Vancouver (but mostly North Van) Pt 1
Bonjour mes amis,
I think it’s about high time that I introduce a very special place in my life, with it’s own very special food spots: Vancouver BC. I know, I know, The Mighty Oak (previous article) is in Van but it deserved it’s own spot light. Now as I sit here in sunny Yaletown on a summery Sunday morning, it’s time to shed light on this incredible caffeine driven city with these strong undercurrents of farm-to-table and an emphasis on fresh and organic.
In Part 1, I will highlight 3 spots close to my heart (in no specific order) and you guessed it, Part 2 and 3 will highlight more. So here goes!
Sweet Barrel Creamery and Coffee Roasters
Located on Arbutus between W Broadway and W 12th, it’s in this perfect little juncture of residential neighbourhoods and the ever busy Kits/Granville areas.
What first drew me in to this spot a few years ago was actually a bad google review. I was looking up potential coffee shops to explore and saw this one. Under a negative review, I saw presumably the owner actually disagree with the review and provide some insight on his perspective. He was unapologetic about his approach and it was such a vibe! I can definitely appreciate someone that is passionate about their craft but also doesn’t aim to appease anyone and everyone as customers. I didn’t actually go in to the coffee shop until the year after or so, but had this baseline respect for the cafe.
If I had to describe the coffee shop’s physical space, I’d call it industrial chic with urban modern elements and a heavy dose of eclectic rustic sprinklings. It was clearly a curated labour of love to create such a unique and eye-catching space.
As per IG, it seems to be the owner whose behind a lot of the custom-made furnishings and finishings of the space. Not only is he a coffee wizard but a fixture expert too. Having gone to the cafe multiple times and even walking by at odd hours, it’s clear that the owner Michael is the driving force behind their success. He can always be seen after hours in the open-concept back area churning ice cream or roasting their coffee beans in-house. Even when interacting with him and the staff, the depth of knowledge each of them have in regards to their coffee, the roasts, and the pairings with in-house treats and ice cream is impressive. If you ever get chatting with him, you’ll quickly find out he’s a genuine and very down-to-earth human, in addition to coffee roaster and ice cream maker extraordinaire!
Beyond the physical aesthetic of the space, their varieties of coffee have many layers of depth largely erring in the range of light-medium to dark-medium roasts. With smooth and complex taste profiles with very reasonable prices, it’s really a no-brainer. Even for selling their in-house roasted coffee beans, they’ve decided to price them usually in and around $12 which for 250g is unheard of, especially in this city.
Okay last thing, their freshly made treatos, expansive flavours of ice cream, belgian waffles, and pain au chocolat are my tried and true’d recommendations as well.
https://www.sweetbarrelcreamery.com/
Honey’s Doughnuts and Goodies
Oh baby, *licks lips*, *wipes drool*, *stops daydreaming*.
Yes I know Honey’s is a legendary North Shore spot, has been for the past 20+ years, duh! There’s a reason Kate Winslet pines for it. We’ll get to the divine doughnuts in a second, but I think an overlooked part of the Honey’s experience is that it will forever be tied to Deep Cove nostalgia. Just that whole narrative of driving over to Deep Cove, hiking Quarry Rock, or kayaking the Cove, or picnic at the pier, or something, and then at some point in your already incredible day, you have this even more incredible thing to look forward to.
I often hear my OG West Coaster friends have this nostalgic look when they talk about going to Honey’s as teens, or having bellyaches after too many doughnuts, or how not-busy the roads were back then. It’s incredible that a local family-owned business has remained such a community pillar, and even survived the entire time that Quarry Rock was closed (lols let’s not talk about gatekeeping nature).
Get Jyoti Mann’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Even if you’re not an OG West Coaster, when you enter the café you’re immediately hit with the nostalgia that everyone seems to feel. The extensive menu is still written in chalk on the chalkboards, the checkered floors and wood panelling takes you right back to the 90s, the terribly organized front area has you saying lots of “are you in line?” and “excuse me” as you lean over the front counter borderline-yelling which donuts you want to the staff. Don’t get me wrong, that’s part of the experience, it adds to the nostalgia you feel and those little chuckles exchanged with the staff as you’re reaching and pointing all over the place.
