Latte art

Both last weekend in New York and this weekend in San Francisco I experienced a small thrill: Latte art.

You go to a coffee shop and order a cappuccino. And the barista goes hog-mad and creates a stunning work of art out of foam. These designs are  created in espresso-based drinks in one of two ways. First, the barista may manipulate the flow of milk from a metal jug into the espresso (this is called "free pour" latte art). Second, designs may be drawn on with a little metal instrument or using stencils or powders.

Watch this video to get a feel for what I'm talking about.

The beauty of it is that latte art is coming to a coffee shop near you. The Southeast Regional Barista Competition takes place this weekend at The Harborview Center (300 Cleveland St., Clearwater), with baristas from all over the southeastern states competing for foam supremacy. It's free and open to the public, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with the finals held Sunday 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Comments

[jimbo]

Don't go, Laura. You'll lose your anonymity and some of the Bay's overrated poor-service bistros will be amped when you walk in their door.

[A. Smedley]

I think I might be a bit embarrassed to admit that my "career" focused on pouring steamed milk into coffee cups in wacky designs. This ranks with my earlier rant on your blog about the overuse of decorative "squiggles" on food plates! Really now ... while there's charm in looking at that cute little bunny or butterfly in my cup of jo, it's going to end up as a milk mustache on my face in the middle of Starbucks and a companion will just have to give me the high-sign to wipe my mouth!

[The Mouth]

Thanks, Jimbo. I appreciate you watching out for me! I may go in disguise. And as per A. Smedley, it's precisely the ephemeral nature of latte art that makes it poignant and meaningful. Like ice sculpture or those sand garden designs. Very Zen.