This is the Thursday, June 27 edition of Food Crawl, the Star’s weekly food newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every week.
If you’re headed to one of the many Pride events downtown this weekend, we’ve got you covered for food and drink. We put together a handy guide on where to go and what to order, but for Food Crawl readers we have four more recommendations for the day: breakfast, a coffee break, a hearty lunch and if you’re feeling fancy, an upscale vegan dinner.
Vegan cheese board from Bar Avelo
The house cheese platter, $32, is a splurge, but how many places in the city are making their own vegan cheese? This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Daiya. On a recent visit, there was a house-made Boursin made from oat milk as well as a camembert that’s remarkably close to its dairy counterpart. Both were creamy and luxuriously smooth with the requisite light umami taste. The board also comes with house-made bread, and fermented carrots and radishes, and thinly sliced apple in lieu of charcuterie meats.
Where to get it: Bar Avelo is upstairs on the second floor of Avelo restaurant, 51 St. Nicholas St. at Inkerman Street. It is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. onward. It is not on delivery apps.
Latte from Page One
The downtown core is undoubtedly chaotic during the last weekend of Pride month, so any chance to get away from the crowds to relax and have a quiet chat – and is not a chain – is most welcome. The latte at Page One comes at a student-friendly (it’s a popular spot for TMU go-ers) price of $4.75, and the earthy, bitter espresso shot shines while the milk does its supporting job of smoothing out the bitterness without overshadowing it. The cafe is tucked along the side of the Merchandise Building (once a Sears warehouse and now a condo building) on a quiet strip of Mutual Street and has lots of tables and chairs to plug in a laptop or pull out a book.
Where to get it: Page One is located at 106 Mutual St. at Gould Street. It is open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pickup can be ordered through their site.
Jerk Chicken with Ground Provisions from Diner’s Corner
For those who actually want to try snagging a table along the parade route, there’s Jamaican restaurant Diner’s Corner. It’s hard not to choose a classic, and I like the jerk chicken, $17, which has the right balance of delicate bittersweet char and crispiness to contrast with the gravy served on the side. Rather than the ubiquitous rice and peas, opt for the less commonly seen ground provisions and dumplings as a side: starchy, slightly sweet root vegetables like yam best dipped in the gravy. The menu offers a lot more variety than many other Jamaican spots and includes festivals (a slightly sweet fried dough), jerk salads, jerk salmon, and callaloo and saltfish.
Where to get it: Diner’s Corner is at 678 Yonge St. at Isabella Street. It is open Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight; Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is on Ritual, Hungry Panda, Uber Eats, Door Dash and Skip the Dishes.
Salted egg yolk and pork floss jian bing from A-Bing Chinese Crepe
This takeout shop with minimal seating specializes in jiang bing, a Chinese breakfast street food available all day. It’s a piping hot, made-to-order thin, eggy crepe wrapped around a crispy fried flour cracker, shredded lettuce, cilantro, sweet hoisin, and basically any other topping imaginable (think shredded chicken, sausage, or my favourite, a combination of pork floss and salted duck egg) for $12.99. The ultra-fine threads of salty dried pork, sort of like a meaty cotton candy, don’t distract from the crunchy texture of the wrap or add any unwanted chewiness that makes eating it on the go difficult.
Where to get it: A-Bing Chinese Crepe is at 895 Bay St. at Breadalbane Street. It is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday; 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It is on DoorDash, Hungry Panda, Fantuan and Uber Eats. The restaurant does not have a website.
Before you go, I have a few more recommendations:
• Check out these four spots I added to my alternative Toronto Michelin Guide.
• Here are my top picks for takeout under $10 in Toronto.
• Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list is finally out. These are the Toronto spots that made the cut.
• This Mississauga family restaurant radiates retro vibes. Here’s why it stands out.
• This beloved Toronto restaurant serves a weekly Jewish brunch buffet — but that’s not all it’s known for.
Thanks for reading. I’ll see you back here next week.
