Our Faves

Yitz's

346 Eglinton Ave W, Toronto, ON, M5N1A2

Rated this place:

posted Mar 19 2009

Great mid-town deli with amazing bakery!: Yitz's deli has been at the corner of the busy Eglinton Ave. West and Avenue Rd. as long as Toronto can remember and it's as good as a family deli can get. When you walk into the store, you get a face full of temptation: shelves loaded with fresh baked bagels, muffins, danishes, pies, buttertarts, cookies, mandelbrots and rogelachs. It's always worth stopping by for a coffee and a few treats from the bakery or picking up some items to take-away - but watch out, the ladies at the front can get touchy when things get busy.

If you're staying for a meal, there's nothing like a classic chicken matzo ball Soup; bagels with cream cheese and lox (these aren't just normal bagels!); or corned beef/pastrami/roast beef sandwich - with spicy dijon mustard, pickles and peppers on the side, of course. Meal-sized salads are available for the health conscious while Jewish specialties can also be found: potato latkes, gefilte fish, pickled herring, cabbage rolls and knishes.

Madeleines, Cherry Pie and Ice Cream

1087 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M5R 3G8

Rated this place:

posted Apr 14 2009

Fun and delicious!: This cafe/bakery shop captures the senses and charms both first time and repeat visitors. Often buzzing with birthday parties (for kids and adults), small get-togethers and locals stopping by for a Sunday afternoon break, this small shop owned and run by Kyla is just plain fun and delicious.

It's a candy store for kids and adults alike - pies and tarts, madeleines, fruit tarts, butter tarts, ice cream, floats, sundaes, illy coffee and specialty tea, cookies, cupcakes big and small complete with a shelf lined with giant brightly coloured French macarons in huge glass jars. And you guessed it - the specialties served at at Madeleines, Cherry Pie and Ice cream are madeleines, cherry pie and ice cream. All products are baked fresh at the shop and most are made daily.

Stop in on a lazy afternoon for a cappuccino, a taste of their mini cupcakes, tarts or macarons in a slightly old-fashioned soda shop setting with tons of modern charm. They also do wedding cakes, cakes for special occasions, host Sunday brunches on their garden patio in the backyard during the summer and a ton of different small party or get-together activities and options. Go for a cookie-decorating (and eating) afternoon, a fun afternoon tea menu or a butterfly-making lesson.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Cupcakes
• desserts
• macarons

Wanda's Pie In The Sky

287 Augusta Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5T 2M2

Rated this place:

posted May 22 2009

Pies and squares and cookies, oh my!: Although it's a pie place, I haven't had too many good experiences with the pie - but other desserts are great. You name a pie flavour, they've got it. From good 'ol apple pie to apple crumble, dutch apple, fancy dutch, peach apple, Ontario sour cherry, peach praline, sour cream rhubarb, banana cream, coconut cream, mocha almond fudge, apricot frangipane, marzipan raspberry and spiced walnut - the list goes on and on. Wanda's Pie in the Sky found its way onto a busy corner shop into Kensington Market just a year ago in May 2008. It's great for spring and summer afternoons, the bustle of shop visitors and those walking through Kensington make this place one-of-a-kind. Stop in for a healthy lunch of specialty sandwiches and quiches or sit on the patio for a delicious bite. If you're ordering just a slice, they can warm it up for you - just make sure it's done right (so that the middle isn't still cold). Mediocre pies aside, Wanda's Pie in the Sky offers delicious cheesecakes, cakes, squares, tarts, macaroons, brownies and a killer ginger-molasses cookie.