Cafes
Clafouti
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.
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http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_23675,00.html
p.s. the sauce in the croque monsieur is indeed bechamel,with swiss cheese on top.
But who am I to judge? I still go there every day.
As I walked away all I could think of was what a waste they'd become melting in the August heat.
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!).
If you're in the mood for a something decent, you're better off at Nadege Patisserie across the street.
Very nice croisant's and to me the staff are much more friendly.
Wagamama pastries is way better, try it.
Nadege is border line stupidity behind the counter.