First, my latest review on Yelp/Urban Spoon:
I'm Barred From This Establishment (And Proud Of It!)
It's a nice café and I've been an infrequent regular for the past few years (perhaps once every six weeks or two months or so.) I was there last Sunday to have coffee with a friend. I had a desperate need to use the washroom when I arrived (I am nearing sixty) and asked for the key to the washroom. The barista reluctantly gave me the key, warning me that there was a stepladder obstructing the entrance to the washroom and that I might wait till her co-worker (he was up in the mezzanine) was finished. I replied that my need was quite urgent so she let me go. I found that I could easily access the washroom without disturbing or touching the stepladder so I went ahead. The barista in the mezzanine began shouting at me to not go into the washroom. I replied that I wasn't going to pee my pants on his account. When I came out of the washroom, there he was standing by the door and he proceeded in his thick Australian accent to scold me as though I were a naughty child. I walked away saying I didn't want to talk to him and to please show some respect for his elders. He followed after me, haranguing me in such a tone that I felt threatened and wondered if he was going to haul off and clobber me one. I turned around, told him to F off, and proceeded to my table to join my friend. I was not proud of swearing at him by the way, though I did feel provoked and threatened by his belligerent behaviour. When my friend and I were leaving the establishment the Australian barista approached me to advise me, a smug, gloating little smile on his bloated face, that I will no longer be served here. I replied calmly "Whatever" and walked away with my friend.
Now I really don't care if I am barred from this place because there is no way that I want to be served by the likes of this person. On the other hand I can assure you that this is the first time that I have ever been barred from anywhere, and that I am a regular patron of a number of cafes throughout Vancouver as well as in Mexico City and other places and I have always got on well with staff, management and other patrons. Being near retirement age I do know how to handle myself in public. As a mental health professional employed by our local health authority I am also pleased to say that my clients and patients in my care are generally much nicer and better mannered than this Australian lout. Trees Organic Yaletown, even if they should lift the ban, have permanently lost this customer and I am proud to say this on Yelp.
The offending café is called Trees Organic on Richards Street in Yaletown, Vancouver's premier pretentious urban core neighbourhood for yuppies and the nouveaux riche. It might also be that I was made to feel less than welcome in this café because my friend and I tend not to dress expensively, but here I digress and I don't wish to tar everyone there with the same brush because of one douchebag from Australia. (Hmm... I have often thought of visiting Australia, but maybe not. It is after all full of...Australians.)
I will here take the time and pleasure to name some of the many cafes that I love and where I feel welcome. Many are of the Bean Around The World franchise, a local coffee roaster that independently contracts café owners to purvey their product (I buy it myself for my home brew). There are four locations here in Vancouver I would be pleased to recommend:
Melriche's Coffee House, 1244 Davie Street in Vancouver's West End. This establishment has been open now for twenty-two years, give or take. It is cozy with just the right sharpness of "edge" and I was the first artist to exhibit there in 1994. I did well, met an agent through this show who put me on to an architect who bought one painting and commissioned more, the proceeds of which paid my way to Costa Rica for my first Latin American vacation. I am still a regular at Melriche's, still occasionally show my art there and always enjoy the staff and patrons.
Honorable mention goes to the fairly new Bean Around The World in one of our well-healed neighbourhoods, Kerrisdale. I am often there Saturday afternoons for a break on one of my long urban hikes where I contentedly draw in my sketchbook from one of the comfy chairs in the back. The owners are a really nice couple, friendly and great to chat with.
There is also the Bean Around The World on Main and Broadway, owned by a really cool Chinese-Venezuelan lady. Comfy ambience and we sometimes chat in Spanish. I sometimes bring clients there and they love the atmosphere.
A really great Bean Around The World location, called Hogan's Alley Café, is situated in Strathcona, Vancouver's oldest heritage residential neighbourhood full of Victorian era homes. The owners are a couple from Mexico, very kind and warm people and great to chat with in Spanish.
There is another Mexican Café in my own downtown neighbouhood, called Molli. The owner and staff are very kind and friendly and I love doing art there with a coffee and Mexican pastry.
There is also the Beanery Café in the Acadia Park neighbourhood of UBC. It has a quiet ambience, great coffee and a nice serene patio. During my summer hikes in the forest of Pacific Spirit Park I often take a break there for an hour or longer with my art work over an iced Americano.
I could mention more cafes that I enjoy, and where I feel liked and welcome, but I don't want to bore you any longer, Gentle Reader. Suffice it to say that I generally get along with people, am friendly, make friends easily, and don't take shit from belligerent Australians or from belligerent nobodies. But I still really prefer to be kind.
Ta-ta.
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