Top Six in the 6: Coffee Heroes

Lori Nytko spent seven years perfecting her coffeemaking craft at the Coffee Tree in Bloor West Village before opening her own café on Dundas West. Nytko roasts all the café’s beans in-house using a century-old, pound-by-pound roaster, which you’ll see displayed proudly in Full of Beans' main window.  Small-batch roasting is the key to the rich, nuanced flavours of her espresso-based drinks and drip coffees, plus gives customers the option of creating custom blends to take home. Nytko aims to make Full of Beans a hub for the local community, with the café playing host to everything from art shows to comedy nights on any given day. 

One of Toronto’s most technically competent baristas, Masa Fumimoto grew up around coffee: his parents own a café back home in Japan. He has been known to produce some wild latte art in his time, but nowadays he’s more concerned with perfecting the taste and texture of his drinks — and complicated latte art, he says, can be distracting. Fumimoto spent a few years at Bulldog Coffee — a pioneer in Toronto’s craft coffee scene — before moving on to his current gig at Sam James Coffee Bar, where you’ll now find him slinging the café’s always-intriguing brews. 

Brett Johnston is “head of innovation” for Pilot Coffee Roasters, the go-to bean-provider for dozens of indie cafes across the city (they also have a handful of their own shops, including a tasting bar on Wagstaff Drive). Much of Johnston’s coffee expertise is put to work behind the scenes, developing new products and techniques. Last spring, he headed up the introduction of Canada’s first nitro cold brew coffee cans, securing Pilot a spot at the forefront of the nitrogen-infused coffee trend. Pick up a can at one of the many places where Pilot Coffee is sold, including their kiosk in Union Station.

Jason Tan credits the tasting events held at Lit Espresso Bar's former College Street location with sparking his interest in coffee. It’s therefore no coincidence that Tan now helps manage Lit’s Leaside location (the brand also has a popular shop on Roncesvalles). You can see Tan showcasing his skills behind the barista bar at this Leaside location, where he also helps to develop new coffee-based recipes. In addition to working behind the counter, Tan is head roaster at the Lit-affiliated Pig Iron Coffee Roasters, which supplies exceptional beans to numerous cafés across the city (including Lit, naturally).

Using a toothpick as his paintbrush, Barista Brian Leonard turns simple caffeinated drinks into miniature works of art. Leonard quickly etches his latte designs before the milk bubbles melt, sometimes using layers of milk to create three-dimensional effects. While the various animal, logo and landscape motifs he whips up are all remarkable, its his detailed portraits that set Leonard apart from other latte artisans. He’s made milk portraits for celebrities ranging from Nick Offerman to John Legend, and if you catch him behind the bar at Calii Love, you might also have the chance to have your face turned into a milk masterpiece.