The father, the sun, and the Holy Oak

Bloordale's a diverse neighborhood with tons of hidden gems.

You may be familiar with Parkdale, but have you heard of Bloordale? Bloordale stretches from Lansdowne to Dufferin across Bloor Street, and is the epitome of the multicultural cocktail that is Toronto. Unlike other neighborhoods that have been dominated by a single cultural influence, Bloordale is a true mix of new Canadians from across the globe. In this small stretch you’ll find Italians, Latin Americans, Sri Lankans, West Indians, Chinese, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis, many of whom speak a native language other than English.

Bloordale has been historically neglected by young Torontonians because of its lack of trendy shops, cafes, and accessible grocery stores. Even the cheap rental rates weren’t enough to attract and keep young residents sated. But, fear not, over the past five years this neighborhood has gentrified, and not in the over saturated Ossington kind of way. One of the founding cornerstones that catalyzed the renaissance of Bloordale was the arrival of the Holy Oak Cafe to the neighborhood.

Click to enlarge photo

There’s something special about the Holy Oak that sets it apart from all those other trendy latte slingers. Sure, some places on Queen can paint a Klimt with foam, but the Holy Oak is more than just a run of the mill coffee house. It’s your grandma’s kitchen, it’s your work place, it’s a place for discussion, and a place to scream “JENGA!” all at once.

The Holy Oak is a café by day, a bar by night, and a light fare restaurant all times in between. The room is small, with about 10 mix and match vintage kitchen tables, a working stand up piano, and a glorious bay window that lets in enough sunshine to fight off those impending winter blues. Hanging houseplants and colorful wall art help to reinforce the comfortable, pretentious free, atmosphere. It’s also family friendly, so don’t be surprised when you see tots hanging out on a sun drenched Sunday playing with the complimentary toys.

Freshly baked goodies fog up their glass displays.

They offer Intelligentsia coffee (1.50$ espresso, 2$ americanos, and pricey, but delicious lattes at 3.75$– specialty lattes at 4$), a healthy selection Tealish teas (2-3$), Quebecois draft beer, and a small, but filling menu of edibles. The daily soup never disappoints, the portion is a healthy size and it comes with scrumptious rye bread, definitely worth the 6$. Other menu staples include stuffed naan, stuffed with your choice of curry chicken or vegetables for 5$, and various grilled cheeses (4.50$+). On weekends they offer simple brunch fare; the menu changes weekly, but you can expect eggs any style, bennies, french toast, & omelets, made with a focus on organic, locally sourced, ingredients.  Beware on weekends because tables can be scarce, so arrive early or be prepared to wait.

holy oak, batman!

The Holy Oak also has a plethora of board games, wonderful live music performances that are scattered throughout the day and night, and excellent hours. They’re open everyday of the week, save Monday, from early morning to the witching hour or later.

Because the Holy Oak straddles the line between café and bar the atmosphere on a Saturday night is somehow more civilized than your typical booze focused bar. There are the university students discussing Hegel in a corner, the friends catching up over beer by the window, the internet suffers answering e-mails and sipping chai, while the party of five argues over whether slang is Scrabble approved.

SERVICE 4.5/5
AMBIANCE 4/5
PRESENTATION 3.5/5
TASTE 3.5/5
PRICE $
HOURS Mon 8am- 7pm, Tue 8am- 12am, Wed & Thurs & Fri  8am – 2am, Sat 9am- 2am, Sun 9am – 12am
LOCATION, LOCATION 1241 Bloor Street West (at Emerson)

NOTEWORTHY

• Tuesday Night Local Prix Fixe. For 25-27$ you get a fantastic meal that focuses on what is seasonal, locally produced, and organic. The meal includes an appetizer, main course, dessert, and cheese plate, and there are always two options: carnivore or vegetarian. If you are interested in learning more about the Holy Oak prix fixe click here.
• Wednesday: board game night. Great atmosphere, but don’t fret, games are always available to those who want to play.

The Avro Arrow Points to Queen E.

not an avro arrow, but close

Leslieville is a neighborhood renowned for its independent cafes and vintage furniture shops, but has yet to become a nightlife destination. Between the Blue Moon and Swirl there seems to be a dearth of middle range bars east of Broadview; it’s either Pabst Blue Ribbon or please make a reservation. Queen Street East’s new addition, the Avro, is sure to spice up the strip, offering customers quality drinks at midrange prices in a trendy setting.

