For our neighbourhood feature this month we headed east to Riverside. Oft lumped together with Leslieville, this stretch of Queen Street East has some flair of its own, featuring a smattering of shops that speak mostly to our palates and our design sensibilities. Below, some of our favourite shops in the area.
In this neck of the woods, this is the place to head to if seeking out, well, wood. Filled with handcrafted furniture created with salvaged materials, customers can either choose from the pieces displayed on the floor or have sturdy bits of lumber transformed into whatever their hearts desire. Those seeking something to spruce up a room for not such a pretty penny may opt to pick up a candle emitting the oven-fresh aroma of cinnamon buns or a deliciously scented bag of warm vanilla potpourri ($8.50).
700 Queen St. E., 416-690-8787
This sliver of a shop may seem teeny tiny, but it’s packed to the rafters with British goods. Aimed at expats, monarchists and hopeful travelers alike, seasonal items include Cadbury advent calendars ($5.99), black treacle ($5.99) and Christmas puddings from Marks ‘n’ Sparks (from $6.99). Emma Bridgewater ceramics – with a range of prints – are a store staple (from $35), in addition to teas (from $9.99) and tins of shortbread (from $15.99). Meanwhile, Corrie fanatics are likely to swoon over the 2012 Coronation Street calendar — we’re pretty sure Debbie Travis already has hers ($17.99).
717 ½ Queen St. E., 416-551-4463
Founded in 1998 by Lesia Kohut, Hogtown’s first organic pastry and chocolate shop will help you feel a little less guilty when gobbling down sweets. Each dessert is crafted using organic, fair trade and sustainable ingredients as much as possible. Winning awards for their vegan and gluten-free Nanaimo bars and some spicy chèvre noir shortbread, LPK also carries quality products like spicy dal spelt sticks from Evelyn’s Crackers and jams and preserves from Stasis Preserves. We enjoyed a huge coconut macaron cookie that was soft and chewy and disappeared in moments ($2.50). Classes are available.
718 Queen St. E., 416-461-6440
Twentieth century furniture, wonderfully peculiar jewellery cast from resin and fine bone china alike are all to be found in Leo Magi’s captivating shop. Carrying lines like Fornasetti, Iittala and Gaetano Pesce, Studio Pazo has plenty of curious finds for the homeowner who has had their fill of reclaimed wood tables. We loved everything by The New English Ceramics; designed by The Prodigy’s Paul Bishop, each piece was equal amounts creepy and stunning, calling up images of Damien Hirst’s artwork. A Día de Muertos latte cup— complete with gold detailing — instantly caught our eye ($200), though we liked the cheaper mug almost just as much ($25).
729 Queen St. E., 416-916-6302
One of the newest additions to the strip, Ruby Eats comes to us from the peeps behind Ruby Watchco, the much-loved neighbourhood eatery. Lynn Crawford — who lost to Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America — and Lora Kirk are the chefs behind the store and have created their own line of goods, which includes red wine poached pears and truffle honey as well as other gourmet products. We fell for the delectable niçoise olives. Candied using maple syrup, they have just the right amount of crunch and can be eaten as a snack or sprinkled on, well, just about anything ($8.99). Regular cooking demos are available for those who wish to up the level of their kitchen skills.
742 Queen St. E., 416-901-3355
Hawking everything one needs for a stylish home, this home furnishing store carries an eclectic mix of pieces created using vintage and salvaged finds, much of which is discovered during the owners’ travels. The result is an intriguing atmosphere that blends antique with modern. A hammered metal console immediately caught our eye, as did Murray Duncan’s original artwork that is peppered throughout the store.
760 Queen St. E., 416-462-3099
This adorable little boutique for kids carries a mix of the practical and the fanciful, including books, clothing and, of course, a teepee. We loved Egg by Susan Lazar — a charming clothing line made here in Toronto — falling for a white button-down peppered with black sheep, which is the perfect gift for a troublesome tot ($39.95). A tribe of patchworked critters known as Les Jolis Pas Beaux are well suited for lengthy car rides ($21.95), while some teeny tiny cowboy boots will have all the grown-ups swooning (and wondering where to get their own) ($34.95).
768 Queen St. E., 416-406-5437
Christina Bergström’s designs may be made in the city, but the well thought out patterns and subtle ingenuity hint at her Scandinavian roots as well as a background in civil engineering. We loved Bergström’s take on the classic wrap dress — her version (the Mrs. Robinson) differs from the usual cut in that the skirt is fixed, while the top is adjustable, preventing a thigh-high slip from creeping up unannounced ($187). A teal vegan leather bag was also pretty nifty, concealing a smaller purse on the inside for when you don’t wish to haul the kitchen sink to your local café ($72). Jon Klar’s cuffs made from hand-coloured anodized aluminum were yet another great find ($36).
781 Queen St. E., 416-595-7320
This charming cupcakery whips up pint-sized cakes in a homemade style. The bakeshop, which makes sure to include “mama’s lovin’” in each batch, has six cupcake flavours on daily rotation ($16 per half-dozen) in addition to the likes of cookies, squares and breads with nary a petit four in sight. Right now they’re serving up mint chocolate brownies, which sandwich mint choco wafers between a classic brownie — a treat fit for the season.
750A Queen St. E., 647-352-2257
Complete with a (faux) olive tree in the corner, Olive & Olives’ focus is on, you guessed it, olives. Best-selling items include a house brand of Manzanilla olives — available in flavours like anchovy, cheese and hot pepper ($3.25) – and their own organic olive oil, produced in Catalunya, Spain ($21.95). Other great finds include the Ines Rosales tortas from Spain – staples of Andalucían cuisine ($4.95) – and Leonardi’s Italian-made white balsamic ($16.95).
779 Queen St. E., 416-551-8181
Devoted to using fair trade and local ingredients whenever possible, this boutique chocolaterie whips up signature treats using top-of-the-line Michel Cluizel and Valrhona chocolate. Popular picks include the coconut and lemon chocolates; the former is a white chocolate ganache infused with coconut, while the latter mixes white and dark chocolate layers with a bit of a zing thanks to some Meyer lemon juice ($1.15).
753-A Queen St. E., 416-406-2462
