What I Thought of It

Second Cup, McKenzie Towne Centre
30 High St SE
Calgary AB  T2Z 3TB
Phone: 403 257 2805

The Second Cup on High Street SE in Calgary is part of a pleasant little shopping street. It can be a hassle to find and get out of the area, but otherwise it’s a pretty nice location.

Inside, this Second Cup feels spacious, but it actually doesn’t have that much seating. The ambiance is warm, however.

You order at a large counter flanked by large signs overhead. These signs are not much help when you’re not a regular Second Cup customer. Today I settled on a Dole Apple Juice (skipping the coffee) and a slice of poppyseed loaf.

Of course I can’t tell you how the coffee was, but the poppyseed loaf was good. (I thought it seemed more like a piece of cake, but what’s in a name?) It was very fresh, flavorful, and just crammed with poppy seeds.

I was with a group of 6, so we couldn’t find any spot to sit all together. In the end, 3 of us took the couch/low chairs and the other 3 took the high chairs by the window. Nothing wrong with that, but this Second Cup should really offer more places to sit.

Last thoughts: Coffee shops are not really my kind of thing, but they’re great for hanging out with a group. A lot of them try to be upscale lounges, but they don’t quite get the “lounge” part, so they just become expensive places to get coffee and kick back for a bit.

Food ++++
Service ++++
Ambiance +++
Washrooms ++++

Second Cup, Sunridge
3192 Sunridge Blvd NE
Calgary AB  T1Y 7G6
Phone: 403 250 3557

After going out for dinner, it seemed fitting to cap the evening with coffee. I went to the nearby Second Cup on Sunridge Boulevard, close to Sunridge Mall and the movie theater. It was around 9 pm and very busy in the coffee shop. The girl who helped me was friendly and efficient. She offered me a cup of Butter Pecan coffee for the same price as plain coffee, because they were out of my first three choices.

I took my coffee to one of the cushy armchairs in front of the fireplace (which was turned off, unfortunately). I was eager to savor the delicious-sounding butter pecan. Alas, the coffee was terrible! Not even cream and sugar could rescue the atrocious flavor. I ended up drinking less than half of it. I just couldn’t stomach any more.

The Second Cup coffee shop itself was prettily decorated and had a warm feel, with earthy colors and framed drawings everywhere, including the washrooms.

Last thoughts: The Sunridge Second Cup is not bad at all, as long as you don’t get the Butter Pecan coffee. I wouldn’t mind visiting this coffee shop again to try a different beverage.

Drinks +
Service ++++
Ambiance ++++
Washrooms +++

Second Cup
338 - 10 St NW
Calgary AB  T2N 1V8
Phone: 403 270 9698

After a leisurely walk through the trendy Calgary neighborhood of Kensington, it was time to warm up a bit before heading home. And what’s the best way to warm up? Somewhere that serves hot drinks, so my final stop was Second Cup.

The Second Cup coffee shop on 10th Street is right across from the Safeway grocery store, just beyond the main row of shops. From the outside, this Second Cup does not look very big, but the inside had a lot more seating than I expected. There were high tables with stools, low tables with chairs, armchairs, and even a fireplace. The walls had many framed prints and pretty decorations, making for great coffee shop ambiance.

At the order counter, the staff were not very friendly and appeared to regret being at work that day.

There was a sign announcing free wireless Internet for customers, but to get access you need to make a purchase of at least $5.

Going to the washroom was a bit tricky. As in many coffee shops, you need to ask for the key at the counter. I was told, “Sorry, but it’s only for customers.” Huh? Why would I be standing there in my shirt, not wearing my jacket, mitts, and hat (it was freezing outside), if I wasn’t a customer? I’d advise the staff to pay more attention to the customers and try to remember a face longer than one minute (two minutes would have been enough in my case).

The new Cuzco Fair Trade Organic coffee I got was nothing to rave about. It was a bit weak for my taste (I like my coffee strong). Maybe they could put a few more beans in the coffee machine.

Last thoughts: The Second Cup in Kensington is a nice place to sit and enjoy a warm drink. The coffee was not great, but it will do on a cold day. When I’m in the neighborhood again and in need of something warm, I will stop by and see if the staff are having a better day.

