Cafes
The Mascot
The Mascot opened last month in the huge corner space at Queen and Elm Grove that has been vacant ever since The Shop Custom T-Shirts moved out about a year ago. Gone is the bright pink exterior and the obnoxious signage and in its place is a coat of freshly painted black and a more subdued aesthetic. It's a big space compared to other Parkdale cafes but that's because a good chunk of the interior is dedicated to showcasing art.
Master carpenter and prolific graffiti artist Kwest is currently showing his stunning graffiti inspired woodwork for the month of May. And he's also is responsible for the massive custom bar, on which a vintage La Victoria Arduino sits. Chances are you can pull up a Victorian style armchair and chat him up, as he's frequently hanging around the cafe.
The Mascot is run by long time friends and business partners Eddie Chan, Mike Krupica and Rico Estoy, who all live in and have a genuine love for the neighbourhood. They named it the Mascot because they felt the space could be just that for Parkdale, a place the community can rally around. And there is quite the wide appeal: old meets new, flexibility meets purpose, art meets function.
It's still a bit of a work in progress but the owners plan to shift the direction of the space to fit the needs of the neighborhood over time. In the coming months the Mascot will play host to film screenings and bi-monthly charity events for Grounds for Health.
Seating is limited for a cafe, but the intent is to keep it open and airy. And you can't help but be drawn to the gallery side while you wait for your espresso. There is free WiFi, and even high fives from the staff, if you're so inclined.
The vintage espresso machine is a conversation piece but it can be known to pull an inconsistent shot from time to time. Regardless, the people behind the counter are well versed in its finicky ways and do their best to compensate. The machine is also quite slow, but that fits in with the attitude of the Mascot. It takes you back to a time when it wasn't such a big deal to slow down and wait a bit, all the while enjoying yourself.
Espresso, Americano and similar single shot drinks cost $2.50, while it's $3.50 for a latte and $2.75 for a Cortado. Sweets and savory snacks are brought in from OMG Bakery on Dundas West. Cupcakes are $1.50 and stuffed Foccacia is $3.50. There's also loose leaf tea courtesy of Steve Smith Tea (formerly of the Tazo fame). Try the hibiscus or intense peppermint for $2.50.
The Mascot is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, with the potential for extended hours in the summer.
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Parkdale needs upscale, hip cafes/galleries? Give me a break! Do you think those who are living week to week need $3.50 lattes? I take it you mean that what is really "needed" in the neighbourhood is to have the poor folks go back into the apartment buildings where they belong, so that the streets can be cleared up for the "cool," "cultured" folks who have disposable income?
Really, what is this place contributing to a community that--because of its many lower income families--keeps its rent a little lower than rents on the other side of the tracks?
As to having another cafe that pulls decent espresso in Parkdale, I am quite happy.
can you guys open Mascot II on College? its much needed.
Like it or hate it Parkdale is a diverse neighbourhood. It is made up of a wide range of incomes and backgrounds.
I welcome any business that is locally owned, not another bar/club, supportive of local artists and is working to benefit the neighbourhood as a whole.
If you don't like it go to Coffee Time. (Coffee Time Donuts Incorporated has grown dramatically to some 300 locations across Canada and now overseas in Greece, Poland, China, and Qatar. Franchising prospects for future expansion are also underway in the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait).
Artsy places with fancy espresso machines have better coffee, which I know is crucial for those low income artists to make their excellent art. But, let's be honest, this cafe is a lot more like the Parkdale Drink or The Stones Bar, than it is like Jason's. And, though it is capitalizing on its apparent street cred (by being West of "Queen West West"), in the end, it's really part of a movement that will extend Queen West West to Landsdowne, at which points the rents and real estate will go up (thank god, for those who've purchased a cheaper home nearby!), meaning fewer and fewer public places for those with lower income. And this means those so-called starving artists will also have to look elsewhere for affordable housing.
Also not too sure about low-income residents losing "public places." I haven't witnessed any cases of the public sector selling off parks or community centres in the area. Businesses are private, whether they appeal to high or low income residents. It's as simple as supply and demand. If people will come, someone will build it.
I started at Voulez Vous where I just said hello to my friend Sean and had a quick, fine espresso. I then hit up Te Aro, which I do from time to time, and Sean (another Sean) pulled a couple of fine shots for me. We got talking about short, long, regular and ristretto shots when he got the idea to pull us a couple of ristrettos. I'm glad he did. Wow! I'm loathe to make a barista work too hard for me, but I might try this more often. Then I did The Rooster where Sean (another Sean and I know I've got one name spelled wrong), the owner, tried an Ehtiopian blend on me after I had retrieved a pop from the fridge. I relented and was so pleased I did. Then I stopped into Savoury Grounds (definitely 'not' for the coffee) which I work across the street from and had a sandwich and made a phone call to Sean at Voulez Vous. He had mentioned The Mascot to me but I had forgot the name of the place. And I thought I'd go check it out. So from SG I eventually made my way over to The Mascot.
That's pretty cool when you can call up a coffee shop - Voulez Vous - and say "What was the name of that coffee shop you told me about again," and it's not an issue at all. Julie, the owner, answered and put her partner Sean on the line.
That's what I like about Indie coffee shops and that's, I guess, something along the lines of the positive, supportive approach to the biz that members of the Coffee Conspiracy have. (I'm not endorsing it the Conspiracy. I'm just saying...)
I can't believe I forget the name of the friendly barista who looked after me so well in The Mascot, but he's the tea lover. Even after reviewing the names above, it escapes me. I'm too burned out to remember stuff these days.
The espresso was okay. The coffee is Reunion, which I don't know a whole lot about. I'll have to do some research on it. My friend says that he and his partners went with it because of social factors, which I respect. But the cup is important. And I made the point that while you can try to do things ethically, If coffee is the physical core of your biz, then the cup's gotta be good. And I suggested that he keep in mind that they can have more than one supplier. That also keeps things interesting, in my view. Customers have variety and, while not all of them will care, coffee geeks will. And Don't you want to please them? They go out and spread the word.
But the fancier you get, as Von at Bisogno explained to me, the more labor intensive it gets.
For a fact, The Mascot is a cool place. It's just darnright cool. One negative about it though is the dearth of seating. I love flitting around from coffee shop to coffee shop and re-visiting many. The lack of seating and the prospect of not being able to sit down and relax after TTCing all the way in from Scarborough might make me less enthusiastic about heading out to some places. Although in my case, I know so many and there are so many new shops popping up all over that it's not such a big problem.
I really enjoyed my visit and really, really feel bad that I forgot the dude's name. Forgive me? I'll be back of course.
Other than that, I love these people!
Also, the owners are artists who are able to live and own their business in Parkdale because of the lower rent! They have generously supported so many art initiatives that make Parkdale so vibrant. Yay Mascot!!!
To adress BOTH concerns, ACROSS THE STREET from The Mascot is cafe Taste, which opens @ 6pm. They're a night spot only because by day they're making all of their products - even their own ice cream, chocolate and breads. They also get their beans from Reunion Island which is currently the "Cannonball" organic and fairly traded blend. Full disclosure: I work there :)
I hope however that both of these issues can be solved with this post however.