Balzac's Coffee (Guelph): First Impressions

In a word, disappointing! 

Any establishment is judged by how well it creates it's most basic offering: chinese by its Cantonese Chow Mein, thai by its Chicken Pad Thai, polish by i's perogies, a coffee house by its House Blend.

I don't know about you but I like the option of starting with a steaming hot mug. Balzac's brewed coffee (House Blend) was less than lukewarm coming out of its thermos.  The second cup (Farmer's Blend) was no different, coming from a different thermos. I was sorely tempted to ask my mug to be microwaved.

As for taste, that'll have to wait since it's difficult to judge taste with lukewarm coffee, although I admit I find it impossible to tell an Ethiopian organic single-blend from Tim Horton's dark roast.

Perhaps these are growing pains for this particular establishment: I've had really great coffee from the Stratford and The Distillery locations.

One positive at Balzac Guelph is the pleasant staff (understaffed with just 2 tonight), smiling and doing their best to serve a Saturday evening full house. But it'll take great coffee to pry customers away from Planet Bean and Starbucks, both only two blocks away.

iPhone Diaries #565: Really good coffee

For most of things in life, doing what's good for the environment, as well as giving yourself a treat, and saving money while you're at it, is a matter of stepping out of our daily routine, exposing ourselves to new ideas, and, as the Nike commercial says, "Just doing it".

Planet Bean coffee is the best that I know of, for the very reasons seen below in photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The price for a 340g package of this Planet Bean Yirgacheffe coffee is $13.89CDN. The price for a 464g package of Starbucks' Pike Peak Blend is $16.95CDN.  Almost identical in price but miles apart in taste, a different planet altogether  in environmental impact. It's up to us, it's up to you.

BTW, Planet Bean is locally roasted in Guelph, ON. Mar 2nd.