LILLY’S LUNCHES (416-948-0868, lillyslunches.com) Complete lunches for $10 per person, including tax within delivery zone. Open Monday to Friday 10 am to noon. Closed Saturday, Sunday, holidays. Unlicensed. Rating: NNNN
Elizabeth Callahan wants people to think about how the food they eat gets to them.
“You see restaurant supply trucks and cars delivering pizza all the time, but you never see anyone on a bicycle,” says the self-described foodie and bike freak.
Combining her two passions, the 25-year-old budding entrepreneur created Lilly’s Lunches, a subscriber sandwich delivery service on two wheels – a bespoke Pashley cargo bike imported from the UK, to be exact.
Here’s how it works: Buy a $40 membership on her website and someone in Spandex cycling shorts will show up at your office once a week for the next month with a sandwich, small salad and a snacky dessert. Those outside her west-side delivery zone – Bathurst to University, Bloor to Dundas – pay a small fee. Bargain or what?
“It’s a screaming deal, is what it is,” laughs Callahan.
And a tasty one to boot. The Mancini might not look that big – a few slices of spicy salami, soppressata and mozzarella and some arugula on thin Italian bread – but gets an extra unexpected kick from a drizzle of honey infused with basil.
Her eponymous vegetarian wrap comes virtuously stuffed with health-conscious grated beets and carrots as well as roasted almonds in a tahini-inspired dressing. It should also be noted that the Steve – shaved roast beef, sprouts and sugary caramelized onions on marble rye spread with nutty tomato butter – is named for the chef’s main squeeze and not yours truly.
Side salads conform to a similar minimum-volume/maximum flavour philosophy, particularly her cranberry and carrot coleslaw tossed with scallion. Desserts aim for comfort, either a slice of zucchini and banana bread studded with a whack o’ chocolate, or a chunky cranberry oatmeal chocolate chip cookie known as the Amazing Everything. Apt description that.
After only nine weeks in operation, business is booming. She’s up to 20 orders a day.
“I’m working on getting a second bike built, too” sighs Callahan. “The way things are going, I’m going to need one.”
stevend@nowtoronto.com
