Excited about new coffee bar in Toronto
It seems that everyone I know is pretty into coffee. I’m not really big on it but I’m not here to talk about coffee. I’m talking about how cool it is to see people taking risks to do something they love. So, if you’re in Toronto, look up Sam James + coffee on Google. You’ll quickly learn the story of one of Toronto’s latest “celebrity baristas” (a concept that I bet would be totally lost on even the most discriminate Ottawa coffee drinker). Only three years after starting this career, he’s taking a brave leap and opening up his own shop in Toronto soon at 297 Harbord Street. What’s it called? Sam James Coffee Bar. Awesome. Bring yer own cup to save a quarter. Also awesome.
I took Sam’s photo in 2007 at the first Canadian Regional Barista Championship he entered, about six months after he started working as a barista. After sitting through most of the day-long contest, Sam was finally up I found that, even as a rookie, compared to his overconfident and/or underexperienced competitors, he had a sort of cool yet modest finesse to him. There was a lot of pressure but he kept it together and even cracked a few jokes during his “performance”.
Sam didn’t win the competition in 2007 but I hear he’s gone on to win a bunch more. Check him out on the internets.
Here’s Sam in 2007. As seen in the reflection, his Montréal Expos cap-wearing coach, Nick Brown, carefully watches his protégé get to work. A few more on Flickr.
Indian Express business card
Check out the design of a business card for an Ottawa shop. They were printed in India which is pretty far away even if the owner is from there. Each card is bit different since the stamp with the business info isn’t always perfect. To boot, the reverse features a handy 12-month calendar with a useful list of Hindu holidays. Obviously, major props are given to Shiva too. Kind of charming.
Anyway, if you’re in town and looking for an awesomely intense dessert, check out Indian Express for real. They sell sweets by the pound and don’t really taste like any same old same old cake or pie or cookie you might normally have. Tonnes of dairy-free options too. 1104 Somerset St. W near Wellington.
all day i dream about sneakers
HOW TO be creative.
Hugh MacLeod of gapingvoid.com wrote a list of ways to be creative that can be applied to nearly all “artforms”. It doesn’t pretend to have all the answers but it is a great list to start with and if you want more, he goes into detail further into the article.
PS: I found it on another Ottawa photographer’s blog.
Foods I made this week.
Spending a week on the west coast with eight friends from six different countries is pretty fun and I guess cooking makes for a good way to procrastinate when you don’t know you have an Internet connection. The kitchen in the boathouse we rented was equipped with some of the most easily broken glass and dishware but throw in some hella sharp Fiskars knives and some solid cutting boards and I was ready for action. Here are some things I made:
- Chocolate chip cookies of varying chewiness
- Chocolate pie with an improvised coconut & oatmeal crust
- Roasted roots
- Basil and green onion potato salad (oil dressing, not creamy)
- Red peppers and vegetarian mock duck in black bean sauce (big ups to the local AZN grocery)
Basil is your new best friend.
Now I am back in Århus with a sleeping bag that smells like beer and forced to use dull knives and the most pathetic cutting boards you’ll ever see.
Mislabelled Canadian Goods
This is what maple syrup looks like in Denmark. Pretty typical product design, right? The clear glass bottle lets you see how dark the syrup is and of course, the maple leaf on the label is a given. The confusion lies in the fact that this is apparently Ver(t)mont brand maple syrup, yet, is a product of Canada. The way I see it, I might as well start a company that sells Israeli oranges called Yukon Oranges. Sure, Vermont neighbours Québec, probably Canada’s largest producer (and consumer) of this delicious nectar but why not just call it what it is: Canadian Maple Syrup?
In any event, a can of Canada’s finest sirop d’érable was the only food item I brought with me from Canada. After corrupting my roommates with its delicious qualities, I am not running dangerously low and refuse to pay the exorbitant prices for this important wonder-juice.
Powered by WordPress with Hiperminimalist Theme design by Borja Fernandez.
RSS: Entries and comments feeds.
Valid XHTML and CSS.