Fine coffee expresses its own personality
It's Friday afternoon at Museo Café, located inside Saskatoon's Mendel Art Gallery. Nearly every table is full and the chatter of 15 different conversations is punctuated by the hiss of steamed milk from a handmade Italian espresso machine.
I'm here at peak afternoon coffee time, 2: 30 p.m. I've seen the lines at the downtown Starbucks and Tim Horton's snake on to the sidewalk at this time of day. But for some reason I didn't expect Museo to be so popular. It's a little out of the way for downtown types. The only residential neighbourhood nearby is City Park. But the café is booming.
There's a coffee evolution taking place on the prairies. Gone are the days when a 50 cent cup of black coffee from the local diner would suffice. People's tastes are becoming more refined. They want a barista who knows how to expertly coax a perfect shot of espresso out of a machine that looks closer to a piece of art than a kitchen appliance.
According to Jimmy Oneschuk, manager at Museo, coffee evolution comes from our expanding foodie knowledge. In both Saskatoon and Regina, people are appreciating the finer things in life. We're also ready to pay a premium for these things. From artisanal bread and oils, to fine wine and chocolates, our tastes are expanding. So it is with coffee.
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Vital Tea Leaf, 509, 905 and 1044 Grant Ave., San Francisco; http://www.vitaltealeaf.net At the red brick-walled Stumptown Annex, prepare for earnest cuppings at noon and 2 pm every day. Following the same steps that coffee growers, roasters and
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