ith Starbucks, Tim Hortons and Second Cup dominating the coffee scene, you may be tempted to think that small cafés have as much chance of surviving as an ice cube in hell. Well, transvestites, TTC drivers, off-time club kids, art dealers, graphic designers and postal workers alike are flocking to Church and Granby’s Bulldog Coffee to soak in the caffeinated energy and designer lattes served up by Stuart Ross and co.

Maybe it's the clear morning light, or maybe it's the baked goods that make Bull Dog Coffee such an original space. More likely it’s the designer Latte Art that lures them here in droves.

Ross, Bull Dog’s owner and a former Barista Champion, brought the café to fruition in order to bring Latte Art to the area. This “Art” is the form of pouring foamed steamed milk into decorative arrangement on the thick layer of crème of the espresso - flowers, hearts logos, that kind of thing.

The coffee itself is an Arabica blend from North Africa and Central America - it's mucho wakeful without bitterness - with organic and decaf brews always included among at least four options.

The sipping space is accommodating and unassuming, with a row of stools at the counter, a few flat tables about the space, and a small but very pleasant outdoor space that catches the morning rays. Can an otherwise sleepy intersection handle all this good energy? - S.W.