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.

Golden Mint Cafe

GOLDEN MINT CAFE

439 Yonge Street

www.goldenmint.com

Ordered: double espresso - $2.63 tax incl.

My first impression was the emphasis on gourmet treats - display cases hold hand-dipped caramel apples laden with confections as well as many varieties of tasty-looking chocolates. This was nice to see, but I'm only here for one thing - the COFFEE!!

Centre-stage on the counter is a beautiful all brass espresso machine - it was difficult for me to tell if this is actually an old piece of equipment. I suspect it's made to look old-fashioned because I would have expected the barista to pull on a handle to facilitate 'pulling' the espresso shots - which she did not do. I ordered up my double espresso and was provided with a bowl of raw sugar to add to my dark gold. The espresso taste was good and it certainly had the 'punch' I needed.

Overall, I enjoyed going to this cafe, it's quaint with its limited seating. GM is located directly across from a Tim Hortons and Starbucks (the enemy!) at the busy intersection of Yonge & College Streets. I especially like that they have a massive selection of loose tea - all available for purchase by weight. The gourmet treats and awesome tea selection make this place stand out from its competitors. The staff was very friendly as well.

I'd return!

Update: this one is NOT independent like I previously thought, so I don't like it as much now that I know it's a franchise. ;(

Jet Fuel!

JET FUEL

519 Parliament Street

Ordered: latte - $3 tax incl.

I finally had the opportunity to get over to this Cabbagetown coffee destination and boy, I was not disappointed!

Now THIS is what I expect a coffee bar to be like. You walk in and immediately in view is the large shining espresso machine, which is bubbling out what seems like endless shots of the caramel-sweet good stuff. It's a tight space, but I notice there is additional seating at the back of the place.

We make our way to the end of the long line up that is outlining the bar counter and quickly notice that there is no menu board to be found. We learn from the lady in front of us that this is because the offerings are simple: espresso, latte or cappuccino.

The line moves fast, so we didn't wait long. Our lattes came in big glasses and were only a couple bucks each - sweet! By default they were made with whole milk and were perfect. We grabbed seats and admired the local art on the walls. The re-issued bar stools by the front windows pay testament to the retro feel of the place this as they appear to be from many decades past.

I wanted to buy some coffee to go, but I'm not sure if they sell their beans - will check next time there.