Extreme Coffee Freak

On Saturday we decided to hit a couple places including Bite Eatery in Inglewood.

Their hot chocolate is called the Kris Kringler which features their salted caramel, brownie crumbles and house made vanilla whip cream.

Their presentation was very nice, but when we decided to try each individual aspect of their hot chocolate we found that the caramel was very sweet, the brownie was delicious and the whip was great as well.

There was a slight caramel flavouring throughout the hot chocolate which was very nice, and it was a lot better than what we expected.

If they would have put a ton of caramel on the hot chocolate, they would have ruined it. If you have a sweet tooth this would be a drink for you.

Today we decided to venture to the south and try a new coffee shop that we have never been to before, Cornerstone Music Cafe.

Their hot chocolate is called the Mexi-Cocoa Hot Chocolate which features Callebaut bittersweet chocolate, a blend of tummy-warming spices, and is topped with a homemade marshmallow. It’s gluten free.

We went right before they closed, which we tried to get there earlier but our timing could not allow it. When we got there the owner was cleaning up but she was more than willing to take her time on our hot chocolates and our latte.

The hot chocolate’s presentation was very simple and pretty, it was the hot chocolate with a homemade heart marshmallow on top. The flavouring was very good, if you like spice, it has a very warming feel. We found it very good, but with some of the sips we had, the spices were very strong. We found that the spices were in every sip and continued all the way to the bottom of the beverage.

Overall, this drink is not for everyone, but we enjoyed the very unique flavourings it had to offer.

We plan on heading back to try some of the other beverages and some of the food items.

To round out our day we visited Blush Lane Organic, we had never been there before and today since we were down in Bridgeland, we thought we would stop in.

Their hot chocolate is called the Pistachio Orange Blossom Bliss, it is

It was the prettiest hot chocolate we have seen in a while. Everything stuck to the whip and nothing fell off which was very nice. It was a really amazing presentation.

The pistachio chunks were a nice addition to the hot chocolate as well. The orange blossom in the hot chocolate was delicious. It had very similar flavours to Rosso.

Overall it was a great hot chocolate, we would suggest to eat off as much of the whip as you can before enjoying the hot chocolate since no one really likes chunks of pistachio in the drink.

I hope that you go and try this amazing hot chocolate.

After Bridgeland Market we stopped over at Luke’s Drug Market so I could pick up some more coffee since I am starting to run low.

We didn’t even know that Luke’s was in the YYC Hot Chocolate Fest since they were not even on the website. So when I seen that they had one, I just purchased a small and surprised my wife and daughter with it in the car.

Their hot chocolate was very chocolatey and very smooth and creamy. Unfortunately they did run out of whipped cream so it was missing something.

Overall it was a very basic and simple hot chocolate. Very good though.

To start Friday we headed to Bridgeland Market for their always interesting hot chocolate.

Theirs is called Be Still, My Beet(ing) Heart which is inspired from the best that Bridgeland Market has to offer. Fresh beets are combined with coconut milk, dark chocolate, vanilla, fennel seeds and cardamom to create a deliciously warm and aromatic hot chocolate overflowing with beet-pink froth and topped with a beet flavoured marshmallow heart and shards of beet chip.

It was a very interesting hot chocolate, it had a really nice presentation with the Beet chip on the top. As well as the hot chocolate being pink was super interesting. This hot chocolate had the most chocolate flavouring, more than any of the other ones we have had.

You could slightly taste the cardamon and it was delicious. It was a very nice and smooth hot chocolate. Of all the hot chocolates this was the most healthy.

Overall the drink was delicious and was the creamiest hot chocolate we have had. It was also the hottest (temperature) that we have had thus far.

After enjoying our beverage at Regal Cat Cafe, on the way back to the truck we decided to stop in at The Roasterie for their hot chocolate since we were right there.

Theirs is an orange infused Chocolate with a coconut mousse topping. Rich, full bodied flavour with hints of exotic. Smooth and satisfying finish.

It was a very interesting hot chocolate since you could really smell the orange but you couldn’t really taste the orange. The coconut mousse was delicious, but it made it very difficult to get to the drink below.

I had another latte, and let me tell you I was feeling the opposite of awake, the latte’s that I had tonight was actually making me tired. So weird.

Overall this was a good drink, we ended up mixing the mousse into the drink near the end and that is when we got the majority of the orange flavour. It also would have been nice if they used fresh orange rind, since I think the rind they used was old because it was a little bitter.

