Posted Fri Feb 6, 2004, 4:41am Subject: Searching for must-see cafés in Toronto
I'll be in Toronto for a few days. I've heard about the Winter Festival downtown and will definitely check it out. Are there any cafés that are must-sees? Any espresso-related shopping? Can I pick up Reg Barber tampers off any convenience store shelf? ;-)
steamboy Senior Member Joined: 4 Jan 2004 Posts: 17 Location: Toronto Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Scala Grinder: Macap Roaster: Fresh Roast Plus
Posted Fri Feb 6, 2004, 7:07am Subject: Re: Searching for must-see cafés in Toronto
dan - glad to hear you are coming to T.O. - IMHO a couple of places where you can't go wrong is at Bar Italia (582 College St) and at Jet Fuel (519 Parliament St.).
The food at Bar Italia is quite good as well (solid Italian fare). I don't frequent these places as much as I used to, but they will be leaps and bounds better than the local Starbucks and 2nd Cup.
Posted Fri Feb 6, 2004, 7:36am Subject: Re: Searching for must-see cafés in Toronto
dan_kehn Said:
I'll be in Toronto for a few days.
What day(s) will you be here Dan?, if you don't mind me asking. It'd be great to possibly meet you at one of the espresso shops during your visit & have a few shots or cappas!
Craig, I'll e-mail you my itinerary. If there are other local CGs that would like to join us in a café crawl, e-mail me. I don't own a lot of winter clothes, I fear freezing to death... :-o
Posted Fri Feb 6, 2004, 8:19am Subject: Re: Searching for must-see cafés in Toronto
Thanks Dan, that sounds great, if others joined in too., but I certainly wouldn't want to intrude. The weather has been a lot better too. A few weeks ago it was -25C, windchill -35C, but today +3C about 38F., downright balmy! {;-)
steamboy Senior Member Joined: 4 Jan 2004 Posts: 17 Location: Toronto Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Scala Grinder: Macap Roaster: Fresh Roast Plus
Posted Sun Feb 8, 2004, 8:28am Subject: Re: Searching for must-see cafés in Toronto
I don't post very much on CG (still haven't bit the bullet on a real machine) but it would be fun to meet with you and Craig (and others) if you have time during your stay. You can email me if it fits in with your schedule.
Posted Sun Feb 8, 2004, 1:14pm Subject: Re: Searching for must-see cafés in Toronto
steamboy Said:
I don't post very much on CG (still haven't bit the bullet on a real machine) but it would be fun to meet with you and Craig (and others) if you have time during your stay. You can email me if it fits in with your schedule.
You should have emailed me (or I you) & I could have clued you in to what was happening... I just met with Dan at Bar Italia @ 1:00pm & we went to Jet Fuel after too. I just left downtown Toronto around 3:15 - 3:30pm & dropped Dan off to his hotel & he was beat with not much sleep & it was catching up with him. I just logged in, saw your post., & wanted to update you. I don't know if he's up for anything else during the rest of his stay, but if he is, I'll certainly come back downtown for a get together or whatever!
Dan's here till Wed he said in his email to me, but booked up solid work related on Mon & Tues. He said he might have some free time on Wed.
Don't even ask about the the two spots we hit... A complete joke!! I think Dan's posting a report, but I definitely wont be. {:-(
Ah, you stole my thunder. It was great meeting you! Thanks again for the suggestions, despite that they didn't work out. Now for my quick review à la Simon of American Idol...
Bar Italia is in old Italy on College Street.
It had a great brunch but their espresso was made with beans imported from Italy that may have enjoyed too much time on the boat trip over. The flavor and body were more reminiscent of a moka than espresso. The staff was friendly. 'Nuff said.
Jet Fuel is a very small establishment on Parliment Street.
