Extreme Coffee Freak

While searching for coffee shops to visit for this trip my daughter came across Pittie Coffee. After reading about what they stand for she said we had to visit. They are a coffee shop that support a local shelter in Vancouver to help rescue, care for, and adopt pitbulls in the area. It is such an amazing cause. Read more at www.hugabull.com.

The Interior

It is a very long and skinny shop with the bar on the left and seating on the right. The bar showcased the different food items they had available followed by a big menu board with a small board showcasing the seasonal beverages. On the open walls they have pictures of all the different pitbulls that in and around the area. We soon found out that the owners have a pitbull as well.

The Drinks

They use coffee beans from Aeba so I was interested and had to get a beverage.

I ordered an Iced Latte for $5.90 and it was really refreshing and had really great flavour. I was quite shocked since I didn’t know how the beans would taste, and sometimes when it is a small roaster it tastes way different.

My daughter ordered the Strawberry Latte for $5.70 and to her surprise there was no coffee in it at all. She said it tastes like strawberry quick. It was very refreshing and had great strawberry flavour.

The Service

The girls working were friendly but very quiet, which was fine since we are still in COVID times and I didn’t expect them to be super chatty.

The Hours

Monday to Friday – 9:00am to 5:00pm

Weekends and Holidays – 9:00am to 6:00pm

Parking

Since they are located on Main Street there is only street parking and you have to pay for it.

Last Words

We might stop by again in the future if they have new and exciting beverages that we could try.

Before I begin this blog let me start by saying that we tried to visit this location on our last trip to Vancouver, but we got way to busy and was not able to. So I am so happy that this time we were able to. My daughter found this shop online and said we had to visit no matter what, she said that I would drop my jar when I seen something, and let me say my jaw definitely did drop.

The Interior

When you first walk in it is very much a showroom with a bunch of coffee merchandise that you can purchase to improve your home brewing bar. We headed to the right of the main wall and found some more amazing product… then I turned and I seen it. A wall of 30 or more grinders with each a different coffee that you can try before you buy. They work on a donation, so you can try up to three different kinds made either as a pour over or espresso. It was an amazing concept that we just had to try some. 

The Drinks

After looking at each and every coffee that they had available, twice, we decided to try three different ones that we have never had before. 

We tried a pour over from Harken Coffee, Smoking Gun Coffee Roasters and East Van Roasters. Each of them had such a different flavour and the characteristics were delicious.

I could have walked out of there with so much product and so many bags of coffee, but I held back and only got two when we left.

The Service

The young man that was working was very friendly and personable. He was very knowledgeable about all the coffee that they had on display and was able to help us narrow down our selections since we had originally picked six different coffees to try.

The Hours

Monday to Friday – 8:00am to 6:30pm

Saturday to Sunday – 9:00am to 5:30pm

Parking

There is a small lot out front of this store front which was really nice to see.

Last Words

I feel that we will be visiting again since I would like to see if they rotate their coffee and put in new ones that I have never heard of. I also would like to go back and see if they have any other product that I would like to purchase. 

While we were driving around Calgary we came across this new cafe located downtown by the Peace Bridge. They had just opened and when you enter it is like a grand entrance. We felt very under dressed because everyone had suits on and we walked in with our street wear. Overall it was all good, because they said it was all good, we accept all here.

The Interior

The interior is very grand, to say the least, the purple suede chairs and oversize tables with the beautiful drapes. You feel very royal walking into this cafe. They have a huge bar at the back of the shop when you walk in, then on either sides of the family style table (that was holding sellable goods now) there were a bunch of tables. It is very beautiful.

The Drinks

After reviewing the menu, I was very excited to see that they were serving Syphon Coffees here, so to my excitement I ordered one of them for $8. It was good, the only comment we made was that we wish they served it in a glass instead of a tin cup because the tin changes the flavour of the coffee.

