Latte Art at Bulldog Coffee
If you know me well, you know how I like my coffee: bold, bitter, and black. Milk, creme and sugar are my mortal enemies when it comes to my daily caffeine fix. So you can imagine my hesitation when my friend Sherren decided to take me to Bulldog Coffee, a Toronto coffee joint famous for its lattes. 
Nervous at first, I decided to take the plunge and order The Bull Dog, a cross between a cappuccino and latte, and I am happy to report that I was more than pleased. In fact, I enjoyed it much more than I could have ever expected.
I've always been a fan of good design and aesthetics, and that's the first thing the lattes at Bulldog get right. As one of the few coffee bars in Toronto that offers latte art, each coffee comes with a simple and elegant design that surprisingly lasts well into your seventh or eighth sip from the cup. Barista Stuart Ross creates these artistic concoctions with milk steamed at just the right temperature and poured in at just the right angle. My cup came with a really nice leaf design, while Sherren's -- quite appropriately since she is such a sweetheart -- featured a heart.
The aesthetics were very pleasing, but the true genius of Bulldog's offerings is in the rich taste of each cup. The beans are freshly ground and impeccably roasted, and the milk is thick and foamy, all leading to a wonderful delight as they both soak across your tongue. Even for a non-latte-drinker like me, the taste of the coffee was strong enough to satiate my taste buds, while the drink in general was still smooth and thick at the same time.
It's safe to say that if I have to drink a latte ever again, it's going to have to be from Bulldog.
Bulldog Coffee is owned and operated by award-winning barista Stuart Ross, who not only is a pleasant and cheery personality in the cafe, but really knows his coffee. If you do happen to stop by the cafe, tell him I sent you. And trust me, you won't be disappointed, even if you do like your coffee bold, bitter, and black.
Bulldog Coffee
89 Granby Street
Toronto, ON
bulldogtoronto@rogers.com
416-606-BARK
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God that looks good Sameer. I'm obsessed with getting one now.
Just out of curiousity, how long did it take him to make that?
Surprisingly, it takes next to no time to make these pieces of art. Just as any barista has to pour the steamed milk into the coffee cup, Stuart Ross did the same, but just tilted the cup at various angles as he did it to make the design. It's literally less than five seconds to make the design.
Their americanos are to die for also -- incredibly smooth.
sounds awesome. alas, their website does not list the hours they are open. i will have to call them in the morning, i guess.
ack. no phone #? ah well.
This review would be much more helpful if the price range of the menu had been commented on. For some of us, money is indeed an object.
You're absolutely right Fraser. If I remember well, their website had pricing on it before, but I guess it doesn't anymore. I'll stop by and take a photo of the menu.
Actually Fraser, if I remember correctly, most of the lattes there were about $3. Or in fact, I think the majority of them were exactly $3. And that's for a pretty decent size as well.
And bunnyhero, I must have been sleeping on the job when I wrote the post. I've updated the post with the number, but here it is again: 416-606-BARK.
Wow! $3 is very reasonable. I was expecting much more for such fancy looking concoctions.
I am not in the states, so I can't get this cafe :( but if you are interested, http://www.ratemyrosetta.com/ has heaps of latte art photos
Actually this spot (and site) is from Canada, Lee.
Yuppo, in Canada. If you ever make it up to our wonderful city from Sydney (love that place!), give me a shout and we'll grab some coffee! =)
This place is pretentious and overrated. The fat guy behind the counter was rude and they do not serve single origin coffee. I asked the barista why they did not serve coffee and he condescendingly pointed out that espresso is coffee - duh! No wonder they are in financial difficulty.
great coffee, yes, but pleasant and cheery no.
They make the best croissants in town. Yes, even better than the (butter soaked, soggy, unpleasant, *insert more negative adjectives*) croissants at Bonjour Brioche. The man who makes them for Bulldog was trained in France. They have a delightfully crisp, flaky shell and pillow soft, mildly sweet interior. Drooolllll.
What a shame....the state of coffee in Toronto.
No one seems to understand and appreciate the importance of crema, milk quality, milk frothing temperatures, not burning your coffee etc. Latte art is very common in most cities which have a strong cafe culture and is not a luxury at all. So who cares if it takes like piss?
A note on single orgin coffee. Most of single orgin branded coffees on the market are house wine at best. Through blending, you will always create a more balanced cup of coffee. Single orgin Espresso is like a left bank Bordeaux and requires a master roaster and cupper with super-tasting qualifications.
i was a pretty disappointed to find out that they only have about 4 tables. I have yet to find a nice and cozy coffee shop in Toronto that has both good espresso and nice big chairs to sink in while reading a great book. Arg. One day I will find one.
