Roncesvalles Village

pretty accurate description of Roncesvalles Village. My only comment is that naming it a "downtown suburb" does not portray a correct image of neighboorhood...especially for those who have not visited it but know what a real suburb is. Obviously Roncesvalles is not in the downtown area, but it is in Toronto and it strives with small local businesses and increasingly trendy places. From a vibe perspective, as a Roncesvalles resident I'd say it's more like a small town within the city.

LOVE the Freshwood patio and food! Thai Chef Cuisine is by far the best Thai food around (and the shrimp ARE big and juicy). I'm a huge fan of Blueline Cheese Boutique as well - especially the cheese described as "candy for adults"! So glad I moved to this unique hood!

Ronces has always been a great food destination and continues to be. Growing up in the area as well as being a local business owner, I have seen many positive changes over the years. This area boasts assets that perhaps were somewhat overlooked in the past, namely the park and lake. Note to readers: Ronces Village is not a downtown suburb! I'll continue enjoying the food here!!

I was wondering if anyone could inform me of a particularly good sports(football) bar to watch matches with fellow Polaks:)

One thing Roncy has too much of is "Sports Taverns" but a popular one is probably "Chopins". You can get your "Polish Plate", Polish Beer and soccer on the big screen. "Gabby's" is better than expected but I don't think it's particularly "Polish".

Someone should really include a write-up of Krak Restaurant. That place is great and the amount of Polish food they serve on your plate is gargantuan.

I don't think Cherry Bomb sells sandwiches anymore but their scones and muffins are fantastic. Be warned the muffins usually aren't ready till later in the morning but they are served up still warm from the oven.

This write up could be titled: Gentrification guide to your neighborhood. Most of the businesses featured are quite new and do not reflect the neighborhood feel adequately .

I have to say, it's amazing that you can list the stuff on roncesvalles and only show the places that cater to yuppies. There's so much cool stuff on the street that's affordable and excellent that you didn't mention.

1) All of the greengrocers. I usually only go to the one at the end of my street, where most things are from Ontario and the purchase price is always much less than expected. There are four or five great ones up and down the street.

2) Any of the delis. A lot of them only have prepared meats, but Warmia Deli and a few others have wonderful fresh meat and cheese. Also very affordable.

3)Holy Land Food. Possibly the best baba ganouj and tatziki I have tasted.

There are many more things, but you can't give a summary of Roncesvalles without mentioning these places.

Roncesvalles is a mouthful to say to be sure.
It would be interesting to see what people use as nicknames/monikers to shorten this otherwise lenghty name.

And on the topic of food in the Roncesvalles 'hood... I had a horrific eating experience at Freshwood Grill. It was so bad that I will most likely never be back despite my living just one block away.

Roncy :)

Seriously?!? Freshwood is usually so solid! What did you order?

If youre looking for a great new restaurant, Abstract Tree just opened up on roncesvalles. (Right across from the TD bank) Its a cozy place with excellent food! Its open kitchen is a great opportunity to see your food made fresh to order!

Hi, looking forward to trying Abstract Tree and other restaurants in the neighbourhood, as I'm new. Have been to "B" a few times and will defintiely become a regular. Had been to Butler's Pantry years ago and would still go....but the place could use a good shelf dusting and cleaning to make it more palatable again. Menu looks good.

I've lived in the area for 8 years and Roncesvalles Village has seen a dramatic lift in Real Estate prices with many home doubling there value in 4 years. It is also the highest per capita area in Toronto with children under 2 years old. It is a few minutes from the lake and a few minutes from High Park, making it a recreation centre. I tend to discribe it as a low rise, low density urban neighbourhood with small town friendlyness and shopping. Roncey has everything you need from hardware to fashion all within walking distance. 10 minutes by car to downtown. TTC access includes a subway stop at the North end, Dundas/College streetcar in the middle with Queen and King streetcars at the south make it one of the most accessable neighbourhoods in the city.

I would say the short form is in the pic, Ronces, with a hard e.

There are so many places to eat and cool shops. i would add aries place, so good for breakfast. Boho, that place is awesome. I agree all the fruit markets are amazing, along with the delis, soooo good. Krak is awesome, there so nice and the weiner schnitzl is great.

Actually, most people out in our neck of the woods call it "Roncey". You don't hear "Ronces" much. Whoever mentioned the fruit markets and delis, I agree; an essential and great part of this neighbourhood. And the film buff is the best video store in town...much more than just a good selection of tv shows, that's for sure. A tiny new sushi place (Vincent Sushi) has recently opened next door to it....excellent food, and very friendly. Also new is Naturalis Montreal-style bagels to satisfy your fix.

