Coffee and comfort Charleswood and North End cafés feature warm and welcoming ambiance By: Alison Gillmor Posted: 3:00 AM CST Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

Opinion

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This article was published 13/02/2019 (2045 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This week we look at two coffee shops, both friendly neighbourhood joints.

Joy Coffee Bar in Charleswood takes its coffee seriously. A macchiato is the real deal — thick and dark with just a quick dash of steamed milk.

When it comes to food, Joy specializes in light Middle Eastern fare, including some healthy, full-flavoured Israeli-style breakfast dishes and a few lunch options.

The red shakshuka — eggs cooked in a tomato-based sauce warmed with smoked paprika — is robust and garlicky, served with chewy bread for mopping up that sauce, as well as pickles and olives. The pickles are fine, but the bland olives could use an upgrade. The green shakshuka (unsampled) serves its eggs in a blend of spinach and feta.

The Norwegian waffle is not sweet but savoury, with two nicely soft eggs spreading out over a layer of smoked salmon, finished with red onion and olives. It’s served with a small, nicely dressed salad of shredded greens with lots of chopped cucumber and tomato.

Some dishes come with coffee and just-pressed juice, which on one day happened to be a simple, sweet-tart mix of carrot and apple.

The Tunisian sandwich is a twist on everyday tuna salad. Served on chewy ciabatta, it includes slices of boiled red-skinned potatoes and hard-boiled egg, with everything getting a bright boost from preserved lemon, one of those brilliant ingredients that basically makes any dish better.

The Boom Salad starts with those lightly dressed greens with cuke and tomatoes but also includes strips of omelette, halloumi cheese and mint.

The long, narrow space is bright, modern and family-friendly — there’s a basket of toys and small floor cushions perfect for kids. Service is warm and welcoming for newcomers, as well as regulars.

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Modern Coffee, a new North End venue on Inkster Boulevard right off Main, is also committed to coffee, starting with a massive Italian Elektra espresso machine, as well as a Hario siphon mechanism if you want to check out this wonderfully ritualistic brewing method.

Modern uses DeLuca espresso, coffee from Black Pearl roasters on nearby Dufferin Avenue, and tea from the Amsterdam Tea Room.

The coffee is good — a sampled flat white is both intense and velvety.

The food menu relies on some baked goods from Tall Grass and some from Gunn’s, another North End neighbour, including those ever-popular applejacks.

On Fridays, Modern Coffee brings in panini from Little Eggplant, which runs a food truck specializing in Italian street food. The cold cut option uses good bread and is loaded up with capicolla, Genoa salami and artichokes, with hot, sweet mustard served on the side. It’s tasty, though the addition of lettuce seems odd if you’re planning on getting it grilled.

The room is comfortable, with well-loved vintage furniture, including mid-century teak tables and chairs. Food and drink are served up in the cheerful colours of Fiestaware cups and dishes.

There’s an edited selection of hip coffeeware for sale, including the Chemex, a design icon that also happens to make a clear, clean pour-over cup, and two sizes of the Hario Siphon Brewer.

For java-starved parents, there’s a corner with toys and colouring supplies for kids.

There is also a place near the door for info on neighbourhood issues and events, a reminder that Modern is not just a handy caffeine supplier but also aims to be a community hub.

alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca

Alison Gillmor
Writer

Studying at the University of Winnipeg and later Toronto’s York University, Alison Gillmor planned to become an art historian. She ended up catching the journalism bug when she started as visual arts reviewer at the Winnipeg Free Press in 1992.

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