A studious worker once commented, “I am very efficient at work. In fact, I have never once missed a coffee break.”
Monthly Archives: July 2011
Coffee quote of the week.
The Avondale Deli – Victor Harbor, SA
25 Ocean Street, Victor Harbor, SA, 5211
The Avondale Deli, according to their signage and website, have been serving the good people of Victor Harbor “since 1888 and has just got better and better.” Touted (again, by their signage) as “Victor’s Best Coffee” the Avondale is an old-school Delicatessen, that serves meals and also functions as a Lotteries Commission Venue. Honesty in advertising is such a wonderful thing. Between 8:30am and 9:00am, it is one of the only places in Victor Harbor that is open – not just for coffee – but actually open. I had a coffee from this place not long after we moved down to the coast (over 2 years ago now), but giving them and their signage the benefit of the doubt I ventured back again their this morning, while waiting for my favourite place to open whilst my car was being serviced.
Latte Quality – Passable – the latte I ordered, while having a truly wonderful aroma, tasted watery.
Cost – $3.40 – which is slightly cheaper than the average price these days.
Coffee Supplier – Mahalia Coffee – which is one of my all time favourites – pity.
Fairtrade – Mahalia do do some Fair Trade Coffee but the one used here – and in most locations (see previous reviews) – is their Blend No.2 which is not Fair Trade.
Special Notes – It was open when I needed coffee.
Venue Suitable for:
- Quiet Chat, Deep and Meaningful, Study – Probably not – for some reason, this place did not give me a good vide – but then again, that is just my personal experience – yours will most likely be different.
The Coffee Palace – Victor Harbor, SA
35 Ocean Street, Victor Harbor, SA, 5211
Last week, I had made an effort to come and grab a coffee here at the recommendation of a congregation member – but when I walked past – the place was full and aesthetically it really did nothing for me – I commented that it seemed to be attached to the hardware store – so I went elsewhere, and discovered the Two Bees Café. However being back in the Harbor City once again, I thought that I would ‘suck it up princess’ and try out this other new place, so….let me begin my saying an emphatic
SORRY that I judged you on your appearance – serious hand slapping going on – because the experience was great! While the place does look like it is an adjunct of the Victor Harbor Hardware Store – and for good reason – because it is, the customer service was fantastic and the coffee was great. And once you are in there, the place is actually really nice and calming. So, again, ‘Sorry.’ According to the website:
Nestled in one of Victor Harbor’s oldest buildings, originally opened as The Coffee Palace which was built in 1886, the aroma of freshly ground coffee and sumptuous treats await. Relax in our pleasant surroundings and reacquaint yourself with old friendships – or begin new friendships as Judy and the team pamper to your every whim.
Latte Quality – Excellent! – as I sat reading the aroma of the coffee actually lured me towards it – doesn’t happen very often, but it did here.
Cost – $3.50 – which is average for a regular sized latter – but this one came in an above average sized cup. You may notice in the picture that it is a double lined insulated cup, which voids that occasional latte burnt finger syndrome.
Coffee Supplier – Aroma Fresh
Fairtrade – no indication instore that this is Fairtrade coffee, although Aroma Fresh to offer a Fairtrade blend.
Special Notes – You get a free coffee caramel with your cup; breakfast is served until 2:30pm and they also serve light meals and lunches and a wide variety of sweet things – including the all important gluten free options.
Venue Suitable for:
- Quiet Chat, Deep and Meaningful, Study – Depending on what time of the day it is. I drove past before having lunch and the place was packed, both inside and out on the footpath tables, yet when I went back at just after 2pm – I was the only person there for a large period of time….
Barista for the day….
This comes from StreetSmart Australia’s Facebook page
BECOME A BARISTA FOR A DAY AND HELP THE HOMELESS
Ever wanted to learn to make the perfect coffee? To develop the art of espresso extraction, milk texturing and Latte Art?
Join one of Melbourne’s best coffee educators, Maria Paoli, in an exclusive Coffee Master Class to raise money for the Homeless on Friday August 5th at William Angliss College, Melbourne. As part of StreetSmart’s first CafeSmart event happening nationally, you can learn to master the perfect coffee and help Melbourne’s homeless at the same time.
The 3 hour workshop will take place at William Angliss from 9am to 12pm.
This is a practical class, so each participant will be given an opportunity to become a barista for a day.
100% of funds raised through this class will go to CafeSmart, the first coffee focussed fundraising event that includes coffee roasters, cafes and restaurants across Australia.
