Café Odessa
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Un article avec photos
Café Odessa, a breath of fresh “sea” air in the Petite-Patrie, offers a calm and soothing place to enjoy a latte in a bustling part of Montréal.
What she thought
The next stop on our 2014 Indie Coffee Passport journey was Café Odessa. This café is located in the Rosemont/Petit Patrie arrondissement of Montréal and is only a 15-minute walk—5 minutes by bike—from Marché Jean-Talon.
- Coffee: The barista offered us a choice of two different Pilot coffees that were being used for espresso: Big Bro, which Café Odessa uses as its usual espresso offering, and Yirgacheffe Zero. We decided to have our two free lattes using one of each roast. After enjoying our lattes, we also ordered a cappuccino of each roast as well.
Big Bro Latte: The flavor of the Big Bro latte reminded me somewhat of the Saint-Henri coffee Holy Cow/Sainte Vache, which I drink at home all the time. Although the blend of milk and espresso was well balanced, the foam was thinner than I like and was totally mixed into the espresso by the latte’s end.
Big Bro Cappuccino: There was a lot more espresso flavor in the cappuccino, and I liked the punch of stronger coffee taste. The cappuccino had thicker foam, which I appreciated. I was able to use my spoon to scoop up the foam/espresso blend at the end of my cup.
Yirgacheffe latte: The first taste of the Yirgacheffe latte was different from any espresso I have had. There was a sweetness to the espresso itself; it tasted a bit like drinking some kind of flower (I actually thought orange blossoms). As I continued drinking, I tasted peach, which culminated in the final sip. By the end of the latte, the foam was completely blended into the espresso.
Yirgacheffe cappuccino: I enjoyed the Yirgacheffe cappuccino very much. The foam was thicker, the espresso flavors (peach, citrus) were more pronounced. The final spoonful of foam and espresso again had that strong peach taste. - Seating: Although small, Café Odessa offers several comfortable seating options: 4 smallish tables, each attached to the wall with matching small stools; a bar with high stools along the window; and a wider bar with high stools that extends from where the baristas ply their trade. While there is no terrace, there is some outdoor seating on the sidewalk in front of the café—several large wooden blocks as well as a small bench outside the window.
- Atmosphere: The only natural light enters by way of the one storefront window, but I did not feel that the café was too dark or gloomy. Instead, I found the café comfortable, calm, and cozy. The barista was both friendly and knowledgeable, answering all our questions courteously. While the decor is minimalistic, I liked the “nautical” feel of the place—from the white slatted walls to the ship-centered artwork and the café’s logo of a double anchor or 4-pronged anchor, not sure which it is technically. The tables, stools, and bars, with their blend of rich wood and black metal, were created by Badger Services, a Montréal custom fabrication shop.
Final Thoughts: Café Odessa is breath of fresh “sea” air along this busy stretch of rue Beaubien and offers a calm and soothing place to enjoy a latte and involve yourself in a good book or working on your computer.
Café Odessa’s lattes featuring Brazilian Big Bro and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.
Ce qu’il en pense
La Petite-Patrie est généralement un quartier de transit pour les cyclistes que nous sommes ; la rue Beaubien, aménagée pour les chars, est généralement une artère à éviter. L’Indie Coffee Passport nous a permis de découvrir ce café qui aurait autrement passé inaperçu. L’endroit est situé au milieu du pâté de maison, on peu facilement ne pas le remarquer, surtout lorsque notre attention est concentrée sur les portières des automobiles stationnées en bordure du trottoir. L’endroit est assez petit, mais bien aménagé, les murs de lattes verticales peinturées en blanc me rappellent la maison de mes grand-parents, dans le Bas-Saint-Laurent. La décoration a une thématique maritime, grâce aux lampes, cadres et autres objets.
Les cafés utilisés cette journée là étaient le Big Bro et le Yirgacheffe de Pilot Coffee. Nous avons d’abord commandé deux lattés, un de chaque sorte. Le petit latté est servi dans des tasses d’environ 8 onces, le goût du café me semblait un peu effacé dans ces mélanges, même si la base est un double espresso. Nous avons donc ensuite commandé deux cappuccinos, de nouveau, un Big Bro et un Yirgacheffe. Les cappuccinos sont servis dans des tasses 5 onces, le goût était maintenant bien mis de l’avant. Je préfère habituellement les mélanges aux “single origin” pour l’harmonie avec le lait, mais cette fois-ci, c’est le Yirgacheffe qui s’est clairement démarqué. Le Big Bro avait un goût robuste, mais sans grande subtilité , alors que le Yirgacheffe était bien sucré, me rappelant étrangement les guimauves à la fraise!
- Le café (cappuccino): bonne proportion lait/café. Ce Yirgacheffe de Pilot était exceptionnel, même au dire du barista. L’extraction était appropriée, j’ai pu bien goûté aux notes sucrées. Le lait aurait pu être plus dense, il manquait un peu d’onctuosité.
- Les lieux: petit local bien aménagé, le proprio a, entre autre, aménagé le café Buck15, dans Saint-Henri.
- Le personnel: service rapide, malgré le fait que l’endroit était quand même occupé.
Le Yirgacheffe en cappuccino au Café Odessa : un goût sucré surprennant.