Last night we decided to head down to Kensington, after searching for a parking spot one finally became available. There is a few places in Kensington that we wanted to visit.

First we headed to Midtown, but after waiting at a table for 15 minutes we decided to leave, apparently they didn’t want our service. So whatever.

Then we headed across the street to Regal Cat Cafe to have their S’Meows Hot Chocolate. If you love cats, this is a place you have to visit. When we walked in, it was very busy since they have cats for you to play with. As we were ordering my daughter asked if she could sneak into the cat room to take a couple pictures, they let her. My daughter wished she would have stayed in longer.

Their S’Meows Hot Chocolate is there signature Ghirardelli hot chocolate blended with toasted marshmallow syrup and topped with a graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow paw. It was very cute.

The hot chocolate was the hottest temperature wise that we have ever had. While we were sitting there enjoying the hot chocolates we got to see all the cats in the room playing with the people that were in the room with them. The flavours of the hot chocolate were there but not as strong as we would have hoped. We wished we could have tasted the marshmallow syrup a little more, but other than that, it was a very good hot chocolate.

While we were sitting there my daughter was taking pictures of some of the cats that came up to the window and she got a couple really good ones, I thought I would add those in here.

 

Since we live in the Northwest we decided to check out Seasons of Bowness. We have never been there, always driven by, but this time we were stopping. The grounds are so beautiful when covered in snow, there was a lot of people there skating on the pond. It was great to see so many people out even though it was a little chilly.

Season’s of Bowness’ drink is the Quatro Leches Hot Chocolate, it is a twist on a traditional Mexican favourite. There is four milks, white choclate, toasted caramel topping with dolce de leech drizzle.

Now when we got to Seasons of Bowness all their signs said Tres Leches Hot Chocolate, and when we asked the barista what four milks are used, she said there was just three. We are also very certain that it should say topped with toasted coconut and caramel drizzle, because it didn’t taste like dulce de leche.

Overall the flavour was delicious, it was very sweet with the three milks and mixed with white chocolate. It makes it sweet and I don’t know if we would go back for another one.

We also found it very shocking that the traditional hot chocolate here was $6.75 so we are hoping that $2 is going to Meals on Wheels. As well we were curious about the Spirited one that Seasons was also providing, so I had my daughter call and inquire about it. We were shocked and could not believe that it is $12 so we really are hoping that $4 is going to Meals on Wheels.

Overall we were planning on heading back to try their spirited on, but after hearing how much it was going to be, we have no desire to go back and try it. I really hope that more than $2 is going towards Meals on Wheels.

When we found out that my son had a soccer game up in Edmonton, we decided to head up and watch. It was a great reason to watch and hit up a couple coffee shops in the process.

We stopped in Red Deer like we always do and we were heading to our go to shop, City Roasters, when we got there we found out that they couldn’t make anything with espresso. So I was out. My daughter tried to order a London Fog, and they said they couldn’t steam milk either, so everyone was out. We only got a bagel and a cheesecake square. Most disappointing stop ever. We ended up stopping at Starbucks to get caffeine since everywhere else was closed. So sad and disappointing.

As we pulled into Edmonton, we drive up to the University of Alberta campus and then went to find a local coffee shop. This is such an eclectic little coffee shop in the middle of nowhere. We were looking for a coffee shop close to the University of Alberta, since we were there for my son’s soccer game.

All the seating and tables in this shop is completely different. It was a very small cafe so everyone was pretty much sitting right next to each other. Overall the location was great.

We decided to order their London Fog, their White Hot Earl, and their Vanilla Latte. It was nice to get all the beverages in mugs, they were tin looking ceramic mugs. The flavour of the London Fog was delicious, the White Hot Earl was interesting, didn’t get chocolate flavour and near the end there was too much Earl Grey Tea flavouring. The Vanilla Latte was very smooth and delicious, definitely not too sweet.

My daughter wanted a Rice Krispie square so we got one. Upon the first bite she could tell something was strange about it. She handed me a piece and I too found it very strange. Instead of using vanilla they used peanut butter. I am so happy we didn’t offer my wife a piece or she would have been sick right then and there. She hates peanut butter.

Overall this place is very cute and interesting, I believe that we would visit them again. I would like to go back and buy some of the coffee there since they sell three different roasters that I haven’t seen before. Next time we are in Edmonton, I will be going there.