Named after the delta-winged interceptor aircraft, designed and built by Avro Aircraft Limited in Malton, Ontario, The Avro pays nostalgic homage to its dated name in spades. The Avro was decorated with recycled pieces found, rehabilitated, and repurposed by owners Rachel Conduit and Bruce Dawson. The mismatched chairs, retro light fixtures, and eclectic wall hangings give the space a kitschy, yet homey atmosphere. There’s even bearded cowboy mannequin who’s always willing to offer lonely bar patrons some company.

the avro during day time

While the Avro is cheap compared to some of the established Leslieville night life, it’s not necessarily the thriftiest alcohol option available to a tight wallet on a Friday night. Their most cost savvy option is Labatt 50 for 4.50$, other bottles on offer weigh in at 5.25$, and tall cans and draft at 6.25$. But, if you take advantage of 4$ Shot Mondays or Cheap Pint Fridays (wear plaid and save 1$ on draft) you can still feel like you’re living large on a small budget. They also welcome you to bring your own food, and will even provide you with a plate if you ask nicely.

Rachel is a long-time Leslieville resident and is a familiar face to many, as she was a veteran bartender at The Comrade, a premium beer lounge a few stores down. Rachel decided to open the Avro when she noticed that Leslieville’s population was growing younger, and no one was catering to the captive market. Comrade owners Nikki Andriet and Dean Fletcher are sad to lose Rachel, but she leaves with their full blessing and support.

the avro with wall projection

From Live Music Tuesdays to Bring Your Own Vinyl Sundays the Avro is sure to attract attention and a loyal following.

AMBIANCE 4/5
SERVICE 4/5
PRICE $-$$
HOURS open daily from 7pm to 2am.
LOCATION, LOCATION 750B Queen Street East
NOTEWORTHY BYOVS (Bring Your Own Vinyl Sundays)

[Originally written for a Toronto Life internship application.]

Eastern Secrets

Andapinch is dedicated to gastronomy, but if you’re planning a night on the town the right outfit can make the night just that much more pleasurable. For me, glamour is evoked by the classic starlet’s of the bygone black and white era, which means when I dress up, I dress old. Stunning vintage dresses can found in thrift stores like Value Village and Good Will, but finding the perfect outfit takes hoards of luck and time. So, if you’re short on both, why not try a vintage shop?

Vintage and second hand store combers need not feel confined to Toronto’s over saturated, and overpriced, West End. Leslieville offers picky shoppers everything from grandma dresses to vintage Valentino all at bargain prices. I’ve shopped my way from west to east to find Toronto’s top four East End vintage secrets.

• The Common Sort

This well kept secret isn’t your average vintage boutique. Offering “hand-picked recycled fashions,” costumers can buy, sell, or trade gently worn clothes. The clothes on offer change frequently, and run the gamut from designer labels to vintage leather purses, to trendy contemporary pieces. Price point: typically under 25$ for shoes, dresses, and skirts; under 20$ for blouses, dress shirts, and blazers; under 10$ for jewelry & accessories. 804 Queen Street E., closed Mondays.

• Value Village

The VV on Queen E., is one of my favourites in the city. It’s small enough not to induce agoraphobia, but it offers an extensive collection, and best of all– it’s organized! Even better, it’s organized by colour and size. My only issues with VV are that their prices seem to have become very inflated, and often seem arbitrary. Make sure to take advantage of their recurring 50% off sale days. Price Point: 15-25$ for dresses, 15$ for shoes, 10$ for dress shirts and skirts. 924 Queen St E., open 7 days a week.

• Gadabout

Gadabout is a well-kept secret by the Toronto theatre community, as it is an excellent source for period pieces. With everything from frocks, to fedoras, to furs the sheer abundance of offerings can be intimidating, but if you’re patient, you might just find the perfect trinket to bring home from this east end treasure trove. Gadabout isn’t cheap, but you won’t go into debt either. Price point: dresses run between 55$-90$, shoes hover around 50$, and oddities can range in price from 10$+. 1300 Queen St E., open 7 days a week.

• Thrill of the Find

Mireille Watson has a magic eye. She’s one of the select few who can just look a person over and know what they’re searching for, even if they themselves don’t know it yet. The storefront offers interesting pieces, but ask to be shown the coveted back room for fantastic couture finds from Chanel to Prada. Price Point: Items on offer can range from 30$ to well over 800$, but tell Mireille you’re on a budget and she’ll do her best to find something that suites both your style and your wallet. 172 Queen Street E., closed Monday & Tuesday.

[originally written for Toronto Life internship application.]

