Catch up #1: Bakeries, Coffee & Snacks

I feel like my regular life has been put on hold for the last few months because of school.  I expected the course to be hard, but I didn't expect that it would suck up every free moment I had because the material was really THAT difficult.  Now I need to play catch up with blogging.  I just looked and I have posts that I should have done back in June July....so I figure the best way to do this would just be to try and categorize many of the food visits into grouped posts.  I'll try my best to make it short and sweet.  Shouldn't be hard I think because to be honest I no longer remember the fine details.  This past term honestly has fried my brain.

Allans Pastry:
I used to love eating these Jamaican patties.  Not sure if it was for the flavour, or if it was just because they were affordable as a student.  Allan's makes the best pastry shell for the Jamaican patties.  But this last time I had it, the filling.....kinda lacking.

Jamaican Patty

3064 Don Mills Rd.
North York, ON
M2J 2T9
416-494-5438

Blackbird Baking Co.
On the days that I needed to go to class in the middle of the day, I would park at Kensington Market to save money.  UofT would have cost me $20, but Kensington Market was only $5.50.  10 minutes of walking each way is worth saving the $14.50.  Which in a way allowed me to buy some snack foods from Blackbird, for the super long drive home in rush hour traffic.  They have this chocolate cake/muffin so amazingly good. I don't even know how to describe it.  The closest thing that I think it resembles is a cross between a meringue and a mousse.  I don't think that even exists, but the texture of it just melts in your mouth.  I have some amazing willpower not to grab a snack from here every week!

Chocolate Cake

172 Baldwin St.,
Toronto, ON
M5T 1L8
416-546-2280
http://blackbirdbakingco.com

Baker & Scone
I never would have thought that a bakery could exist by pretty much only selling scones.  But I guess when they do such a good job with the scones, it will work!  Hubby had their brunch 'special' which was a chive and cheese scone with some smoked salmon and micro greens sandwiched in.  I had a current scone.  Sooo good that we bought 6 more scones as we left so we could try other flavours.  All of them were so delicious, crispy crunchy outside, with buttery inside.

Current Scone

Smoke Salmon Scone

693 St. Clair Ave W.
Toronto, ON
M6C 1B2
416-657-2663
http://bakerandscone.com

Pain Perdu Bistro
I actually went to Pain Perdu right after eating at Baker & Scone.  And no, I didn't eat the croissant right after.  I saved it for later.  The scone was pretty darn filling.  The choice to visit Pain Perdu was because of its close proximity to Baker & Scone.  Its pretty much across the street from each other.   From reviews that I read online, I pretty much figured that the croissants were good, but the service is horrible.  And right they were!  The lady at the cash asked me what I wanted in a snotty tone, then immediately left before I could even answer.  To do what I don't know.  She didn't return until a good 5 minutes later.  Not sure how they can survive with such horrible service.  So I expected their croissants to be amazing for customers to want to come back.  When I tried the croissant later on that day, it was just meh.  Nothing that blew me away, not even sure how it made top 10.  So unless you are int he neighbourhood, don't bother.

Pain au Chocolat & Croissant

736 St. Clair Ave W.,
Toronto, ON
M6B 1C7
416-656-7246

JTown Summer Festival
It was one of those weekends where I said that we need to go do something fun.  Majority of the summer was spent at my parents place because I needed help taking care of the dog.  So there was no time to relax. So we decided to check out the JTown Summer Festival.  I knew it would be small, but at least it was something to do.  We got there early, and they were still setting up.  But I saw a lineup. It was a line up for takoyaki balls.  Since visiting Japan a few years back, I still haven't found anything like the takoyaki balls I ate in Japan here! The ones here are like the equivalent of chicken balls served at the Mandarin, but with a piece of octopus instead of chicken.  So happy to have lined up.  Tasted just the way they did in Japan!  I can't remember which restaurant was selling them though.

Takoyaki Balls

3160 Steeles Ave E.
Markham, ON
L3R 4G9

Kekou Gelato House

Gelato, Italian.  But that’s not the type of gelato Kekou makes.  Kekou’s gelato has an Asian twist.  The flavours that they offered off the top of my head are Vietnamese coffee, durian, taro, green tea, something with sago and a few other flavours that I can’t seem to remember.

 I chose Vietnamese coffee and durian.  The Vietnamese coffee was very good, tastes just like a Vietnamese coffee except in a creamy frozen form.  The durian, I cannot say enough good things about it.  Here is where I would declare my love for durian.  Stinky goodness with a creamy custardy pulp.  That’s exactly how the durian gelato was.  It even had chunks of durian in it!

Kekou Gelato

13 Baldwin St.

Toronto, ON

M5T 1L1

416-792-8858

http://kekou.ca

Sense Appeal Coffee Roasters

I have a friend that tells me his co-workers love the coffee from here, but since he's not a coffee drinker himself, he can't vouch for it.  Paypal had a promo running where you get $5 off your purchase if you use the Paypal app to pay.  Perfect chance to give this coffee a try.  I ordered a flat white and it was delicious! I want to go have another one....but not convenient for me to get to at all.

Flat White

96 Spadina Ave., 

Toronto, ON

M5V 2J6

416-907-8524

http://senseappeal.ca

The Bakery

I still believe the best butter tart is not available in Toronto, it's in Gravenhurst.  When I get the chance to pass by, I make sure to stop off and grab a few butter tarts to eat.  The filling is sweet, but not overly sweet.  I love the fact that it's runny and not gelatinous like most other butter tarts.  Just thinking about it makes me want one now.....Unfortunately I did't take pictures of the butter tarts.  But I did take one of the chicken pot pie and the sausage roll.  This stuff I didn't like as much because I found it to be too salty.  

Chicken Pot Pie

Sausage Roll

141 Brock St.,
Gravenhurst, ON
P1P 1X2
705-687-2579
http://www.thebakeryingravenhurst.com/our-story.html