Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger
  • ~ Home ~
  • ~ What I Think ~
  • ~ What I See ~
    • Events
    • Food
    • People
    • Places
  • ~ What I Make ~
  • Blog Series
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclaimer

Out & About #571 | Tim Hortons Innovation Cafe

8/2/2019

0 Comments

 
​New downtown openings in the city are essentially synonymous to winding lineups. Whether it be a fleeting fad or an up-and-coming startup, the queuing never seems to cease.
Picture
Picture
Hopping on the bandwagon after Starbucks' more upscale Reserve locations is the Tim Hortons Innovation Café. Claiming to be the solution to generating interest (read: stimulating business) amongst the younger generations, the venture has expanded Tim's original selection to include over-the-top donuts, exclusive (and arguably pretentious) caffeinated options, and supposedly premium sandwiches (think Caprese with focaccia), foregoing the typical glazed donuts and tried-and-true Fruit Explosion. Like Second Cup's King and John flagship, a brew bar is found towards the end of the counter, just adjacent to the drink pickup area.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​I persuaded my favourite fangirl, who has recently found herself in the core not too far from myself, on a lunchtime adventure. We scoured The PATH in search of the outpost, eventually confiding in the directory to guide us to the ground floor of the Exchange Tower. Contrary to our suspicions, it was not on the lower level of First Canadian Place. Street access could be found on Adelaide at southeast corner of York and Adelaide.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​The lineup extended outside of the store, which we joined without much hesitation. Inching in with every passing minute, the red decor, not-yet-operative self-serve kiosks, and downtown-exclusive menu slowly came into view.
Greeting us first was the donut display; the colourful, sugary treats could be purchased as singles or dozens (half or full). Next along the ordering path was the cashier, where drink orders were placed and names were taken, inaccurately might I note, for the cups. The pickup process didn't differ too greatly from Starbucks, but it felt oddly less personal than the Seattle java giant.
Picture
​Cleanliness level did not vary vastly from any other Tim Hortons: sticky counters, coffee splatters, a disoriented utensil area, and stained delivery slips possess a consistent presence. The addition of name tag-bearing drinks is a recent introduction - likely to appeal to the urban masses. Seating may be more sophisticated in comparison, with a wooden communal table and velvety finish sofas along the north perimeter, but I found neither inviting due to the tables' overall filth and clutter.
​Identical orders of a Maple Bacon Donut (not for myself) and a Nitro Cold Brew were placed. I snuck a quick bite of the "Dream Donut" following an unnecessarily humid outdoor trek: it tasted like a regular Maple Donut. Maybe it was a bit fluffier than my last Tims - whenever that was - but the bacon topping made little to no difference.
Picture
Picture
The Tims Draft Latte had been in several articles as being a sweet concoction bearing an impeccably smooth, silky crema, however the truth could not be further. Coffee from the Canadian fast franchise has never been my go-to, nor will it ever be, notwithstanding the presence of another coffee house in the forty-kilometre radius. Over the years, I've come to associate the name with a poor quality brew, as have many surrounding caffeine fiends; "a watery mess" is my reason for denial. The Draft Latte (aka Nitro Cold Brew) didn't stray too far from this description: acidic with a thin, bitter layer of foam, I breathed a sigh of relief that I had ultimately chosen a Small. The cup's contents were incredibly potent, but otherwise impossible to enjoy on its own. Ice cubes and a generous splash of soy milk assisted me in finishing the $2.79 monstrosity.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​A Turkey Avocado, which rang in at a whopping $8.49, was depicted as being wholly average and unsuccessful in engaging the tastebuds for further sampling.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​I returned towards the end of the week to consolidate my findings about the allegedly one-of-a-kind undertaking with a Matcha Latte.
Lineup control measures were in full effect, with separate strings for donut-only and food/beverage purchases. Wait times were also considerably shorter than Monday, despite our 12pm visit.
Picture
​On this outing, we were delegated with the mission of obtaining lunchtime munchables for our small group. Orders had been taken prior to departure, quoting the menu published in several articles. While there was no shortage of Dream Donuts (except the Hazelnut Buttercream), the meal assortment had plummeted extravagantly. Unattainable items included the Pesto Chicken Wrap, Tomato Gouda Soup, and Moroccan Vegetable Soup; in their place was a creamy Portobello Mushroom soup and a regular ol' Tims Chili. A rotating menu is fine, but given the newness of the establishment, inconsistency in menu availability is an aspect that cannot be commended. This is especially true at its given prices: soups and sandwiches started at $4.99 and $7.99 respectively - a steep ascent from any regular Tim Hortons.

​Witnessed again were tacky tables and sticky donut boxes - there was no improvement to be seen here.
Picture
Picture
Picture
< Pictured above and below:
  • Maple Bacon Dream Donut
  • Nitro Cold Brew
  • Crème Brûlée Dream Donut
  • Dulce de Leche Donut
  • Cranberry Orange Donut
  • Matcha Latte >
Picture
Picture
My Matcha Latte, which I had cautiously took to in a Small size, was gritty and grimace-inducing (literally). Bitter but decidedly devoid of a distinct grassy aroma, it fell short of whatever expectations had remained. On a more positive note, the microfoam heart had been executed skillfully, its configuration unaltered by my request for skim milk (the default was whole). One could also opt out of sweetener - a feature absent at McCafé. All factors considered, however, the $3.59 price tag - along with the 60-minute round trip - failed to be warranted.
Picture
The sole redeeming item of the trip was the Crème Brûlée Dream Donut. Having publicly declared my penchant for all forms of the European dessert, this was an object of major interest for me. With a delicate, blowtorched surface that cracked under moderate pressure and a vanilla bean-speckled pastry cream filling, this was quite stellar in comparison to the rest of the batch. The donut itself was dry and undeserving of merit, though the contemporary additions were worth a try.
As for everything else, 130 King W is merely a gimmick as far as I can tell.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Who Am I?

    Formerly an avid owner of several interest-based portals, Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger presents precisely the elements expected. From experiments in the kitchen to miscellaneous musings, from IGOT7 reflections to developments in transportation infrastructure, it's all consolidated here. Welcome to the raw, unfiltered side of Quirky Aesthetics.



    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013


    Categories

    All
    Ahgabond Adventures
    Ahgase
    Arctic Aquarium
    Atlantic Canada 2018
    Barrie
    Beauty
    Birthday Buddy
    Calgary 2023
    Chinese New Year
    Conquering COVID 19
    Daily Randoms
    Eyes On You World Tour 2018
    Food
    Friends
    Hallyucon
    Hamilton
    Hong Kong
    Iron Ring
    J Movie
    K Drama
    K-Drama
    Korean Beauty
    K Pop
    Los Angeles 2017
    Macau
    New York 2018
    Ottawa 2019
    Pilates
    Random Rant
    Restaurant Review
    Seoul
    Shopping
    SSMC
    Taiwan
    Vacation
    Vancouver 2013
    Vancouver 2014
    Vancouver 2015
    Vancouver 2016
    Vancouver 2020
    Vancouver 2022


    trazy.com

    RSS Feed


WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Quirky =  a term that commonly refers to something/someone distinctly different and unique
Aesthetics = the visual aspect of things



Together, Quirky Aesthetics refers to the things, events, and happenings seen and perceived by this blog's creator - quirky perspectives in a visual form.

Contact ME

​Subscribe

Join our mailing list today!
Join Now
© Quirky Aesthetics. All rights reserved. Last modified: August 10, 2015.