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Cafe culture in Victoria, B.C.
Cafe culture in Victoria, B.C.
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Posts: 1077
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Thank you received: 13
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13 years 7 months ago #2368
by colin
Cafe Fantastico has changed the coffee and espresso landscape in Victoria in ways that the average coffee drinker will never know.
In one of the best forum entries ever, Tamara has eloquently summed up the dichotomy that is specialty coffee everywhere -- not just Victoria.
CF has existed, in some form or another since the very beginning of this web project -- and for me, it has been the benchmark to which all are compared.
Without appearing too hyperbolic, I tend to defend CF's eccentricities much as I would a fine French restaurant...
as in when someone orders a fine meal and then asks for Ketchup.
If you want Ketchup on your pomme frites, go to Mikey'D's for heavens sakes.
If you want great espresso and coffee the way it should be served - go to Cafe Fantastico.
If you want it your way - belly up to the Green Machine.
Cheers,
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jklymak
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13 years 7 months ago #2369
by jklymak
Hi Colin
If you want great espresso and coffee the way it should be served - go to Cafe Fantastico.
If you want it your way - belly up to the Green Machine.
When I go into a fine restaurant, I know what to expect because I've been to fine restaurants before. I've never been to one of these \"fine\" coffeeshops before, so apparently I didn't know what to expect. Particularly as this one was disguised as a cart in a weird little food court in Cook Street Village. When I went to this little cart, I didn't expect to be treated like I was sullying the premises by having the affrontery to ask for a drink to-go.
Which was pretty annoying because apparently this \"fine\" coffee shop allows some of their drinks to be taken to-go, as there was a stack of paper cups of varying sizes right next to the machine. All the server had to do was say, \"well we don't like to serve 'machiattos' in to-go cups, so I'm going to give you a very very very short latte in here\".
Maybe it took a ridiculous amount of snobbery and iron-clad rules to bring Victoria's coffee quality up to passable. But its not justified anymore. Even the best French restaurant asks you how you want your steak cooked. And everyone I've been to allows you to have a doggy bag.
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13 years 7 months ago #2370
by colin
Point taken --
Thankfully, Victoria now has a variety of good coffee places scattered around the city.
Do what I have always done - vote with your feet...
and your pocket-book.
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Nick
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13 years 7 months ago #2376
by Nick
Tamara wrote:
Lastly, I'm no wage slave and neither are my coworkers. If you want to know what we make, check out the \"Now Hiring\" sheet hanging in the cafe. It details our wages and benefits.
ok, they pay $13/hr plus benefits which is very good for a non-unionized shop and the owners should be congratulated for that.
My problem was getting a direct personal attack that was so uncalled for that other customers and even the other staff member looked shocked. It just came right out of the blue - I'd asked where the whatever was and this guy comes back with the kind of thing that gets people punched in the mouth regardless of where or when! Inexcusable behavior, sorry...
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nickjones
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13 years 6 months ago #2447
by nickjones
Another place to try to avoid the attitude but get the goods is Beans & Greens in Esquimalt. Coffee by Discovery, made on a Synesso. It's a neighborhood joint with a welcoming atmosphere.
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Thank you received: 13
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13 years 6 months ago #2448
by colin
Beans and Greens has a Synesso?
Vat, vat VAT!?!
I popped by one Saturday afternoon at closing time (3 PM this particular day...) and looked in the window.
It looked more like an apiary crossed with a topiary crossed with a day care center... a totally child-friendly, green thumb friendly place.
Ironically, yesterday I heard from my \"chronic whiner Irish-Canadian friend\" who (whenever I see him goes on and on about SOMETHING he does not like about Canadian life...) He goes like this:
ENTERING SILLY MODE -- Be warned!
\"Ya naw wot's rung with Canader mate!? The coffee houses n' bars are noot Child-friendly! Ya naw how angry these makes me missus and me little one?!\"
Anyway - his point is: Cafe's in Victoria are rarely child-friendly...
and the reason for that is:
People go to cafes to get away from 2 things; work and children.
The very last place I want to go while sipping my Clover coffee is some child-friendly pseudo-garden shop cafe that caters to indulgent parents and their spawn.
For the love of god - what is next in this city, a DOG friendly cafe?!?
Arrrrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh!
END SILLY MODE -
By all means check out B&G.
I know I need to soon!
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Cafe culture in Victoria, B.C.
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