Restaurants
Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company
Sky Blue Sky is the name of Wilco's sixth album. It's also the name of a cozy sandwich shop on Bloor Street West, right in the heart of Koreatown. When owner Chad Comfort decided to open up shop last fall, he settled on the Wilco-theme by chance. And now all of the sandwich names on the legal-paper-sized menu are affectionately named after Wilco songs, from "We're Just Friends" to "Hoodoo Voodoo."
The counter is lined with loaves of fresh bread and plates of cookies. Chad bakes all of his bread and cookies ($1.25 each) fresh every day and also makes all of his soups from scratch. On the day I visit, there are four listed on the chalkboard, and I opt for the Boston seafood chowder while my chum orders the "Chicken and Rice Flu Chaser" ($3.79 for each 10 ounce bowl). After some time contemplating the menu, we order "Side With The Seeds" ($4.29) and "How To Fight the Loneliness" ($4.99).
At a small wood table by the window, I tuck into my hearty chowder, generously flecked with morsels of salmon, salty bacon and vegetables. The creamy broth is flavoured with white wine and herbs. The chicken and rice soup almost resembles the texture of congee, and true to its "Flu Buster" name, it's spiced with ginger, cumin, cinnamon and garlic.
Our sandwiches arrive promptly to the table, the bread toasty and hot. "Side With The Seeds" contains slices of thick cheddar and caramelized onions, slathered in saucy roasted tomatoes between two slices of cheese bread. The simple white loaf is dense and swirled with cheese and the crust is sweet and flavourful.
"How To Fight Loneliness" contains slices of chicken, apple and bacon. The crispy green apple counters the saltiness of the meat and the toasty naan-like bread is floury and sweet. Both sandwiches are served with dill pickles on the side.
But what makes the Sky Blue Sky experience a good one isn't just the crust on the breads, it's Chad himself. Kind and jovial, this entrepreneur delights in accommodating his customer's tastes and requests. The menu also allows you to create your own sandwich ($4.99), choosing from one of the nine freshly-baked breads that include cranberry cream cheese, plain bagels, and a vegan-friendly loaf as well. Fillings include another list of nine, including five kinds of meat and three kinds of cheese -- you can pick up to four of the nine filling options.
Garnishes include everything from sweet pickles and roasted red pepper spread to barbecue sauce. Vegetables include cucumber, lettuce, mushrooms and more. Customers can preorder online via email, noting choice and pickup time. Online orders also benefit from a 5% discount.
At this bright and homey spot on Bloor West, it's blue skies for your wallet even if you don't order online. Sandwiches are all under five dollars, and the addition of the soup brings it to just $6. In a city where it's hard to come by a decent meal under $10, Sky Blue Sky is a breath of fresh air.
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The Google streetview shot is from before they opened - a fro rent sign's in the window...
www.be-log-blog.blogspot.com
great folks and crazy delicious food. the soups are party in your mouth good.
double yum.
check out my many of my wilco show reviews over at
http://backin15mins.blogspot.com A discussion of all things music.
PS - yet another Wilco post on my blog today ;)
It's nice to see, and nice to support, someone who opens up a shop because they really have a passion (and talent) for what they are doing.
The cookies were indeed amazing! I had a Peanut Butter Cookie and a Pumpkin cookie. The Pumpkin Cookie was phenomenal, balance flavour and amazing texture.
This place for me will replace the occasional trip to Karine's for a tasty breakfast/lunch.
My only qualm with the trip was that we ate in, but while sitting were served our soup in Styrofoam bowls and our sandwiches arrived to-go wrapped in wax paper. I'm not the classiest person or the biggest environmentalist, but it seems to me that asking if an order is to stay or to go and providing some real China (just some plates from Sears or Ikea or something) would give a better image to the restaurant.
My favourites are the soups. The best: Senegalese peanut soup, eggplant parmesan, and fish chowder.
what a waste of two hours. Wasn't hungry when we went in, but sure was starving when we finally left with no sandwiches.
ha. ha ha. ha ha ha.
Is it just two pieces of pizza squished together with the crusts on the outside? I'd eat it.
You can see it on my blog.
A diet coca-cola and unlit cigarettes for only 3.63? What a deal!
Can I get a side order of American flag ashes with that?
coughsnobcough
Always treated well and kindly. Always floored by the incredible sandwiches. The bread alone is worth the price. So easy to support two good people doing something they love. Especially when they're very good at what they do.
Would be great to include their website and twitter with the review. They have live menu updates, discounts and contests:
http://www.sbssandwiches.com/
http://twitter.com/SBSSandwiches
Go to a nunnery looking for a date and you'll probably be disappointed too.
