Extreme Coffee Freak

While wandering along Main Street in Nelson we came across a place called Rel-ish and decided to have lunch. After reviewing the menu posted outside we decided this was the place. Plus there was a nice patio along the side of the building.

 

The Interior

We didn’t venture inside, but my daughter did take a couple photos. There were tables that lined the windows and the bar was located in the center as well as the kitchen. You would be able to watch your food be made.

The patio was two-tiered and it was located under a giant acorn tree. It was really cool because we were sitting there and an acorn dropped on our table. We then realized we would have to be ready because we may be hit with a small acorn.

 

The Food

I ordered the Boss Man Burger for $24.00 and it was hard to eat, but absolutely delicious. The patty fell apart which could be because there was two and a half patties on this burger. The bacon jam was amazing and the addition of the fresh veggies was delicious.

My wife ordered the Chicken Caesar Wrap for $15.00 and it was delicious. She opted for the crunchy chicken and she said that it was a nice contrast of the soft salad and crunchy chicken. The wrap had good flavour and it was very filling, she said that if they had a half wrap option that would be the best. The full wrap with the fresh fries was a lot of food.

My daughter ordered the Chicken Peanut Lime Udon for $16.00 and it was delicious. She said it was a little spicier than she thought, but that was really good. She said she would order with rice next time and that it had really good flavour. She also said that it was really filling and she could only eat half of the order.

 

The Service

The staff was very friendly and took our order quite quick. Unfortunately our food took a while to come to us, we thought it would have been quicker since it was not as busy as it could have been. Other than that it was a good experience.

 

The Hours

Summer Hours – June 1 to August 31

Sunday to Thursday – 8:00AM – 10:00PM

Friday to Saturday – 8:00AM – 11:00PM

 

Winter Hours – September 1 to May 31

Sunday to Thursday – 9:00AM – 9:00PM

Friday to Saturday – 9:00AM – 11:00PM

 

Parking

There was parking all along Main Street and along the side streets, just be cautious because the time limit is two hours. Also, the day we were there, the town had a street market going on so that played with the amount of parking as well.

 

Last Words

We would like to come back and try another meal on the menu, since they have so many option I think next time we are in Nelson we would definitely stop here again.

I first tried No. 6 coffee originally when I was at The Beltliner in Calgary. They had No.6 as their feature roaster for the month. I enjoyed the coffee so much I bought a few bags of it. So when we decided to head to Nelson, I knew we had to stop by and check them out.

Our first stop when we arrived in Nelson was No. 6 Coffee Co., when we walked into their location it smelt so delicious. There is nothing better than the smell of freshly roasted beans.

 

The Interior

When you walk in you first notice a very minimal vibe going on. White walls with murals and a splash of color in one corner. Very simple clean lines everywhere. The murals were done by Chelsea Freyta, an artist that has some serious skill.

They have a couple shelves of product for sale just on the left side when you enter, on the right side there is a small seating area with the bar. They are a stay and enjoy your beverage kind of place, they don’t have any to-go cups in their shop. At the back to the left there is a bunch of un-roasted beans with their roasting machine and their packaging area to the right.

 

Their Story

Denis told us that they were celebrating their second year in this location and before that they roasted in an apartment. Currently they roast two days a week and then they do a cupping on the second day. They really do this because they love what they do and it all started by roasting using a popcorn machine and working their way up to the roaster that they now use.

 

The Drinks

I ordered an Ethiopian Pour Over for $3.25 and it was absolutely delicious. As we were talking with Denis, we had the opportunity to sample their Cold Brew and it was so deliciously smooth. It looks like it is Nitro-infused but it is not. It was extremely refreshing.

Nor my daughter or I have ever been a fan of Cold Brew and this was so good that we both could have drank a whole glass.

 

I did buy some beans to take home with me. I bought the following:

Backcountry Espresso (Brazil • Colombia • Ethiopia natural • India)

The espresso proved a bit on the darker side, with flavors of cloves, and honey, though I’m not one who has much love for darker roasts, this espresso actually grew on me and proved overall delicious.

