The Cannon Coffee Company

179 Ottawa Street North
Hamilton, Ont.
905-700-0088
Facebook- Cannon Coffee Co.
Twitter- @cannoncoffeeco

"A beautiful artisan coffee shop on Ottawa Street at Cannon. Come by and say hi and try a ridiculously good waffle sandwich."

I had a pretty fabulous Monday on the start of March break, had two coffee dates with friends and they were fantastic. I had made arrangements to meet my friend on Ottawa Street, I hadn't tried the Cannon Coffee Company but had been following them on Facebook, I knew they carried Detour Coffee and they are known for their food and friendly atmosphere, what better place to meet a friend than there? I was immediately excited by the sign on the door (some clever person had cross stitched a welcome sign) and my estimation of this shop was correct. The Cannon is a friendly, neighbourhood type cafe, they make their own food from scratch and the waffles are cooked as you wait, my lunch pal had one and they provided maple syrup for the ham, apple and cheese as a side. I ordered a bowl of soup (I love soup almost as much as coffee) and the special was broccoli cheddar and was really good. The lovely girl serving today was friendly, answered my questions and was patient as the cafe filled up with satisfied customers on a dreary, rainy Monday. I ordered my coffee and discovered they use the "pour over" method with a lineup of drippers, the coffee was delicious. I have become more and more aware of the quality of flavour with the style of serving coffee, The Cannon was super!

1) Coffee- $2.25 reg $3.50 large 8/10
2) roasted locally- detour from Dundas/Burlington 9.5/10
3) service- coffee was quick, food took a bit (I understand they are hiring) 7/10
4) accessibility- Ottawa and Cannon with lots of lots nearby 7.5/10
5) flavour- full, fresh and quick 9/10
6) Eco- friendly- china cups available, not sure about soy/almond milk 8/10
7) cup size- regular size was about 10 onzes 7/10
8) food- fresh, delicious and unique 8.5/10 (took a bit too long)
9) ambience- fun, bright, relaxed, original cups and t-shirts for sale 8.5/10
10) wifi- yes 10/10

Overall rating- 8.3/10 it's a great place to check out!

Parkermann's Fine Tea Shop

47 King Street East
Stoney Creek, ON
(905)930-8832
Parkermanns@cogeco.ca
Www.parkermanns.com

Although Parkermanns is a tea shop by nature, I love this quaint, and amazing little shop in the heart of my home town of Stoney Creek. I believe the first time I went to Parkermanns (it was on the cover of the Stoney Creek News) in September 2012, it wasn't officially opened yet...they were taking donations to meet costs and donate proceeds to charity. I was blown away by the beauty of the china, the shininess of the new machines and the rows and rows of teas on the walls...in short,it's amazing. I had tea the first few times I went but coffee is truly where my heart lies, so I asked about coffee and was so happy I did :). Parkermanns has some of the best coffee available, the beans are freshly roasted in Hamilton at the Redhill Coffee Roasters and delivered regularly and available for purchase (which I have done many times).

When you enter Parkermanns you are always welcomed with a smile, conversation and tons of knowledge about tea if you want to know. Rooibos is caffeine-free, did you know that? Well if you didn't, you could look it up with the wifi in the shop *gasp*! You have a choice between lovely china tea cups and compostable cups, and you need not worry because they recycle or compost all the trash and are happy to help!

1) coffee - $1.77 for medium and $1.99 for large 9/10
2) roasted locally - Redhill Coffee Roasters 9/10
3) service - 9.5/10 (with a smile and welcoming engagement)
4) accessibility - 2 hours free parking on King Street 9/10
5) Flavour - full, robust and not bitter 9.5/10
6) Eco-friendly - 10/10 (recycling, composting, china available and locally purchased coffee and treat from Cake and Loaf on Dundurn)
7) cup size - 9/10 (variety and good size with good price)
8) food - 9/10 (salads, quiche and sandwiches made in house and treats from Cake&Loaf
9) ambiance - 8/10 ( fun music with limited seating)
10) wifi - yes!!!!!! 10/10

*overall rating of 9/10 for a wonderful place that is open 7 days a week...special nights advertised on Facebook (tea reading, knitting nights, book clubs and fundraising).