With apologies to Robert... where do I begin? If latte artist David Schomer were condemned to an eternity of torment at Satan's newly remodeled Burning Fires of Hell Café, the lady from Jet Fuel would surely be the head barista serving him "cappuccinos" on the hour until the end of time. On the surface, the place had attitude in the positive sense. A Faema E61 Legend four group machine and a display of heavy lever Gaggias boded well for a real experience. Not wanting to risk two iffy straight espressos in one day, I played it safer (?) with a milk-based drink. The PBTC let rip on a pitcher of milk with screeching that audibly demonstrated the true origins of the café's name. Then she proceeded to scoop the airest, driest foam possible into a large beer pint glass.
Hmmm-m, I figured this was her misguided way of recovering from a horribly gashed attempt at microfoam. I mean, you're not going to put that stuff in what I'm supposed to drink, right? Oh no, more was to come... she dumps additional milk into the pitcher and repeats the same sequence -- three times. :-o
She then pours a shot overtop the frothy head of bubbles. At first I thought it was a cruel joke she metted out to American tourists. Alas we watched later in stunned bewilderment as she prepares drink after drink in this same twisted fashion. Oh poor citizens of Toronto, you have my deepest sympathies. I hope never to be faced again with such a horrid concoction. This establishment was a true poster child for everything that can possibly be done wrong to frothed milk. I kid you not, this drink would be the equivalent of pouring a warm ale from a height of three feet into a glass. I've been served (and inexplicably agreed to pay for) some bad cappuccinos, but Jet Fuel will remain etched in my mind as the café which established the low point of my cappuccino-drinking days.
But hey, I was warned that Toronto is no espresso Mecca... and nobody promised me something special. It was fun meeting a fellow CG. Next time, we'll meet at Starbucks or McCafé. :-o
steamboy Senior Member Joined: 4 Jan 2004 Posts: 17 Location: Toronto Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Scala Grinder: Macap Roaster: Fresh Roast Plus
Posted Sun Feb 8, 2004, 6:39pm Subject: Re: Searching for must-see cafés in Toronto
Hey Dan & Craig,
Well at least you have your sense of humour. Sorry it didn't work out at the two spots... I warned you that I hadn't been there for a while, okay, a long while, but they honestly used to be great places for espresso.
I couldn't have made it today anyway but I'm glad you guys got together.
But if you are up to a drink on Wednesday let me know... there is always that other place I used to go to...
Posted Sun Feb 8, 2004, 7:05pm Subject: Re: Searching for must-see cafés in Toronto
steamboy Said:
Hey Dan & Craig,
Well at least you have your sense of humour. Sorry it didn't work out at the two spots... I warned you that I hadn't been there for a while, okay, a long while, but they honestly used to be great places for espresso.
I couldn't have made it today anyway but I'm glad you guys got together.
But if you are up to a drink on Wednesday let me know... there is always that other place I used to go to...
Hey Robert!
I'd still like to meet you. {:-) I warned Dan, (sort of!) his words: (I'd be fun to hit a good café, if such an animal exists... but ya never know). I said:(It'd be fun for sure, but from what I've heard, such an animal doesn't really exist...). I was just quoting to him that what I read on alt.coffee in a thread on the espresso shops here wasn't good... Some posters said good, some lousy., what're ya gonna do?? The main thing for me was meeting Dan, one of the Coffeegeeks., one of the gang here in the Coffeegeek community! I still had a GOOD time with what little time we had, & Dan could spare.{:-D
I didn't have any hopes really for anything good. I haven't really gone out to an espresso bar or coffee shop in 2 years 9 months since I began my own espresso quest/ voyage of discovery, the whole "experience". For me it's been a trip, & I believe it's not the "destination" but the "journey". Not so much going from point A to B, but what we see & do along the way. Ok, ok.., enough of the Zen crap! Yep, we all have our own path/road to espresso nirvana! {;-)
Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post
Forum Rules: No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards. No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum. No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum. Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards. Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics. Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies. Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies. Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts. Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.
= No New Posts since last visit 