The Communal Mule
984 Dundas St W
Phone: Not available
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There is a feeling of optimism inside The Communal Mule, and it's contagious. Peter Primiani, new owner and staff of one, has just finished telling us that business at his new dundas west espresso bar had been "pretty good - I can't complain" when scores of people begin to pour in and out. Pretty good indeed. The recession's got nothing on new endeavors in this town (especially on Dundas, it would seem).
Alyssa, Johnnie (whose stomach can't handle coffee) and I hit up Peter's new establishment on Wednesday after a sandwich and poutine. (It was Caplansky's one-year anniversary; they were selling three-buck pints!) The Communal Mule is a sunny place with vintage movie posters on the walls and a killer beat. Before taking up in the espresso business, Peter was one half of the DJ duo Peter and Tyrone, evidence of which can be found in the turntable set-up and steady tunes coming from his laptop in the corner.
The main deal at the CM is the coffee. Peter's wants to know if I've tried Intelligentsia or 49th parallel coffee before. I tell him I've not, and the look on his face tells me I'm about to be enlightened. He crafts a couple of Americanos ($2.50) for Alyssa and I, and they're beautiful. Even Johnnie is impressed. "Those look rich," he says. "How are they so glossy?" The crema is thick (and glossy) and it all goes down dark and intense with a smooth aftertaste. Johnnie's chai latte ($3.75) is sweet and refreshing and sits well in his stomach. The chai is organic, as is the milk. Harmony comes to our table in a glass bottle (the one with the affectionate cows on it) for the coffee and my companions eye it, greedily. I know they want to chug the whole thing but Alyssa makes do with an appropriate splash.
The cookies, muffins and scones come courtesy of Circles and Squares, the elusive baking entity supplying (what seems like) all the new cafes these days. I had a (raisin-free) butter tart, so rich and sweet with amazing crust. Alyssa chose a pumpkin muffin. It was light and fresh and she keeps talking about it. "Mmm remember that pumpkin muffin?" Peter is considering expanding the menu to include more pastries or lunch items, but cautiously. He doesn't want to take attention away from the coffee.
We sat around one of the huge wooden tables for some time, flipping though Peter's collection of art magazines ("you gotta take a look at Monocle") and listening to Alyssa talk about her latest career move. Caffeinated, she talks fast and loud. "It's this coffee," she says. "With this music, I'm getting all euphoric." I look at Peter in his successful new espresso joint and feel pretty optimistic myself. 
Photos by Alyssa Bistonath
Comments (28)
crema in the junction (dundas and quebec) sells the exact same pumpkin muffins. they're mega delicious!!
Alyssa, the photographs are beautiful as usual. It certainly adds to the already in-depth review. :)
Amazing space....just what the city needs! I prefer this place much more over Common....it's much more inviting! Love the espresso bar/music combo :)
Dopest place to hit the city...not just visually appetizing but stimulates the palate as well...can't say a lot of places offer both these days...it seems to be all about the "look" and not so much about the product...The Communal Mule definitely puts the emphasis on both and delivers it well...
I like Peter. He's a very regular, easy going, down to earth guy. Though the tatoos are... interesting.
He grabbed a nice spot for his shop. The store is old enough to have charm. He's done the interior up tastefully without it being boring. I'm not a big fan of glossy magazines that don't educate. On the other hand, I loved the different archictural styles and designs featured in one I was purusing. "Man, If only my coffee shop - the one I dream of opening - could look like that!," I thought when I saw a few of the pictures.
The first time I was into Communal Mule (I had it pointed out to me by a stranger who overheard me talking about coffee to another stranger who I met at the TTC stop!), Peter was having problems with his shots and was sort of frantic about it. Together with another customer (a Starbucks barista it just happens) who joined us to 'talk shop', we had a pretty good time and hopefully our moral support and encouragement imparted some consolation for poor Peter that day. When I returned yesterday for a visit, I was delighted to find that Peter had fixed whatever the problem was. My espresso was up to snuff.
This is a great spot to grab a coffee on a sunny summer day and walk through the park which is a stone's throw away.