StreetSmart tackles homelessness at grassroots level, and provides a unique bridge between the community and small, hard to reach agencies and projects that assist people experiencing homelessness or are at risk. StreetSmart supports critical services and emergency aid, as well as projects that promote social inclusion, empowerment and sustainable change for people who are homeless.
Cost of the course is $45pp.
Places are very limited. For further information or to secure your place, please contact Maria mariap@angliss.edu.au or maria@evolvingsuccess.com.au
We look forward to you joiniung us for this unique opportunity
No.58 Cellar Door & Gallery – Port Elliot, SA
58 Waterport Road, Port Elliot, SA, 5212
Now I may need to offer a foreword to this review because of two factors:
- This place has been recommended to me as ‘the best new place for coffee on the coast’ by so many people, which tends to influence a review; and
- Until now, every time I have made the effort to head there for a coffee, they have been closed.
On this rainy Monday, as I turned my thoughts towards my next preaching series after my return from paternity leave (my wife and I are expected our second child to be born any minute now – literally), I grabbed a new book that was delivered with first mail of the day and headed out for a coffee or two as I spent the Monday morning recovering from the Sunday before. So with “Reclaiming the Imagination – The Exodus as Paradigmatic Narrative for Preaching“under my arm, I ventured down to Port Elliot for stop one.
No.58 appears from a quick glance as you go roaring past on the Port Elliot by-pass as a new shed in paddock of vines – and in reality it is – however it is a funky shed, with a deck set next to a uniquely misshapen old pine tree, an almost mighty red gum and then surrounded by a field of vines. No.58 is a Cellar Door and Gallery which opened sometime last summer and doubles as a coffee place for those stuck between Middleton and Victor Harbor. This fully lined shed, is furnished with an eclectic bunch of furniture, ranging from leather lounges to rustic kitchen tables/chairs to wicker furniture with the walls covered by pieces of local art – and – the pièce de résistance – is the roaring nectare fire place. When I arrived, the only person in earshot was on his way out – and despite protestations to the contrary, seemed reluctant to actually have a customer (I was the only one who was there for the entire hour) who desired a coffee and a place to work – but anyway….
Latte Quality – Good – it was a very strong coffee, and has a slightly burnt taste to it – perhaps over extracted?
Cost – $3.50 – which is spot on the money for a regular latte these days – although the glass was on the smaller side of the scale.
Coffee Supplier – Rio Coffee
Fairtrade – No indication that what I was drinking was Fairtrade – although Rio do do three distinctive Fairtrade Organic Blends.
Special Notes – this had confused me, because it was popular but seemed to never be open – but now we know. Open in school holidays – 7 days 10am-5pm – and then Friday-Saturday 10am-5pm, and Sunday-Monday 10am-4pm
Venue Suitable for:
- Quiet Chat, Deep and Meaningful, Study – absolutely. As mentioned above I was the only person there for over an hour – the chairs were comfortable, the fire was lovely – if the coffee had been better I may still have been there now! There is plenty of space inside, although I suspect that during school holidays and in the finer weather the place would quickly become crowded.
CafeSmart – Helping The Homeless – UPDATE
HELP FROM THE GROUND UP
On FRIDAY AUGUST 5th CafeSmart will bring together cafes and coffee drinkers around the country to help people who are homeless. Participating cafes will generously donate $1.00 per coffee sold to fund local projects. We want our supporters to take a simple action and buy their coffees on the 5th at participating Cafes and consider making an extra donation online. ”Grab a coffee and help the homeless” is something we can all do.
CafeSmart will take place during National Homeless Persons’ Week, 1-7 August 2011, and will bring together café owners, staff and their customers, to create change in local communities. StreetSmart is also teaming up with coffee roasters around Australia who will be supporting cafes through supplying discounted coffee beans on the day.
Now that the nomination date for cafés has closed, we can confirm that only three South Australian Cafés have signed up for CafeSmart – which between you, men and your next cup of coffee – is a pretty poor effort. But then I guess we should ask, how many were asked to sign up? How many actually knew about it? Anyway, on Friday August 5th – make sure you get out and about and purchase a coffee from either:
- Bar9 – 96 Glen Osmond Road, Eastside, SA, 5063 – click HERE for previous review
- The Organic Market & Café – 5 Druid Avenue, Stirling, SA, 5152 – click HERE for previous review
- Caffeteca, 53 Tynte Street, North Adelaide, SA, 5006 – which is yet to be reviewed, although it is a café I used to go to every day when I worked next door – but back then it was the Tynte Street Deli….