Abstract Tree is absolutely fantastic. I've dined there 3 times now, and each meal is delicious. Great wine selection, too. The chef and staff are very nice, very warm people. Krak is awesome, too.

Avoid Loons! God, what a dump.

AVOID Freshwood Grill!! The place is a dump, the total lack of hygiene in the kitchen is not to be believed. My girlfriend and I ordered chicken tandoori sandwiches there - we each took one bite, got up and walked out. I am not exaggerating when I say it was the most atroicious food I have ever 'sampled'.

And by the way, what's up with the name 'Polish Festival'?
What a slap in the face to all the great non-Polish businesses on Ronces. Am I the only one who thinks it needs to be re-named 'The Ronces Festival'??

I absolutely agree about Freshwood Grill - please people, if you value your stomachs, don't eat there. The place is so overrated. The cooks do NOT wash their hands on a regular basis, after touching various items that warrant hand wash washing. My sister and I witnessed this while waiting for our take-out orders. We walked out, that's how repulsed we were.

Brad's Takeout & Eatery is a VERY nice place. Very attractive and CLEAN interior design. The staff are super friendly and efficient, and Brad is one great cook! Brad's weekend breakfast is wonderful. His burgers are delicious, too. They have a wine selection now, and beer, I think.

Abstract Tree is, yeah, I agree, a great place to dine.
Very cozy, very good food at reasonable prices. Check it out.

Will somebody PLEASE purchase the God-awful Starpolska Restaurant and turn it into something more than half decent?

Freshwood Grill has what is easily the worst veggie burger I've ever had, which is saying something considering I've eaten the V Burgers at McDonald's, Burger King, and Harvey's. I couldn't even eat half of it and will probably never go back there even though I had an okay omelet there once.

Qi absolutely rocks. It's my favorite health food store in the city. I also quite like KO Market for organic produce.

Freshwood Grill is terrible!
It used to be a decent place, but in the past year has gone so far down in quality and service I can't go back. The kitchen is very careless and service is shoddy. I have had sandwiches with unpeeled onions grilled to shoe leather. The reaction from the cook was a shrug and a half hearted apology.

I'm not an expert on this, but it is my understanding that the word "Pollocks" used in this article could be considered offensive.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polack

I believe "Poles" would be a more appropriate word.

But frankly, I find the whole structure of the sentence is flawed. The idea that a neighbourhood in Toronto would be only "for" one ethnicity is somewhat offensive to me.

And while I'm at it, I'm not really buying into supposed influence of the "20 something" crowd. The gentrified set in the neighbourhood strike me as more likely to be thirty-something.

As a Pole, I don't really find the term "Pollack" offensive. In essence it comes from the Polish word "Polak" which simply means "Pole". It really all comes down to context, if someone is using the term in a pejorative way (as it sometimes was used in the past), then ya, it's offensive. But I don't think that was the author's intent in this article.

I definitely agree with Mark and his disapproval of the article focusing on "yuppie" places on Roncesvalles. There are SO many great little places that are affordable to those of us who don't live a yuppie lifestyle! The green grocers, the delis - especially the delis, Krak, the Revue cinema...

Either way, it's a great neighbourhood that I'm proud to call home, whether or not it's labelled "Polish" or "yuppir" or whatever.

IS ANYONE AN ACTUAL RONCES,WHICH THEIR LAST NAME IS RONCES??????

Brad's is a gem for sure. Had brunch for the first time there last weekend - the food was fresh, the atmosphere relaxed and the service was super friendly. Will be back for dinner!

I have to say I agree with the negative comments about Freshwood Grill - been there twice - never again. The food is sub-standard, actually, it's crap, and we can never figure out why the place is crowded.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned one of the true gems on Roncesvalles - Shala-Mar Indian Restaurant. This place is awesome! Voted one of the top 10 Indian eateries in T.O., and it's not hard to see why. THE best curry dishes my girlfriend and I have eaten in a long time. Check it out!

Forgot to mention that, yes, Brad's Eatery is very good, but....they could do with a more extensive menu selection and their hours are a bit wonky - should stay open later for dinner. Oh well, perhaps in time. Otherwise, great place.

