Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Study hard at Muddy Waters Cafe

Zed and I were in need of a coffee last night, so around nine we decided to head over to Muddy Waters.

Just across the street from us, we had passed the cafe many times but never gone in. However we had purposely stopped at the door to check their hours this past weekend and discovered they were open until midnight on weekdays and Saturdays, and until 11PM on Sundays - I love cafes that are open late. As more of a night person than morning, I love going to have a tea/coffee before turning in.

We arrived in the brightly lit cafe and placed our orders: a chai latte for me (my favourite tea drink is really a London Fog, but I've decided to compare the Chai, readily available/offered at any cafe in the area), and a cafe latte for Zed. We took our seats, as the server who took our orders at the till promised to bring out our drinks when they were ready - Zed and I both appreciated this.

In addition to coffee and tea, the cafe also offers bagel sandwiches, wraps, soups and other nibbles (ie. hummus and pita, veggies and dip, etc.). They also had what were advertised as "homemade desserts," which included cakes, cookies and other treats (I didn't inquire whether these were actually made in house, but they all looked fairly true to the title). Full catering services of the above are also available.

Our drinks arrived just as I had stuck my nose in an Art History textbook and Zed a novel. As I sipped my chai, I found it had a nice addition of nutmeg but otherwise it wasn't really comparable to those found at Leva or Remedy, just a few blocks away. Zed's latte was good, but again nothing to write home about.

The Chai

Compared to other University cafes open during the evening, Muddy Waters was bright and well lit, which had attracted many students. The whole place had a bit of a Bohemian vibe, something like Remedy; although they seem to have struck a cord with studying students more than anything.

In the end, we both found Muddy Waters bright light and soft music to be a great place to sit and study/read, but if we are in need of a good coffee/chai and simply want to sit and enjoy them, we will most likely head down the street to Leva or Remedy (Leva is now open until 11PM Wednesday through Saturday; Remedy until ~midnight every evening).

Muddy Waters Cafe (Liscensed coffee bar and catering)
8211 111 Street
780.433.4390

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