Now, the doughnuts. All the nostalgia and Deep Cove adventures are just chatter when it comes to why you come to Honey’s. It’s these dang doughnuts that are other-worldly, that’s why!
I’d describe these doughnuts as dense and cakey but their sheer size is what changes the game; think 2 full-size doughnuts stacked on top of each other (Exhibit A). They’ve got their classics of honey, maple, cinnamon sugar, chocolate, and coconut cinnamon sugar, and honestly those are all you need. The special ones are a great cherry on top, but the classics are it. They are priced a bit higher than your run of the mill donut shop but again, Exhibit A.
BUT, it hasn’t always been sunshines and rainbows with Honey’s. I think they’ve made some changes to their hours now but back before COVID we had some beef. For some reason, every SINGLE time I’d visit the North Shore, they would be unexpectedly closed or have a shortened day or were closed even though Google said they were open. I was like 0–5 with Honey’s before I finally got my hands on all that dough-y goodness, my bad luck was borderline comical y’all (but also not bc i wanted the doughnuts so bad).
Anyways, now I’m a happy camper, we’re besties, and I have my own little piece of Deep Cove and Honey’s nostalgia.
United Strangers Coffee
I wish that as you read this next bit about United Strangers I could transport you inside my brain (I know I can’t but I’m going to try anyways). Imagine you’re comfy in your car, driving up Mt Seymour Pkwy with all these towering evergreens surrounding you as Would That I by Hozier plays. With your windows down, you smell that crisp fresh mountain air as you weave along the winding road until you see this little beauty of a café:
Shout out to Remi for first introducing me to United Strangers in 2019? I don’t exactly know when but I couldn’t actually go until another visit to BC in 2020. I immediately understood the hype.
The first time I actually went was after a hike on Mt Seymour, I’m walking up to the front door and legit 4–5 baby strollers were parked out front. I was like oh okay cute, a lil baby crew is showing out at like 10am on a Tuesday? Turns out, they literally were hosting one of their weekly free community events (Parenthood Meet-up) and their massive indoor space was filled with lil and big babes and their parents! A lil baby crew was LITERALLY showing out at 10am on a Tuesday!
Before even speaking about the coffee, the palpable ethos in that space is uniting strangers and creating community (refer to frickn Parenthood Meet-Up on a Tuesday, every Tuesday, every week, every month of the year). The way that the coffee shop is set up is fairly modular which just epitomizes that even more. I’ve seen a few different physical set-ups each time I’ve gone, conducive to an event or a crowd. The fluidity of the space and the furniture isn’t just a happy coincidence. It really speaks to the intention behind the coffee shop. They’ve got a large corner store kinda vibe too; local goods, gift and grocery items, coffee beans and accessories. A little one stop shop, in addition to your coffee. They even sell a live edge charcuterie board just in case you need it. No for real, I can’t make this up y’all, lols so BC!
Anyways, on to the best part, the coffee!
They tend to use Pallet Coffee for their beans but I’ve definitely seen other Canadian roasters being used. The espresso drinks are 10/10 and the baristas are the kindest humans. I tend to err on the side of iced for most drinks but haven’t been let down yet.
In terms of the actual food options, because they don’t have a kitchen space, a lot of their stuff is brought in from local bakers (10 points to Gryffindor for supporting local). They work with Urban Flavour (vegan), To Live For (vegan), Blueridge Treats (macarons), and Butterboom Bakery (the best donuts and croissants). They tend to have a rotating menu of seasonal treats and sandwiches/soups but there are lots of options to choose from.
Each time I visit, the familiarity of weaving along Mt Seymour Pkwy, parking beside a stroller or a tricked out Delica, and walking into to their welcoming space, it just feels like a hug from an old friend. Whether if you’re stepping in post-hike and pre-dentist appointment like me, or down to sit and hang, this little spot has got you and your caffeine needs covered. And donuts, because those are a necessity too.
Also the cutest website everrrrr: https://www.unitedstrangerscoffee.com/
Thank you for making it this far if you have friend! I hope you enjoyed my little stories with these everyday extraordinary spots, and I hope you can reflect on or find your own little stories with your own everyday extraordinary spots. Cheers buddy!
