As you enter T.A.N. on Queen, you immediately notice an ornate coffee grinder (pictured below) that is an artistic treasure beyond its obvious utility. As I continued to the counter and glanced at the concise yet ample chalkboard menu, a smile came to my face, as the first option presented was a flat white. A flat white is a latte(esque) creation, essentially steamed milk poured over an espresso shot with the difference being a flat white tends to be poured shorter due to a lack of foam. When I lived in Australia, a flat white was the drink of choice. As I ordered one, memories came flooding back, the friends I enjoyed them with, conversations had over them, and the classes they got me through. I can even remember that when I used to wake up to a sunny Australian morning I was conscious of the fact that I had to wear dark coloured shirts so I could enjoy my flat white (they don't go well over ice) and avoid the ostracization that comes along with being dubbed 'the walking puddle'.
As I left T.A.N. I continued accross the street to the park adjacent to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to enjoy the rest of my flat white on a fantastic log bench (pictured below). I was comforted to see I wasn't the only one in a semi-lucid state having internal ruminations. It's amazing how an inanimate object, a smell, a sound, or in this instance a taste can bring you back in time and place, eliciting emotions you thought were long gone. To be perfectly honest, the flat white wasn't that good, the service was nothing special, and the crowd was non-existent. However, the obvious association I had with that drink was special, and that will always be the problem that permeates the world of attempting to rank destinations objectively through the non-objective vehicle of human perception.
9/10 (for me)
