Every break is a coffee break: Calgary coffee news

Exciting times! Links to all mentioned below (well, most) are at my “places I like” page.

1. Caffe Artigiano is OPEN. Well, just about. A fellow chowhounder posted a portion of a press release delivered (to whom? not sure) yesterday from the corporate folk to the effect that Caffe Artigiano Downtown Calgary is now open for business! So I traipsed downtown (gorgeous day after a small but pretty dump of snow last night) for a macchiato and a lamb panino, and there was a sign on the door: water main break, open tomorrow.

Shit.

I might be able to stop in tomorrow after my afternoon class, but seeing as I am departing for a week in Vancouver Friday morn, I will probably have to wait until after the 23rd. And ironically I will be drinking plenty of Artigiano in Vancouver, but it’ll be nice (to put it too mildly) to have one here. I did get a little tour on Monday and espied a 4-group La Marzocco FB-80 and a Clover by-the-cup brew machine. Huge space, for a coffeehouse.

Caffe Artigiano is at 332 6th Ave SW on the 3rd St side. It’s open seven days, 6-6 M-W, 6-7 Th-F, 7-3 Sat, 8-3 Sun, 403-699-9855.

2. Java Jamboree’s new venture in the beltline, Kawa Espresso Bar (”Kawa,” pronounced “ka-va” and not to be confused with either Sushi Kawa or with kava-kava, is Polish for “coffee”) is coming along. Signs announcing its opening, likely some time in March, are plastered all over the windows as seen above. JJ/Kawa have started pulling 49th Parallel instead of Vivace, which is just fine for me, although this puts Calgary in the odd position of having three cafes selling 49th just a few blocks from one another (Artigiano, Bumpy’s and Kawa), but that’s not a bad problem to have. Besides, if every indie coffee place in Portland can use Stumptown, we can do with a handful that use 49th.

Kawa looks like it’s going to be a nice, bright, big space; it’s on the ground floor of the Dorchester Square office building, NW corner of 14 Ave and 8 St SW.

3. The only really new thing at Bumpy’s is their recent acquisition of an Elektra Kappa espresso machine and mmm mmm does Ben (among other baristi I’m sure but this guy has skills) know how to get the best out of it. He made me a world-class macchiato the other day (with 49th Epic), and really, it’s what ends up in the cup that matters.

I’ve been curious to see how the recent developments will pan out for Bumpy’s, especially the opening of Kawa a mere 3 blocks south, but I honestly hope and expect that the pie is only going to get bigger so that every new artisanal shop will be able to grab a piece of it. Bumpy’s didn’t go under when Phil and Sebastian opened; they still pack them in despite being downwind from two Starbucks on 8th; and when Beano transformed into a more or less quality shop, Bumpy’s still held on and (to my eyes) thrive. The pie just gets bigger as Calgary consumers demand more. Good for all of us.

4. I haven’t been to the Farmers’ Market for a couple of weeks but ran into barista Will from Phil and Sebastian and he informed me that P&S is scrapping Hines and fashioning a new, proprietary espresso from the artisans at Novo in Denver. I can’t wait to try this- I’ve only had good luck with Hines, but the idea of a true “Phil and Sebastian espresso” is too cool.

Phil (of P&S of course) recommended I check out Blue Bottle Coffee in SF, and I did, in fact I got to their new cafe three times in two days. It was superb, but I actually think our coffee scene in little ol’ redneck Calgary holds at least as much promise as SF’s does.

Exciting times.

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