 

Nouveau Espresso (Brazil • Sumatra • Ethiopia natural • Honduras)

This espresso proved to be on the sweeter side of things. I found this one a lot creamier than the Backcountry espresso. The tastes were more subtle in this one. More chocolate tones with a hint of vanilla.

 

They only roast the highest quality coffee sourced from family run farms and independent co-ops. Paying above and beyond Fair Trade minimums.

 

The Service

When we arrived Denis was roasting and answered our questions between doing things. It was so nice being able to hear their store of where they started to where they are now and where they want to be in the future. As we were talking we noticed that a bunch of people would come in and enjoy a beverage and then leave, but as they were leaving more would come in, it was nice and steady.

 

The Hours

Monday to Wednesday – 9:00AM – 2:00PM

Thursday to Saturday – 9:00AM – 3:00PM

Sunday – Closed

 

Parking

There are a limited amount of spots in their little parking lot. If you are driving a big truck like I do, it was very tight. So maybe park down the street.

 

Last Words

I am thankful that we were able to sit and take some time and talk to Denis and his guys about their story and be able to try their coffee right from the source. They are truly an amazing company and if you have the chance to try their coffee, do it, you won’t regret it.

We stopped in Cranbrook at Hot Shots Cafe to grab a beverage before continuing our trip to Nelson. When we tried to find this place we had some issues because it is not off a main road, it is actually off of an alley way.

 

The Interior

The patio outside is huge and had so many tables everywhere and when we headed inside it was just as big. We also noticed that they have a drive thru attached to this location as well. It was very busy and almost all the tables inside were full.

The counter starts at the door where they have grab and go items and then they have a bar where you can order your drinks or food off the menu.

 

The Drinks

I ordered a Caramel Macchiato for $6.00 and it was made using Kootenay Coffee Roasters. It was actually quite tasty considering they add vanilla syrup to it as well.

My wife ordered a Berry Cloud Smoothie for $5.50 and it was good. It is one of the smoothest smoothies ever and you could taste the strawberry and raspberries throughout the entire drink.

My daughter ordered a Strawberry Storm Smoothie for $4.75 and it was good. There was such a wonderful strawberry flavour.

We were very happy to see that they were using paper straws for their beverages. Every little bit helps.

 

The Service

We only interacted with the cashier and she was friendly. I really feel like they are a grab and go kind of place.

 

The Hours

Monday to Wednesday – 7:00AM – 9:00PM

Thursday and Friday – 7:00AM – 10:00PM

Saturday – 7:00AM – 9:00PM

Sunday – 8:00AM – 5:00PM

The Coffee bar is open every day 1/2 hour past closing time above.

 

Parking

There is a parking lot with quite a few spots available, but when we were there it was quite full.

 

Last Words

Next time we would love to be able to try some of the food that they have and try another one of their beverages.

Before heading on to Nelson we decided to stop and get some breakfast at Big Bang Bagels. The have been feeding hungry people for 10 years now. They have so many kinds of bagels available in both white and whole wheat.

 

The Interior

There is eight tables inside and a small patio with four tables outside. They have a bunch of artwork on the walls which was really cool.

On the left side there is a bar with all your coffee essentials and then the counter where you order and along the back is where they make all the bagels.

 

The Drinks

I ordered a Latte for $4.29 and was made with Cuppers Coffee from Lethbridge. It was good and went really well with my bagel.

We noticed that you cannot grab and go the drinks unless you have a to-go mug. Don’t fret, they have a Rent a Mug program were you rent a mug for $8 and when you return the mug you get back $7.25. We thought that was such a cool program to have.

The Food

We got there when they just opened so everything was very, very fresh and when I say fresh, everything is made in house fresh every day.

Both my wife and I ordered a plain multigrain bagel with Strawberry Cream Cheese for $3.90. The bagel is very light yet filling and the strawberry cream cheese was smooth and creamy with real chunks of strawberries. The bagel was still warm from coming out of the oven.

