Delica December 19, 2009

I was meeting a friend for a quick catch up tea yesterday and I had the opportunity to pop my head into the new Delica Kitchen at Yonge and St. Claire. 

Finally a quaint little spot with a New Yorkesque village/Brooklyn vibe has opened in Toronto.  There is a lot of great looking food and baked goods on the menu and prominently displayed on the counter.  While waiting for my friend to show up, I enjoyed reading a copy of the Australian publication, Gourmet magazine- of course Delica would have a great foodie mag like that lying around.  I will warn you though, there is not much space to sit (only bar/stool seating) if you are thinking of spending a long time here.  That being said, for a quick stop, in/out trip I would recommend a visit to check out their treats.

Lit Espresso Bar December 2, 2009

via blogto

I checked out this cute little espresso bar called Lit Espresso Bar, in Roncesvalles this past week.  What drew me inside was their interior decor.  I love their counter.  It is made of (my guess) reclaimed rail road tracks refurbished barn wood (I got the answer from Lit!@)and it is a fabulous statement piece for the shop.

Since I am not a coffee drinker, I can’t comment on the java but I can tell you the decor was done right.  Great vibe.  I would enjoy a tea and a newspaper there.

via blogto

via lit espresso bar

Sweet Flour Bake Shop November 30, 2009

My friend and I ventured out to explore the Bloor West Village area in Toronto yesterday morning.  For someone living on the opposite side of the city, Bloor West Village is a bit of a hike but well worth the drive.  What prompted our sporadic trip, was a visit to Sweet Flour Bake Shop, a store in Toronto that “pays tribute to the cookie.”  The concept is simple.  People like the taste of fresh baked cookies.  People like to customize things.  So  Kim Gans, entrepreneur/MBA/ex-General Mills, put some innovation, imagination and fresh all natural ingredients together, the end result is a fun hot-out-of-the-oven fresh baked cookie concept. 

 

The option to customize both delights and entertains adults adn children alike.  On our expedition,we choose an oatmeal cookie base (three bases to choose from) with dark chocolate bits and walnuts.  After choosing our personalized combination, we watched in awe as the mixing and molding of our cookie began to bring our snack into shape.  2 minutes in a hot oven, we devoured a the cookie in our take away bag.   Upon paying I got a kick out of being asked “would you like a glass of milk with that?”  Of course they would ask that (the milk is organic) they are serving cookies afterall.  They also offer muffin tops (think Seinfeld) and granola that can be customized to your wildest imagination.  It is definitely worth the trip for a fresh baked cookie.  Sweet Flour Bake Shop also does gifts and catering options if you are thinking of edible gifts for this holiday season or an upcoming event.

 

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Flour Fancies October 27, 2009

I am a big supporter of anyone who has gone through Bonnie Gordon’s cake school and who has come out the other end with a business up and running!

Here is one of Bonnie’s students, Samantha Lee, who started Flour Fancies a couple years ago in Toronto and seems to be doing pretty well racking up press in national wedding magazines.

Samantha offers cakes and cookies all available for order on her website/by appointment.   Her artistic eye and skill result in a great looking (*and i’m sure great tasting) product!   

via flour fancies

via bride.ca

 

via flour fancies

Letterpress in Toronto: I found it! October 27, 2009

Why is it so hard to find letterpress in the city if you are looking for something bespoke and not mass market? 

Just when I was giving up hope on finding letterpress resources in Toronto for invitations and personal stationery, I found Pantry Press Inc hiding in a stable in the west end of the city.  The two designers who run Pantry Press Inc. bring over 15 years of letterpress experience and run the whole operation at home by appointment only!  Now I have not seen these products in the flesh but I am hoping they are a hidden gem and produce great work.  Toronto is in desperate need of creativity when it comes to paper products and invitations.  So here is a new resource to support.

Check out their work on their website (link above) or on their blog here.

via etsy

poster via etsy

The Wedding Cake Shoppe August 11, 2009

Toronto’s only wedding cake shop, according to the website, looks like it has potential. Potential is an understatement if you see how talented the two girls are behind the Wedding Cake Shoppe which opened in the Spring of 2009. 