Folks will like Peter's tuneage. I didn't mind it, but I'm in a minority who don't like foreground music. I like my coffee shop music to be background, even if I like it. But it was by no means out of control loud.
Communal Mule will do fine - because it already is. And Peter doesn't even have his sign out front yet! I never had a chance to ask him why.
Nice pictures for sure and wishing The Communal Mule all the best. But there's just one thing that continues to niggle me...How long is everyone going to keep using Intelligentsia and 49th Parallel? These are great coffees but roasted and posted from miles away. Time to support the local roaster fraternity in TO and also to explore some origin coffees.
Will, I think you're right. I don't know everything about it, the reasons and such, but drinking the same coffee everywhere, when it's not dynamite to boot, isn't exciting. I'm told that they (folks like Intelligentsia and 49th Parallel) tend to buy too much of one thing. If so, I don't know why. I find it puzzling. In reading around online, you find all these people crawling all over the coffee regions of the planet cupping all these coffees and you get the impression that there's a zillion different coffees out there, leading you to have certain expectations about what is available to you on your end when you trip around and visit different shops. Then you find, in most instances, only two kinds of coffee with similar taste profiles.
And I like the idea of supporting local businesses. It still depends on the business, but that's my preference.
Yes there's wifi. I'm too poor to own a laptop, so I never get to do such things. I don't know whether the wifi is free.
um, sorry. It is NOT trying to be the common at all. His place is awesome and he's our new best friend. He built most of the place himself! And it's not pretentious.
I finally checked this place out today: love it! Peter is cool--he's sort of semi-retired from the music business and is doing this coffee thing for fun (and to get away from the music scene.) I really like his custom-designed lighting and reclaimed-wooden tables, hand-built counter etc. The coffee--to be expected--is great. I just wonder: Dundas is now becoming saturated with coffee shops--from Ella's Uncle, Ezra's Pound, Communal Mule, GBC, Zoot's, Naco Gallery Cafe, even Ideal just south on Ossington, to cafes that serve coffee--Nova Era, the Lakeview, Musa, Saving Grace, etc--how many more can survive? Is SBUX coming next?
good for you , you stylee boy-yatch-----------loving the tables and benches-----------ill be dropping in------happy to hear so many shout-outs for your endeavour ...........and to the pickyass bitch hater comments from the above please try to find SOME happiness-------------beautiful space, cant wait to spend my money there, makes the city so much more than .........................
the location wasn't, and isn't, zoned for this type of cafe. they're operating illegally without a license. way to show your respect for the "community" dude.
yeahbut , yeahbut ,yeahbut , yeahbut u should go out of your little planet and find u some HAPPY
Well, If there's one thing this Harper government has taught us, It's that advertizing that you are about law and order doesn't mean you are. And advertizing that you are about people (and not just a few people) doesn't mean you are. So, I wouldn't automatically jump all over someone for breaking some rule that may or may not make sense. Where's it come from? What's it's purpose? On the other hand, Cool coffee shops like Peter's are meant to put a smile on everyone's face!
I just checked out the place on Friday, after hearing a couple of guys talk about it on the street car, and was back the next day for more. It's fantastic! Great space, great decor, and of course GREAT coffee! Definitely up my alley. Peter's the nicest too. Consider me a regular.
arby, i'd suggest that zoning laws actually do serve a number of clear and very useful community purposes. as a businessperson, should i be able to unilaterally decide without applying for a zoning change that my residential appartment is now going to be a mr. sub, based on the argument that meatball subs spread smiles?
Sure 'yeah but'. Did I recommend lawlessness? I get you. Do you get me? I really don't want to argue about nothing. I will leave that to the angry world out there.
honestly arby, i did try to understand your point but don't really get ya. zoning is "a rule that may or may not make sense" but you don't recommend lawlessness. hmmm. i agree that this has become an argument about nothing (not my intention) & serves no further purpose.
peace out dudes
Hey Peter...congradulations on you coffee shop...hope you get this...It's been a long time...let me know how everyhing else is.
This article seriously needs to be edited, starting with capitalizing "Dundas West" and teaching the writer when to use "I" versus "me."
The photos and the cafe itself are lovely.
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