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Three Favourite Toronto Cafés | Gabriela Hansen

Today I’ve invited a guest to share a post with you via lovely images and thoughts on 3 of her favourite Toronto cafés. Please welcome photographer and friend Gabriela Hansen and her insights on 3 must see, sit and sip spots in the city of Toronto.

Toronto is a city that abounds in culture, creativity, variety and diversity. Every city is like a tree with many branches, and Toronto has branches that range in color and texture. You can feel the different moods they evoke as you immerse yourself in each neighbourhood.

Today I’d like to share 3 of my favourite spots in the city. The first – found in Kensington Market – is Wanda’s Pie In The Sky.

Wanda Beaver, the founder of the café, baked her first pie at the age of 9, and continues to make them from the comfort of her home. The shop also sells cakes, cookies, salads, sandwiches, and of course coffee or tea.

A café that makes you feel at home, relaxed, all the while surrounded by beautiful colors and decor. It’s a combination of a pie shop and a well executed coffee shop, like grandma’s kitchen meets a youthful interior designer. A must try if you’re planning on visiting Kensington, or live around the area.

The next shop – located on Queen and Peter Street – is Little Nicky’s. Before I actually visited the café, I remember walking by it with curiosity. The location isn’t completely obvious, but once inside I was enchanted. I told my close friends about it and we have made it a regular spot for us to chat and enjoy one another’s company.

A vintage charm where the music, the décor, and everything else takes you straight back to the 50s. It’s small in size, but it’s the perfect fit.

The coffee shop is known for their delightful sugar donuts, made on the spot and in front of you for the price of only 2.75 for six, and 4 dollars for a dozen (it’s truly worth it). In my opinion this should be a landmark Toronto café.

The last café on today’s list is located on Queen West, in the design district. Nadege Patisserie is a french pastry shop where your craving for something sweet and excellent will be fulfilled. With a European background, this shop makes me giddy and never disappoints my yearnings for french gourmet pastries.

The interior is quite modern and simple, as is the arrangement of the pastries you see upon entering the café. You can also see what’s happening behind the scenes where are all the goods are made through a large glass window. I would say this is the place for treating oneself, with a macaron or two, a sandwich, or a croissant (or all three). Not only is it a feast your eyes, but it’s also a feast for your tastebuds.

For me, the macaron that has my heart is the pistachio, though all other flavours are equally as magical (blackberry chocolate, matcha green tea, cappuccino, cassis, and many more).

I hope this leaves you with a desire to go hopping from one coffee shop to the other and one branch of the city to another. I know every cafe you step into is an entirely different experience, and a grand source of inspiration.

Cheers!

– Gabriela

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|September 4th, 2012|1 Comment

Balzac’s | The Lost Art of The Daily Ritual

Any good design excursion requires fuel. The process of gathering together fresh ideas, new materials and exciting products can spend energy faster than you realize, all swept up in the moment of inspiration. But when the realization hits, it is imperative to have a well-mapped layout of the city’s best coffee shops on hand for immediate action. There is no underestimating the urgency of this situation when it hits, and the need for REALLY good coffee at a moment like this is a serious matter. One of my favourite “suppliers,” nestled in the heart of the Distillery District, is the artisinal coffee roaster and neighbourhood café Balzac’s.

If, like me, you believe that daily rituals can be art, then Balzac’s is the place for you. With their exposed brick walls, vintage signage everywhere and industrial lighting mixed with antique chandeliers, the environment is the perfect backdrop for great conversation and great ideas. Not to mention that they present their lattés as coffee art {one of my favourite touches}.

Named after the French 19th century novelist whose prolific satirical works were said to be fuelled by endless cups of strong, black coffee, Balzac’s coffee culture is steeped in history while meeting the needs of the modern day joe-junkie.

It almost seems a shame to drink it at first! But it would be even more shameful to waste that slow-roasted goodness. And getting to the bottom of each cup {for me} is a ritual of seeing how my coffee art unravels with every sip. I try to have at least the tip of the milk-foam leaf left at the bottom of the cup as testament to where we began {just for fun, of course}. And then – fear not – I drink that, too.

An empty cup and a filled tank, ready for more adventures. Where do you get your fuel fix? Tell me about your favourite and inspired coffee shops and local eateries {and how you turn some of your daily rituals into art}. I’ll add your favourites to my ever-expanding “emergency map.”

xo
s.

All photographs by the lovely Gabriela Hansen

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|August 31st, 2012|5 Comments

Condo Living: Space Saving Redefined

One of the things I love most about the design industry is seeing innovative colleagues and companies create remarkable products that solve problems. Obstacles are often just opportunities for creativity if one is willing to push through them. That drive is undoubtedly what fuels the creative fires of the design team of Italy’s Clei. This innovative furniture manufacturer’s products – imported by Resource Furniture – have been sold to New York City residents since 2000, and now they have come to Toronto.

From designers to mechanical engineers to hardware specialists, the creative minds involved in the design, prototyping and manufacturing process of these products are incredibly impressive. So is the lifetime warranty.

Given the Manhattanization of Toronto and our subsequent booming condo culture, the market for multipurpose, space saving furniture is on the rise. With per square foot costs in the city skyrocketing, “tidy and efficient” condos {read: REALLY SMALL} are dominating the market. If you’ve decided to nest in one of them, you will definitely want to visit Resource Furniture – now in Toronto at 366 Adelaide St. East – to make the most of each precious square inch.

The mind-blowing, space-creating function of these pieces really must be seen to be believed. A 600 pound bed frame can literally be moved with the touch of a finger. Your jaw will drop as it morphs into an office space before your very eyes (with books still on the shelf). It’s like something from an episode of “I Dream of Genie.” No wiggling noses or fairy dust required here though folks. In this case, the magic is all in the brilliantly engineered hydraulic system.

There is no better way to understand how this product magically transforms from one purpose to another than to see it in action. Here are two quick videos guaranteed to make you believe that engineers are sexy too.

Astonishing, right? I think it’s worth a trip to the showroom just to show off your hidden, superpower strength. “Look, babe! I can lift this bed with ONE FINGER!” Definitely good second date material for those feeling the need to impress.

Wishing you a creative and inspired weekend!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|July 20th, 2012|4 Comments