Tesoro

I went to Tesoro yesterday to try out their coffee. It's a cute little restaurant in Oliver Square. They serve pizzas and salads as well as all forms of coffee. I got the feeling like they were trying to make you feel like you might actually be in Italy while you were here.

I liked that the cappuccino came in a unique cup. Most of the cups I have had are white but this one had these crazy markings all over it. Felt like a party before I even started.

But here's where I get confused. This cappuccino was bitter again and had little to no foam. The impression I am getting from some anonymous people who have posted strange comments on this blog is that this is a true cappuccino. But the Italian center, a place run by Italians, has this amazingly smooth cappuccino with pillowy foam. I dare someone to argue with the Italian lady behind the counter who precisely made me that ridiculously amazing drink.

So I don't get it. But to be honest it doesn't matter to me. I am going for the cappuccino that tastes best to me but also has all the perks that I like too. And so I feel confident saying that this one was not the best. It was fine, I had to add sugar, and it looked like a really great place to hang out (the $10 pasta looked phenomenal)... but I still love the Italian center.

L'Espresso

So a good friend of mine found this forum of people talking about Edmonton lattes and cappuccinos. I actually have no idea anything about cappuccinos other than what I like about them - which is turning out to be a small cup, good foam, smooth coffee, funky atmosphere and hopefully a friend with me. But this is what one person named John said which helped me on the technical front:

"Making a "hooded" cappo with non overstretched milk (like the garbage at Starbucks) is just as tough as good latte art. The fellow at Transcend who won the 2008 prairies barista comp (Chad) prides himself on making a trad cappo- but you will not get a big airy pillow of foam because that is overstretched and wrong. It would be like asking a baker to burn a baguette for you."

I like to give most drinks a fair shot. I haven't liked them all, but for the most part, not many have been unbearable (save you Second Cup). These cappuccinos were so strange. Neither of us could really taste the coffee because of the copious amount of foam. I wonder what dear Chad, Barista of the Year, and John, defender of cappuccinos and my new but never met friend, would say. Something well worded I suppose and something about burning bread. Regardless, I think it is safe to say that this was one large cup some seriously overstretched milk.

Beuno Gelato

I don't have much to say about this cappuccino. I didn't really like it at all. It made little to no impression on me. I found it kinda bland actually. It surprised me because it came from this little Italian shop, but it also didn't surprise me because they have the best gelato in Edmonton. I personally don't think they need to excel at two things. So, keeping this review short, don't go there for cappuccinos, but don't go anywhere else for gelato.

The Manor

After a beautiful but freezing cross country ski, my friend and I decided we needed a cappuccino. We popped over to The Manor, ski boots and messy hair and all, to warm up. This restaurant is one of my favorites in Edmonton. I love that it is in an old house and I love the food. Even though we looked slightly out of place we still ordered yummy desserts and warm drinks. I kinda think this is how you survive Edmonton. Outdoor activity followed by good food.

Sadly, I did not love this cappuccino. I have better photos of it but I am going to use this one to show you how the foam all but disappeared on its own. It sat for about 2 minutes while I was showing my friend all of my 'must have' apps on my iPhone and by the time I went to photograph it, the foam was half gone! I could almost hear the foam popping away, like when you have a bubble bath with your kids cheap Barbie Bubble Bath and within the first 5 minutes the bubbles have pretty much melted away. That is how this foam looked. Within three sips, the foam was gone.

So I won't be going out of my way to go there for a cappuccino, but I kinda feel like, Who cares? because I will forever go there for the poached pear salad. It's phenomenal.

Sugarbowl

I decided to keep with the restaurant theme by going to the Sugarbowl. I've eaten there many times before but never had a cappuccino. To be honest, I really like the Sugarbowl. I like the atmosphere, I like the art on the walls (I found an amazing painting that I would've bought if it wasn't $1300) and I like the crowd it attracts. And I also really like the food. So I already knew that I was going to go back there even if I didn't like the cappuccino. Lucky for you, Sugarbowl. Lucky. For. You.

The cappuccino was just fine. No bells, no whistles. Just fine. I added sugar because it was more bitter than I like, but it was perfectly non-threatening. It didn't make a huge impression, but it didn't offend me either.

If all of these cappuccinos were people, I would think that this one would be that girl at a party that isn't making a scene but when you leave you remember having this totally decent chat with this lovely girl but you can't seem to remember her name. You would've tried to kiss the Italian Center and you would have almost got into a fight with the Mandolin Bookstore, but this one, you just walked away thinking, Man, she is really nice ... whatever her name was.

dacapo

First off let me just say that I am really enjoying this self-appointed adventure. I enjoy finding all these little places, I enjoy ordering a cappuccino (it makes me feel grown up for some odd reason) and I enjoy thinking if I like them or not. I think I kinda like the power. So on this cold, but wonderfully sunny day, I took my quest to d capo.

Editors note: the website for this coffee shop says dacapo, but all the cups say d capo so I am not sure exactly what to call it.

Onto the cappuccino. The foam was great. I am even going to use the word 'silky'. I know, bold word right? I didn't love the coffee like I was thinking I might (I had to use half a packet of the raw sugar) but with sugar it was still quite enjoyable. I really like that they are small too. This was a perfect size. I just wish the size was reflected in the price. Who would've thought 20 years ago that paying $3.50 for 1/2 cup of milk and an ounce of coffee would be legit?

Again, the biggest hit against this place was the parking. It has nothing to do with the cappuccino, only that it would prevent me from picking this place on a Saturday morning.

But overall and simply put, dcapo was dlightful.

Editors second note: I just realized the red a on the cup meaning the d goes with the a and then the c-po goes with that same a. So it is dacapo afterall.

Block 1912

Today's adventure took me all the way down Whyte Ave to Block 1912. I have to be honest, though, and admit that I have a chip on my shoulder about this place from an experience a few years back. I had gone there for chai lattes with a few friends and their kids. We were a bigger group and there were small children I realize. But it was bizarre how rudely they treated us. It was obvious they wanted us to leave. We were so annoyed and so frustrated. I left with such a bitter taste in my mouth. And seeing as my main issue with the cappuccino is the bitter taste, I had little hope for this place.

To start off with, they had a minimum order to use your debit or credit card which bugged me. Luckily I had cash but I normally don't. I guess being 'forced' to have a biscotti along with the cappuccino isn't the worst thing in the world.

After ordering I watched the strangest routine for making a cappuccino. He went from the shot to steaming the milk, back to the espresso, then started knocking the milk pitcher to get rid of the bubbles, then back to checking the espresso, and more knocking. He was either incredibly inefficient or had a very specific method of building this drink. After getting the shot in the cup he then filled the cup with an amazing amount of foam small scoop by small scoop. This took about a minute and a half. Then he poured in the milk. The process took way too long.

The coffee had this very different taste that I can't quite put my finger on. It was not bitter, it was not smooth. It was almost nutty. Like they made me an almond cappuccino or something. Or maybe they didn't clean the cup and it had some left over amaretto in the bottom (please let it not be this). I definitely didn't hate it, I just felt confused the whole time. Are you a latte? Were you made with hazelnut espresso? Were you processed in a factory that contains nuts? Who knows. Who knows.