Food / Drinks +++
Service ++
Ambiance ++++
Washrooms +++

The Stoop
106 Main Street
Rouleau SK
Phone: 306 776 2406
www.thestoop.ca

If you’re a Corner Gas fan, then you of course know where Karen and Davis work. Yes, they work in the Dog River Police headquarters, and the Dog River Police headquarters in real life is The Stoop, a store / coffee shop where you can learn a lot more about the hit TV series filmed in this small town in Saskatchewan.

We visited Dog River (Rouleau, Saskatchewan in real life) in June of 2008, while the filming of the sixth and final season of Corner Gas was still ongoing. It was no surprise that on this Saturday, there were carloads of people stopping in the small town of Rouleau to see where Brent, Lacey, Oscar, Emma and the rest of the gang of Corner Gas live.

Of course, you can’t miss the main set consisting of The Ruby and the gas station. And when you go exploring in the town, you will find places that you’ll remember from the show, like the hotel, grain elevator, insurance office, and lots more.

Now about The Stoop: From the outside, it’s identified as the Dog River Police Department. When you look more closely, there is a sign on the door saying that it is not a real police office.

Inside, there is a coffee shop with little tables covered in all kinds of Corner Gas press and trivia. The walls are covered with even more Corner Gas memorabilia, as well as messages from Corner Gas fans. You’d be hard-pressed to find a blank spot to write a message of your own.

Other than the usual coffee shop food and drinks, The Stoop had some nice ice cream that cooled me down nicely on that hot day.

Of course, The Stoop sells a wide variety of Corner Gas merchandise. I still love and treasure the Corner Gas / The Ruby mug that I bought there.

Last thoughts: The Stoop is a great place to see in Rouleau, where there isn’t much to see besides parts of Corner Gas. The Stoop plays it smart by having all the series merchandise on hand for the die-hard fans like me who make the trip to see Dog River. I hope the town of Rouleau will find a way to keep Dog River alive for us. We will be laughing for years to come at the jokes from Brent and company.

Food +++
Service ++++
Ambiance ++++
Washroom +++

The Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse
A 5.5-km hike from Chateau Lake Louise

If you like nature and feel like having a cup of tea somewhere other than Starbucks or Tim Horton’s, then go for the Teahouse Hike in Lake Louise. From the Chateau Lake Louise, there are two hiking options to two different teahouses. The one described here is farther out and therefore the longer hike. If you really want a challenge, you can hike to both teahouses in one day.

Before you can get your cup of tea, though, you will have to put on your hiking boots. Yes, they are not optional, because the trail is more than just compacted earth. A long stretch of the route consists of rocks, and they are small enough to make you slide and hurt yourself.

The hike can be done without a map. Just go along the lake on the right side (with the Chateau Lake Louise behind you) and keep following the trail for 5.5 kilometers. You will pass some beautiful scenery, including waterfalls, towering rockfaces (where you might spot some rock-climbers), and of course glaciers. Once you reach the teahouse you’ll be at an elevation of 2100 meters. Nearby is a nice little stream of freezing-cold mountain water. There are also two dry toilets so you don’t have to go in the bushes.

The Teahouse stands off to the side from the trail and offers seating on trail level and one level up. The food and drinks are made fresh in the teahouse, and because the teahouse doesn’t have electricity they can’t be stored long. Supplies are brought in by helicopter at the beginning of the season. After this delivery, additional supplies - if they run out - have to be carried on horses or by the teahouse employees themselves.

The teahouse welcomes you with a nice ambiance, especially after a long, exhausting hike. You’ll be glad to sit down and try some of their menu offerings. I had some great lemonade that really refreshed me and made me ready to hike a bit farther to see all the glaciers in the area.

Last thoughts: Visiting this tea house is well worth the hike. One downside is that it can get pretty busy during peak season, which could take away from your experience. Nonetheless, it’s nowhere near as busy as the Lake Agnes Teahouse, which is a much shorter hike from Chateau Lake Louise.

Drinks ++++
Service +++++
Ambiance +++++
Washrooms +++