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Stacked with credentials (George Brown, Bonnie Gordon), full of imagination and backed by talent, sisters Cindy and Sarah Coelho are fabulous wedding cake designers in the city. 

via the wedding cake shoppe

 It was my mother who alerted me to this company when she went for dinner at a restaurant in the College and Ossington street area last week. She ran right home to tell me that she passed the most beautiful storefront that caught her attention and when she took a closer look figured out it was a topic right up my alley to blog about.  I can’t wait to pay them a visit in the next two weeks to try the goods for myself.  Best of luck in the city girls with your new venture.

via blogto.com

  I think these three shots show how diverse their decorating talent is:

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via wedding cake shoppe

via the wedding cake shoppe

Stamping Bella July 27, 2009

Day two of green bachelorette inspiration and product hunt lead me to Stamping Bella in Thornhill.

One of the components of the party is a scrapbook (I hope the bride does not read my blog!) and a friend of mine recommended I check out this three year old business and going concern in the scrap booking world beside my favourite natural health food store, Ambrosia located on Doncaster Avenue.  It is funny how you can go to a place so often yet not notice something.  I shop quite often at Ambrosia and when my friend was recommending the visit to Stamping Bella, I could not place where the store was located, especially when she said it is right next door to Ambrosia in the same plaza.  I could not believe my eyes when I pulled up in my car to find the Stamping Bella sign staring me square in the face.  I had never looked for scrap booking products beside the health food store so my eyes did not register that it was there.  Interesting how visible a business really is to a potential consumer if they are not reminded they need you.  I digress.

Back to my review:  Stamping Bella is owned by Emily from Montreal and she has a collection of scrap booking products and accessories that anyone would go crazy for.  The store also does parties or if you feel like dropping in to nurture your inner scrapbooker, that is okay too.   The colours, the assortment of products, the things you think you don’t need but realize you do; are all there merchandised from floor to ceiling of the small retail shop.  I picked up some cool paper for the creative exercise at the party this week and a heart shaped paper punch. 

Emily and her assistant Deena are both very knowledgeable about paper, design and scrap booking and are a pleasure to speak to.  Emily also maintains a blog which is very “forward thinking” for a small Toronto business.  While the rest of the world has jumped on the web 2.0 train, I still meet people all time who have yet to embrace social media as a means to enhance their brand and business experience be it product oriented or service based and I don’t know what they are thinking.  Good job Emily!

Cupcake Crawl in Toronto July 4 July 3, 2009

FYI all you cupcake enthusiasts.

There is a cupcake crawl taking place tomorrow in Toronto starting in Leslieville at 12:30pm going until 5pm and then on to Sneeky Dee’s on College.

For more information, you can get details on Yelp.ca here or on Sweet Me Up here.

Green T. House Beijing June 4, 2009

I just wrote a post on my fav blog and furniture store, Brocade Home and wanted to provide a visual application of the Brocade Home style in a tea house in Beijing 北京.   Green T. House was featured for its use brocade design on the Brocade Home blog a while back but in case you did not see it, here is my take on the design.

Green T. House, created by master chef, artist, calligrapher, musician and owner Zhang Jinjie, is an excellent example of mixing the romantic damask/brocade style with a modern twist.  The zen like modern space she has created would tempt the likes of any international jet setter or local Beijing fashionista/design buff to visit the restaurant/tea house for an afternoon or evening of food and tea.  The aesthetic of Green T. House actually reminds me of MoRoCo’s style in Toronto, however Green T. House is more minimalist and MoRoCo more goth glam. 

Green T. House is such a stunning place, I could not not imagine all the great events that will be hosted in the space for years to come.

Green T House info in Beijing:

318 Cuigezhuang Xiang Hegezhuang Cun, Chaoyang District ,
Chaoyang
北京朝阳区崔各庄乡何各庄村318号

136-0113-7132

Exterior (photo via aerislifestyle)

 

(photo via momist.com)

(photo via City Weekend)

Brocade Home: Romantic Design June 4, 2009

Brocade is defined as a fabric with raised design: a heavy silk, cotton, or woolen fabric with a raised design, often in metallic threads.
A style typically associated with luxury and opulence, it is no wonder that Brocade Home, a company that started selling its fabulous, romantic baroque modern style furniture and home accessory products online and this past year opened a full store in NYC, is one of my favourite design blogs to read when I am in a dreamy, romantic, interior design like mood.  The ecommerce website is also pretty cool.

It is hard to believe that this store is owned by parent company, Restoration Hardware because its website and store do not imbue a corporate feel.  Regardless of who owns who, Brocade Home has beautiful pieces that would be an asset to any gala, event or soiree host/hostess who is looking to inject a bit of romanticism into the event vibe. 

Now only if they opened a post in Toronto, I am thinking either the Distillery District or King Street West/Liberty Village, then I could turn my dreams into reality!

Photo Via Oh Joy

photo via cococozy

photo via I heart Luxe

photo via apartment therapy