. "2"^^ . . "2009-12-15T00:00:00"^^ . "3"^^ . "4"^^ . "4"^^ . "Nathan: \"Uh dude, are you sure you can handle this? You know it'll be a lot of caffeine, right?\" \n\nMe: \"Pfft. Dude, I'll be good.\" (rolls eyes)\n\nAnd so, on Saturday, December 12, 2009, something wonderful happened. The long gestating espresso crawl finally came to fruition. \n\nAs Nathan mentioned, we kept it to a west end version to ensure a cohesive thread and intact synapses. To further commit myself, I had half my normal intake of espresso and got about 5 hours sleep so it would be an even playing field. \n\nFirst stop was Blondie's Caf\u00E9 Bar in Parkdale. This place was a 3 minute walk from Nathan's house and that makes him a lucky bastard. But like most (lucky) bastards, they don't know when they have a good thing in front of them. \n\nCaffeine Level : Normal person with functioning motor skills. \n\nThe d\u00E9cor vibe is...ummm.... Charlie Sheen's limo? Kinda dark and suggestive, which I guess is what they were going for? There was a stripper pole. Music was the Smiths though, if that helps? \n\nWhen I saw our barista, I almost let out a verbal \"yes!\" It was the former-Leslievillian Damien from Mercury. Dude has always been in the zone when I've gone in. Always gives me a killer shot and always at a steal. I (heart) him. But of course, he had to move down the street from Nathan the (lucky) bastard's house. \n\nSure enough, it came to 4 bucks for 2 double espressos pulled beautifully. The rich mahogany swirl that was almost syrup like in texture got me all giddy. But here's the dilemma; the beans are not my fave. They used the Origins beans which are roasted in Vancouver and a lot of people swear by. We both agreed they suffered from over-roasting. \n\nI went to give Damian props for his skills. About 3 minutes into the conversation I had the same face I give the Honda mechanic when he's telling me what's wrong with the car. My internal voice told me to maintain eye contact and nod approvingly. \n\nFeeling better with some pep, we headed over to Cherry Bomb."^^ . .