Look, I've gone in several times when they were SLAMMED on a busy day and the longest wait I've had to endure was 10 minutes. Not long at all - but still they were all apologies and made it up to me on the spot.
You might find that your wait time is dramatically cut if you're nice and maybe do something kooky like remind people about your order.
There is no way Chad or his wife don't care about every customer that walks in their door. Good on them for being busy for making a quality, unique product available to people at a fantastic price.
The sandwiches we had were great. I had their monte cristo on panini (4.99). Delicious, though I should have taken it on their fresh baked bread and not the panini. The portions were large, and I had to overeat to finish my order (I'm an athletic 165 lb man). Can't remember what Mom had, except that it was on triple-cheese bread, that she enjoyed it, and that it was similarly priced. The coffee doesn't suck. Bought a couple of chocolate chip scones on the way out, which I've never had before -- very tasty and not too sweet.
When I asked about their baked bread, the proprietor (I guess it was Chad) recommended that I order bread a day ahead of time by email, because they prefer to sell it as fresh as possible. I tried a complimentary slice of their whole wheat bread, and it's as good as any I've ever had from the very good Harbord Bakery. A loaf is $4.25. They bake fancier breads too, but that's not my thing. He also said their white bread is especially popular, but that's also not my thing.
People I recommend you ignore in this thread: marketers Neil and lucas samuels, who have never even been there; trolls Heather, Scott, and doritos, whose descriptions of the place, its food, and its service comport not at all with our experience today.
First off, I can't speak for Lucas Samuels, but I'm certainly not a 'marketer'. I'm a Wilco fan who happened to find out about this place via Blog TO after seeing said band live, and who chose to leave a comment indicating that I love Wilco and want to check this place out. The only reason I haven't been in yet is because I live on the opposite end of the city, and usually don't travel 45 minutes for a sandwich.
Secondly, you chose to call out "marketers," yet for some reason didn't mention the comment from Stu McKinlay promoting a Wilco-themed beer from the brewery he owns. And then there was the comment from Bill, suggesting the owner of SBS consider buying a Wilco print from him for the resto.
Third, you call Heather, Scott and doritos "trolls" because theirs are the only negative reviews left here so far. Just because their experiences differed from yours doesn't automatically make them trolls (Granted, Scott's review does include a plug for Victory Cafe).
It is possible to write an informative review without starting a needless flame war. Something to keep in mind next time.
We really enjoyed the atmosphere too. It was completely laid back and friendly. And the owner was so happy to talk about his food, and get our feedback on the meal. He clearly put love into all his sandwiches. We will be back.
A great sandwich overall. The flavours went really well together, and the bread was amazing (and I don't even like brown bread generally). I especially enjoyed how the onions in the marmalade were soft, as they should be, but still managed to retain some crispness. Unfortunately, my one major quibble is that the bacon did not have the same crispness. Nothing ruins bacon more than undercooking, IMO. One other small note - I got a sandwich and a glass of tap water, and ate in. The tap water came in a paper coffee cup, and the sandwich wrapped in paper. It seems like it'd be less costly, and more enviro-friendly, to serve both the water and sandwich in reusable plates/cups.
I'll be back to try their other items...
Yes, it also took almost an hour to get my sandwich.
Now I see they recently got a poor food safetyreview from the CIty -- not a surprise:
http://app.toronto.ca/food2/DineSafeMain?userRequest=view_history&;ESTABLISHMENT_ID=10351170
So... Beware, diehard Wilco or sandwich fans.
It's incredibly casual, and very cheap which is awesome and the sandwiches fill you right up. They could probably speed up their service but I'm guessing it takes a while as it really appears that everything is completely fresh and just made. Hope it keeps up!
FOOD
The sandwiches are simple, taste home made and truly satisfy. My picky 5-year old daughter is not one for sandwiches, yet gobbled up the whole grilled cheese, asking that we go again so that she can have the pulled pork (AKA 'Kingpin', which she tried from my wife's order). I was feeling festive, so I ordered the 'One Wing' which consisted primarily of turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing. They were all amazing!!!!!
PRICE
AMAZING value! A true bang for the buck. Plus, we were all very satisfied with the meal.
EMPLOYEES
Couple of great guys at this place. Down to earth, friendly and seemed genuinely proud of what they are doing there. My wife and I plus our EXTREMELY picky 5-year old eater are looking very forward to our next trip... which I think should be tomorrow :P
SERVICE
As mentioned by others here, yes, it took a little time as these sandwiches are made to order, but we're not complaining at all. Unlike most places that expedite your food to you in moments, the meal and value here well made up for the wait (PS - You can place your order in advance on their site)