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| - I'm giving this 3 stars for my food experience, but 4 stars for it's potential.
It's not refined, elevated fare like competitor Patisserie Sebastian a few blocks away, but it's carving out its own niche with North American fare that doesn't need refinement: cakes, cupcakes, donuts, and pies. The prices, consequently, are also more approachable, as they should be for these offerings.
MORE SEATING
Thankfully, they removed those huge banquettes (booths) that were there when this was owned by Espresso Room, so there is more seating so you can sit to enjoy coffee and some sweets.
AMBIANCE
Previously, Espresso Room looked Provencale with its dainty crystal chandeliers and felt like a place for the ladies to "do lunch" while the guys went to the cigar shop next door. The new owner gave it a feel that can be appreciated by guys and gals. She has a fabulous logo that looks like an airbrushed sassy pin up doll crossing her arms holding a rolling pin. She kept the tin tile ceiling but made it nice and bright inside with red chairs.
CAKES
When I said 4 stars for its potential, it is because of the GORGEOUS wedding cakes she has on display in the back. I'm guessing she had a wedding cake business called J'adore Cakes (the website redirects to The Rolling Pin). She knows how to embrace current trends but make them look classy enough that they won't look dated in wedding pictures. Can't wait to get a slice of her cake.
You will be enticed by the pastry case facing you as you walk in, but walk further into the store and you'll see she also has some birthday cake size cakes ready to buy . They're beautiful yet basic, so you can get them personalized or dressed up. She has great technique for sure. Tempting slices also available.
CUPCAKES
I have been extremely frustrated in Toronto with gross cupcakes. It always seems like someone got used to making them for their kid's parties then decided to make a business of it --- while still using gross boxed cake and bad Duncan Hines icing or pure Crisco icing.
FINALLY: real cake, real icing. She filled her lemon cupcakes with lemon curd, which was fabulous. I would have preferred if the cake or icing was tangy, but instead it was just white icing and white cake (well made for white cake, but I'm a fan of super tangy lemon products that make you pucker, and I was expecting more lemon). A few cute yellow sprinkles on top. They are presented well enough that you could use them as gifts or display them proudly at parties.
I didn't care for the red velvet cupcakes. My other half gobbled it up. Again, well-made on the texture side, but the icing recipe wasn't cream cheesy enough for my liking. If you research red velvet, they are supposed to be red because there is a chemical reaction with the cocoa in the batter. The modern interpretation is red dyed cake with a touch of cocoa --- which is what this was. I want a fairly chocolatey cake and contrasting mostly cream cheese icing for my vote.
DONUTS
Her raised donuts are good. You can taste that they are made fresh daily, unlike the lack luster Tim Horton's that are thawed from frozen. The dough is not sweet, so the glaze and toppings are.
Her toppings are creative. She even has droppers attached to some so you can squirt as much chocolate filling/topping in/on as you like. She had some traditionals like plain and Boston cream. We enjoyed the apple filling smothered and glazed raised donut. Messy, but fun in a full commitment, don't put this puppy down until you're finished lest you lose the good goop on the plate kind of way.
PIES
She had a few pies: candy bar and lemon. They seemed more like home made comfort food (not a bad thing). The lemon was a curd filled crust with a whipped cream border. Will try it next time.
KIDS
Sure. They'd do great there. What tyke wouldn't fantasize about being a kid in a candy store? Good luck limiting them to one pick.
For wee ones, I did not notice any high chairs. The red plastic chairs do not seem great for resting a car seat on. Plenty of room for strollers unlike nearly every other coffee shop in the area.
PARKING
Sometimes hard to come by metered parking in front on Yonge St.
No real parking on Teddington Park Ave side street since it's a boulevard.
Glen Echo Ave Rd occasionally has a few spots on the south side and Bocastle that is parallel/east of Yonge often has some 1 hour free street parking a block back. Street parking is more plentiful on the other side of Yonge. Green P is pretty far and don't park at Loblaw Great Foods where they tow non-customers.
HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY
It seems the washroom is on the store level on the back right. Thankfully, not another downstairs one like most independent restaurants in the area. No ramp to get inside, but just a tiny step up that could easily be negotiated. Lots of room for a wheelchair and walker to maneuver inside. The display cases have great visibility for little people or wheelchairs.
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