Clafouti
915 Queen Street West
Phone: 416.603.1935
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Clafouti, a French bakery on Queen St. West, is the perfect way to kickstart a day off. It's a madhouse on the weekend, jammed with ravenous hordes salivating over perfect, buttery croissants and pains au chocolat. On a weekday, however, the pace is serene. The pleasant shop contains just a few people absently munching the extravagantly good tarts and reading highbrow periodicals.
It's mid-afternoon and they're sold out of my usual favourite (a roast chicken sandwich with bib lettuce and fresh raspberries nestled into a croissant, oh MAN), so instead I opt for my first ever Croque-Monsieur, or "Mister Crispy", essentially a pimped-out ham & grilled cheese sandwich. A cup of strong, dark Balzac's coffee brings my lunch to a comfortable $6.90, and I head out into the sun to eat.
It's a warm, wafty spring day across the street in Trinity-Bellwoods Park, and everyone is limping in new sandals, grinning despite the blisters. Turns out, a croque-moniseur and a coffee make a perfect picnic on a sunny day: thick slices of soft bread, deliciously toasty around the edges, filled with thin-sliced ham, and topped with a cap of melted gruyere cheese.
Inside is a mysterious white layer, which looks like mayo, but isn't. Correct me if you know better, but I think it's sauce de Mornay, and I know it's delicious. It tastes a little like melted bocconcini cheese- mild and creamy, and not at all as overpowering as it looks.
Clafouti is a Toronto mainstay of delicious pastries - a large variety of simple, fresh tarts come in single and family sizes, and the croissants, brioches, and breads are divine. The shop takes its name from the clafoutis, a French dessert similar to a fruit flan, essentially a giant baked pancake stuffed with cherries, and well worth a try.
While you're there, you can also stock up on imported Euro groceries- jams, syrups, candy, and coffee. So next time you have a day off, you can kick it French stylez- this bakery is a perfect place to... loaf. Yeah, I went there.
Comments (17)
This is probably as close to France one can get in Toronto. Their breakfast specialty croissant like the almond one are a must try too!
i think traditionally the gooey white stuff in a croque is bechamel, but i've never been to this place (but may have to go on Monday morning) so I'm not sure.
Yeah, I thought bechamel sauce too, but it had a kind of chewy, cheesy texture. Sauce de Mornay is basically bechamel with melted cheese in it. Who knows? Either way, that is one delicious sandwich.
Yeah, I thought bechamel sauce too, but it had a kind of chewy, cheesy texture. Sauce de Mornay is basically bechamel with melted cheese in it. Who knows? Either way, that is one delicious sandwich.
Sauce bechamel + Gruyere = Sauce de Mornay
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_23675,00.html
I live close by to this place-- I just love it in the morning! Despite this however, I wanna give the screw-face guy with the long hair who works at the counter a good slap in the face. It seems as though every time I go in there he's give me attitude in one way or another. What a little prick.Everyone else is wonderful, but that kid makes me wanna skip the quality Clafouti provides in exchange for some dirty Tim Hortons.
Does anyone know the hours of the store? I live nearby but it seems that after I come back from work, it is always closed. They must close early. And I think also on Sundays. Thank you!
The hours are Tuesday - Saturday 8-6 and Sunday 9-5, closed Monday.
p.s. the sauce in the croque monsieur is indeed bechamel,with swiss cheese on top.
I'm sorry... but this place sucks!! I don't get how people rave about the croissants here....I question whether or not anyone who thinks otherwise has ever eaten a croissant in france before.... here's what a croissant should be; light, flaky, crispy, airy, keeping it's form and crackling all over you into a million little bits as you bite into it... these croissants are soft,doughy, mushy, greasy and bready heavy things.... yuk!!
The staff at this cafe definitely do not live up to the lovely food. Though there are some great people working there, they obviously do not get along with one another. I've overheard many rants on the subject of trivial counter-staff rivalries while sitting with my morning tea. That's fine, just keep it quiet!
But who am I to judge? I still go there every day.
With the numerous rave reviews about their croissants, they're presumably handmade in-house. But, is this truly the case? The reason I ask is because last year I stopped by the shop early in the morning the day after the Civic holiday. Unfortunately, a notice on the shop window indicated they were closed. But, on the steps of the doorway lay several boxes and a couple of stuffed brown bags. On one of the boxes was a stapled invoice in clear view, and one of the listed items was 12 dozen frozen croissants! At the top was the company name - Dough Heads Pastry Bakery, North York.
As I walked away all I could think of was what a waste they'd become melting in the August heat.
My this is a busy little blog lately .I was wondering Do you think maby that phoenix is an investigative reporter, out to bash the ones not found on his friends list ? i've found clafouti lived up to the reviews ,and walking by after the pub,time and time again, i see them there working (at 3 and 4 in the morning crazy) .God forbid they get swamped and have to outsource here and there . i'm happy to support 915 queen st w
the tarts here are delicious! way better than the tarts @ Queen of Tarts. plus, most tarts are reasonably priced at $3.15; not the ridiculous $5/tart @ Queen of Tarts.
food handling is great and consistent! they use tongs to handle their tarts, unlike Queen of Tarts who like to use their bare, unwashed hands (yuck!).
I have to agree with Jodi, I went there for the first time today and tried the pain au chocolat. Soft doughy, mushy, etc... Paris it ain't.
If you're in the mood for a something decent, you're better off at Nadege Patisserie across the street.
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