Coffee Vancouver

There have been a plethora of new coffee shops that have sprung up in Vancouver since last year's visit, or some of them were just hidden from view.Despite being of the new-fangled (slightly irritating) type, the first thing that strikes me is that in most of them, I can still get good old-fashioned 'brewed' coffee, always my first choice. First new one on me is 49th Street Parallel in Kitsiliano, a fabulous area I hadn't made it to before, I also get my brewed coffee in a mug-too things that are very much North American rather than espresso based coffees in short cups, very much Italian. Much as there is room in my life for Italian shorts (first thing in the day and last thing) I don't care for the Antipodean invasion in the UK and although it has hit N America, it looks like they are keeping my beloved traditional of brew in  a mug too. Joy.Every day is a coffee crawl in Vancouver and every day we attempted to try something new of which the other favourite is Milano's on our door step (well 15 minutes) near English Bay in the West End. They have this on their take-away cups:  Your day is about to get a little bit better. That could be said of being in Vancouver.Milano's is the home of a newdiscovery called 'Stove Top' which we are still yet to discover the ingredients of; it had something like ginger or cinnamon in it - too of the most comforting flavours that exist.I love the Milano's menu to which starts of 'Tell us how you like it.'The people from 49th Street recommended us all sorts of places as did last years coffee helper, Coffee Vancouver and I returned to Cafe of Contemporary Art in N Vancouver as well as visiting Renzo's on Commercial Drive. A favourite is still the local, Melriches in  West End.Many of the coffee houses are roasters (Milanos, 49th St Parallel) and there is also Granville Island roasters - to name but three.They take their coffee seriously here, but not pretentious, another reason to be in love with Vancouver.