The Bare Food Co

Wandering Drogheda on a dreary-looking day, Tammy and I were fed up with banks and their sh!t policies and even worse customer service. I swear I feel like writing a rant on the obtuse policies of obtaining a bank account in Ireland at some point instead, but luckily our lunch stood out as a great alternative topic of conversation.

Off to the side, we saw a sign that said "Bare Food Co." and Tammy immediately said she'd recognized the name because a friend recommended it. Apparently they had some gluten-free and dairy-free options or something. So, we decided to take a gander and investigate for ourselves.

As we walked in, there was a small take-away section where you could grab a fresh-pressed juice, a sandwich, and coffee (among other things). It looked pretty Vancouver-hipster-esque, like a small shop in the Mount Pleasant area. Needless to say, it felt kinda like home.

We opted to sit in, and we each took a look at the menu. Tammy was feeling more like something handheld, while I was in the mood for comfort grab-a-spoon-or-fork-and-stuff-it-in-my-face kind of food.

Honey Chicken Sandwich @ The Bare Food Co
Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland
Photo: Brewji

Tammy ordered the Honey Chicken Sandwich, without cheese as we're both intolerant to dairy products. It's served on gluten-free bread, which is a plus because in Canada you'd normally have to pay a premium of 2 to 4 dollars for some store-bought crap bread. At Bare Food (as well as most of Drogheda so far), there is no premium for being born with the inability to digest something.

While her sandwich did arrive with cheese, we were too tired of dealing with things from the day to say anything about it. Lucky for her, Comte cheese is very low in lactose and didn't produce too much bloating. That, and it added extra texture and taste to the sandwich (yes, I had a bite) that made it taste absolutely delicious.

Red Curry, with added Chicken @ The Bare Food Co
Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland
Photo: Brewji

I on the other hand, ordered the Red Curry and added chicken to it. It ended up being a Thai curry, and it was both gluten and dairy free. I remember just the smell driving me wild with excitement. It had been so long since I'd had any sort of Thai curry. Let me just say, this dish is packed with flavour. I had so much going on with my taste buds, including a kick of heat. Lucky for me, the heat was just at my threshold for spice, which meant it didn't really hurt my Crohn's at all.

Tammy also ordered an Americano, which turns out was kind of blah. She said it wasn't anything special.

Now, let's fast-forward about a week. Yes, a week.

The two of us decided to meet up with Tammy's friend who she hasn't seen in years. Today, we each got the same dish. We initially wanted the smoked cod, served with coconut daal and Indian pesto, but the server came back after about 15-20 minutes (they were super busy) and let us know that the cod hadn't come in that day and they couldn't serve the dish. Instead, she offered us the other fish special that day which included haddock, served with a chorizo and bean casserole. We appreciated her letting us know, and double-checked that the special was gluten and dairy-free. Sold!

In addition, we each had an Americano. This time around, I thought it was quite delicious. Tammy agreed. She said this time was like a night-and-day difference. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here; I'm sure their Americanos were always great and we just let the stress get to us the last day. They even gave us some almond milk with our drinks and didn't charge us for it! Vancouver, your shops could learn a thing or two from this place. Dear Vancouver: We shouldn't have to pay premiums for being born with food intolerances.

Back to the entrée -- I'm not really a fish person. Usually I get my fish deep-fried with a set of chips and gravy. However, this was moist, flavourful, and gone pretty quickly. We were so hungry I didn't even get a picture. Granted, it took like 45 minutes to eventually get our food because of the "no cod" situation, and they were in the middle of lunch rush. There's usually no time for pictures when the stomach becomes hangry.

 

Instead, I got some shots of the menu while we waited. Keep in mind, Vancouverites -- all these prices include tax, and people don't really tip in Europe. Why? Because they get paid enough to live by their employers; not the equivalent of €7.20 per hour, only to pay $1000 per month to share a small apartment with two other people. This means what you see is what you pay, case and point.

What else can I say? We'll be back.

We really enjoy this place. The food is delicious and affordable. The service is always friendly, even during a rush. The bathrooms are also very clean, which is a plus for the both of us. I'm really looking forward to trying one of their fresh-pressed juices next time. Either that or a steak sandwich...depends on how I feel I guess.

