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...

Monday, October 29, 2007

V – Lugz


No coffee Sunday was a bad idea. Drinking coffee everyday leads me to believe that if I stop, I will never work another day in my life.
Today, I would have stopped in at Sunny Spot Café, but it was closed. Jeesh what kind of café is closed on a Monday!

So I hit the next coffee place over… Lugz, the 1st and oldest café on Main St. Before I entered they have a good sign that makes a lot of things clear what kind of café this is… “Get in off the main path, support the local and boycott the multis”. Well not very humble but this is pretty much what I’m looking for. They state their specials… 2$ Lattes from 6-11pm. I liked the “Rain, rain go away” comment. Shows fun and expression! Extra bonus points for discounts to students and bus riders!

Within 5 minutes of entering the place, I realized that this place has the potential of being my place. I was immediately hit with “Find my way” from Tribe. The only guy working, Jark, was the environment, and conversing with everyone. He had his own mix playing… hip hop, reggae, industrial electronic stuff... But also, what a nice guy… he gave a girl a medium instead of a small cuz “it was Monday”. He had a sense of humor writing “We now have 4 sizes.. small medium, large and Chuck Norris”. He called everyone “Big Guy!” He gave a guy a free Green Tea just because it was “his” green tea. He truly was the café and he was cool so this place already tops the others.

The place is decorated in music and definitely speaks to the alternative. They have a nice big bulletin board with lots of music posted. However, there were fewer personal communal events posted compared to Bean Around the World, so a little less popular. Well let’s find out why…

This place has free internet, 6 computers, sofas and funky space chairs by two long bars (I sat in one of the space chairs. It was broken and I almost fell over… ya this place is kind of rough). The next space chair to the right was open and it worked…

The coffee… pretty normal. Jark says it comes from Lugz’ own organic coffee beans, that are roasted in Richmond… well obviously not as fresh as JJs then. But they have a water cooler, which has free water, not like the other places that sell water or give you tap.

Lunchtime

Jark tells me to get a pannini which seems to be the food of choice in the cafes. I told him to set me up and the one he made me was full of mushrooms, pretty ballsy considering not everyone likes mushrooms… I guess I just look like a mushroom type of guy (he he he). Very good. Nice and saucy! The award winning chai was also very good, but a little too mild. He said that he can also make it strong if I ask.

It is worth noting their bathroom. Straight out of Trainspotting… they only have one that was very small. It was kind of uncomfortable as it was also the water heater room. But “whatever” if you are me… I got the job done. However, they were also out of soap… yikes!

The end of my day

My bill

Americano 2.65
No visa
Pannini and Chai 14.10 (tip included and well deserved)


Rating

Coffee B
Service A+
Atmosphere B
Music A+
Bathroom D
free internet +1 bonus point
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