The toughest latte on the block

 There is one thing I can always count on when I go home to Toronto...and that is a perfect latte.  It may sound like something relatively easy to come by and yet, time and time again, I find myself disappointed by coffee shops and their respective attempts. 
Ok, so maybe I am being a little predujiced here, there are a few places in Boston where you can get a great latte, The South End Buttery for one, has great espresso and thus, a great latte, and the Berkeley Perk Cafe also does a good job.  However, these places also have a special resonance because they are unique, singular locations. 
In Canada, we have a fabulous coffee chain called Second Cup.  Although it does not look like much from the outside, what is brewed within, is really what makes it so much better than...well Starbucks.

Although Starbucks are just as omnipresent here as they are in the States, we also have just about as many Second Cup franchises.  Now I know you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I think it is entirely acceptable to judge a coffee shop by its latte.  Somehow, Second Cup has mastered the latte technique and consistently presents its costumers with beautifully well-bodied, strong and creamy lattes.  Starbucks on the other hand, seem to have a major weakness in this respect.  Their lattes are weak, watery specimens that I just cannot bring myself to consume.  Granted, Starbucks has some great numbers, however when it comes to Lattes, and this is my drink of choice during the cold winter months, the comfort of having a great latte on every other street corner is worth a whole lot. 

Certainly, they are expensive, but again, I would rather pay a little bit more for a drink that will do the trick.  I will be sad to leave Toronto on Monday morning and have to say goodbye to my daily extra-hot serving of creamy delicious-ness...Oh Canada!