Ezra's Pound

Ezra's Pound
Address: 913 Dundas Street West  ‎
Neighbourhood: Trinity-Bellwoods, Little Portugal
(website) @ezraspound

The second location of Annex darlings Ezra's Pound has flourished on Dundas West (3 blocks west of Bathurst) in Little Portugal. Creating a great ambiance for the community with large glass windows, small wooden tables, and a warm environment to learn more about coffee, he's created a buzz of activity. This location doubles as a showcase for what Ezra is trying to accomplish: Educating the masses. Opened T-Sun 8-5pm (10am start on Sunday. What happens on Monday?
"The Espresso Institute of North America" created in 2010 happens on Monday. They work out of the Dundas West location, offering Toronto their first full-service training centre for barista, art of coffee and roasting. Usually these classes/modules are held on Monday, acting as the test centre for the participants.
A Jack-of-all trades, Ezra is passionate about improving the industry but also to have a low-impact on the environment. He believes in quality and fair-payment, constantly sources what's exciting in the coffee industry. It's great to see this happening in Toronto, and the push of local roasters.
Machine: Faema E61 - 3 Group
Doser: Brevetto (2 hoppers)
Turnover: Heavy Traffic
Beans: Own Blend
          (Secret Blend of  Central and South America)
Featured Bean: Single-Origin - Guatemalan
Music: light jazz (on this day)
Indie Coffee Passport/Disloyalty Card: NO 
Technical: Pulled for 25 seconds at 198F

On this trip, I made sure to test both of the beans that were in the hopper. Choosing between the two different beans was a tough decision, but having the own blend refreshed my memory and palette, to the signature features of Ezra's roast.


Verdict: Rich Chocolate and hints of lime lingering at the back end. Decent shots
Nicely pulled on the classic Faema machine that brought us the technology we take for granted.

Single-Origin Guatemalan

Verdict: Very complex taste that burst onto your tongue with occasional earthy spikes. Sweet aftertaste. As the espresso starts to cool, it develops into a smooth rich buttery velvet party of dark chocolate. Hints of dark cherry poke it's head out to see what has gone down. Delicious shot.

Don't forget to ask the lovely staff about the next batch of SO that are being roasted daily.

Would I choose this location if I was around Trinity/Bellwoods?
It's a toss up on the densely populated strip on Dundas West but it made my trip a lot better by discovering second creation of Ezra's.