Jimmy's Coffee - More Than Just a Great Cortado
Let's start with this claim: Jimmy's Coffee has the best cortado in Toronto. Yep. THE BEST.
Now you might be wondering what the hell is a cortado, well, it's basically is a less foamy flat white. But then you might continue to question what on earth is a flat white, well too bad I can't help with that. Jokes aside, a cortado is a Spanish word for "cut", meaning drinking a cortado will help you to cut out all of the crappy, negative stuff around you and stay focused. Well I made that up. I think the "cut" in a cortado means that the milk is done without being texturized: no foams or telltale forth.
What's good about Jimmy's cortado is how rich, strong, and homie it is. The richness and strength can totally be attributed to their coffee beans, however, the "homie" taste isn't that obvious and it is why this blog exists. I have a hypothesis that these 4 things are the reason why Jimmy's cortado tastes the way it is. :P
1. The Atmosphere.
It always feel so damn cozy and warm inside any location of Jimmy's coffee! The rustic interior, the 90s music, the brick walls, the random antique decorations and antique stuff that actually work (i.e. a stereo, a reel-to-reel recorder) you run into, they all contribute to how you will always find the warmth and coziness at Jimmy's.
2. The People.
I think the staff greatly contributes to the atmosphere at Jimmy's as well but I just have to say that these are the friendliest, funniest, and most heartfelt people I know working at a coffee shop! I might be biased with the staff at their Portland (King West) location but if you pay attention to how they greet people with pronounce like "huns", "love", and how they write little messages on the wall like "have a good day lovelies", you will find more reasons to love these folks!
That snowman is there because there's a story to tell! I was visiting the Portland location on a winter day when I noticed this little snowman and so I asked the lady about him and the response I got was "we were just shovelling the backyard and we thought that this little guy right here will be a great addition to greet the customers!". I mean, isn't that the sweetest thing?!!!
3. The Fireplace.
Again, bias exists to the Portland location (because it's my favourite one), but there is something about this fireplace at the back house of Jimmy's that is so warm and inviting! You would almost always catch people sitting by the fireplace to warm up their hands or just to enjoy a nice book during the Canadian winter cold.
4. The Long Hours.
Coffee tastes better when you can have them at anytime you want. Jimmy's Coffee always win me with their long opening hours starting from 7a.m. to late 8p.m.! During the holidays, they are also a champion to keep the store open fairly late and on most holidays as well! With a fairly crazy craving that I have for coffee, these hours are to die for!
5. The Lit Hallway & Open Space
Yep, it's the same hallway you're looking at above under 4. The Long Hours but blessed by the sun.
The wall mural, tall wooden windows, hanging lights, and a door that leads to an little outdoor open space: all are too real at this Jimmy's location.
See that little console right there? It's my to-go place to take phone calls or wait for seats when the big table at the back is full!
At the end of the day, you might see slight variation (if at all) in how a barista makes your coffee daily, but the stuff above stay constant with your whole coffee experience. Hence, I want to give the best shout out to Jimmy's Coffee for having such a good team behind each cup you're serving your customers.
Also, I love the new reward mobile app! Keep it up! More about Jimmy's Coffee at <http://www.jimmyscoffee.ca>.
All photos are taken by Huy Tran.