Tammy gives the Bare Food Co. a can't-wait-til-next-time 8.5 / 10
I give the Bare Food Co. a just-keep-putting-stuff-in-my-mouth-my-wife-is-okay-with-it 9.0 / 10

Dairy-Free Milk Alternatives - Almond

Since most of the world is lactose-intolerant, and in case you didn't know: the main protein in milk (casein) is linked to cancer growth, I've decided to task myself with finding the best options for dairy-free milk alternatives. Well, I'm also doing this because milk products cause myself and Tammy incredulous amounts of pain, bloating, discomfort, and other odd reactions.

After walking through shops in Ireland such as Tesco, Dunnes, Aldi, and Lidl, I've found more variety than I thought existed. Our Bettystown Tesco has more variety of gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan alternatives than the giant Brentwood Whole Foods from back home. And for my folks back in VanCity: Bettystown is like a classy, quaint version of Mission (in terms of distance and size from the city).

Today, I'll start with two unsweetened almond milks from Tesco, under their own brand name. In addition, I'll throw in the Alpro unsweetened almond milk.

In terms of breaking them down, I'm going to put each product through the three basic uses that I have for dairy-free alternative milks:

1. Pouring over cold cereal
2. Adding to hot cereal (Ready Brek or porridge)
3. Adding to hot beverages (coffee and tea)

Tesco: Almond - Alternative to dairy milk
Photo: Brewji

1. Tesco: Almond - Alternative to dairy milk (Unsweetened)

First up, we have Tesco's value brand (or so it seems). It's priced the cheapest at €2 for a 1L carton when it's not on sale. Now, we initially tried a few different brands before this one. This means we have comparison to make!

When pouring over cereal, it I get the most unmasked taste. It's sort of like a soy milk with a nutty flavour instead of the nasty soy taste. Not bad at all, but there are still brands in Canada that could knock this out of the park. Either way, I enjoyed it. What would I change? Add more almonds! There's not enough almond kick in it to convince me that I'm drinking almond milk.

Mixed into Ready Brek, this acts as a good alternative to milk, as it mixes well and doesn't cause any textural issues. However, it still has a lingering nutty taste that is just a little sub-par. It's a good choice for a budget dairy-free alternative.

In coffee, it does its job. Because of the coffee masking most of the taste, it's nothing spectacular. However, it allows me to have my coffee at a drinkable temperature and mixes well with sugar (if sweetened coffee is your thing). I'm just asking Tammy over my shoulder if she liked it in her tea. Her exact response was "Yeah, it was grand."

Overall, I give the Tesco: Almond a budget-friendly 6.0 / 10

Tammy gives the Tesco: Almond a yeah-it-was-grand 6.5 / 10

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Tesco Free-From Milk: Almond Drink (Unsweetened)
Photo: Brewji

2. Tesco Free-From: Almond Drink (Unsweetened)

Next, we have a product from the Tesco "Free From" range. Let me first say, the Tesco "Free From" range of products is an equivalent to the President's Choice range from Superstore back home, except the quality is much better. We prefer these "Free From" products to most expensive, brand-name products. It's not even that pricey, at €2.29 for a 1L carton.

If you've ever had Alpro almond milk, this tastes very similar. It might even be the exact same product with different packaging. But, you just don't get almond milk that tastes this good back in Canada.

Over cold cereal, it's like having milk with the flavour of slivered almonds in it. It's a great texture, not too thin, and thick enough to be a perfect companion to my cereal. In porridge, it works wonderfully and adds a nutty flavour that's quite pronounced and much enjoyed. 

Finally, my favourite use for this is in coffee. It works well in tea, too -- but it shines in coffee. It's better than adding milk and almond flavouring to a coffee. It's not as thick as cream, but adds that silky element to coffee while making it taste just right.

I give the Tesco Free-From: Almond Drink a why-doesn't-this-come-in-a-bigger-carton 8.5 / 10

Tammy gives the Tesco Free-From: Almond Drink a solid 8.0 / 10

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Alpro Roasted Almond Unsweetened
@Tesco, Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland
Photo: Brewji

3. Alpro Roasted Almond (Unsweetened)

Packaged in a similar container to the Tesco Free-From, the Alpro is also slightly more expensive at €2.49 for 1L. However, sometimes at Tesco it'll go on sale with a deal like 2 cartons for €3. This would be the time to stock up! 

