1142 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

Strong personal opinion time: Milk for adults is gross, organic or not, and has no place in coffee.

I second that opinion. I have never enjoyed milk, and keep nothing but skim milk at home for just the most necessary of needs - which does not include milk in coffee - yuck!

[Caramia]

Hey now! Rich creamy goodness! You people are philistines!

[jklymak]

The sugars in milk combine very nicely with coffee if there isn't too much. Latte's are way over the top for my taste, but cappucinos or macchiatos can be wonderful if properly prepared. If just slapped together, then not so much. It takes skill, and is definitely an art. I'll put up with a bit of surliness if it means an artful coffee.

[Caramia]

Preach it, brother!

Milk. It does a coffee good.

[martini]

I can only drink coffee black.

I notice a lot of people are the Timmy's 'double double' crowd. *shudder*

[Ms. B. Havin]

Did someone post this already? I saw that Holden has posted from the same column by Darron Kloster about The Brick on Douglas getting a "make-over," but here's the beginning of Kloster's column:

Kloster column: Small coffee house survives big competition
Darron Kloster, Times Colonist
Published: Tuesday, June 24, 2008

He started a coffee house in the shadows of Starbucks and Tim Hortons nearly three years ago across from Hillside Centre, but Dave Crothall has emerged with nary a scratch.

In fact, the 30-year-old entrepreneur is shifting to expansion mode, taking his Black Stilt Coffee Lounge brand into the Royal Jubilee neighbourhood this summer. Crothall begins construction next week to turn a former laundromat at Fort Street and Richmond Road -- at the back of the Pharmasave -- into a slightly smaller satellite cafe with an opening set for August.

The business plan that helped him thrive against the coffee kings will remain, said Crothall, who built the Stilt as a refuge where folks can spend time on their computers, do business, socialize and absorb weekly poetry readings and musical entertainment.

And he's polished the environmental and corporate-social side of the business to the point where it's making a difference to his bottom line.

Crothall said he has diverted 90 per cent of the Stilt's waste away from the landfill though recycling programs or by using little or no packaging for his salads, wraps and baked goods as well as condiments. He does regular green audits through a local company with a goal to reach carbon-neutral and zero-waste status.

On the social responsibility side, Katrina Richards, who worked her way up from serving to manager of the lounge, has joined the Oaklands Community Association and the Stilt offers itself for meetings, fundraising ventures and events. Crothall and three of his staff will also book trips later this year to source coffee producing farms in Central America to check certifications and working conditions. "That way if someone asks us about our coffee, we'll be able to give them an answer on exactly how it is grown and who grows it," said Crothall. "I want to know what the farms look like and how they operate."

Crothall has a staff of 11 -- all of whom have worked there for more than a year -- and will hire another eight for his expansion.

The Black Stilt is at 103-1633 Hillside Ave. Call 250-370-2077.

Sounds very cool and I'm looking forward to seeing something move back into the location.

[FunkyMunky]

Crothall begins construction next week

Actually, no. Construction was underway early last week as they begun closing some of the old doorways off. It can't come soon enough for me.

[jklymak]

Hi all,

there is a best overall victoria coffee shop poll over at http://www.coffeecrew.com/. Interestingly the Black Stilt is winning, which I find somewhat flabbergasting, and suspect some double clicking. Please don't get me wrong, the Black Stilt is pretty good, and I'm glad its there, but they are a few notches below a lot of their competition in terms of coffee.

[martini]

Anyone like Caravana? In the Selkirk.

[Mike K.]

My favourite coffee is Union Pacific's light roast.

[Holden West]

Ponder this as you sip your Starbucks:

From 1942: Rationing coffee

Times Colonist
Published: Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Daily Colonist, Aug. 5, 1942

Every cloud has, somewhere, a silver lining, and that may prove true of Canada's sudden plunge into tea and coffee rationing on a scale unprecedented even in Great Britain, long in a most active theatre of war.

In the case of British Columbia, at all events, fruit juices are apt to take the place of the missing beverages after ration allotments have run out.

For some years past, and little noticed, the Okanagan Valley has been pointing out the value of apple juice, both as a beverage and also as a vital food ingredient itself. Sweetened apple juice, particularly that of certain varieties of apples, makes an excellent drink and one that British Columbia will need not import from anywhere.

It is the same with other fruit drinks, many of which have come in the market in new and improved forms.

While curtailment of tea and coffee drinking will hit the public hard at first, particularly those who depended very fully on these beverages, it is open to question if the result will not also be an improvement to public health. One meal of the day attended by fresh fruit beverages is not much of a hardship on anyone.

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

[FunkyMunky]

Work continues into the night. The new sign was was up last weekend but it looks like a few more days before everything is set for an opening.

[D.L.]

my, this city is becoming ever more sophisticated by the day!

[gumgum]

That reminds me. I had an iced coffee at Serious, and in in bold letters it stated that the "plastic" cups were compostable (corn based).
So not only is their coffee fair trade, and organic, but their cups - paper and "plastic" - are compostable. This is something every coffee house should strive for.

As a side not I should mention that the "plastic" bags at Lifestyle Market are compostable as well.

[FunkyMunky]

In fact, the 30-year-old entrepreneur is shifting to expansion mode, taking his Black Stilt Coffee Lounge brand into the Royal Jubilee neighbourhood this summer. Crothall begins construction next week to turn a former laundromat at Fort Street and Richmond Road -- at the back of the Pharmasave -- into a slightly smaller satellite cafe with an opening set for August.

The new Black Stilt opened today.

[osmich]

Were there some posts on this thread wiped or moved to another location?

[martini]

Java Java Java

[julienne]

Street Level Espresso is now open, in the space that once held Ambientes - right beside the Dutch Bakery.
Seasoned barista Ken Gordon - ex of Habit and Cafe Fantastico - serves up Hines beans along with Oh la la cupcakes and tea bevvies using Lily Dawn's tea blends.
Great coffee and welcome ambience. Extras include the chance to purchase Lomo cameras, and daily art will be drawn by comic artist Gareth Gaudin.
Very cool.