My wife and daughter ordered an Anastasia Tea Latte for $3.80 each. It was very good, it had a great bergamot flavour. We said when we go back we would ask for it to be made without the addition of vanilla syrup.

The Food

While we were there we were looking over their food menu and decided that everything sounded so amazing we were going to order some food.

I ordered the House Made BLT Sandwich for $16. It was extremely delicious, it was very hardy and it had amazing flavour. They have a house made mustard aioli which really added something extra to the sandwich. 

My wife ordered the French Onion Soup for $11. It was delicious and it had the perfect amount of cheese on the top, meaning they didn’t over do it. The broth was rich and had amazing flavour, the onions were cooked perfectly. The only sad thing is my wife burnt her tongue, which she didn’t mind because it was so delicious.

My daughter ordered the Wild Mushroom and Truffle Butter Toast for $18. She said it was amazing with the mushroom medley that they used, and the peached eggs added such a creaminess to the toast. She only commented that she wished it was hotter. 

The Service

The staff were super friendly and were very open to what we had to say about the coffee which was really nice. They answered all of our questions and made us feel fancy for the short time we were there.

The Hours

Tuesday to Sunday – 9:30am to 5:30pm

Monday – Closed

Parking

There is only street parking located all around the cafe and unfortunately it is some of the more expensive in Calgary.

Last Words

We are planning on heading back there in the new year for some delicious beverages and beautiful and amazing food items. I cannot wait to see how they have grew their menu and emerge items. 

While driving home we stopped in Revelstoke to check out Main Street Cafe. It was a little busy when we were there but we managed to get a table really quick on the patio. It is in a historic house on main street in downtown Revelstoke.

The Interior

We didn’t really go inside, but my daughter said it was separated like a regular house. You could eat in the living room or the dining room, there were a bunch of tables throughout the area. She said it reminded her of Monki Bistro down in Inglewood, small space with lots of tables.

The Drinks

I ordered a latte for $4.25 and it was good. They use Farm and Forest coffee which we had never heard of before. It had really good flavour.

The Food

We were not overly hungry but we knew we had to eat something. So after looking over the menu we decided.

My wife and I shared the Eggs Any Style for $10 and we added bacon for $3. It was the perfect size for the two of us. The food was really good and not overly heavy as well.

My daughter ordered the Pancakes for $12 with a side of bacon for $3. It was so good, they made the perfect diner pancakes for sure.

The Service

Everyone was so nice and friendly which was great. They service was quick and the food was hot on arrival. Everything we seen coming out to the other tables it all looked so good. 

The Hours

Wednesday to Sunday – 8:00am to 2:00pm

Parking

There is only street parking all along the different streets surrounding the house.

Last Words

We will definitely be heading back to the Main Street Cafe for sure since there is so many more food items that we would like to try. I am looking forward to heading back there on our next trip to Vancouver for sure. 

On our last day in Salmon Arm I came across this new cafe that just opened called Anvil Coffee Collective. It is a relatively big cafe located in downtown Salmon Arm. Anvil is a family run company and managed by the sister duo Shelby and Destini. They are amazing. Everything in the cafe is made by their father which is super cool, all the furniture is so comfortable and very rustic.

The Interior

When you walk in there is a small table with merchandise on it, behind that there is the bar and kitchen along the right side. On the left side there is a bunch of tables that you can sit at. Like I said above all the tables are made by the sisters father, we sat at the table at the front of the cafe. This is where we met the sisters for the first time, they were so sweet and really knew what they were interested in and how they see their business being successful. 

The Drinks

After talking with the sisters we decided to get a couple drinks that they were making. 

I ordered a Pour Over made with Rooftop for $4.20 which was really good, it was made with an Ethiopian. It was so nice to have a pour over.

My wife and daughter ordered the London Fog for $5 each. It was made with the Jagasilk powder which was absolutely amazing. It wasn’t watered down or anything. It was excellent.