I honestly can't tell much of a difference between this and the Tesco Free-From Almond milk. I haven't compared the ingredients from the back of the package...mainly because I accidentally already recycled the packaging. However, I'd consider this on par, or *slightly* higher than the previous. I may rate this slightly higher, but it may just be because this was the first truly great almond milk I tried in Ireland. 

On cereal, it seems to have a more almond flavour than the Tesco, slightly. I really appreciate this, as I love almonds in my cereal! In hot cereal such as Ready Brek, this is a no-brainer. Who wouldn't want nutty flavours in their porridge? Well, those allergic to it I guess. 

In coffee, I add two sugars and some of this almond milk...and I have no cravings for any fancy coffee. It's just that good. I'd love to get an espresso machine and see how this fares in a mocha or a latte.

I give the Alpro Roasted Almond (Unsweetened) a maybe-I'm-biased-but-my-heart-says-yes-please 9.0 / 10

Tammy gives the Alpro Roasted Almond (Unsweetened) a best-of-the-three 9.0 / 10

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Do YOU have any recommendations for a Canadian like me? 

Let me know! Comment below, or Tweet me @Brewji

Esquires Coffee in Drogheda

Well well, Tammy and I have our boots settled in (actually, I've yet to get myself a pair of boots of any sort), and we've started trekking through the nearest town of Drogheda. Situated on either side of the River Boyne, it's the nearest place where we can hit up a Penney's, Tesco, a chip shop, and grab a fancy coffee all at the same time.

After an unfortunate encounter at the bank trying to set up an account (because the guy working there couldn't point out Canada on a map), I spotted one of the employees looking stressed and drinking out of an Esquires cup. This made me want to pop into the café when we walked past it. Initially, we tried their Americano last week and it was incredible.

This time, we met up with one of Tammy's friends and we each had a large ("Grande") Caffe Mocha made with coconut milk, and a slice of -- get this -- Toblerone Almond Cake. How awesome does that sound? Best of all, it was gluten-free. The cake was definitely not dairy-free, which meant bloating was destined for us. However, it was a treat and a special occasion which meant we were willing to put up with a little pain in exchange for deliciousness.

Caffe Mocha with Coconut Milk @ Esquires Coffee
13 West St., Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland
Photo: Brewji

Let's start with the Caffe Mocha. First, it was honestly the biggest cup of coffee I've ever been served in a cafe. I'd say it was probably a 20oz mug, a proper pint. The frothy foam lead into a beautiful warm, sweet caffeinated home of coconut milk and oh-so-glorious chocolate.

It was served at a perfectly drinkable temperature, and was not overly-sweet or bitter. I'd give this a perfect ten, reminiscing about the mocha I had at the East Cafe back in Vancouver. The main difference was that in Esquires there's no extra charge for non-dairy milk, and the size of the coffee was twice as big while the price is comparable.

Toblerone Almond Cake (Gluten-Free) @ Esquires Coffee
13 West St., Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland
Photo: Brewji

Now, the gluten-free cake...Toblerone Almond Cake. I don't think I've ever imagined something like this being created. I'm almost at a loss for words. Layered like a deep dish pizza, the bottom is a crumb-like crust. The middle of the cake is layered like a lasagna, with crust in between sheets of a chocolate-y, nutty paste. Finally, the cake is topped off with what seems like melted Toblerone chocolate and crushed almonds. It's mouth-watering and absolutely delicious. If they ever have it again, I'm probably getting another slice for myself (it was worth the pain!).

Tammy and I both enjoyed ourselves here, and the quality of the products and service solidifies that we'll be back. It's our new favourite coffee shop, because Insomnia messed up our drinks twice and we've only been there twice. That, and we can't quite visit East Cafe back in Vancouver anymore.

I give Esquires Coffee a gluten-free-with-coconut-milk-in-heaven 9.5 / 10
Tammy gives Esquires Coffee a solid 9.0 / 10

Orchard Thieves Cider (Brewji Ireland!)

