By William Crooks
The eternal question: are you a McD’s person or a Timmie’s person when it comes to coffee? Some of my friends swear by the one and won’t touch the other, and some vice versa. I am the Switzerland of this perennial battle – an equal opportunity and neutral imbiber. Timmie’s is usually a little cheaper, but sometimes McDonald’s sells their coffee for a dollar. I often order my coffee black, though I make exceptions on the weekend. In a previous life, I worked for McDonald’s and therefore had infinite access to their coffee on working nights, or half off anywhere near Sherbrooke otherwise. I now drink mostly homebrew. Why? Money. Two large coffees per day from McD’s cost $5. $5 a day for a month is $150 – so, a year is $1,800… on coffee. Totally ridiculous. So, at the urging of friends and family, I got myself a percolator. Initially I tried Maxwell House but found it undrinkable. I switched to President’s Choice Medium Roast and have never turned back, though I still have been known to partake in the drive-thru variety when spirits are low in the mid-afternoon on a work day…
Speaking of coffee, there is a nice little café/restaurant near the Town Hall in Sherbrooke called Bistro Kaapeh Espresso that serves coffee in just about any style you could ask for. It also serves breakfast! For various reasons, I was solo today. I parked at the closest spot I could find – right in front of the Town Hall. Kaapeh has a chic atmosphere; upon entering your eyes are drawn upwards to its metallic, patterned and spraypainted ceiling. Its main walls are brick and a long serving bar stretches down its left side. Near the back there is a shelf of coffee-related items, and they sell t-shirts off a rack near their small lounge area. The place can fit maybe 30 people; some young, hip clientele were working away on their laptops as I sat down. A new-age looking mural is painted above their door on the inside, and decorative and eclectic lighting hangs low from above.