Bonjour Brioche

Unfinished wood floors, a Provencal palette of yellow and blue, and the aroma of freshly baked bread culminates into a meal length vacation to St. Tropez. Bonjour Brioche is cozy when half full, but becomes claustrophobic at capacity. During peak hours expect line-ups and a lapse in service quality that is compensated for by the quality of the food. Perennial favourites include the decadent baked French toast, marbled with cinnamon and caramelized sugar, served with fresh fruit and maple syrup (8.50$); quiche Lorraine that’s light, yet creamy, and served with salad in basil vinaigrette and a portion of dream worthy baguette (8.75$); perfectly succulent scrambled eggs served on a potato rosti are adorned by a modest portion of smoked salmon and caviar, and garnished with horseradish and chives (10.00$). Drip coffee is unending, but often watery, lukewarm, and hard to flag down.

Brunch mains are all under 10$, and unaccompanied sandwiches hover around 7$. While the sandwiches on the fixed menu are cheap, I often find they’re underdressed, i.e. just roast beef and brie– I demand vegetables in my sandwich, even if it’s just a few tomatoes and a sprinkling of salad greens. But, if spartan sandwiches are your thing, you may just fall in love with their Jambon Buerre sandwich: prosciutto with butter on a baguette for 6.50$. Also at 7$ is their fantastic, and figure friendly, homemade granola served with yoghurt and a fresh fruit salad.

If you are on a tight budget I would suggest staying to the fixed menu, as daily specials are typically more expensive at around 15$. Through experience, I have also found that the daily specials can be hit or miss, although the daily sandwich is almost always safe bet.

SERVICE 2½/5 — service on weekends is significantly worse than on weekdays. It’s not unheard of to sit down and be professionally ignored for  a quarter hour. This, however, has only happened to me once. On off-peak hours the service can be acceptable, but never astounding.
AMBIANCE 4/5
PRESENTATION 4/5
TASTE 5/5
PRICE $-$$
HOURS Tuesday to Sunday 8 am to 4 pm
LOCATION, LOCATION 812 Queen Street East
NOTEWORTHY No reservations and cash ONLY, no plastic

[Originally written for Toronto Life internship application.]

AvocaDo’s and Don’ts

Avocados need to be seduced. You can’t just pick one up, cut it open, and have at it. No, that would be too simple. Avocadoes are a complicated fruit that demand perfecting timing, a little coddling, and a few sweet caresses. Undress an avocado too early and they’re less appetizing than styrofoam, too late and they’re nothing but a pit in an oversized avocado hide.

Here’s my quick and dirty guide to avocado courtship

Which kind of avocado?
Over the past few years different cultivars have started showing up in North American stores, from the oversized behemoths to the “slimcado” that promises all the flavour with half the fat, but which avocado’s best?

Hass, Fuerte, and Bacon are the three most common store varieties. Hass has a rich taste and strong flavour, whereas Fuerte and Bacon have subtler, lighter taste. Hass has a robust flavour and a long shelf life, it is best to have around the house for sandwiches and salads, but both Fuerte and Bacon make a meaner avocado milk shake. For the casual ‘cado consumer I recommend picking up the Hass. One great thing about the Hass is that it’s communicative; unripe Hass is a dull green, but when it’s ready to be peeled it darkens to a purplish-black. The Gwen variety is similar in shape and taste to the Hass, but doesn’t change colour when ripe. For a comprehensive avocado glossary visit avocado.org.

this hass is unripe

Patience Is A Virtue
I know you want your avocado ripe and ready at the store, but store ripe often means black and blue. Fruit etiquette is slipping, and most store goers have no problems poking, prodding, and squeezing. If you select a firm ‘cado you’re less likely to end up with a fruit that suffers from a history of store abuse.

Strategy

But now I have a rock hard fruit and the party’s in two days! Don’t fret; there are ways to coax your fruit into ripeness.

• The easiest strategy to induce ripening is to close your avocado in a brown paper bag with a few apples, bananas, or tomatoes, and store in a warm, dry, place for 2-3 days (like on top of the fridge). Why does that work? Well, the aforementioned fruits naturally produce a lot of ethylene gas allowing you to trick your fruit into ripening. Ethylene is a hormone in plants that regulates life functions. Ethylene gas is also synthetically manufactured to help the agriculture industry increase yields by producing speedy crops.
• Even faster? I don’t particularly love this trick because it’s a little sloppy, but some people rave about it. In a small zip lock bag place your avocado and half a banana peel. Close in a drawer for one to two days.
• Faster still? Some people will tell you it’s ok to put your avocados in the microwave on the defrost setting. This is not okay. Make another recipe and wait until the avocados naturally ripen. Microwaving avocados may soften them slight, but they’ll be flavourless.
• Not in a Hurry? Or maybe you just don’t have time, a paper bag, or spare apples? You can leave your avocado out and wait 3-5 days, or just wrapping the an avocado in newspaper, and placing it in a dry, warm place, will help aid in speeding up the ripening process.

