Problogue

Right... on another rainy day in Vancouver, I was motivated to start this coffee tour while sitting in JJ Bean, one of the more popular cafes on my street... main st. I was planning to work at JJ Bean for the next two weeks with daily 5-6 hour shifts of video editing... but as "Christina Aguilera's Genie in a Bottle" played overhead at the mid-point of day 1, I eventually decided that it was time to search for a better cafe. There is a little prologue to this story, and it goes a little something like…

About 2 months ago when I first moved to the Mt Pleasant hood, I was having a few pints with some friends, and Greg tells me that I’m lucky to be moving to Main because JJ Bean, on 14th and Main, has the “best” coffee in the world. I don’t think much of it as I can barely tell the difference between a coffee from Starbucks and 7-11. But anything that's the BEST in the WORLD deserves a go. So I finally hit up JJ BEAN to order Greg’s "best coffee in the world" - Americano (whatever that is)... and like a Glenlivet on the rocks, I do notice a difference right away. It really is the best coffee I have ever had. I ask a cute brunette coffee girl about it, and she explains that she is roasting the beans right there in the shop. That means that the beans are much more fresh than any place like Tim’s or Starbucks, hence the great coffee.

Perfect. It’s big, lots of space. Every table on the wall has it’s own electrical outlet so I can plug in. A lot of cool people come in and the staff seems to talk to people all friendly like. Plus they have lots of selection of food, snacks and cookies (ginger snaps... SNAP!). So I’m pretty sure this is going to be my office for the next couple of weeks. Wrong. And it wasn’t the crumbly croissant that upset me. I could easily change to just cookies. But the big reason that inspired me to begin my new search was the MUSIC. I wouldn’t have even minded no music at all, but I was horrified to realize that the music they were playing here was all wrong. They play 80s and 90s top 40 satellite music that the staff has no control over.

After two hours, a nice coffee and then smooth Chai to calm my nerves, the music had become as annoying as two white beagles locked in a Volvo. I became obsessed with what would be the next gay song. Obviously with top 40, there were some decent songs coming up, but there was a consistency of puke that just couldn’t sit in my stomach any longer…

At first, “Turn the beat around” made me smirk. Mariah Carey “Dreamlover” and some Enrique crap made me worry a bit. But when I heard 2 unlimited “are you Ready” and Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby”, it hit me like a blind date with Lisa Kudrow that this could never be “my café”, and I would have to start a new search. So I thought about it and there were like 10 other cafes in between my house and JJ Bean anyways. Let's take a look at what makes a good cafe...

Thursday, October 25, 2007

II – Café Rustico (Main and 15th/16th)

A nice day to start my search. I wanted to set-up shop in “Bean Around the World” but at 9:30 it was just packed and with only one electrical output taken by two different people, I had to move on.
When I saw “Café Rustico”, I immediately said “get the camera”. Not because I’m Italian… in fact I do believe that most Italians go a little overboard with their Patriotism, but this place has unique Italiano Cappuccino Café feel.

10:00am

I arrived and the place was just dead… not a soul except for the two girls working. I ordered the advertised special, and set myself up in the back corner on a sweet 70s couch with my Cappuccino. Sweeeet... Eat your heart out Costanza.

Had to get the Cappuccino… no sugar right? I guessed that that is how you are supposed to drink it, and I was right. The nice oriental girl told me that you aren’t supposed to put sugar in a cappuccino. She said it was especially imported coffee from Italy and the owner, orders the coffee especially strong. A little bland actually... better buy your own coffee roaster Mario.

But the placed was so nice to work in. There was only Italian music playing… mostly classical and opera which I didn’t mind but non-distracting and easy to zone out of... so no complaints there. The one complaint I had was that the ceiling fan was much louder than the music.
In this relatively small place, 10 tables with amazing Venice-like porch outside, there were only two electrical outlets to plug into. I was able to connect to the internet for free without any password… very cool!

12:48pm

The girls were nice. One of them told me to get the Caprese because it was spicy. But they were a little too shy. As I waited, I noticed that they call the Americano coffee… “Canadiano”. Right on.


It made me ask them about the owner, and apparently he works the night shift. Sometimes he closes at 9pm and sometimes at midnight... so it might be a nice date. But I like how the owner works at his own café. It makes me want to come back and get to know him.

The food tasted really good. The panini was different and probably homemade. It was a good price and this café has the potential to get me regularly.

At the end of the day…

My Bill

Special (Cappucino, Panini, and pasta)
With a Limonata 12.00 even (I love this tax included thing)

My Rating

Coffee C+
Service B
Atmosphere A-
Music B
free internet +1 bonus point

3 comments:

Kristie Perrotte said...

AJ...I googled Cafe Rustico and yours was the first link that popped up! What are the chances? Random!

Kristie

Unknown said...

i recommend any1 who may be feeling a little 'down' to visit cafe rustico uring the evening when the owner mario is around. he is like 'prozac' in person!

karenkun said...

I go to Cafe Rustico regularly for cappuccino :D the owner Mario is awesome :) he will occasionally serve up some espresso on the house [http://www.flickr.com/photos/k4ren/3510751059] :) I can work hours in this place because the music and atmosphere is very comfortable. (mostly the music!)