Baristas from Calgary (from Phil & Sebastian coffee roasters specifically) have won the Canadian barista championship the last two years, and the 2012 winner, Jeremy Ho, came in 9th at the world championships. We have coffee scene in Calgary that is outstanding, and here (cut and pasted from my blog) is my Calgary coffee list:
A Ladybug Cafe is at 2132 Aspen Stone Blvd sources beans from Fernwood in Victoria. Ladybug sells marvelous pastries, baked goodies and crepes.
Analog Coffee is the cafe arm of Calgary’s suberb Fratello Coffee Roasters and they have two locations currently; the first cafe is at the Calgary Farmers’ Market and the second, which opened in November 2012, is at 740 17th Ave SW. It’s been a roaring success and brings a tonne of energy to what was already a dynamic stretch of 17th. They use Fratello beans of course and always have the option of their excellent Godfather blend or a single-origin espresso. There is also a pourover station with five filters for brewed coffee and sandwiches from Sidewalk Citizen Bakery. 17th Ave cafe is also better than gorgeous.
Baya Rica Cafe is at 204 7A St in Bridgeland, an area that has recently exploded with quality coffeehouses. Baya Rica is a roaster that sources beans exclusively from estates in Costa Rica, and they also have a comfy little cafe with a La Marzocco GB5 and snacks.
Bumpy’s has really helped to raise the bar in Calgary since its opening in September, 2005. A lot of people know it more for its excellent food (and rightly so), but coffeegeeks flock here for fantastic espresso prepared with an Elektra Kappa, with beans from Vancouver’s JJ Bean (they were the first place to source them in Calgary). Baristas are among the best in town; superb latte art, and this was the first place in town that showcased single-origin espressos. A class act.
Caffe Artigiano opened its first Calgary location and its first outside the Vancouver area at 332 6th Ave SW in the Centrium building. Beautiful, bright space with the same delicious sandwiches and other food (try the yogurt parfait and the superb sandwiches) as at Vancouver locations. This one has a four-group La Marzocco FB 80 and Calgary’s second Clover, and is open, heavens be praised, seven days a week, currently Sat and Sun 8-5, as well as weekday hours 6-6 M-W and 6-7 Th-F. As of January 2010 a second location is at Shell Centre, three blocks north of Centrium; hours are M-F, 6:30a-5:30p. Closed weekends, but Centrium is open 7 days.
Caffe Beano: as atmosphere goes, Beano might be the single best coffeehouse in North America, with ample hours (6a-midnight, seven days currently), great seating inside and out and atmosphere to burn. It’s always busy here, and it’s ground central for artists and the artistic in Calgary. Its house espresso from Fratello is on the dark side, but hey, some people like dark, and it’s nice to get it from Beano, made with care on a two-group Slayer (the first cafe in the WORLD to have a Slayer), with fresh beans to boot.
Caffe Rosso has three locations, in Ramsay, at the Telus Convention Centre downtown and in the Arriva condo tower in Victoria Park. Rosso started its own roasting program in 2012 and is now one of the best in the city. They pull gorgeous shots on Synessos and have epic, well-priced sammies too.
Communitea is actually a 1.5 hour jog west in Canmore, but in addition to being a beautiful, calming space with killer pastries, they were the first place near Calgary to buy (and drink) Chicago's Intelligentsia beans one of my faves. They pull shots with a Synesso Cyncra, a beautiful, beautiful thing.
De Ville Luxury Coffee and Pastries is on the second floor of the Art Central building on the NW corner of 7th Avenue and Centre Street in the heart of downtown Calgary, kitty-corner from the Hyatt, and they have a second location on the 1st St SW side of Fashion Central, just off Stephen Ave. They pull shots with a Synesso and were the first in Calgary proper to source Intelligentsia (no more having to drive to Communitea for it!). DeVille makes beautiful sandwiches.
Fuel For Gold is a food kiosk in the Mac Hall (U of Calgary) food court. In addition to sandwiches made with house-roasted meats, delicious salads and lovely pastries, they pull what is absolutely the best espressos on campus, using Phil & Sebastian beans and a three-group La Marzocco FB-80. A real blessing for those of who work at the U of C and love good coffee.
Gravity Espresso and Wine Bar is at 909 10 St SE in the Inglewood Art Block building and its beans are Phil & Sebastian. Big, beautiful space, and the first third-waver in the lovely old neighbourhood of Inglewood.
Java Jamboree in in Cochrane, which is a pretty cute NW suburb of Calgary with a twee but mostly authentic western-y town centre. But JJ is in a hideous strip mall and gives no indication of the glory inside. JJ was the first coffeehouse in Alberta, and the second in Canada, to purchase a Synesso. Beans are from Phil & Sebastian and Victoria’s Bows and Arrows. Latte art photos cover the walls, and there’s lots of coffee kit available and some very good, creative nosh.
Kawa Espresso Bar is a Beltline neighbourhood (directly south of downtown Calgary) venture for the folks at Java Jamboree (JJ and Kawa now have different owners, but the relationship between them is friendly). At 8th St and 14 Ave SW, and it’s all shiny glitz and uptown jazz versus the homey character of JJ. The equipment is the same top-notch assortment, with a Synesso and a Clover, and a combo of Elysian and Intelligentsia beans. Kawa is open late, until 11PM most days and until “close” on weekends when there’s always live entertainment and, often, a lineup out the door. Kawa is licenced and has a MASSIVE selection of craft beers.
Luke’s Drug Mart is a fixture in the lower reaches of Bridgeland, northeast of downtown, and they’ve installed a marvelous new espresso bar boasting the first cafe in Calgary to serve Portland’s revered Stumptown coffees. The espresso machine is a to-die-for La Marzocco Mistral.
Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters are peerless roasters and have what are arguably the best baristas in Canada–in fact, P&S baristas placed first and second at the 2012 Canadian National Barista Championship and won again in 2013 and they’re the gold standard for coffee in this country. P&S has been roasting its own coffee since 2009. Their shops are in Marda Loop, in the new wing of Chinook Centre, and in Mission at 4 St and 22 Ave SW; they also have a popup bar that is at Holt Renfrew for the Christmas season and makes appearances on Stephen Ave in the summertime as well as at the Calgary Folk Music Festival.
Postino opened last summer in a new apartment building near the U of C, at 2520 Capitol Hill Crescent NW. It’s a sunny spot about a 10 minute walk from my office. One their LM Linea they make espressos with beans from Anchored Coffee from Halifax, an amazing roaster started by former Calgarian Zane Kelsall and it’s great to see his influence here. Postino is licenced and sells, among other goodies, beers from Calgary’s Village Brewery.
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