o X o ce X Citroën Andrea Noble Every process starts with an idea Still Life Fruit Bowl by Dene Croft o p e n e d t h e last w e e k o f 2 0 0 5 a n d is a l r e a d y a trendy spot f o r locals. T h e cafe is r u n b y D e n e C r o f t , a trained chef and self-taught artist. O r i g i n a l l y f r o m N e w Z e a l a n d , he h a s l i v e d o n t h e N o r t h S h o r e f o r t h e p a s t 1 5 y e a r s . W h e n he a r r i v e d i n C a n a d a , he w a s a w o r k i n g c h e f . A f t e r his s o n w a s b o r n , 10 years a g o , h i s life c h a n g e d drastically. H i s w i f e at the time w a s a flight attendant a n d he m a d e a c a r e e r d e c i s i o n t o l e a v e c o o k i n g b e h i n d a n d become a stay-at-home d a d . " S o m e o n e h a d t o take care o f t h e c h i l d r e n , " he s a y s . W i t h h i s n e w l i f e s t y l e , h e p i c k e d up a p a i n t b r u s h a n d started p a i n t i n g . H e t r a i n e d h i m s e l f by c r e a t i n g h i s o w n u n i q u e p r o c e s s o f p a i n t i n g b a c k w a r d s while looking through a mirror. H i s paintings were soon scooped u p by the H a r r i s o n G a l l e r y a n d his w o r k started s e l l i n g . H i s w o r k n o w sells f o r h i g h g a l l e r y p r i c e s , b u t as w i t h most artistic ventures the earnings are u n p r e d i c t a b l e . A recent d i v o r c e f o r c e d D e n e t o r e a r r a n g e h i s l i f e t o c r e a t e a m o r e stable career w i t h o u t g i v i n g u p f a m i l y a n d his a r t . T h e cafe started the same w a y Dene's p a i n t i n g s start, w i t h an i d e a . T h e i d e a w a s t o c r e a t e a l i f e s t y l e t h a t w o r k s f o r h i m s e l f a n d h i s f a m i l y . A s t h e i d e a g r e w , it e v o l v e d i n t o a comfortable a n d sophisticated cafe called C i t r o e n . T h e cafe is a c r e a t i v e w a y f o r D e n e t o u t i l i z e a l l h i s life s k i l l s . H e has p r o d u c e d a s p a c e w h e r e he c a n sell g r e a t c o f f e e , p a i n t a n d t a k e c a r e o f h i s k i d s . T h e c a f e is h i s s e c o n d h o m e . A f t e r a l l , he s p e n d s 13 h o u r s a d a y , 7 d a y s a w e e k a t C i t r o e n . It's n o t easy, b u t h e l o v e s i t a n d t h e k i d s d o t o o . H e has successfully m a r r i e d three careers together: painting, p a r e n t i n g a n d p r o d u c i n g great coffee. Dene paints i n the cafe. H e takes u p a s m a l l corner, but his p a i n t i n g d r a w s a l o t o f a t t e n t i o n . T h i s is s o m e w h a t o f a s u r p r i s e t o D e n e . A l t h o u g h he is v e r y s o c i a l , he w a s n ' t expecting to talk to people w h i l e p a i n t i n g . T h e reactions from c u s t o m e r s a r e g e n e r a l l y r e a l l y g o o d . M o s t p e o p l e enjoy h i s a r t w o r k , b u t they d o n ' t n e c e s s a r i l y w a n t t o h a n g it. D e n e feels t h e s a m e w a y a b o u t m a n y p a i n t i n g s . A s a result, he tries t o m a i n t a i n a fine b a l a n c e b e t w e e n p a i n t i n g w h a t sells a n d p a i n t i n g f r o m t h e h e a r t . N o m a t t e r w h a t he p a i n t s , he is i n t e r e s t e d i n s h a d o w a n d l i g h t . H e t a k e s i t t o extremes u s i n g 1 0 0 0 w a t t h a l o g e n l i g h t t o h e a v i l y a c c e n t h i s images. T h e p a i n t i n g s i n t h e cafe a r e n o t o n d i s p l a y t o s e l l . D e n e is n o t l o o k i n g f o r m o r e e x p o s u r e . H i s p a i n t i n g s a r e u p because, " t h e p a i n t i n g s w o r k w i t h the c a f e , " he s a y s . Coffee shops are s p r o u t i n g u p a l l over the city, b u t D e n e d i d n ' t w a n t to replicate the c o m m o n patterns. H i s g o a l w a s to create s o m e t h i n g o u t o f the o r d i n a r y by u p p i n g the ante o n f o o d a n d c o f f e e . H e uses a l o c a l r o a s t e r f o r t w o r e a s o n s . F i r s t , he w a n t s t o s u p p o r t l o c a l b u s i n e s s a n d s e c o n d , the l o c a l r o a s t e r p r o v i d e s better q u a l i t y c o n t r o l a n d f r e s h b a t c h e s . D e n e is a p e r f e c t i o n i s t . H e d o e s n ' t c u t a n y c o r n e r s , b u y i n g t h e best c o f f e e m a c h i n e t h a t r u n s l i k e a l i t t l e F e r r a r i . E v e n p o u r i n g c o f f e e is a n a r t i n itself. C i t r o e n is a c o n s t a n t e v o l u t i o n . D e n e hopes to eventually host live m u s i c once a w e e k . T h e f o o d a t t h e c a f é is a l s o s p e c i a l . It's a n e x p a n s i o n of typical café f o o d using organic ingredients a n d Dene's own r e c i p e s . E v e r y t h i n g is r e a s o n a b l y p r i c e d b e c a u s e he d o e s n ' t w a n t t o be t h e m o s t e x p e n s i v e p l a c e i n t o w n , b u t he d o e s n ' t w a n t t o be t h e c h e a p e s t . If y o u ' r e c u r i o u s a b o u t w h e t h e r t h i s is t h e best p l a c e t o get c o f f e e a n d a u n i q u e a m b i a n c e , check it o u t f o r y o u r s e l f . ...painting, parenting and producing great coffee. Burrard Street Bridge by Dene Croft WHO: Dene Croft WHAT: Citroen Coffee House WHERE: 208 tonsdale Ave., North Vancouver March | April