking can I get real Turkey stuffing from Stove Top without actually using a turkey. You can simulate the taste and you'll be satisfied, but I don't think it's actually going to happen. Crema appears after the oils and complex flavours from the espresso grind are extracted during the process of making a shot of espresso. It is a lovely golden brown foam that sits on the top of the shot. Some roasters brag that their crema can last for up to 17 minutes!

A friend of mine recently asked me if she could get crema through her stove top. I don't think so. There are some things that can maybe get that tiny hint of crema, but the effort doesn't seem like it is worth it when I look back at all of the suggestions:

1. As someone put it, scare the bean. Start with everything super hot (except the bean. Keep that at room temperature). Have the stove top expresso apparatus hot, the element hot, and use piping hot water.

2. Practically use turkish grounds. The tightly packed grounds will help more air pressure as the water vapour works its way through the grounds.

3. Using a expresso stove top that has no collecting reservoir, but a spout where you can watch the expresso come out. This is more for pulling the shot away from the nozzle when you see that the espresso coming out has lightened in colour to a beige or white. When you see this come out, it means that you are extracting the from the dregs of the grind, and when added to your shot makes the shot more bitter or tasteless. Bleckh!

4. If you can, buy a stove top expresso maker that has a control valve for when the water pressure is ready. I am not even sure if this is on the market. If it isn't someone needs to get on that.

I think she needed to throw out her stove top. Who are we kidding? When you want the crema at home, you are ready for a real espresso machine.

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.

La Petite Patisserie Francaise Avec Saveur

This little Café along the Arbutus corridor has that little flavour of a French Patisserie where the bakers are French and the flakey pastry melts on your tongue like warm buttery snowflakes. We ordered a couple of coffees and pain au chocolats and sat down to take in the people watching We witnessed several people wander in, who were obviously French, ordering away their daily baked breads and sweets, bien sur en francais. The coffee was a deep dark roast with the right amount of water, but what made this coffee special was the cream. When asked if I wanted cream the lady behind the counter reached into a refrigerator and poured out a dollop of cream into a small creamer. As I poured the cream into my coffee, the cream was slow and smooth and swirled in my coffee like a white mist creeping through a midnight sky. I dipped my finger into the creamer and a tasted a buttery goodness that made me wonder why anyone would have ever imagined of making margarine. The coffee was good, but the cream made it better.

Out of 5 Dollops of Cream

Scene: 3 – It is a location that is made for the locals which does make it a little bit more difficult to visit if you are driving to it. The décor is plain and the seating is not that conducive to lounging for very long, and the people watching is sporadic and brief, but the French language does give a slight feeling of pretending you are in a foreign country.
Grub: 4 – Everything looked tasty and tasted even better. Everything is a little bit pricey for a bakery but I suppose that is the price of having everything made by a Boulanger Francais.

Coffee: 4 – It was the cream that made it. Need I say more.

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.

Tastes of Prada; Looks like Prado

Commercial wasn't exactly on the hit list of Coffee Houses, but when I was invited to taste the coffee, it had to make it on. Upon first appearances, the actual coffee house is pretty bare bones. It kind of reminded me of one of those old brick buildings that has been converted into a studio or gallery space where everything is sparsely decorated so that it doesn't take away from the art work. For this coffee, I would say that the decor was on target. It has the exposed support beams, the power washed fire brick exterior, the bone paint colour with the stainless steel accents on the counter. Most tables are meant for two, the chairs are a dull aluminum and the place is almost all windows. All of the people behind he counter were the friendly cool Commercial cats, each with their individual statements pronounced by the asymmetircal alternative haircuts. While I was there, there seemed to be a diverse clientele, all of whom were representatives of the neighbourhood (Strangely enough, there were many people on laptops and all sitting in the same direction. From what I gathered from a couple of people who have also been there, they all noticed that same phenomenon.) Based on some pretty loose research, Prado gets its coffee from 49th Parallel, the home-bean-base for Artigiano. At first glance I could tell by that thick smooth brown crema frothing at the three quarter level of my mug that I was going to drink the Prada shoes of coffee beans. If they weren't from 49th Parallel, then they were another fine roast. Along with my Americano, I opted out of my usual banana loaf and tried their pear and almond loaf which I thought was a tasty little slice of moist nuttiness. Although I didn't stay long I would go back in a moment, knowing that the place served a smooth cup of coffee.

