Oh, hi there. It's been a while. Quick update time! Montreal is no longer home and I am now enjoying the hustle and bustle that is London town. That's London, UK for those of you who think there's some sort of hustle and bustle in London, Ontario. More on that in the travel section at some point, hopefully not long, so keep checking the section by clicking anywhere on this sentence.
This one is really to close off what I had in my notes so here goes nothing. This is the last Montreal coffee shop to be reviewed for a little while and it's all going off of notes because this was something like five months ago. Sorry, not sorry.
Odessa is a coastal city in Ukraine, a major seaport and a coffee shop in Montreal's Little Italy, on Beaubien, just off of St-Laurent. Inspired by the setting of its namesake, Odessa's interior is heavily inspired by the sea and nautical pieces are scattered through the entire shop - model ships, knots in frames and seaport landscapes. The wooden panelling and galley like set up of the shop just enhances the nautical vibes even more.
Whether it's a coincidence or a purposeful choice, one of their coffee suppliers is called Anchored from Canada's wonderful Maritimes. Odessa alternates Bows and Arrows and Anchored on a weekly basis but Pilot provides them with a constant supply of beans. My notes seem to say that I had both a Milagro Espresso from Pilot and a Kenya Gachata from Anchored but can't say with certainty. I clearly remember liking it a lot though and that's pretty much all I can say from memory but here's what I have from my notes. Pilot's espresso was well balanced with a slight kick of spice and hints of dark chocolate flavour. I'll let my ridiculous self speak with no alteration to what I wrote down for Anchored's coffee as I described having the first sip of the Gachata: "One of those 'uhhhh' moments where you feel the coffee go down and your muscles relax." I should really stop being so weird.
Overall, Odessa is a great little shop in an area dominated by old school italian shops. Nothing bad about them but a bit of diversity never hurts. I love the nautical vibes and the operation itself is quite barebones with nothing but the grinders and the espresso machine. You only get v60 for your filter coffee and you're limited to some viennoiseries in the food department. If you're in the area then come on in and have yourself a nice cup of joe and feel like you're in some canal boat.
Montreal, this is where I sign off. London is up next on this blog.