Photo Credit: City of Toronto
Small businesses to support during COVID-19
Drew-Anne Glennie, The Mike Staff Writer
Throughout the pandemic, small businesses have been suffering immensely due to lack of customers. Here are some of the best restaurants in the GTA that you can support during this time by ordering take-out or delivery, because sometimes, it’s nice to treat yourself:
Breakfast
Egg Bae
Egg Bae can be found in Kensington Market serving up a variety of gourmet egg sandwiches. The shop, created by Chopped Canada winner Wallace Wong and entrepreneur Kevin Hoang, make their sandwiches stand out by using their own egg brioche buns and signature “bae sauce.”
Price: $7-$12
My Pick: The Egg Bae
Chew Chew’s Diner
Chew Chew’s Diner in Cabbagetown is one of the most underrated dinners in the city. This train-themed restaurant serves huge portions of breakfast all day, including a hollandaise sauce that is to die for.
Price: $6-$15
My Pick: Eggs Florentine
Sorry Coffee
Sorry Coffee, owned by Canadian fashion retailer Kit and Ace, has the best coffee on the Queen’s Park side of campus. Located in Yorkville, this café offers organic treats and delicious coffee, served in adorable cups with unique designs on them. Unfortunately, Sorry Coffee is not available for takeout, so if you find yourself in the area, be sure to stop by with a mask!
Price: $3-$7
My Pick: Iced Latte with Almond Milk
Lunch/Dinner
Juicy Dumpling
Chinatown’s Juicy Dumpling is the place to go for delicious soup dumplings on the go. Their processes are designed for customers to get their delicious dumplings fast, and they also have locations in Richmond Hill and Scarborough.
Price: $3-$10
My Pick: Pan-fried juicy pork buns (4) and steamed mini pork dumplings (6)
Thai Country Kitchen
Thai Country Kitchen is a family-run restaurant located at the top of Chinatown, near College. The restaurant offers a wide variety of Thai fare, ranging from spring rolls to curries to noodle dishes.
Price: $10-$15
My Pick: Yellow curry and rice
Top Gun
Top Gun has locations all around the GTA, finding a home in Vaughan, Scarborough, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, and Etobicoke after chef Ibrahim Nehme opened the first restaurant in Kensington in 2015. Their offerings include beef, veggie, and chicken burgers served with their special top gun aioli.
Price: $8-$15
My Pick: Hellcat and onion rings
Bombay Roti
Bombay Roti has two locations in Toronto, one near Koreatown and the other at the top of the Annex. Chef Gopikrishna Chebrolu opened the restaurant two years ago this month, perfecting his dishes based on his experience working in over 20 Indian restaurants.
Price: $12-$16
My Pick: Mild butter chicken roti
Dessert
Craig’s Cookies
Craig’s Cookies was started by the titular Craig Pike in a small Parkdale storefront in 2013, which has since expanded to Church and Wellesley. The shop has 100 flavours of stuffed chocolate chip cookies on rotation and you can get milk served on the side for dipping. During COVID, Craig’s Cookies is open for in store pickup, so keep a mask handy!
Price: $3-$30
My Pick: Favourites include the classic, M&Ms, Mars Bar, Brownie, Rice Krispy, and Pride
Wanda’s Pie In The Sky
As an OCAD student, Wanda Beaver started her business by delivering pies on the TTC. Now a Kensington staple, her bakery Wanda’s Pie in The Sky serves up vegetarian tarts, pies, cakes, and cookies made in house, alongside coffee, tea, and healthy lunch items.
Price: $3-$10
My Pick: Pizza andStrawberry Rhubarb Pie
Bang Bang Ice Cream
Bang Bang Ice Cream on Ossington, an offshoot of Bakerbots, is known for their decadent ice cream sandwiches. The shop was opened in 2014 by Toronto-born siblings Arthur and Rosanne Pezzelli and is open for curbside pickup and delivery.
Price: $3-$8
My Pick: The Stay Classic
