Red Rocket Coffee

Red Rocket Coffee
Address: 1402 Queen Street East
Neighbourhood: Queen East /Leslieville
website, @redrocketcoffee Tel: 416-406-0880
Open daily 7AM - 6PM

Operating on the outskirts of Leslieville is the appropriately named cafe that faces the TTC streetcar yard. Conveniently located at the corner of Queen and Vancouver (insert West coast chuckles)... houses the brick facade building that is also home to Queen Marghertia Pizza. The former Chinese noodle factory has turned into an urban lifestyle centre. They've also built a gorgeous outdoor patio, that is actually great to lounge on during weather appropriate months (Spring-Fall). Red Rocket Coffee was named after the iconic "Toronto people-mover" slings out some decent concoctions using only Fair-trade organic coffees provided from other local roaster Reunion Island. 
When I said concoctions, I mean coffee drinks that need a recipe, or I guess one could describe it as "signature drinks" with a twist.
Case in point: Red Rocket
(Mayan chocolate, coffee and 3 espresso shots) 
Take a ride on the 501 Queen StreetCar and get off at Greenwood, to discover what those east-enders are raving about. Pizza and Coffee - seems to be the latest trends in TO. Housed next to each other - seems like the prefect extended date afternoon/evening to explore some of the historic sites in the east: Leslie Street Spit/ TTC greenwood yard.

Let's get down to details:
Machine: Elektra 2 Group
Beans: Bullet Espresso
          (Brazilian, Ethopian and Sumatran)
Roasters: Reunion Island.
Grinder: Robur
Turnover: Moderate, and tons of TTC employees come in too. I swear, I've always seen at least one on my trips to the cafe.

Verdict: Rich thick crema produced, but my double espresso turned into a 4 oz. drink. more of a 1:1 espresso: water ratio... not my choice of cup size. But in the end Reunion has never really peaked my interest, ended up being quite bland no highlights of cocoa. The acidity was a little too prominent for me.

Great for coffee science, just not great espresso on it's own. Come for the cutesy space and view.