City
Get to know a street: Coxwell Avenue
Coxwell Avenue, in my mind, has always been the best street to take to get to Woodbine Park. But, believe it not, there is a Coxwell Avenue north of Danforth, and a very charming one, indeed. I'm referring specifically to the block of Coxwell just south of O'Connor Drive, which hosts a collection of mom and pops and other small businesses, collectively known as Olde East York Village.
There's parking right on Coxwell (diagonal--I should add) and the 70 bus from Coxwell Station will take you right to mom and pops' front stoop. Just look for the--uhh--giant LCBO. (Every neighbourhood has to have one, right?) Here are some places to check out on Coxwell.
Beverley's Café
Beverley's Café is known for its butter tarts and meat pies. "Some of the best in Toronto!" the woman behind the counter tells me. The epitome of Olde East York mom and pop, Beverley's offers more than just baked treats, offering Panini, wraps, soups in the fall and winter, and a $3.99 breakfast special served every day before 11:30 a.m.
Free Topping Pizza
Free Topping Pizza is that typical pizza joint around the corner. Painted bright yellow outside and advertising its $7.99 large pepperoni special, Free Topping Pizza also offers sandwiches and subs, to be enjoyed on a bar stool--sorry, no tables here.
Karma Kafe
Karma Kafe is the resident indie coffee shop, offering fair trade organic coffee along with little baked treats. The wicker furniture is comfortable and homey, great for making use of Karma's free WiFi. The café is open every day of the week, but closes early (4p.m.) Monday to Thursday.
Remarks Bar & Grill
Remarks Bar & Grill has an awesome raised patio, surely perfect for its weekend brunch (when kids' pancakes are free!). The interior is surprisingly sprawling with lots of dark booths and wooden tables. Live entertainment is rare, the bartender tells me, but it does happen. Eight-dollar lunch specials, on the other hand, are every day.
Little Coxwell Restaurant
Little Coxwell Restaurant is a Vietnamese and Thai restaurants characterized by its curious 'chef-in-a-bowl-of-soup' logo. In any case, there's lots of seating inside (I reckon those are Ikea tables and chairs) and offers curries, noodle soups, rice dishes and more. Little Coxwell Restaurant also offers free delivery to the surrounding area.
Lickadee Split
Lickadee Split is a recent Olde East York Village arrival, bringing ice cream and milkshakes to the Coxwell community. The sidewalk is lined with full-sized and colourful kiddie patio chairs, to be inhabited after grabbing a scoop of Birthday Cake or S'mores ice cream inside. There's also indoor seating and a colouring wall for those rainy summer days.
San Francesco's Foods
San Francesco's Foods does brisk business at its Clinton Street location but here on Coxwell regulars also flock here for its authentic Italian fare including its famous veal sandwiches. And just so that you don't miss the idea, San Francesco's sign is in the shape and colour of the Italian flag, its caricature chef is wearing an Italian flag hat, and its window is framed in red, white, and green. Pizza slices start at just $1.75.
Kouzina Eatery
Kouzina Eatery sounds Greek, but it actually offers a little bit of everything. It's empty when I walk in, so the couple behind the bar walk me through their offerings. There's the $3.95 burger, the $6.95 corned beef on a bun, and "souvlaki, souvlaki!" as the older gentleman put it. The all-day breakfast is also a big draw.
Download the blogTO iphone app to discover more places on Coxwell Avenue and East York. Here are some screenshots:
Previously in this series:
Kingston Road
Carlaw Avenue
Donlands Avenue
Marlee Avenue
Do you have any suggestions for overlooked streets you think we should feature on this site? Please send suggestions to streets [at] blogto [dotcom].
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but the italian place is great, so is thai fusion.
Kids In The Hall.
- Coxwell is also home to more than just mom & pops. There's a TD and Royal Bank across the street from one another, a Mr. Sub, and two chain gas stations at the north end.
- For a small strip, it has a fairly dense number of services, including a dental office, a vets, a realtors office, a pet supply store, and a beauty salon
- Bubba's Burgers. Are you kidding me? The pizza joint gets a name drop, but you totally ignore Bubba's? WTF folks. Institution.
- Aside from the giant LCBO and its accompanying parking lot (not diagonal) keeping a lot of traffic in the area, you failed to mention that the strip is more or less anchored on the south by East York Collegiate Institute, a high school serving around 2,000 students, and that a number of these kids jam into the multitude of dining establishments during the weekdays. To a lesser extent, an elementary and middle school reside a few blocks west.
- There also remains a bit of a mystery on the street with the old property that used to be a Coffee Time. Closed up in the late nineties, the property has sat papered over and vacant with nary an attempt at placing a new tenant. With all the businesses flipping over the last ten years, no one really knows why this unit has remained empty.
- Remarks used to be an East York Institution that went by the name of Hollingers. A restaurant/bar that had operated for over 40yrs until "Restaurant Makeover" worked its cursed magic on it awhile back. As per the curse, the renos didn't make magic, and soon after the business did a bit of a 180, and renamed itsself.
- The street does have a sad side, as 16yo student Andrew Stewart was swarmed by a gang of youths and killed nearby, after protecting a pregnant friend at one of the eateries on the strip.
You wanna know about Coxwell? Ask a local
Diamond Corner, on the other hand, can be substituted by literally any other similar eatery across East York. They use the same frozen souvlaki, the same frozen chicken, the same frozen everything. Don't get me wrong; there is some good food to found within, you can just find it at any other similar location across the borough.