My partner and I moved to the Ronces Hood about 4 years ago. Love it here. Very unique place. That said, it could use a little sprucing up here and there, as some parts of the street are looking more than a little ratty. Otherwise, no complaints.

We LOVE the great TTC connections (Bloor line, College car, Dundas car, Queen and King cars - wow!).

Also, great array of fruit and veggie markets/stores along the avenue. Qi Natural Foods on Ronces is one of the BEST of its kind in the city.

Restaurants here seem to run the gamut from atrocious to outstanding:

1. Krak - Yeah, the chef is def smokin' Krak here, as the
Polish fare offered is, well, blech. Must say though,
GREAT cabbage rolls!

2. Brad's Eatery - Hands down the cleanest bathrooms we
have ever seen in a restaurant! Great place, food is
delicious, but Brad needs to expand both his hours of
dinner service and the menu itself. Mind you, he's new,
so I'm sure he will augment as time goes by. Great
weekend brunches. The wait staff here are kind of
strange - VERY nice and polite older guys who you know
have never been waiters in their lives! LOL.

3. BoHo - Ditto for this place re brunches. Very nice
place and staff very efficient & friendly.

4. Silver Spoon - Divine and delicious. Highly recommended.

5. Fat Cat Wine Bar - Fabulous place and great wine
selection and ambiance. Great back patio.

6. Freshwood Grill - Should be closed or nuked. Nuff said.

7. The Local - Cool, funky interior but they need to revamp
their pub-grub menu - too predictable.

7. Thai Chef - When it's great, it's fabulous; when the
cook is having an 'off' night, it's okay at best.
8 times out of 10, this place has awesome Thai cuisine.
Note: the service here can be a tad slow.

That said, my partner and I give the Ronces Restaurant Award to........Shala-Mar Indian restaurant. What a FABULOUS place! Very friendly owner/chef. And the food!
Well, let's just say it is not for nothing that Shala-Mar has been voted one of Toronto's top 10 Indian restaurants.
Definitely worth checking out, people! Their curry dishes are to die for!

Best Coffee House: Cherry Bomb is da bomb.

have lived in roncesvalles for a year now and love it. some of my highlights.

butler's pantry - this is our standby. quick and cozy. good service and comfortable setting. the bulgogi is delicious.

sunrise grill - pretty good and consistent. you can get your basic bacon and eggs for a fair price, but also fancier dishes too. the eggs benedict are great. had bad experiences with the crepes and waffles though. stick with the egg dishes.

domani - delicious, simple and good quality ingredients. pasta is amazing. pleasant atmosphere. prices are good. highly recommended.

thai chef ? very good food and nice service. recommend the spring rolls and bbq beef. they have delivery too but it can take a while.

aris grill ? typical comfortable greasy spoon. excellent value. a roncy classic. it won?t disappoint. pretty good burgers. get the homemade one not the frozen.

abstract tree ? well i went there when they first opened so i?m sure they were going through some adjustment. nice atmosphere. big portions of food. flavour was okay. good fries though. because our order took a bit longer the manager gave us 20% off. so they definitely care about their customers. i want to see new businesses here do well. i would go there again.

cafe polonez ? clean and modern polish fare. delicious food with huge traditional portions. roast beef is amazing.

sue?s fish and chips ? great place to get your greasy old fashioned fish and chip fix.

local and dizzy are great places for drinks. local more artsy, and dizzy more sporty. food at dizzy is pretty good. good chicken wings and fries. the $15 burger is a bit much but i had to try it. it?s huge. i?m glad i shared it with someone.

for quick a no cook takeout meal i head to super kolbassa for their cheddar perogies and salads, then pop over to benna?s for some freshly baked polish fruit cakes for desert.

also the gelato place at howard park is great for a treat in the summer.

need to try brad?s and fat cat.

wow with all this selection i can see why so many people are moving here.

The Film Buff ROCKS! Hands down one of the best Film/TV DVD rental venues in the city.

Yes, Ronces has a plethora of excellent fruit/veggie markets. There's a cute little fruit/veggie located next to Dizzy Gastro Sports Pub, run by a very sweet older Chinese or Korean couple. Good produce. I love to give the 'Mom & Pop' venues my business.

I too will add my negative vote for Freshwood Grill - this 'restaurant', for lack of a better term, has gone down in quality and service since it opened. I agree with the posters above who say the place is not clean - it's not - at all. My wife and I tried it once and were thoroughly disgusted with our food. Never again.

