Friday, May 18, 2012

2% Jazz (Hudson Building)

Address: Hudson Building, Fisgard side.
Phone: (250) ?
Website: 2percentjazz.com
Price: Forgot to check on prices (whoops!) Less than $5 for a latte...?
Notes: The new roastery/location for 2 percent jazz takes thing up a notch!

The new location/roastery for 2% Jazz has opened in the lovely reclaimed Hudson Building, on Douglas between Fisgard and Caledonia. After a complete gut and renovation, the Hudson building is unrecognizable and reborn into a collection of retail shops. The 2% Jazz location is pretty gorgeous! The new space has all of the amenities of the other space, but with the addition of a pour over bar to allow true coffee nerds a space to geek out properly.

Modern design, flexible seating at communal tables and a great selection of food to go with the delicious coffee make this a fantastic new location for coffee fanatics in the city. When the roaster is on, I did notice the space was a bit noisy, but it was a kind of white noise that provided a decent background for focusing on a project, and even when I was sitting in the seats right above the sunken roaster area, there were no issues with holding a conversation.

While normally I try to fly under the radar while blogging, I had 'real life' business to discuss with the owner, Sam, that day. I really liked what he said during that conversation: "I really want to have a welcoming coffee shop for customers, with perfect coffee every time, but without telling people how we will serve their coffee." Well said, sir. I like your style! I just really liked his energy in general - straightforward, friendly and honest. He is a huge presence in the cafe, especially now as he works to develop the new business to its full potential.



Purchase a deck of Taste Locally deals & get a free speciality (12oz) coffee with the purchase of any regular priced pastry at 2% Jazz! 

Find out more about supporting local restaurants, wineries & cafes in Victoria and becoming a local hero at www.tastelocally.com

* Expires October 1st 2015




Food:
May 14, 2012
Macchiato
My coworker has gotten me hooked on a good macchiato when we do some of our epic coffee shop work sessions! There is something extra deep and rich about the macchiato vs the latte, but with enough milk to mellow out most harshnesses from espresso. This really had no harshness - the espresso blend was very smooth and just as balanced as I experienced at the other location.

Salted Caramel Pie
So, I love pie. And I love caramel. And I Really love salted caramel! So I had pretty high hopes for this pie. It almost met my expectations, which is saying a lot! The caramel flavour could have been a bit more stand out... maybe more caramelized and less creamy, to match the flavours of my coffee? But as snacky dessert-type things go, it was a really excellent choice!

Service:

May 14, 2012
Really stellar service. The staff were clearly new, but they were also clearly very excited and passionate about coffee & the craft of it. Lots of nice questions in general to make sure I got what I wanted - like putting my whipped cream on the side so I could add on versus overwhelming the pie with whip. A nice customization executed with enthusiasm! Offers of refills, clearing and check ins were all done without feeling overly bothered.