Bistro Camino – 2750 Danforth Ave. at Dawes Road
Stop what you’re doing and make plans to go to Bistro Camino. When I asked our excellent server what the heck this restaurant was doing at Danforth and Dawes Road, she said “we get that question a lot.” I could write about our whole meal, but the good people at Now Magazine wrote it already and I couldn’t agree more.
“At dinner, the prix fixes begin with warm, linen-draped baskets of French bread and cruets of both balsamic vinegar and olive oil. An appetizer platter follows: delicate china cups of creamy asparagus soup, tapas-style slices of Atlantic sole in citrus escabeche, house-smoked salmon and prosciutto of no particular provenance, figs marinated in red wine, mini-croquettes stuffed with Brie, and cheddar biscuits dressed with tobiko flying fish roe. Read the rest of the review here.
Caketown – south side of Danforth, just west of Woodbine
I haven’t made it in myself, though I hope to soon. All reports are that the pastries are incredible. Peter says: “it’s the best brownie I ever ate.” I’m also told through the grapevine that the decor is simply delightful.
Emerald Restaruant – south side of Danforth, steps east of Caketown
I know even less about this restaurant except to say that it is open and serves Indian food including, yes, samosas. The one report I’ve received is that it is clean inside.
O.k. so these aren’t the most well-rounded Danforth Gems that have ever graced this site, but now you know about these places. So if you can shed more light and share your experiences, post them here.
Re: Caketown
I just finished a pumpkin spice scone, and will definitely give it a 9+ out of ten. Friendly service and it looks definitely like a place to spend more than a second or two to order a pumpkin spice scone! Next time…
BTW, they serve Muskoka Ginger Ale, which is simply the best ginger ale in the history of ginger ale. Treat yourself.
My daughter and I just finished, rather, we inhaled the pumpkin spice scone which was moist, chock full of that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste, and just the right amount of glaze. The Americano was excellent. We bought a whole bunch of other items which we will I’m certain, inhale.
Nedya and Merril are super inviting and perfect for a service oriented business.
The decor is delightful, uplifting, inviting and there is so much care down to the last detail.
The best comment they’d heard this morning was that the baked goods are ‘dangerously tasty’. Apparently Mary Margaret tweeted a great phrase on twitter or fcebook: ‘get down to Cake Town’.
Welcome to the ‘hood Cake Town. It’s an absolute honour to have a new neighbour like you!
I’ve been a couple of times to Caketown cafe and can happily report that it is a fantastic addition to our neighbourhood. The food is delicious; the coffees and teas are high quality, and the decor is both comfy and elegant.
I’ve also been to Emerald, and I certainly enjoyed their crisp and tasty samosas and the fresh naans and various curries. The owners are friendly and enthusiastic in the their plans.
With establishments like Cozy Cafe, Celenas, and True Brew nearby, I’m hoping that people will start to enjoy our little neighbourhood treasures, and actually consider Danforth/Woodbine as a enjoyable dining destination!
Just spoke with the fellow renovating the place across the street from Better Bulk. Apparently, it’s going to be….wait for it…a BAKERY. But this time an Ethiopian one, specializing in injera flatbread. I’m not sure if it’s going to retail to the public, or be strictly a wholesaler.
Further to Caketown, their coconut macaroon cakes are remarkably delicious. And I had a cheese, tomato and chutney grilled panini that was first-rate. I’m going to try Emerald next, thanks to Paul’s recommendation.
My family and I discovered another Danforth Gem. We had lunch at the D-One/Diwane Moroccan restaurant at 1328 Danforth Avenue this afternoon. The owner Najat treated us like royalty! The food was amazing – we tried the zaalook (grilled/mashed eggplant) and harira soup for appetizers, the chicken tajine as our entree with homebaked bread, and topped it off with fresh Moroccan mint tea. We sampled a plate of homemade Moroccan cookies and pastries at the end of the meal. Everything we ate was freshly cooked/baked by Najat and tasted delicious!
Najat also showed us their party room in the basement which can be booked for private parties and dinners. My daughters want to have their next birthday parties in the party room!
Truly a fabulous experience and we will be back many times in the future to try the other dishes (we hear the chicken and seafood pastilla dishes are amazing).
http://www.d-onerestaurant.ca/index.html