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Sunday 2 December 2012

Rocanini–Steveston Village coffee scene

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Anyone who is a frequent flyer to Steveston village in Richmond will have noticed that the area has changed quite a bit in the recent years.  In particular, a high density of coffee shops have opened up in Steveston and some are very large and prominent, such as Waves Coffee House.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no coffee connoisseur. Sure I enjoy a cup of authentic, aromatic coffee brewed with freshly grounded beans that haven't been subjected to excessive moisture fluctuations or freezing. More often than not though, I”ll opt for a cheaper fast-food restaurant coffee than a more expensive one from a coffee shop.



But that doesn't mean that I'm not guilty of being part of the "coffee shop experience" fan club like many here in Vancouver (and many other west coast places.. Hello Seattle). That is to say, i love getting together over a cup of coffee or tea at a local Tim Hortons or Starbucks or cozying up with a good book on a sunny or rainy day (vastly different experiences by the way) in a Blenz or Waves.

So keeping in mind that this is written by an average coffee person for the average of coffee person lets delve into the newest addition to the Steveston village coffee scene: Rocanini.

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Any way you approach Steveston Village, Rocanini is the first coffee shop that greets your eye and it does not fail at esthetics. The place gives off a clean minimalist and contemporary feeling which starkly contrasts with the colorful and busy nearby coffee shops which we have grown accustomed to. When you enter, you notice the open and spacey interior surrounded by large windows and clean white walls neatly decorated with artwork (which apparently is local work). The furniture inside is simple with wooden tables and chairs lacking fancy patterns or leathery cushions, except for the one or two plush seats. Definitely less "busy" than your neighborhood Starbucks.

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Their menu consists of your standard coffee and tea selections as well as specialty drinks like espressos, lattes, and hot chocolate.  They also have a selection of food, pastries and juices to complement their drink menu.

After perusing their selections, I settled on a mild roast coffee and raspberry cheesecake, a combination that set me back about 8 dollars.  The coffee was pretty good; I had to mix in some milk and sugar to make it more palatable to my tastes because I’m not a black coffee drinker.  Not yet anyway =P.  It did not disappoint.  The raspberry cheesecake did not satisfy, however.  The flavor was alright and was not too sweet but it just didn’t taste fresh.  Nothing beats a fresh piece of soft, fluffy, fragrant cheesecake =(, and this was not it.  Oh well, its a coffee shop, not a dessert shop haha.
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On the whole, Rocanini is a new and fresh coffee shop experience in this area and definitely feels different from the standard coffee shops I’ve mentioned earlier.  I can’t say that I found the coffee to be all that much different from anywhere else though, and the snack I tried sort of let me down.  The real difference is the atmosphere here.  Rocanini is definitely a good place to chill out for a bit over food and drinks and thats what I’d come back here for.  I’ll stick to McDonalds and Timmy’s for my on-the-run coffee’s though.

The Yummies:
-  a fresh new atmosphere in the local coffee scene
-  good place to meet up with people or chill out with self-time
-  decent coffee
-  food selection available

The Yuckies:
-  not your least expensive place
-  the food, at least from my experience, was not fresh.



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