BoHo gets 4 stars from my wife and I - we love the weekend brunch there - very nice atmosphere and delicious fare. Service is friendly and quick.

Thai Chef is a superb restaurant - food VERY good, although, their service can be a wee bit slow. If you can be patient and wait just a bit longer to be served than in other restaurants, then check this one out.

Abstract Tree - Have eaten there twice - very nice, cozy little place with VERY friendly and courteous staff. Their food is quite good, although they could expand their menu.
But, this is a new place, and I'm sure they will add items.
GREAT wine selection at Abstract Tree. Definitely worth checking out.

Fat Cat Wine Bar - Great wines, GREAT rear patio.

Intersteer - VERY wonky atmosphere, but very inviting and cozy. This bar/reatuarant is quickly becoming an 'in' hangout.

Brad's Eatery - DEFINITELY a great weekend brunch choice. Like Abstract Tree, Brad's offers very friendly service and great food.

I'm suprised nobody has mentioned the Revue Cinema here. This historic theatre is but one component that ensures Ronces stands apart from other T.O. neighbourhoods. Kudos to all who helped to rescue the Revue and who keep it a valued and viable venue.

That aside, my husband and I frequent Fat Cat Wine Bar - especially in the summer months, what with its fabulous outdoor rear patio - beautifully decorated.

Three cheers for Ronces!!!

Ditto re: the THREE CHEERS FOR RONCES. I've hung out in this neighborhood for over 10 years and have lived in it for the last 4 1/2 years.

Some of the highlights... Fat Cat Wine Bar's Patio, RIVER Restaurant (Food is fantastic and the servers are trying...)-- get their brunch if you have a chance, Another Story Bookshop, The Revue Cinema, and the ice cream at the FILM BUFF!

LOVE Fat Cat Wine Bar's back patio, too.

I third the Three Cheers For Ronces! This is an absolutely fabulous neighborhood that is getting better all the time (we have lived here for 7 years).

I know this place has been mentioned, but Cherry Bomb is fantastic - delicious fair trade coffee and yummy homebaked goodies.

Alternative Grounds - ditto - an excellent coffee house.

Brad's - Best weekend brunch on Ronces, hands down.

Abstract Tree - Great little place with good food. They now serve delicious breakfasts on weekends. The food is ample, and the cost is very good ($5 - $8!!).

Freshwood Grill - UGH! I've read the comments on this dive and I have to agree - terrible restuarant - the food is abysmal. Whenever I pass by and see the place is crowded I simply shake my head - I cannot figure out WHY people are dining there (perhaps it's their first time, and will avoid the place like the plague in the future).

River is, yes, a great place to eat and the young servers try their best.

Aris Place - Guys, a word of caution here. Aris and staff do NOT wash their hands after handling money (cash register). Be warned. My husband was totally grossed out by this and refuses to go back there.

BoHo - very delicious dishes and a nice ambiance about the place.

Film Buff - One of the BEST video stores in T.O. and YES their ice cream is to die for.

Thai Chef - Awesome!

Queen Of Tarts - Oh...My...God! Check this place out - incredible tarts and delicious quiche selection.

Another Story Bookshop - I give this one a pass. The selection is not the best; great refurbished interior, but their stock-selection leaves a lot to be desired.

My Ronces Wish List:

1. An excellent Chinese Food Restaurant.
2. A Terroni's Pizza and Sandwiches bistro.
3. An LCBO (Why the hell do we have to go to Parkdale???)
4. A Shoppers Drug Mart (we need one in the hood, never
mind the one up at Bloor).
5. More and better trees along the Avenue + more benches.

That's all that comes to mind right now.

Oh yeah, the Revue rocks!

Roncy is by far one of the greatest neighbourhoods in Toronto ... it's close to High Park which is beautiful, the community is just nice ... people actually smile ... well most of the neighbourhood. hee.hee.

People have mentioned a great number of great places ... but you should check out Daddy-O's ... oooh my goodness the ice cream is delish and good variety. The roasted marshmallow ice cream is soooooooooooo GREAT!!!

And not to beat a dead horse but they could possibly be serving it so why not, Freshwood Grill should be called Anything But Fresh Wood Grill .... flies everywhere, bad service, waitresses actually talk down to you, wrong orders and the food is soooo gross. I've given them two chances to prove themselves and I'm pretty forgiving but they are HORRID. Owner called to apologize to us after our first visit of horrors and invited us back ... soooo we tried again and believe it or not the service was actually worse the second time.

