My dear friend and coffee aficionado, Nicole Karl, is remarkably passionate about vanilla lattes. In fact, she has made it her mission to find the best vanilla latte in the world. Obviously, this undertaking has included many trips to local Grand Rapids coffee shops, trying every possible latte along the way. When we met up to consolidate this list, Nicole effortlessly launched into her coffee commentary, thumbing through her camera roll for photo evidence of her journey. She generously shared her observations on all the cafés listed below. Her final reaction: "This is making me realize how much money I spend on vanilla lattes."
1. Early Bird
According to Nicole, the latte is subpar for its price. She suggests "just getting regular coffee," as their standard blend is quite good.
2. Ferris
"It's a good latte." Simple enough, and it comes in a colorful mug!
3. Hall Street
"It's a really cozy latte. It pairs really well with their ham and cheese croissant!"
4. The Lantern
"It doesn't have a really strong vanilla flavor, it's more the espresso side so it's not overpowering." Nicole got this latte on our coffee date, and she drank it in record time!
5. Lightfast
"I really like their iced vanilla lattes. I went there a lot in the summer. There is a good balance between vanilla and espresso." Also, if tea is more your style, Lightfast gives you a free re-steep!
6. Lyon Street
"Oh, that's the best one in Grand Rapids."
There ya have it folks.
7. Madcap
"Theirs were decent. I wouldn't go there for a latte, I would go for a regular coffee."
8. PaLatte
"I got an iced one there, and it was really yummy. I was doing some urban hiking and needed a pick me up, and it was just the thing." PaLatte is conveniently located downtown, for all your urban hiking needs.
9. Rowsters
Rowsters evidently doesn't have flavored syrups, so the closest you can get to a vanilla latte is a "sweet latte." Sweet lattes are still tasty, but if you are after that vanilla flavor, you'll need to head somewhere else.
10. Squibb
"This one is amazing. Also, I really like the squid they painted on the wall."
Vanilla lattes are a very serious matter, and clearly Nicole has done her research. Next time you head to a coffee shop, consult this list and decide whether or not its worth it to treat yourself to another latte.
