• Espresso: Freshly ground 100% Arabica beans in their purest, sweetest, most intense form.
• Americano: A coffee made with espresso and hot water. For the coffee lover with a stronger taste palette.
• Latte: Freshly ground espresso, frothed up steamed milk, with a thick layer of foam on top.
• Cappuccino: Made with freshly ground espresso, cappuccinos are equal parts steamed milk and thick foam providing a stronger espresso flavor than a latte.
• Mocha : Steamed 2% or skim milk mixed with rich espresso, chocolate syrup, real whipped cream and chocolate powder on top.
• Deluxe Hot Chocolate: Freshly steamed milk and velvety chocolate syrup topped off with real whipped cream and chocolate powder.

Cafe Firenze (920 Beatty Street) opened earlier this month at the edge of Yaletown at Beatty x Smithe Street. Although the name indicates a cafe, a more accurate description would actually be a small restaurant with cafe-style seating. The front of Cafe Firenze displays a freezer full of italian gelatos with 10 flavours to select from.  Adjacent to that is a display of cake slices, baked goods and other pastries.  Then there’s a cafe menu with coffee teas and lattes.  But the jewel of Cafe Firenze is its fresh made pastas and paninnis.

I was fortunate enough to meet Silvio, the Italian owner of the cafe, who welcomed me into his Cafe and ushered me behind the counter like I was a house-guest, rather than a restaurant patron. I ordered a penne with meat rosé sauce.  Silvio assures me that his pasta is authentic, Italian pasta, made with the renowned Barilla Pasta , the #1 pasta brand in Italy.  The tomatoes are also fresh cut.  The high-quality pasta and fresh vegetables are then cooked in Olio D’Oro extra virgin oil.  The rosé sauce was lighter than I expected but the slightly watery texture (likely from the tomatoes) gave the pasta dish a feeling of fresh, healthiness rather than heavy, hearty and oily.

Pasta dishes range from $10 to $15. In addition to pastas and paninnis, coming soon to Cafe Firenze will be fresh-baked pizzas.  Stay tuned…

By Joanna Lee, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

Revolver Coffee (325 Cambie Street) is a family-owned and operated coffee shop that opened in Gastown on September 1st.  However, it is not just another cafe venue in the neighbourhood.  Revolver is entirely coffee-centred and uses a rotating selection of coffee roasters to allow for more flexibility, giving customers a variety to choose from.

The coffees are all made to order and when I went on opening day, the dark roast brew ($3.50) was prepared in two and a half minutes.  I was told that the coffees are all specifically prepared depending on the type of beans and roast the customer chooses.  The water temperature and the ratio of coffee to water are some aspects that brings out the different flavours and tastes of the coffees.  There are three to six beans that customers can choose from as well as several brewing methods.

Their location on Cambie Street is across from Meat & Bread and its interior design was also done by the same man responsible for Meat & Bread and L’Abbattoir.  Raw and refurbished materials were used and the design itself is a mix between an apothecary and science lab.  Revolver’s shelves are stacked with coffee from San Francisco’s Ritual, Portland’s Kova Coffee, and Calgary’s Phil + Sebastian, all very aesthetically-pleasing.

Revolver is run by the Gianniakos family who owns Crema in West Vancouver.  It is run by the four brothers of the family, who are all highly coffee-oriented.  Revolver is open daily from 7:30am.

*photos from @Revolver_Coffee

By Joanna Lee, Modern Mix Vancouver Writer

Trafiq Cafe (4216 Main Street) is a small coffee shop/bakery located on Main Street, a neighbourhood which has seen revitalization over the past few years and one that is home to many independent coffee shops. I first noticed Trafiq in early April, when signs of construction began and signage appeared on its brown paper-covered windows. Its Main Street location is the second of two, with the first being in West Vancouver. The cafe seems to have already established itself among the locals and fits right into the hipster-scene area. With a few tables outside and some sidewalk seating, the cafe drew in a steady stream of people of all ages on a pleasant Sunday afternoon.

On the food menu is an assortment of baked goods, pastries, and sandwiches and a small lunch menu, while on the beverage list is coffee, beer and wine – something quite different from most of its cohorts in the area as one of the few licensed coffee bars on Main Street. I was told by one of the counter staff that Trafiq’s coffee is supplied by a local Vancouver roaster, Urban Roast (However, research on the said company returned no hits on Google). That said, the coffee is delicious and the cafe definitely worth a visit!

Newly launched, the Pixie is the smallest machine ever created by Nespresso. The official dimensions are 11.1 x 32.6 x 23.5 cm. The Pixie enables its users to minimize time, clutter and energy consumption while still creating the perfect single cup of coffee.  This mini machine would be perfect to use in an apartment!  Word of warning – this little machine makes a big noise – perhaps not the ideal disturbance of an early morning’s peace and quiet.

16 sleek and colorful capsules are included with the machine in various aromas and strengths (including 3 decaf).  You can learn more about them here.  If you’re an espresso lover, great.  If not, just add milk afterwards to turn your drink into a latte.  In Vancouver, The Nespresso Pixie can be purchased at The Bay Nespress Boutique (674 Granville Street) and Williams Somana (2903 Granville Street).  Suggested retail price is $269.

It’s no secret that Canadians love their coffee! A recent survey conducted by Ipsos-Reid on behalf of McDonald’s Canada revealed that 9 out of 10 Canadians drink at least one cup of coffee a day, with most drinking on average 3 cups a day.  This is the second week of free coffee from Mcdonald’s – from now until November 28, 2010, customers will be able to enjoy a free cup of McDonald’s Premium Roast Coffee at absolutely no charge – any time of day – with no purchase necessary.