March 14, 2008
CALGARY: Abandon Starbucks, all ye who enter here
Posted by are you gonna eat that? under Calgary, Eating / Food, Restaurants, Vancouver | Tags: coffee, latte art |
Over the past eight years, Caffè Artigiano has built a reputation and loyal following in Vancouver for its outstanding coffee and beautiful cappuccinos and lattes. Now, it’s taking Calgary — the first expansion outside of Vancouver where there are six locations — by storm.
Because I don’t work downtown, I’ve only visited Caffè Artigiano on the weekends. You know it’s not just hype when the place is filling on up at 10 a.m. on a Sunday, after being open for just over a month now.
This place takes their coffee seriously, armed with a Clover system that brews one cup at a time and a shiny red La Marzocco FB80 espresso machine. (I don’t really know what that means, but it’s pretty.)
I’m not a coffee expert, but I know I don’t like it cold, burnt, bland, or overpriced. Those definitely don’t happen at Artigiano; even better, they design patterns with the foam and espresso on every cappuccino and latte. I just know my tall lattes ($3.79) are always warm and yummy.
I was actually blown away by Artigiano’s sandwiches, toasted just so. I’m salivating just thinking about the roasted leg of lamb panino ($8.49) on sundried tomato bread, cilantro aioli and roasted red peppers. I’ve never seen lamb sliced thin like that. So very good.
We’ve also tried the chicken and brie panino ($8.49) on ciabatta with fig jam and spinach. I always like a hearty sandwich with real chunks of meat and not that processed sliced sandwich loaf stuff.
The chain was started by two brothers, one of them a three-time Canadian barista champion who still trains and coaches staff. They sold their business to a former Earl’s Restaurant executive last year but continue to own a roasting plant that supplies Artigiano with coffee beans.
Their 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters is the only Canadian company to successfully bid on Hacienda La Esmeralda Especial from Panama, which has been called “the world’s best coffee,” and roasts it exclusively for Artigiano. A half-pound bag sells for about $135; you can try a cup yourself for $15.
Caffè Artigiano, Centrium Building, 332-6th Ave. SW, Calgary, (403) 699-9855.
Open Mon. to Wed. 6 a.m.-6 p.m., Thurs. and Fri. 6 a.m.-7 p.m., weekends 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Website here.
March 14, 2008 at 5:30 pm
I am SO JEALOUS that you have a Caffe Artigiano in Calgary. PLEASE dear lord send one to Edmonton.
It is my absolute favourite cafe in Vancouver. The lattes are a work of art.
March 15, 2008 at 12:38 pm
I’m not much of a coffee drinker but DH is. I think he might really like that. I love hearty bread with personality. I’d be up for trying that!
March 15, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I was waiting for this post….. JM has reviewed it so far but alas! no pictures ofd the panino… thanks for that :)
March 23, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Zane Kelsall, the asst manager, former manager at Bumpy’s and a superb barista, has taught me to ask for an “Artigiano macchiato, single shot in an espresso cup.” Superb! Though not BETTER than the macchiato at Phil and Sebastian, it’s killer!
I had the chicken panino with veggies (not brie though it did have a light schmeer of ricotta or maybe boursin) and it was AMAZING btw.
June 8, 2008 at 10:31 am
I work downtown and can tell you Artigiano is packed every day. If you try getting in during coffee “rush hour” (9-10am or 2-3pm) you’ll be at the end of a line 10-20 deep and not an empty seat in the place. Take a look across the street at Starbucks, not as busy as I remember it. Only complaint I have is that they tend to push light roasts for their daily drip coffee - I prefer a darker roast. Wish they’d offer more choices. I’ve had more than a few coffee fanatic friends pay $2.30 for a drip coffee only to say “That tastes just like Tim Horton’s”