Since landing in Ireland, I've had many new challenges and opportunities as I begin to adjust to the lifestyle here. There will be posts about everything from groceries to Gluten-Free and dairy-free products, to cider and drinks and coffee.

I've yet to obtain a laptop adapter (should arrive in the mail in a few days!) so I'm writing this on my Nexus 5 smartphone.

That said, today I've gone for a new cider that was recommended to me by a former coworker at Clio, when she visited Vancouver from their Dublin office. I picked up a 660mL bottle of Orchard Thieves Cider (ABV 4.5%) while grocery shopping at Tesco! (Yes, you can buy liquor at grocery stores here.) Oh, and on the plus side it's gluten free, as it should be.

Anyway, let's get to the review!

Orchard Thieves Cider @Brewji Ireland HQ
Donacarney, Co. Meath
Photo: Brewji

The Orchard Thieves pours a clear golden colour, with an initial amount of golden-white head that fizzles away very quickly.

On sniff, I get semi-sweet and tart apple. Essentially, it smells like a proper, crisp and dry cider.

Orchard Thieves Cider @ Brewji Ireland
Donacarney, Co. Meath
Photo: Brewji

Taste is sweet, but not overly sweet in an artificial sense. It doesn't feel like one of the many BC “dry and crisp” craft ciders which were neither very dry nor very crisp.

However, as Tammy pointed out to me: If you let this cider warm up a bit, the taste disappears and you're left with remnants of a warm apple juice-like beverage.

If you're new to ciders, this might be a gateway. It's light-bodied and mellow at 4.5% ABV.

I'm not sure if this is available in BC, but I've sent a WhatsApp message to my crew and recommended it in case they see it. If you do spot this at the BCL or private liquor stores, pick one up!

The Orchard Thieves Cider gets a refreshing-and-harmless 7.0 / 10

Gluten-Free Epicurean & Matchstick Coffee

What are some of the best combos in the world? You've got peanut butter and chocolate, chicken nuggets and gravy, Sho-Ryu-Ken, whiskey and a glass, Tammy and myself...the list goes on.

Adding another epic combo to the list, Tammy and I traveled to the Gluten-Free Epicurean with one of our good friends, Becca! She seems to know the ins and outs of this city, and has some of the best recommendations for food and drink.

The GF Epicurean is a bakery that's completely gluten-free and serves up hot and cold baked goods. They also have a selection of take-and-bake essentials such as pizza shells, bagels, and cookies. But, what did it all taste like?

Before I can answer that question, let me tell you that while they don't serve coffee themselves, there is coffee available. A couple of doors down is a place called Matchstick. The two spots allow customers to bring coffee into the GF Epicurean, or bring baked goods into Matchstick. I love the collaboration and community feel going on in this hood! It's one of the few things I feel like I'm going to miss about Vancouver.

Matchstick Coffee + Cinnamon Bun + Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie
@ Gluten-Free Epicurean, Vancouver BC
Photo: Totally Tammy

Down to the details -- I ordered a Peanut Butter + Chocolate Brownie, and Tammy got a Glazed Cinnamon Bun. Both were completely gluten-free, and I believe both were dairy-free as well. I'll be honest, I didn't get a taste of the cinnamon bun, although I'm sure she offered me a taste at some point. But, the brownie was incredible. The icing on top was creamy, sweet, and peanut-buttery. The brownie didn't taste much different from a normal glutinous brownie. It was rich, chewy, and took me to a whole new world for a little bit.

What about the coffee? Matchstick has a few pour-over coffees available, and I'm not quite sure which one I got now that I think about it. However, mine had more of an apple and fruit undertone to it, while Tammy's was a bit more complex flavour-wise. We both thoroughly enjoyed our coffees, and would definitely return. The pour-over wasn't quite as caffeinated as Revolver, but we got bigger cups with more coffee, and it tasted just as good. Plus, it wasn't priced at $5-6 a cup like Revolver, but rather a more modest $3-4.

I haven't tried any of the teas at Matchstick, but Becca did get some tea at the GF Epicurean (where we ultimately decided to chill out). Tammy also had a slice of gluten-free, dairy-free pizza, which was made with a cashew-based cheese. I didn't have a bite, because I can't digest some of the veggies that were on it. She swears it was delicious, and still talks about it even though it's been about a week since we've been there. That's a sign that they do a damn good pizza.

