Caffeine Buzz

It’s an art form with a shorter lifespan than chalk on concrete, but if you stop by PlayhouseSquare’s Moko Coffee & Tea for a latte, take a look at your drink before sipping — especially if Anna Firsova made it. She’s honed the coffeehouse gimmick of creating designs in latte foam to a caffeinated edge. “It took like three or four months of practice,” she says, noting her training regimen also included a steady diet of YouTube videos. The secret behind her creations is perfectly steamed milk and a deft touch for artfully pouring it into an espresso drink. Firsova can draw swirls, hearts, a rosetta and “lots of other stuff.” Her boss, Mike Donnelly, got her started, but he says she’s since become Moko’s top latte artist-in-residence. Just please, whatever you do, don’t ask for whipped cream.