How do Romans get that extra kick between espressos?
That gave me time to grab an espresso, which at a minimum, kick-started my heart into a more normal rhythm.
Before there was Starbucks, there was Steppenwolf, the caffeinated theater company that performs with the kick of a triple espresso.
There is a fine molten chocolate cake, called a fondente, with an espresso gelato that has the licorice kick of Sambuca.
Resurrecting this adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel about wild and crazy guys cutting up in a mental institution would seem perfect for Steppenwolf, the Chicago-based theater company with the kick of a triple espresso.
In the collective imagination, there are two Europes: the industrious north, with relatively low unemployment and dynamic economies, and the sluggish south, where people would just as soon kick back, sip an espresso and watch the world go by.
Odello's mission to reveal Italian espresso as a thing of beauty kick-started in London last month with the Espresso Italiano Champion, which saw 15 hopefuls battle to produce the world's best traditional espresso.
Another friend, who mainlines espresso all day to compensate for getting kicked in the back all night long, said to me no one has ever loved her like her son does.
Michael Stone, 39, was kicking back with a cup of espresso outside Caffe Dante in the West Village.
I can taste fresh espresso, it's not artificial, it's perfectly bitter and has a good kick.