And the thai food at Sue's Thai Food aka Vicky's Fish and Chips is AMAZING!!!!!

And just around the corner from Roncy on Queen is Good Catch ... great little all purpose general store ... very unique ... and the chocolate they carry from this little handmade shop in etobicoke whose name has escaped me but it's got a couch on the label and i'm sure the owner will know what i mean if you ask ... truffles sooo big and sooo delish.

Trish's comments about the trashy dump of a Ronces restaurant called Freshwood Grill are right on the money, as are all the others posted about this disaster of a 'bistro' - for lack of a better term. My boyfriend and I ate there a year ago, and believe me, it was an experience we have no intention of repeating. The food was horrible, the staff RUDE and the highly questionable cleanliness of both the cooks and the kitchen turned us off this place for good. Ugh. There's one older gal who works there who is SO hyper and impatient it's actually quite funny - until you have to pay the bill for enduring this place.

On a more positive note, we love the Ronces hood! It's a very unique enclave in Toronto, and in many ways it's only getting better. We love the abundance of fruit and veggie markets, and the Revue Rocks!

Fat Cat Wine Bar has a very cool rear patio.

Bo-Ho is a very good restaurant, as is Silver Spoon.

By the way, Daddy-O's is now closed, BUT, it's being replaced with an espresso bar - should be interesting, but let's wait and see when it opens in September.

Many residents of Roncesvalles Village feel it is more than high time the annual ?Polish Festival' be re-named in honor and RESPECT for the many other ethnic groups who make up our diverse, thriving and unique community. The Roncesvalles BIA and/or Festival planning committee is virtually slapping the hard-working, innovative and dedicated NON-Polish vendors, merchants and
residents in the proverbial face ? and have been doing so for some time now.

A message to the Roncesvalles Village BIA: Wake up! It is 2008, not 1968. Roncesvalles Village is more, much more than the Polish element. We feel a more appropriate name such as ?The Roncesvalles Festival' or perhaps
?A Taste of Roncesvalles' is much more politically correct and RESPECTFUL of All residents and merchants who make up our unique neighborhood.

Also, the POLISH Festival has become a joke; a parody. Crappy Konklin fair rides and atrocious live entertainment abound. Perhaps the apathetic BIA should get off their butts and display more energy re entertainment
booking/scheduling for this now tawdry festival.

We are calling on ALL non-Polish village vendors/merchants and residents To BOYCOTT the POLISH Festival until such time when the BIA deems Non-Polish residents and merchants to be a viable and significant and respected element of Roncesvalles Village.

If you're going to do it/plan it ? then get it right.

Signed,
Residents for THE RONCESVALLES FESTIVAL

Re: Ronces Polish Festival

The BIA told me the festival was once called the Harvest Festival specifically to move beyond all things polish. It was OK, but there's already 100 harvest festivals. The BIA was told by sponsors that if they really wanted the thing to work, they should exploit the fact that most people think POlish when they think of ROnces. Sorry if that offends you Gorge Coito, but you probably get offended a lot by such things since you live in toronto (Pride, Caribana, etc.).

After it became the polish festival, sponsorship doubled, attendance doubled, publicity doubled -- which is the whole point. Even so, it's not really all that polish. When i was there last time, the band at the north stage was playing a Stooges cover. Lots of non-polish stuff. It's really just a neighborhood festival with a polish hook for outside visitors who otherwise wouldn't give a crap about some "roncesvalles festival"

Coito is right about the crappy konklin rides thought. They are lame.

I dunno, I'm on the fence in regards to the naming of the festival. I agree with George on several points, but understand Kosh's explanation in regards to increased sponsorship and attendance.

I DO think it's time to re-tune the festival, though. The konklin rides ARE a joke, and yes, the committee CAN do a better job obtaining better entertainment for the festival.

Just my two cents.

Oh, and I'll add my vote that Freshwood Grill SUCKS!

Interesting comments here, especially about the 'Polish Festival' - sorry, George! :-)

I do have to say though, that as a long time Ronces resident, I avoid this God-awful bad annual Polkafest like the plague. My girlfriend and I always high-tail it out of the area the weekend this shing-dig is goin' on!

Yeah, the Ronces BIA really does need to sharpen up this festival. It could be so much better than it is.

Anywho....

Love the neighbourhood! Ronces really is an awesome place to reside. Tons of great restaurants, as mentioned above.

And, hey, we have the Revue!

Rock on, Ronces!