My daughter ordered a Big Banger with bacon on a whole wheat multigrain for $7.30. It was delicious with lots bacon.

 

They also have this bagel challenge called Da Bomb.

It is one pound of dough, it’s the equivalent of 4, yes FOUR Mr. Fernie’s with Ham and Bacon, Da Bomb is an eating challenge like no other, is what they say. There were some pictures on the wall showing the current record holder. It is insane how big this thing is. Maybe next time. I don’t think so.

 

The Service

Since we got there right when they opened everyone was really nice and friendly. Maybe not quite wide awake but super pleasant to deal with.

The Hours

Monday to Sunday – 7:00AM – 5:00PM

 

Parking

Since it is on Main Street there is a bunch of parking on either side of the road. Since we got there when they opened the streets were bare so we had no problem finding parking.

 

Last Words

We really enjoyed these bagels so much that we have decided on our way back we are going to stop here and buy some bagels to take home with us. Definitely stop here and have an amazing bagel or even try and take on the Da Bomb Bagel Challenge. I dare you!

If you are wanting to try some new ice cream flavours and up for a three hour drive to Fernie, make sure you head over to Happy Cow. They are located on the main street just before you leave Fernie to head to Nelson. This place had some really amazing flavours that I cannot wait to head back and try in the future.

 

The Interior

When you first walk in to the left is their little delivery cart that I would guess they use in the summer. To the right is a freezer with pints for purchase, they have roughly five scoops per pint and they are $9.25. They also offer bigger pints as well, the litre is $16.40 and the two litre is $30.

Behind the counter they have reusable bags for purchase as well as stickers and buttons if you want to show your Happy Cow pride.

The only thing is they need more seating as it is very limited.

 

The Ice Cream

They had so many choices to choose from, it was very hard to decide. They also have ice cream sandwiches, homemade waffle cones, sorbet, and ice cream cakes. All ingredients are sourced locally. Very cool.

I ordered two scoops, one of Disco Dan (lemon ice cream with Nanga Blueberry and Raspberry Ripples) and a scoop of Cowboy Coffee (Rooftop Coffee Roasters infused ice cream). The two flavours were delicious, just don’t mix the flavours together (it got a little weird tasting), and I was so pleased that I got to try these two amazing flavours.

My daughter ordered a scoop of Honeycomb (made with Fernie honey and homemade sponge toffee) in a waffle cone. It was absolutely amazing, the flavour of the honey was so good, it was the right amount of sweetness. The honeycomb sponge toffee was so good that my daughter had to buy some for the trip to take home.

 

The Service

The woman working the night we visited was very nice and friendly. She answered all our questions about each of the flavours. We asked to sample a couple and she didn’t even hesitate to let us sample as many as we wanted. My daughter said she could have sampled all of them and had a scoop of each they were all so good.

 

The Hours

Monday to Thursday – 12:00PM – 9:00PM

Friday to Sunday – 11:00PM – 9:00PM

 

Parking

There is a small lot in front of the ice cream shop that has some spots where you can park.

 

Last Words

I would definitely make a three hour drive to go and get more ice cream from this local independent ice cream shop.

We enjoyed the ice cream so much that on our way back through we stopped again for more.

Plus I just love the name, Happy Cow! It also makes me a Happy Coffee Freak!

We made it to Fernie and after walking around for a little bit I decided it was time for a beverage so we decided to stop at Valley Social. So on a recommendation from Sarah at Rooftop Coffee Roasters we stop in. What a great suggestion it was. Thanks Sarah.

 

The Interior

There was a lot of seating throughout the location as well as a couple tables out front on their patio. There was a canoe hanging on the roof and the walls were covered in wood, very outdoorsy looking place.

There was some shelving on the walls selling a selection of beans from Rooftop Coffee Roasters (local Fernie coffee roaster) as well as Saint Henri coffee for sale.

