When a friend of a friend told me Caffè Artigiano's lattes were absolutely the best in town, I shrugged them off as just another Vancouver coffee snob talking up their daily java the way some discuss fine wine. Later, however, when I found myself walking by the original small shop on West Pender, I thought I'd give it a try to see what all the hoopla was about. Watching owners Vince or Sammy at work, one discovers instantly that this is no ordinary joe. The trick is to start with the perfect beans, brew the coffee to an exact temperature, give the steamed milk the respect it deserves, and pour it out ever so slowly forming a perfect leaf shaped pattern in your handmade ceramic cup. This is latte making elevated to an art form. And the taste! With a nose of finest Arabia, an elegant body of deepest ebony, this coffee dances flittingly across your tongue leaving barest hints of subtle mocha and a soupçon of flavor from the Eastern African hills. The Caffè has since moved to bigger digs on Hornby, but the taste remains the same.