The Food

While we were there we decided to try a couple of their food items that are all made in house which was amazing.

My wife and I shared a White Chocolate Cranberry Scone for $4.50 and it was so good. I couldn’t believe how delicious it was, and in the end we had to get a couple more when we were leaving.

My daughter had a Yogurt Parfait for $4.25 which was amazing. The granola was homemade which made the yogurt really good.

The Service

The staff were super friendly and they were very busy and yet they never changed their customer service. Their were people coming and going consistently high was great. There was a nice patio out front, but it was a little chilly when we got there so we sat inside. 

The Hours

Monday to Friday – 8:00am to 4:00pm

Saturday – 9:00am to 4:00pm

Sunday – Closed

Parking

There is a small lot in front of the building, but there is a bunch of street parking on either side.

Last Words

This will be our go to cafe when we drive through Salmon Arm. We loved everything about the experience, the beverages, and the food. We have made sure to tell all our friends that drive through to go and visit these amazing sisters. If you go, make sure you say Extreme Coffee Freak sent you. 

This was a pub that my wife found when we were looking for a place to eat. The reviews sounded really great so we were excited to get to try this location. When we arrived it took 20 minutes to get a table, even then we sat at a side table before we could go and get an actual table. 

The Interior

When you walk in there is a bar along the right side with seats and then a couple tables, if you turn to the left there is a ton of tables for seating. It was really busy the night we went. We originally were sitting at the end near the bar and we were neglected for 20 minutes and then we moved to an actual table and we were helped within 5 minutes.

The Food

They had quiet an extensive menu so it was really hard to decide what we should order to eat. Once we decided we waited another five minutes before being helped.

I ordered the Halibut and Chips for $26 and it was delicious. The fish was cooked perfectly and the fries tasted fresh which was great.

My wife ordered the Barley Station Nachos for $21 which were loaded with a bunch of toppings. They also gave a ton of condiments with the nachos. There was a ton on the plate for sure.

My daughter ordered the Halibut Burger for $18 which she said was really good. She wished there was more pickled onions and more lime aioli on the burger though. Overall she said it was really good.

We also decided to try one of their signature drinks called a Haskap Soda for $5 and the Haskap Lemonade for $5. Unfortunately we just tasted soda and the lemonade there was really no Haskap flavouring that we could taste.

The Service

Like I said before it was really bad that they seated us and then we waited 20 minutes before someone came and took our drink order from us. Then after that we headed to a table and was seen in five minutes but still took a very long time overall at this pub. I know that they were busy but it still shouldn’t have taken that much time. We also noticed that a bunch of the food orders were bing 

The Hours

Monday to Friday – 8:00am to 5:30pm

Saturday – 9:00am to 4:00pm

Sunday – Closed

Parking

There is a small lot in front of the pub but when we went it was really full. We ended up having to park street beside the bar because of how busy it was. 

Last Words

We would head back there to see if they have improved on their customer service. The food was good so that is why we would head back there. If you are ever in Salmon Arm, I would head over here and try their food for sure.

We decided to take a trip out to Richmond to visit a roaster and we came across this cute little location called Fresh Press. They are located in a mall walk through area. If you didn’t know that this cafe was there you would never even know to look.

The Interior

It is a very small location, only 200-300 sq ft, in other words if you wanted to change your mind you would have to walk outside to turn around. They had a very big counter that takes up the majority of the cafe. They had a great menu with a bunch of different menu items. They have a little display cabinet with treats and a small shelf with Monogram and House of Funk coffee for sale. 

The Drinks

After looking over their menu and asking a couple different questions about a couple of the drinks we decided on a couple.

I ordered a Latte made with Monogram Lille Espresso, it was really good. It had really great flavour. I only made the comment that I drove 1000 km to get a coffee made with beans from a roaster in Calgary. It was kinda funny.

My wife and daughter ordered a London Fog, and his was really interesting. They use powdered London fog and it is mixed with all milk to make a creamy and delicious London fog. It was a very interesting way to make one for sure.

