Restaurants
The Depanneur
The Depanneur has opened for your convenience at the corner of College and Havelock, just shy of Dufferin. Don't expect to find a plastic jug of wine or Du Mauriers at this corner store cum cafe, but an array of fresh produce, bold coffees, and breakfast sandwiches for on-the-go. Still in its infancy, The Dep is promising a full brunch menu on the weekends and hosting Rusholme Park Supper Club, a monthly get together with a cast of rotating chefs.
In the true spirit of the Dep, what you'll find are the grocer's necessities but re-imagined for a discerning crowd. Organic farm fresh vegetables are provided by Prairie Boy Farms which boasted both heirloom tomatoes and carrots, garlic, and yellow beans on the day I went by. Demi-baguettes by St. John's will save you the schlep east side to their bakery. And keeping it in the 'hood, I Deal Coffee is available by the cup or by the pound.
A sign posted out front mentioned a kitchen drive to stock the newly added cooking space with surplus kitchen stuff. A novel idea that plays into the community ethos of The Dep. The repurposed counters were salvaged from the former convenience store that once inhabited this space -- Chiclet and Double Mint adverts still in tact. Dougie Kerr, of Honest Ed signage fame, has provided a nostalgic touch with his fantastic lettering style adorning the cafe. An overall hodgepodge of new and old gives the space a lot of personality and the open kitchen gives you the impression that you're hanging out at your friend's.
Simple in its execution yet practical, the paper wrapped breakfast sandwiches are perfect for the morning rush. The yellow zuchinni frittata with lemon aoli wedged between crusty sourdough was delicious, as was the jam on walnut raisin bread. If sammies ain't your thing, daily quiches have recently been added to the menu with crust made by Wanda's Pie in the Sky. The supper club should be starting soon and I believe the space can be rented in the evenings for private dinner parties as well.
The owner, Len Senater, puts it best, "I started the Dep as an experiment in how to get closer to food in a fun, meaningful way that engages the community where I live, but that also avoids the pitfalls of the traditional restaurant model." An auspicious start for a neighbourhood dep with the best yet to come.
Photos by Peter Henderson.
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the people are super friendly! and you can get a breakfast sandwich after 11 for pwyc as they want to stick by serving fresh food (since the bfast wiches are made at 8 am)!
a nice neighbourhood addition!
Oh, and if you manage to get past your issues long enough to support a local biz doing good things for the economy ecology, let us know how you like the food.
@tehdep welcome to the neighbourhood. Please make more good things happen.
@kbp - really sorry that you felt ignored. We're all really new at this, and can get overwhelmed pretty easily. Pop in, say hi, and you're next coffee's on me.
@dve - I'm from Montreal. I opened a new corner store, in what was an old corner store. Why would I call it anything else?
Weak coffee with grounds in it. Annoying owner talking to his friends and not helping the lone girl working the counter no matter how many customers come in. The produce is rotten and covered in flies. They have very scant menu which they sell out of and don't restock. This place is a waste of time if you're in the neighbourhood skip it and go to Arabesque instead.
A few people who have commented don't seem to be familiar with the concept that they are a venue for supporting other small local food businesses. They provide affordable access to a commercial kitchen for many small businesses & a place for them to sell their goods.
They also have an interesting take on the business model for restaurants @LA they base their weekly menu on having as little waste as possible. Instead of inflating the price on cheap ingredients and throwing out whatever doesn't sell they purchase small quantities of quality ingredients, they research where the food comes from and they offer it until it sells out.
The girl who works there is a wealth of knowledge about the farmers and other producers of food. She has also helped me get in touch with other businesses and markets where I can find certain items that I was interested in. She is truly interested in supporting people who grow food responsibly and she has even inspired me to make some new choices in how I shop for food.
I'd suggest people to have more of an interest in supporting their dinners and workshops and buying food from the grocery shop, instead of judging them on the same level as you would judge a full out restaurant.