Driven by their success on Mount Pleasant, the Thobor family have opened a second location of their eponymous bakery, this time, on Eglinton West near Allen Road. Kitchen space played the biggest part in the selection of their new shop, because the Eglinton bakery will add a lot more production space for their chocolate making and (best of Toronto) baguettes and breads.
A true family business, Sylvie Thobor and husband Marc are the artisan bakers behind all that production, with Sylvie acting as pastry chef and chocolatier, and Marc’s hands deftly making all the award winning breads. Daughter Marcsy assists her mom with the chocolatier-ing and their other daughter Shanice manages both stores.
Marc Thobor’s breads are some of the most well-regarded in the city, especially with the north-of-Bloor crowd.
Originally from Paris, the family brings a wealth of culture and experience into their bakeries, nods to their French roots go beyond the quiches and croques that make up their lunch menu, the overall aesthetic and design evoke their home country, right down to the Parisian style bistro chairs that flank each table.
Eat-in lunches-to-linger-over are a key component to their business. Sylive maintains a downtown address was never on their radar, “We like the pace of family life,” she says. Bucking the grab-and-go coffee trend is an important part of their day-to-day business. They want their guests to relax and take time to enjoy their meals, and their loyal customers certainly appreciate that focus.
From left: Marc, Marcsy, Sylvie and Shanice Thobor make up the family team behind all facets of the operation.
Marc’s breads are all available (the menu is the same at each location) with baguettes being a popular pick. Colourful macarons make for a posh hostess gift, or tote along some of their showstopper desserts, like the shiny L’Or Noir ($6.50) with a milk chocolate croquant, the Sweet Tess ($6.00) a sensual take on a Tahitian mousse, or the Flandrin ($5.95) an upscale equivalent to a black and white cookie, with dark and white chocolate shavings garnishing a dark chocolate mousse.
Formerly a sushi shop, the new space will feature a patio come summer months, and hopefully by then Eglinton construction will also be less disruptive.
As has become the norm these days, the macaron selection covers a rainbow of options.
Published on: Nov 16, 2015