Through blending you actually create anonymity of some of the lesser quality components of a blend, and will result in a balance of mediocrity, rather than highlighting specific qualities of a single origin, much like a left bank Bordeaux requires specific casks and aging to come to its potential.
However, you should be purchasing coffees from roasters less willing to settle on on a safe and mediocre blend of coffees, and insist that your roaster push themselves to master the specific roasting needs of a single origin coffee, rather than have it masked by coffees from other origins in a blend.
This is specialty coffee we're talking about, and paying for.
Why are we still brewing blended drip coffee.
The single origin as espresso is slightly more complex, as an espresso will never show the complexities in as delicate and easy to taste form, as drip coffee.
You can achieve great results with single origin espresso, it just takes even MORE tinkering.
Miquel says:
"I have yet to find a nice and cozy coffee shop in Toronto that has both good espresso and nice big chairs to sink in while reading a great book."
Very good point!!! Anybody out there with an answer???
How about Tango Palace?
http://blogto.com/cafes/tangopalace
The places that offer something *like* this are generally franchises like Timothy's, Starbucks, etc. Smaller independents? Probably each place has its own reasons why not but I'd guess it's the amount of return on space used.
Stuart Ross is an arrogant prig. There is no need to be such a douche in order to prove that you know coffee. Step into Dark Horse or Mercury for an inviting space and coffee that is equally delicious. In fact, Dark Horse's is assuredly better.
Anonymous, I couldn't agree with you more. The sad thing about Toronto's coffee scene is that most seem to be importing their beans from 49th Parallel or Intelligenstia. While these are top notch beans, I will respect and appreciate a place that selects the highest quality beans and roasts them as needed. Surely a large city such as Toronto can nurture a micro-roasting industry? The same goes with Montreal's coffee scene - it is even more pathetic. Cafe Artigiano, please come to Toronto.
I think your looking for merchants of green or ideal coffee
worst customer service of all time,don't know how they stay open. go to manic coffee instead.
David, FYI, 49th Parallel roasts for Cafe Artigiano ...
the owner was super rude and has no respect for his customer!!! I hardly say this about people too.
The reason why I went there was because I saw them on a show and thought the designs they make on coffees were neat. So when I got up to the owner to order my coffee, I excitedly told him I saw them on the show, told him how I thought the cafe looks great. I happily asked if he could recommend me a drink.
Instead of appreciating the fact that I was paying them a compliment, and letting them choose my drink hence the price I'll pay, he snapped snobbishly at me and said...
"ahum.. that's not the way it works here...i put in a shot of espresso and your job is to pick which cup size you want. You see..I won some XXX coffee reward (pointed at 1 small plaque from 2005 on the wall ) and that's not how I run my business"...clearly my excitement about the place was gone... geezz all I wanted was coffee... plus the design on the coffee was so sloppy.
Completely agree. They really don't understand the concept of GOOD Customer Service. They have no respect or appreciation for their customers.
I couldn't agree with you more PurpleNights. I make it a point not to ever go there again unless I like to have my coffee served with a sharp tongue.
This is the last time we go to Bulldog Coffee. We had stopped going there because of the attitude we got from the owner and his staff. One of the things that they will ask you to do when you are done is to pick up your dishes and put them in the tray (and ONLY in the tray, or you WILL be humiliated). This is not a casual thing that happens every once in a while. You are being monitored and policed so that the moment you get up and they notice you are about to do the unthinkable and leave your dishes on the table, they will give you an indirect order to do so (form the tone of their voices, it becomes obvious that they are not really asking you, they are TELLING you to do so or else). This is not the only issue with the owner and the staff: customers are snapped at for leaving loose change as tips (!?) or told that they “need not come back” (??). The owner seems to have this idea that he has the inherent right to domesticate (i.e. discipline / sometimes abuse) his customers, and appears to have trained his staff to do so as well. One thing is for sure, we are not picking up our dishes and taking them to the tray for the $15 we paid for two small coffees and two scones.
If you like to be talked down to....and drink pedestrian coffee....you have to go here.
Perhaps we should all have some fun and treat Stuart like he treats his customers....I bet he has more one time customers than repeat customers.
Get some manners Stuart!
I've only been to this place once and I swear that I will never go back. They don't know the meaning of "Customer Service!" The owner is unbelievably RUDE! What a terrible person, VERY RUDE!
i got in trouble for putting my knapsack on the furniture! jerk.
i got in trouble for putting my knapsack on the furniture. jerk.