Out of 5 Brunette Assymetrical Hairdos

Scene: 5 Very relaxed atmosphere, where everyone seems welcome. There is something about the neighbourhood coffee house that brings people together. There were families in there amongst the tech heads, but I knew the place was a real 'hood' coffee house when the barista said to me, as I was holding the kid of a friend of mine, "He's really looking more and more like his father everyday." Either this is a place that knows it's customers, or my friend goes there too much.

Grub: 3 What was there looked good. I really only had the one thing but there didn't seem to be that much more. If there is any low grades , it is only because of the lack of variety.

Coffee: 5 I have to say that I just love that bean, and the barista knew how to draw out the crema. I even watched her as she did one of those Artigiano signature creamy leafs in a kid's hot chocolate. That's some coffee skills. A little note to the coffee debs out there. I was told that they have a tendency to make a traditional cappuccino a little on the wet side, and when I did specify to them that I wanted the mug to be filled three quarters full, I sensed a whiff of the "Buddy, we are not Starbucks with the special orders" kind of attitude. They still did as I requested and made the coffee, but I think if I pressed the issue, I think I would discover what kind of no-nonsense baristas they were.

It's a work of Artigiano

Artigiano to me is the perfect Americano. Thick rich crema from beautifully roasted beans pressed through your top of the line expresso machine and facilitated by a barista who is one with the caffeinated universe. It is this Americano that, if I was braver, would drink it black. It's not that I won't drink black coffee, but I am afraid of losing the dream of what I have built up my expectations to be. When it gets to the brass tax of coffee this is where alchemy begins. I don't know exactly how they make it the way they do, but I have been tempted to take on a part time job to find out just how they do that thang. Not only are their Americanos a thing of beauty, but if you are not really a coffee drinker, then may I suggest that you start off with a latte? Their latte is not only wonderful to drink but it is beautiful to look at. They are known for taking their frothy thick steamy milk and creating patterned designs on the surface of the drinks, usually in the shape of palmate leaves. Their work is art. As for food, they do provide the equivalent to high end salad, soup and sandwiches along with the usual dessert style baked goods. A bit on the pricey side, but not disappointing. All sorts come through their various locations - perhaps the same reason why different people go through BATW - the dreaded chain. As beautiful as the coffee is at Artigiano, it is not without its criticisms. This place is almost packed and because people are usually eating something, it is not as though they are loitering in this place. Get your coffee to go and head off for a nice walk about if you can. The decor is in the roman pinkish tumbled tile which is great if you like that kind of thing, but after a while it gets to be a bit much to look at for my tastes. The place is also lacking in some serious art work. Granted, the Hornby street location has nice photographs of coffees made in the past , but the Kerrisdale location has these gawdawful paintings that looked like a poor attempt at colour by numbers. The rest of the decor holds a definite Artigiano theme but it can be a bit much if you plan to go to it on a regular basis. Bottom-line: Go in. Close your eyes and order your coffee. Leave locale with coffee. Open your eyes, drink and enjoy. Repeat if necessary.

Out of 5 floating coffee leafed swirls

Scene: 3 Not too much to look at. The people watching is good, but the place itself can be taken in small doses.
Grub: 4 Good food but I feel it is a bit pricey. But then again, it is not what I go for.
Coffee: 5 What can I say that I haven't said already? Do it already.

JJ Bean Coffee Scene

The location of JJ Bean on Main is a very cool one. Who knew that an old bank branch would turn out to be one of the trendier coffee houses on Main. Aside from the modern decor which includes a 180 degree viewing area at the front of the cafe, a chimney up the middle and a lot of glass, the coffee there is tasty. I find their Americano has a rich crema, with a smooth finishing taste. One of the consistently better coffees I've experienced in Vancouver. People from all walks frequent the coffee house, but the people who work there are once again those cool hipsters that create the Main Street feel. One can walk in there and see some of the local regulars almost everyday. In fact I know someone who practically uses JJB as her office space. Speaking of which, JJ Bean offers a back room in the event that you want to hold a little meeting there, where you basically have a quiet and controlled space while you are served up some coffee and treats.

Out of 5 pounds of coffee beans

Scene: 4 - It's a great place to meet friends, old existing or new. It is a great locale on the corner and during the summer they roll up the garage windows, and during the winter they crank up the fire place. Nice!

Grub: 4 - It's delicious baked goods and panini type sandwiches. Everything you might want to snack on with a coffee. A bit pricey but tasty.

Coffee 5 - Smooth. Tasty. They also serve it the way you want it. One friend who can be described as somewhat of a coffee deb, says that JJ is one of the only places that actually knows how to serve a 'traditional cappuccino'. That's goodness.