The Service

The owners were very friendly and very personable. They were so nice and answered any questions that we had. My daughter asked to see what they use to make their London fog, so that we could keep an eye to maybe buy some ourselves. 

The Hours

These are their COVID-19 Hours

Monday to Saturday – 9:00am to 5:00pm

Sunday – 9:00am to 4:45pm

Parking

Since they are located in a mall type area, there is a bunch of parking in the lot by the business. 

Last Words

We would probably visit again if we are ever in Richmond again since they made such delicious London Fogs. 

Every time we have come to Vancouver my daughter always said that we had to come to Cartem’s to get a couple donuts. This time we decided to head there. We went right when they opened and they didn’t have many donuts available, so we purchased a box of six and then said that we would come back when they had the donuts.

The Interior

Inside of this cafe there is a huge family style table with a couple tables surrounding it. Since it was during COVID times there was no seating inside. At the back of the cafe there is a bar with all the different donuts on showcase so you can see them. I can see why my daughter studied here when she went to school in Vancouver.

The Donuts

They had so many available it was really hard to choose only 6, so we decided to try two each. This box was $19.50 and so worth it.

I ordered the Salted Caramel Baked and the Citrus Glazed, they were both really good. The Citrus Glazed had a bunch of citrus which was really good. The Salted Caramel Baked was good, it had a nice glaze that made the donut really good.

My wife ordered the Earl Grey and London Fog, they were good. The Earl Grey was very delicious and beautiful with the flowers for decoration. The London Fog she found a little greasy, but the flavour was really good.

My daughter ordered the Matcha Shortbread and a Nanaimo, they were also delicious. The Matcha Shortbread was really good, it tasted like a shortbread cookie with a little matcha. The Nanaimo was really good and showcased the Nanaimo flavouring.

The Service

The staff were very friendly and helpful. It was great that they were able to let us pay and come back later to pick up. It really shows that they care about the customers coming into the store. 

The Hours

Wednesday to Thursday – 9:00am to 6:00pm*

Friday – 9:00am to 7:00pm*

Saturday – 9:30am – 7:00pm*

Sunday – 9:30am – 6:00pm*

*Or until sell out occurs.

Parking

There was only street parking around the shop, unfortunately it is very hard to find so sometimes you will have to park a block away and walk over.

Last Words

We would definitely go back and get a couple donuts again, but this time we would eat the same day. The ones that we saved for the next day went either greasy or seemed to loose some flavour. Other than that we would go back since there is so many more kinds to try.

On our way out of Squamish heading back to Vancouver we came across a little cafe and museum by the Brittana Mine. It was a small location but very busy. We just grabbed a couple drinks and then headed back to Vancouver. 

The Interior

You walk through the entrance of the museum to get to this cafe, on the walls there are a ton of images of all the famous people that had visited this cafe. There were a lot of them too. There were a couple tables with people sitting, but we had just grabbed our to go so that we could continue on our trip.

The Drinks

After looking over their menu and asking a couple different questions about a couple of the drinks we decided on a couple of cold beverages.

I ordered the Melon Lemonade which was really great. It had a subtle flavour of the melon, but the lemonade packed a punch for sure.

My wife ordered the Raspberry Lemonade which was awesome. She said it had the exact amount of raspberry to make it delicious.

My daughter ordered the Peach Lemonade which was good. She wished it had a little more peach flavour and less lemonade taste to it.

The Service

Since it was so busy, the staff seemed distracted and didn’t offer the best of service that we have had from other places. 

The Hours

Their hours change with the Seasons. Make sure you check their website at https://www.britanniaminemuseum.ca/pages/hours-tour-times for the up to date hours. 

Parking

There is a huge lot outside the mine that has a ton of spots.

Last Words

Next time we drive through we would probably stop and try a couple different drinks or even visit the mine itself.