Ever since Chasse Gardée shuttered its doors, West Queen West has been a bit lacking in the shoe department. Jeff Brodawka is here to change that with his brand new shop, Brodawka & Friends. Opened in May, the shop offers hungered shoe aficionados a selection of goods in the former Champagne and Cupcakes space (which just moved further east).
“We wanted it to feel just like an apartment in Paris,” says Matéo Masquelier of Canon Blanc, the boutique he opened on Queen West at the end of April with his wife, Caroline. In their store, the pair, who left France in search of something new, offer a snapshot (or should we say Instagram) of the Parisian way of life.
Fashion-forward women who have travelled the globe and have the tastes to match exist in Toronto. The problem? Once comfortably back home, they lust and long for the beauty and design of that exquisite jewellery, those drool-worthy shoes and supple leather bags that are found only in the world’s most chic cities. But fabulous brands and beautiful things can be found in Toronto, too. Case in point: retail veteran Jaya Kahlon has just opened the Sauvage pop-up store.
Remember when Queen West was known for being the best shopping strip in the city? From local designers to cool indie shops, the street’s sprawl grew fast. But lately we’ve noticed more papered-up windows and closing sales than ever, leading us to recently report on what everyone’s been thinking: “What’s up with Queen West?”
After catching word that Queen Margherita Pizza is set to open a second location near the Junction this fall, we got in touch with co-owner John Chetti. Apparently, he and his partners have cemented a deal with Stefano Ferrara, who Chetti refers to as the “God of pizza ovens,” to come from Naples and personally build and install a pizza oven at the new location.
Bad news for fashion fans on Queen West: three cherished indie boutiques are closing their doors. Response, Carte Blanche and Chasse Gardée, which are all on the north side of the strip, will be shuttering between now and the end of March. But there’s a silver lining for bargain hunters: they’re all holding closing-down sales. Here’s the skinny.
Though patrons may be tempted to tiptoe their way into Church Aperitivo Bar, the atmosphere is grounded — with a few heavenly touches. Taking over a Slavic Pentecostal church (as far as the owners know) longtime friends Sandra Cassaro and David Beddia wanted to open a social place that spoke to their Italian backgrounds.
What happens when two ex-Montrealers take on Queen West? A unique twist on a crêpe shop, that’s what. More specifically, a shop that’s full of sweet and savoury crêpes at affordable prices (most items are under $10), along with decadent hot chocolates, salads tossed with house-made dressings and more.
Queen West has a brand new spot to satisfy a Vietnamese sandwich craving. Just don’t go to Banh Mi Boys, situated in the old Ziggy’s Shawarma and Seafood House space, expecting traditional cold cuts between your bread. Go expecting better.
A new idea is taking shape in one of Toronto’s trendiest ‘hoods. On Nov. 29, international chain Piola will be opening a new location near Queen and Dufferin, at the Bohemian Embassy condo. The new pizzeria will be serving up high-quality Italian cuisine and carefully selected wine, along with some local art, but owners insist Piola will be missing one ingredient: attitude.
Ben Sherman has landed in Toronto. The iconic British brand has set up its first free-standing store in Canada on Queen Street West. Since 1963, the menswear brand has been famed for suiting up musicians and other dapper-dressed gentleman, as well as being the first to produce the beloved Oxford button-down shirt.
While the chilly fall temperatures are making it feel like the right time to buy a new furry coat, by the time you reach Kensington Market, empty racks may greet you. “We sold out of fur in August,” we overhead a vintage shopkeeper tell a customer just two weeks ago.
When R Squared Café opened up in the Trinity Bellwoods area earlier this month, we couldn’t help but be curious about the name. Turns out that the shop is simply named after the two Rezas — Sheikh and Yazdjerdi — who own it. Nothing more complicated than that.
Boasting certified organic, sustainable and eco-friendly food is all the rage, but have we wrung those buzz words dry? The Grove, a soon-to-be “food emporium and smart market,” will take on many of those same values, but with a fresher approach.
When people ask you where to find the best shopping in Toronto, what do you say? Most likely you name somewhere or something on the Queen West strip between University and Ossington. But awesome boutiques are popping up all over the city, especially off the ol’ beaten track of Queen West, and they’re worth the trek. Here’s our list of the top five boutiques to check out and why they love where they are.
Everyone wants to give off a flawless natural look — even if it means not going au natural — and Toronto’s Melanie Cruickshank wants to help you do that with DaLish Cosmetics. Her animal-friendly brand started out as a kitchen-sink experiment and has since grown into a product that’s sold across North America. Yesterday, Cruickshank kicked off a DaLish pop-up shop at the Jessica Jensen studio in the Burroughes Building to test the waters for a potential standalone location.
Queen West’s The Social may have ended its six-and-a-half year run earlier this month, but when one door closes, another one opens. Or in this case, two doors. Owners Richard Lambert and Jesse Girard are planning on opening a British pub in The Social’s space, and they’re are also working with Kenny Hotz (of Kenny vs. Spenny) and Embrace Productions on The Hoxton, a new nightclub set to open August 6.
Looks like Queen Street West is getting yet another out-of-province fashion retailer transplant. It was only a few months ago when Dutil Denim and Stacey Zhang came onto the scene, and now you can add Montreal’s Stylexchange to the myriad of shopping destinations on the block.
Anyone hanging out in Parkdale Wednesday evening may have stumbled across an interesting spectacle: a chain of rather hip-looking servers scurrying through Queen West’s traffic, arms brimming with plates of meticulously prepared food. A pop-up restaurant was, of course, to blame. In this case, it was Boxed, a roaming supper club by chef Matthew Sullivan (formerly of Spice Safar), who launched his concept at The Mascot Wednesday.
Fashion is such a fickle mistress, and to play to her whims, exclusivity is key. And what could be more exclusive than a pop-up boutique of a cult favourite online shop? White Crow has landed in the Borroughes Building at Queen and Bathurst until the end of the summer.
After five years of serving the denim-loving public exclusively in Vancouver, Dutil Denim finally opened its second store last week in Toronto. The store is the latest in a string of out-of-province labels that are feeling the love on Queen Street West. “We feel very welcomed in a city that feels like our big brother,” says co-owner Eric Dickstein. “People are continuously coming in and letting us know how excited they are that we’re here.”
For those fashion mavens who crave cozy boutique shopping along Queen Street West rather than the mass-market big guns like Zara and H&M, your wish has been granted: Stacey Zhang’s new eponymous flagship store opened its doors last week. Located between Spadina and John, the Montreal-based women’s designer hopes to bring a unique and personalized shopping experience to the area. Already, the store seems to be just what the stylish strip was missing.
Its friends? Athletes like Brad May and Mike Tyson and rock stars like Bif Naked. Its clientele? “Discerning individuals with unique tastes…no sheep.” Its location? Coming soon to Queen Street West. The brainchild of brothers Mike and Danny Regan, Ironhead enjoyed nearly two decades of success out of its Vancouver store and it’s finally setting up shop here in Toronto.
It’s a predicament that’s bound to hit any burgeoning alcohol aficionado sooner or later: “Where I can score a funky absinthe dispenser complete with ice-blue vintage cordial glasses?” Well, look no further, because BYOB Bar and Cocktail Emporium, Toronto’s only one-stop shop for booze enthusiasts, has arrived, selling anything and everything you need to drink in style.
We’ve gotten so used to hearing about indie coffee shops opening up downtown that it just doesn’t seem right to be reporting the opposite, but its true: a few months after setting up shop in Design Republic, Queen West’s incarnation of Lit Espresso Bar closed down with next to no warning on Friday.
