Dark Horse Espresso Bar

Hands down, this is my favourite coffee place in the city!

I have yet to visit store no. 1 (Queen East), however this location at Spadina hits the nail on the head in many ways - a great combination of atmosphere, coffee aroma, and friendly staff. And the espresso is really good too.

Dark Horse offers the best of both worlds - quick 'to go' service for people in a rush and a nice space for those that want to hang out.

I really like how they have the upper seating space that allows guests to observe the staff working their coffee magic. And the large work tables at the front make a lot of sense for lap top users. No computer charger cords to trip over here.

I'm all about ordering black americano coffee ($3) these days and I really enjoy the espresso from Dark Horse - it's caramelly-sweet and has awesome aroma - perfect. I give this one a 5/5!

Now, I need to visit the original store.

Van Houtte - Whole Bean Coffee

Here's a great idea - offer whole bean (dark roast) coffee, have it certified as Fair Trade and sell it at a very reasonable price! Oh and while we're at it - let's ensure it's a product of Canada too.

Well, Van Houtte has managed to accomplish all of this with their whole bean coffee selections. I purchased my first bag at Metro here in Toronto for $6.99 (includes dollar off instant coupon on package). To put this in perspective, a similar Starbucks roast would cost roughly double this price and most likely not be Fair Trade certified.

For overall taste, this coffee is pretty decent. I purchased Colombian Dark Roast so this one is certainly full-bodied and I notice it lingers on the tongue and really provides a hardy total pallet mouth feel. Contrary to many coffee drinkers who like a lighter, punchier coffee in the morning (think Starbucks Breakfast Blend or Tim Hortons), I like a full-bodied coffee to wake me up. I bet this coffee would go great on its own after dinner or with a rich (chocolate?) dessert.

Van Houtte is an interesting company with a rich history. Presently, in Quebec they have about 70 retail locations, and are heavily involved with the coffee equipment business - think of that 'brew on demand' single cup coffee you've probably encountered in the office.

To be completely honest, I must say I was hesitant about this Van Houtte coffee. I was never a fan of their office building brew and avoided it at all costs! But this whole bean coffee offering has changed my opinion and I would certainly buy it again. I give this one 3.5 stars out of 5.

Recession Coffee - Pride of Arabia

Pride of Arabia...hmmm this name sounds neat. Like any well versed coffee lover I was pleased to see that it is in fact 'a blend of 100% Arabica beans' (whole beans) - perfect!

I am on my second or third bag of this stuff and honestly it's a bargain and tastes really good made in the French Press. It retails at Loblaws (or affiliated stores) for $3.79 for a pound or around $5.79 for almost 2 pounds of beans - Super value! I like whole bean coffee because you can grind as much as you need (recession tip). I am a fan of dark roast and to me this is as good or better than Starbucks French Roast and the price is ultra low in comparison so this is a huge selling point during this economic...'crisis'.

But how does it TASTE? Overall it's very good - the taste profile a la Starbucks-style is as follows: I find it to have great mouth feel and for sure it's got lots of robust body. I pick up a strong caramel-sweetness accompanied by hints of spiciness that lingered on my tongue for the finish. Mmmmm! Also, I have ground this coffee for espresso and found it paired extremely well with dark chocolate.

Overall, this is a nice tasting flavourful coffee at a great price. And now the secret is out - Loblaws you owe me for spreading the word!

Bull Dog Cafe

BULL DOG CAFE

89 Granby Street

www.bulldogtoronto.com

Ordered: 2 lattes ($3.50 ea.)

FINALLY.. I am back with a new post. Obviously, I didn't stop drinking coffee and visiting stellar cafes since the last post, but I've just not blogged. SO, this is my second time going to Bull Dog - I like the name of the street this place is on - Granby - reminds me of Canada's cafe-culture city VANCOUVER. This place is small, probably has only 5 tables and no bar counter to sit at. The lattes are good, but over priced in my opinion - I am comparing this one to JET FUEL though which is my ideal idea of a cafe of my choosing. So, $3 and a half bucks gets you one average- sized latte, but it's cool because you'll also get a little foreplay for the eyes too as the barista (coffee person) will do a little latte art for you. I had a leaf adorn my first cup of joe and #2 was a heart (pictured here) - how appropriate! -as I was there with Alfie, my boyfriend - hehe. On my previous visit I bellied up for a round two: which was a double espresso - so I can say that the espresso is decent here as well.

One thing to note about this place is the recognition it received for having stellar baristas - they won a award to prove it - 'Master Barista' sounds right, but I may be wrong - regardless the award plaque is hanging on the wall behind the counter to set these folks apart.

On a side note the scones are delightful too. The lattes are quite good I must say - perfect foam - so, great mouth feel. The espresso is bold as I like it, but I forgot to ask who supplies their beans.