Dinner at the Pickle Barrel: Good Food, Lousy Coffee

Last week being my birthday my Mom invited me out for an early dinner at a local restaurant near the hospital that I had to visit for medical appointments. The place we chose is called the Pickle Barrel. We arrived just before the dinner rush had ensued; as a result the restaurant was not particularly busy and the service fairly relaxed and prompt.

It being relatively early in the day I was not especially hungry, so being in the mood for something sweet, I ordered a brownie sundae and some coffee, while my Mom chose to order the smoked meat platter, which features a generous amount of smoked meat wedged between two slices of rye.

As we chatted about this and that and ate our meal, I surveyed my surroundings. Gleaming chrome fixtures dominated the establishment, and the place was both clean and airy. Indeed there was nothing to complain about, except (alas) for the coffee, which was quite anemic, tasting more like coffee-flavoured water than anything else. I pondered this sad state of affairs while I downed the coffee. Were the owners of the Pickle Barrel trying to cut down on coffee costs by watering the beverage down? Or were they trying to imitate the success of Tim Horton's, which are past masters at the art of serving watery coffee? I have no answers to these questions. Maybe the lack of robust coffee was an oversight, maybe not. Whatever the answer, it seems clear to me that the Pickle Barrel's oversight is a reflection of an industry-wide problem. We tend to take coffee for granted in this country (and I include the United States as well). As long as it is hot and wet and mildly stimulating it has served its purpose, according to current wisdom.

I suspect that the Pickle Barrel -- being the typical business venture that it probably is -- needs to cut costs wherever possible in order to maximize profits.

Post Script: I have yet to purchase a French Press for my home, which, if its reputation is accurate is a far superior way to prepare coffee. My boss, Shirley H., kindly offered to lend me a French Press from Destination Cafe, but I have yet to make it down to Port Credit to pick it up. Things have been getting busier at work lately; I have had to work late hours and on weekends in order to accommodate my clients, who being at work during the day, are only available after hours. This is regrettable, but I can see no easy solution at the moment. But I hope that one day soon I will be able to post another blog or two on the French Press: What it is, how it works and the calibre of the coffee it produces. I will definitely keep you posted.