Would we come back? Absolutely.

But, I'll be in Ireland with Tammy within a week, so it'll have to wait until next time! We just wanted to get the word out there -- you gotta try these places! They both get Brewji's stamp of approval for sure.


I give the Gluten-Free Epicurean + Matchstick Coffee a should've-got-a-brownie-to-go 9.5 / 10

Tammy gives the Gluten-Free Epicurean + Matchstick Coffee a can-you-open-in-Dublin-please 9.0 / 10

Sante Gluten-Free Cafe - in Victoria!

I'm back in Victoria this weekend with Tammy to finish off one of my Provincial Instructor Diploma courses. It just happens to coincide with the royal visit - you know, those fancy people from England.

Well, class ended early one of the days. Tammy and I decided we wanted to grab some gluten-free cake and a coffee, as we've had such troubles with gluten lately. My crohn's has been especially affected, and her gut (undiagnosed, thanks to BC rejecting her 3 times for MSP) has been bothering her as well.

Google and Zomato both pointed to Sante Gluten-Free Cafe, on Quadra Street. With pretty good reviews, and a selection of non-dairy milks for coffee, we decided to take the 30 minute hike from our hotel for some warm, caffeinated goodness.

When we got there, we found a variety of baked goods in the glass cabinet, as well as a freezer full of goodies in the back. There's no shortage of options, that's for sure.

Tammy ordered an almond milk latte, and I ordered a coconut milk Mocha. We also got cupcakes; I got a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting, and Tammy got a carrot cake cupcake with frosting. Keep in mind, all this is gluten-free.

Carrot Cake Cupcake and Chocolate Cupcake (Gluten-Free) @ Sante Gluten-Free Cafe
Victoria, BC
Photo: Brewji

Since this is my birthday weekend, Tammy treated me. However, the total before tip came to just under $18! That's about 2 hours of work if you earn minimum wage. Not only that, but the card machine buttons stopped working when it asked for a tip. That should have been our first clue.

We sat at a table by the window, and started eating our cupcakes while we waited for our drinks to be made. My chocolate cupcake had crunchy bits in it, sort of like rock candy or crystallized sugar chunks. I'm not sure if that's intentional, but I wanted Tammy to taste it to see what she thought.

I went to give Tammy a bite. However, she noticed a problem with the cupcake. It was a bit of a hair-y situation (see picture). It wasn't the only hair in the cupcake. This makes me wonder -- more than one hair means they're not using hair nets, which leads me to believe that they're probably not following FoodSafe protocols. With a gut as sensitive as mine or Tammy's, this doesn't fare well - especially with the price point. (As I type this, my stomach is turning. I'm trying to wash out the taste and calm my stomach with a Tim Horton's steeped tea.)

Bit of a hairy situation (hard to capture with a phone camera)
Photo: Brewji

I'm using my Nexus 5 camera, so it's not the greatest. But click the image and you'll see one of the few hairs that was entwined in my cupcake.

To be frank, they were polite and apologetic, and got another cupcake for me. Hair-free, thankfully. I'm not the type of person to send food back, as I've worked in a restaurant and seen some things I'd rather not. But with multiple hairs in one cupcake, we were both kind of put off. Tammy's cupcake was pretty decent, but nothing special.

Onto their drinks, which were probably in 10oz mugs. Tammy's almond milk latte was okay for the first sip with some almond milk and foam, but the espresso left a bitter and burnt aftertaste. She said the taste was so bad, she's currently washing it down with Tim Horton's coffee as I type this.

For $4.50, you can get a cup of burnt espresso too.
Photo: TotallyTammy

As for my coconut milk mocha...she didn't put anything sweet into it. It was essentially the same burnt-tasting espresso as Tammy's, with a little bit of coconut milk in it. I honestly don't mind the taste of the espresso as much, seeing as my craft beer tastes span to include burnt coffee stouts and such. However, a mocha is definitely supposed to have a sweet characteristic to it. To be blunt, I didn't get what I ordered, and I wasn't about to go up to the counter and ask them to fix this either.

