The Remarkable Bean
2242 Queen Street East
Phone: 416.690.2420
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The Remarkable Bean turned my Saturday afternoon from a thumb-twiddler to something more special than I had bargained for. If the name is a boast, I'll go ahead and condone it - two thumbs up with a smile full of cheddar broccoli savoury muffin.
The day was gorgeous, so the line was long - most stepping in and out for a coffee on the go, although there's a nice amount of seating inside. I couldn't resist the aforementioned scone ($2.52), looking so sassy by the cash register, and paired it with a cappuccino ($2.67 for a small). I took a seat and stared at the gorgeous old Leonard Cohen photos on the wall. A host to art shows every couple of months, Remarkable Bean displays the art and photography for continuing enjoyment (or creepy staring, a la me).
The place, open for 15 years, has somewhat has of a cult clientele in the Beaches, and for several valid reasons. One, they bake everything on location. When any of those babies come out of the oven, you can smell it on the street and WHAMO! Instant lineup. Two, they serve fair-trade, organic brews and wear their social conscience on their sleeve, acting ethically, being environmentally responsible.
The third (and best!) reason is that The Remarkable Bean roasts all their coffee on site. As in, right in the store front. As in, the owner gave me front row access to the roasting process, opening up a bag of raw beans and demonstrating the process in intriguing detail. They import fair-trade beans from numerous countries including Colombia, Ethiopia and Papa New Guinea, and prepare new batches every 1-2 weeks (after that, the oils in the beans start to go rancid). The process takes about 10 minutes from raw to toasty, and the room fills with an amazing aroma as the beans turn a chocolaty brown. Once the beans are cooled, they're either sent to the front for daily consumption or divided into bags for selling in shop. The leftover mulch from the bean is used for composting. Everybody wins!
After that amazing display, I walked out to the sunny sidewalk to see a crowd of pleased coffee drinkers socializing outside. If The Remarkable Bean is a landmark in the Beaches, there's a reason - they're serious about their brew.
Comments (7)
Hey it's real nice to promote places such as this one, but could you go an extra inch and add the hours of operation?
I had not heard of Remarkable Bean coffee until yesterday when I was at an event at the Japanese Cultural Centre where they were serving it. WOW was it ever good. Great tasting coffee! I took a 1/2lb of Henri home to enjoy.
If you like The Remarkable Bean then you'll love TAN Coffe & Roatery at 992 Queen Street West. It a similar kind of place, great quality coffees, ethically sourced, expertly hand-roasted and fabulous fresh baked goods too. Great place to hang out. They also have plans to open the back garden in the next few weeks. Check it out...http://www.tancoffeetoronto.com
I like the Remarkable Bean. For a change, I like a coffee shop not just for the friendly staff and nice ambiance but also for the coffee and eats. Almost never am I tempted by eats in coffee shops. But these folks don't do anything wrong! You'll be thinking about what you snack on here hours after the deed is done. The savoury muffins are an eye opener. The yummy tomato basil quiche is addictive.
To the coffee. I seem to like mine stronger than others. I would not agree that I like my coffee strong. What does that mean? I just want to be able to taste it. I don't need my head to explode. Maybe drinking it black, except for the odd macchiato or cappuccino, has something to do with it. I've tried a few coffees here, but the only one I can drink without feeling like I've spent money on hot water, is Rocket Fuel. It's billed as 'super strong', but it just isn't. It's not even strong. But it's strong enough that I can taste it and it's a fine dark roast. And there's few coffee shops where I can find simple, regular brewed coffee that I enjoy.
I do think the place needs a limited reno. The seating might be... interesting, but it's not terribly comfy. And if you're single and just want to read a paper, not all of the spots will allow you to easily do that. Lighting is a problem, for reading, for much of the store.
But the positives for RB are many. The people who own and run the place are friendly. Everyone I've ever dealt with here has been friendly. The coffee is great (although I'm not ready to recommend the espressos and espresso based drinks). The eats are awesome. The jazz station on the radio, not cranked up to distracting levels, is a big bonus. The nabe is another bonus. Grab a coffee and walk through the cool old residences to the lake, which isn't far away, Or just stroll up and down Queen St and window shop, perhaps selecting one of the many restos to stop at for your lunch or dinner. RB is a winner.
The savoury muffins haunt my dream. For those of you that don't know, a savoury muffin is a muffin that is not sweet. The flavours they had when I was there were Broccoli and Cheddar OR Blue Cheese, Walnut, and Pear. They were both unreal. If I could only have one meal for the rest of my life, it would be Rocket Fuel and savoury muffins from the Remarkable Bean. :)
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