The Drinks

I ordered a Latte for $4.29 and it was made with Rooftop Coffee Roasters. It was absolutely delicious. It was made with their Infiltration Blend. It was a full bodied, strong latte. It had a deep chocolatey taste.

On a side note I was happy to see that this shop supports multiple roasters.

My wife ordered a Fernie Brewing Beer for $4.30 and it was the Pils, Project 9 beer. She said it was good, but wished it was colder or in a frosted glass.

My daughter ordered a Stoke (Phoenix) Cold Juice for $7.50 and it was delicious. She said it is just like the Charcoal Lemonade she has had in the past, only better.

The Service

The young lady working there was very friendly and very helpful. Very pleasant to talk with.

We did notice that they were not open too late and wondered if it was because the town shuts down after a certain time. But after being in Fernie for the night. We did see that the sidewalks roll up pretty earlier and downtown turns into a ghost town. Lots more happening on the main highway.

The Hours

Monday to Friday – 7:00AM – 5:00PM

Saturday to Sunday – 8:00AM – 5:00PM

 

Parking

There was only street parking available all along Main Street and it was all free.

 

Last Words

When we eventually head back to Fernie we will be stopping in at The Valley Social Company again to see which new roasters they have available.

For dinner we decided to try this really cool location called The Brick House Bar and Grill, it was located on a corner in downtown Fernie, and it was an old brick building that was gorgeous. It is located in the old Imperial Bank of 1909 which was really amazing.

 

The Interior

Each wall is either wood or exposed brick which is very beautiful and there is roughly ten tables with a bar top around the bar. The kitchen is open so you can watch them make your food as you wait. It was also very busy when we arrived and stayed busy while we enjoyed our food.

 

The Food

I ordered the Brie Burger for $19.00 and it was really good. The beef was well seasoned and the brie was perfectly melted. The burger was very light tasting. The Brie burger obviously has brie cheese on it, it also had thick cut maple glazed bacon, arugula and a house made chipotle aioli. My meal was outstanding.

My wife ordered the Buck Naked Burger for $16.00 and it was delicious. The burger was perfect, the bun to beef ratio was correct. This burger had similar items on it minus the bacon.

My daughter ordered the Matty’s Crunchy Chicken for $18.00 and it was delicious, the chicken was perfectly cooked. It too came with similar items on it as well.

On a side note the fries were fresh cut and were absolutely amazing. Next time we said we would order just fries because they were so delicious. I really love to see restaurants serving fresh cut fries. Frozen fries should be banned.

 

The Service

The staff were very friendly and they were playing really good music. We asked how long they were in this location and they said 12 years, it was amazing. Best was to describe this restaurant is old feel, new twist.

 

The Hours 

Monday to Sunday – 11:30-AM – Till Close

 

Parking

There was a bunch of street parking all along the street.

 

Last Words

Overall, I give this place a 10 out of 10. Excellent food, excellent environment, and excellent service. If we are back in Fernie we would definitely eat here again.

After we had posted on Instagram that we visited The Brick House, a colleague of my daughters said he helped design this restaurant. It was really cool to see something he had worked on.

Stop by and check this place out, you won’t be disappointed.

Having not set foot in Victoria, BC for quite some time now, it puts a smile on my face to see good things progressing with their coffee scene. There are some new coffeehouses popping up and when I do finally make it out there, my list will be huge of places to check out.

Then there is the Victoria coffee roasters that just keep on kicking out great coffee beans. One such roaster that is doing really great things is Eleven Speed Coffee Roasters.

I got the coffee in the mail a while ago and have now had some time to sit down and finally write my review. I had been talking with a friend who is a local roaster about Eleven Speed and we both had heard great things of this coffee before even cracking into the bags.

Taking it to task, I sampled the coffee via pour over, drip and as an espresso based drink.