Is it ready yet?
You can always do the pressure, or squeeze, test. The skin should be firm, but the flesh underneath should yield to pressure. Another way to get your avocados to confess their ripeness is the stem test—this test also avoids unsightly bruising. If the stem gives when you poke it gently the fruit is ripe.

this hass is ripe

 

Oups You told me to leave them in a brown paper bag on top of the fridge and now I’ve forgotten them. If you allow your avocadoes to over ripen they will develop dark veins and brown age spots, but they’re still usable. Especially for guacamole purposes.

Leftovers I don’t want to eat the entire avocado, but if I put it in the fridge it’s destined to turn brown and unappetizing. The avocado starts to turn brown due to oxidization. A quick and dirty way to keep your avocado fresh for later is to spread a thin layer of lemon juice, just a squirt, on the exposed flesh and wrap fruit in cling film. Make sure that the cling film is pressed tightly against the exposed flesh, keeping air out and flavour in.

• It’s a kitchen myth that putting the avocado pit with the fruit will help it stay fresher longer. Leaving a pit in a halved avocado will keep it fresher longer because there is less fruit exposed to the air; however, if you take the pit out and put it back in it will have no impact on the fruit’s freshness.

Idealic

Ideal's patio

Over the past 10 years Toronto and Montreal have diverged down two different micro paths. While Montreal has been busy becoming a secret beer Mecca, Toronto has been quietly stoking a roaring roasting fire. One of my favourite Toronto micro-roasters is Ideal Coffee. With a focus on sustainability, both environmental and social, Ideal offers its costumers luscious, guilt free, coffee at competitive prices.

photo taken by joe r. with a panasonic gf1, 20mm pancake lens.

Ideal Coffee has three locations across the city, from east to west: Leslieville, Kensington, and Ossington.  Their Kensington location is my favourite, although the communal ambience and lack of traditional café seating isn’t for everyone. Expect a stranger to strike up a conversation with you— especially during the spring and summer months as the patio buzzes with a vibrancy that will rival most bars. While the Ideal can be a good place to read for pleasure, don’t come expecting to get work done— indoor space is limited, there’s no wi-fi, and plugging in your laptop is a fault pas. Mind you, if you’re looking to unwind during a leisurely afternoon Kensington wander this is the place for you.

Drop by on Saturday and watch them roast your beans right before your eyes.

A pound of fresh roasted whole bean coffee will run you 14$ (tax in), but wait that’s not all—with every pound you buy you get a free mug of fresh steaming drip to bring on your way, or to enjoy on the patio. Yes, I know that S-bucks coffee typically hovers around 12 a pound, but that’s tax out, and you don’t get a fresh mug of drip to sate you.  Not to mention S-bucks doesn’t offer you local Harmony Organic milk, soymilk, or almond milk. A cup of drip is 2$, as is tea, and a latte will run you 3.75$, with a cappuccino closing it at 3.50$. Baked goods range in price, but hover between 2-4$. If you’re penny pinching the 2$ drip can’t be beat.

When I used to frequent Ideal regularly I described it as the perfect bordello of a café, but since partnering up with the Fresh Coffee Network Ideal has under gone a much-needed face-lift. This shift is probably for the best, as cluttered and dingy appeals to a very particular type of person, and that person is usually under twenty. The partnership between Ideal and the FCN has affected more than just the decor— Ideal’s beans have always been carefully selected based on quality and sustainability, but until last year the café was still using Styrofoam take-away cups. The shift to biodegradable Greenshift cups only adds to Ideal’s allure.

Whole Bean recommendation: Prince of Darkness (just saying the name makes you want to cackle manically).

 

 

 

 

SERVICE 4/5 — typically, down to earth, friendly baristas.
AMBIANCE 3½/5
PRESENTATION 3½/5 — they might not draw Mona Lisa in your foam, but they’ll pull a good espresso.
TASTE 5/5
PRICE ¢
LOCATION, LOCATION 84 Nassau Street