The Bean Garden: $15 A Pop

A tall non-fat latte is the worst offender on my order list, and at more than $3 bucks a pop, I shudder to think of the "latte factor" draining my bank account on a daily basis. My justification: I don't really drink alcohol and I don't smoke - and since the monetary and health costs of a cuppa joe are infinitely less than either of those habits, I feel I'm entitled, non?

In any case, I know I'm in the same boat as a lot of other people - too many of us are pouring cash into a habit that leaves us elevated when we have it, and headachey if we don't.

But how much would you be willing to pay for the best?

A high-end coffee bar in Vancouver recently premiered a $15 cup of the good stuff, and while I'm no coffee connoisseur, it caught my attention.

The Esmeralda Especial, brewed from geishal beans grown in the majestic peaks of Panama, is sold in a small white cup with a handle barely big enough for two fingers and a thumb - the kind that calls for your pinky to stick out in some kind of regal statement.

Cafi© Artigiano's manager was recently quoted as saying, "When you close your eyes and really look for the flavor, you might be able to see a garden."

For $15, it had better be one bloody fantastic garden.

Since I don't really like my coffee black and it would a major faux pas (not to mention waste of hard-earned money) to dilute that expensive brew with milk, I don't think I'll go for it.

I'll stick with what I know: A tall latte in the good old green and white cup.