 

The Beans

Podium – Espresso Roast

Our signature espresso roast – A pleasing blend of washed and natural Central & Southern American beans with a hit of Central African

Tasting Notes: Chocolate, caramel and hazelnut

This is Eleven Speed’s signature espresso roast and I can see why. I pulled the shot a bit short with a nice brown crema, this espresso blended is so nice with the milk. It had some nice chocolatey flavors with a little bit of nut flavor in there. The flavors were infused nicely in this blend.

 

Guatemala – Erick Pineda

Our first release of a special purchase from the small community of Mataquescuintla in Gautemala

Tasting notes: Brown sugar, tangerine, spice

The pourover produced a coffee that was quite sweet with bright notes of citrus, proving clean, sweet and delicious. This coffee when it cooled down produced some nice flavors as well. The coffee had a terrific aroma and not just that the smell of coffee which is terrific all the time, this one you could smell the sweetness in it. So good

I brought this coffee to work and made it as a drip. Our staff loved this one. So much so I had to make more the same day.

Out of all of these coffees, this was my favorite.

Ethiopia – Guji / Uraga

Not much needs to be said here – this is one fine roast!

Tasting Notes: Lemon, Jasmine tea, sage

The pour-over produced some lighter flavor notes. This coffee came across as a more earthy coffee. I also tried this one up in an espresso drink, it blended well with the steamed milk and made for a very well balanced drink. The espresso gave the drink a nice kick.

The next day we tried this same blend as a drip. Again, what I did on this day was have a few of our coffee connoisseurs at work give it a go. We found this coffee sweeter than the other. But overall the Guatemalan was a bigger hit at work.

 

Overall, I really enjoyed the beans that Eleven Speed Coffee Roasters sent to me. I literally went through these super quick. They did and do some excellent work bringing out all the flavors in these beans. Check out their website to order a bag or if you happen to be in Victoria BC, swing by and pick some up. Also, check them out on Instagram.

note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.

On our way to Nelson we decided to take our time and visit a couple coffee shops along the way. Our first stop was in Blairmore at a cute little cafe called Stone’s Throw Cafe. This cafe is located on Main Street. This place has been around since 2003, the place we visited was their second location, and they have been here since 2006.

 

The Interior

The place is rather deceiving, when you stand outside, the café doesn’t look to large, but when you walk in, it is actually quite big inside. When you walk up to the café a old screen door welcomes you. Everything inside is eclectic, nothing matches, and there was quite a few people there when we arrived. There was roughly ten tables and we decided to sit at the front in the window so we could see everything.

 

The Drinks

I ordered a Latte for $4.15 and it was made using Crowsnest Coffee Company which is local roaster. The coffee they were serving when we were there was the Pic’s Bootleg Beans. It is a blend of Indonesian and Central American beans It was more of a chocolatey tasting coffee but yet very subtle and quite tasty.

My wife ordered a Berry Smoothie for $4.80 and it was delicious, you could really taste each of the berries they used in the smoothie.

My daughter ordered a London Fog for $4.15 and it was good. Only sad thing is that they use Twinnings tea, she said she wished that used a better quality of tea.

 

The Food

I ordered the Turkey Sandwich with hash browns for $10.20 and it was so good. The hash browns were more like potato pancakes which was such a nice addition. The sandwich was also made on fresh bread which was so good.

My wife and daughter both ordered the Eggs Benny for $9.55 and it was delicious. They put the eggs and hollandaise on waffles which was so good. The hollandaise was more like an egg salad base and had similar flavour an egg salad.

 

The Service

The owner was very friendly and the other people working there were very nice. The food came really quick and was hot. We also got some snacks before leaving that were really delicious as well. Everything is made in house which is always amazing.

 

The Hours

Monday to Friday: 8:00am – 4:00pm

Saturday: 8:00am – 5:00pm

Sunday: 10:00am – 4:00pm

 

Parking

There was only street parking available out front and on the other side of the street.

 

Last Words

If we are heading back through the Crowsnest Pass, we would definitely stop there again and get some food because this place was amazing.