As Tammy said to me "If it's going to be priced higher than Starbucks, it better taste better than Starbucks". Well, first they better make the right drink.

I don't mean to be rude, but if my wife is paying $18 + tip for 2 coffees and 2 cupcakes, I'd expect to get what we ordered, without the added hairs. I get the hair wasn't intentional, but if they intentionally refuse to follow food safety protocols, then it's their fault for sure.

If you have money to blow, and you're celiac or have a gluten intolerance, then by all means take your chances and pray you don't get sick.

In fact, here's my first Pros and Cons list I'm going to make about a place:


PROS:

• Gluten-free baked goods variety
• Non-dairy milk selection for drinks includes Soy, Almond, and Coconut
• Staff are decently polite
• "Free" Wi-Fi

CONS:

• Baked goods may include natural, hairy additives
• Drinks may not have all the ingredients you thought
• Your wallet will hurt
• Your stomach will probably hurt, too
• The toilet doesn't flush properly (I have Crohn's! And they're lucky it was just pee!)
• Credit/Debit card machine doesn't work properly (it won't let you tip, not that you'd want to)
• The Wi-Fi is password protected, and the password isn't given

Overall, I'd describe my experience here as a bad decision, and a learning experience.

We're washing this away with Tim Hortons. Let that sink in for a minute.

Tammy gives Sante Gluten-Free Cafe a 1.0 / 10 because their carrot cake cupcake wasn't awful.

I give the Sante Gluten-Free Cafe a recommendation-to-use-a-hair-net-and-make-my-drink-right-instead 0.0 / 10 -- never coming back. I'd rather wipe my ass with an owl, thank you very much.

DISCLAIMER: ** I understand this is a small, locally-owned business that works hard to make sure they have local, organic ingredients. However, we work hard for our money, too. We pay the premium for these ingredients and we obviously ran into an unfortunate situation. It doesn't change our opinion, and I want to make sure others are aware of this as well. Hopefully they see this and start wearing hair-nets and enforcing FoodSafe protocols. **

Hillside Coffee & Tea in Victoria

Well, since I'm enrolled in the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program (PIDP) at Vancouver Community College, it means I have to take one of my courses in-person. To get this done as soon as possible, I took the offering that's in Victoria for a couple of weekends this month.

Tammy came along with me for last weekend, and we decided to stop at one of the well-reviewed cafes near our AirBnB. We stayed near Hillside Shopping Centre, and decided to pop into Hillside Coffee & Tea before leaving for the ferry.

It's got a hipster-y, small-town cafe feel when you enter. It definitely wasn't empty either. We went closer to the end of the day, and it was still really busy. That's usually a good sign. They have options for Almond and Soy milk, but their prices were a bit outrageous. That, and our barista / service person was quite cold and rude -- contrary to the amazing and friendly people we encountered in Victoria.

Imagine ordering a Venti drink at Starbucks...maybe $5? That's the price of most drinks here. An iced coffee is about $4. That, and their baked goods are about $3.50 to $4 per piece. I mean, sure they've got bite-sized morsels of food for $2.50, but that's not enough for a snack.

Carrot Cake, Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte, and Iced Coffee
@ Hillside Coffee and Tea, Victoria, BC
Photo: Brewji

Tammy and I got a slice of carrot cake, and a drink each. I got an iced Pumpkin Spice Latte (because I can, so sue me). Tammy got a plain iced coffee (black). The total? About $13.40.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte was made with almond milk, and on the first few sips it tasted absolutely delicious. I don't know how or why, but after about 1/4 of the glass, it tasted like I was drinking plain soy milk. It tasted like that until the end...so I wasn't too enthused.

Tammy's iced coffee tasted like we went to Timmy's, bought a black coffee and chilled it in the fridge for a few hours. It wasn't really anything great.

The saving grace was in the carrot cake. The cake was moist, the frosting was delicious, and I could definitely see myself spending another $4 on this if I went to a cafe somewhere.

Either way...we probably won't be back. Sorry, but $13 is a lot for unfortunate service and mediocre drinks. Maybe a tea would've been better?

Hillside Coffee & Tea gets an I-wish-the-coffee-was-as-good-as-the-cake 3.0 / 10