The Trinity Bellwoods stretch of Dundas West loves its cuppa coffee. This year the strip between Bathurst and Ossington has enjoyed a jolt of café openings. And though the neighbourhood always starts off skeptical about whether another storefront can succeed at pushing caffeine and cookies, it doesn’t take the locals long to add a new stop to their weekend espresso hop.
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The newest bean bar on the block is Communal Mule (984 Dundas West, 416-653-2084). Owner and former DJ Peter Primiani traded in spinning late nights for early-brewing mornings in a petite space designed with a mix of industrial and rustic fixtures. Music is still an important part of Primiani’s concept. A set of turntables for whenever the urge to cross-fade hits him sits on the counter next to fair trade espresso, organic teas and all-natural muffins spilling out of parchment paper cups.
Photos by Ethan Eisenberg
Communal Mule joins long-time coffee favourites like Caffe Brasiliano (849 Dundas West, 416-603-6607) and Ella’s Uncle (916 Dundas West, 416-703-8881), and the second location of the Annex’s Ezra’s Pound (913 Dundas West, 647-346-8448) calls the corner of Dundas and Bellwoods home.
Photos by Ethan Eisenberg
Barista boom aside, the nabe’s current curiosity is Kia Waese’s month-old R.A.D. store (899 Dundas West, researchanddevelopment.ca). The research-and-development acronym reflects the experimental selection of shoes, bags and accessories that fill her starkly minimalist space. Thigh-high M.A+ boots and asymmetrical Nico Uytterhaegen bags line up on a single slim wood shelf. Pieces by Jas M.B. and LD Tuttle emphasize workmanship and design over luxury logos. A small clothing collection from more undiscovered labels arrives in the fall.
Photos by Ethan Eisenberg
Vintage shop Apt 909 (909 Dundas West, 416-916-7599) is a bit more cluttered than R.A.D., but Ria Jones and Beth Gondek are equally discerning when stocking up on men’s workwear pieces and finely finished designer frocks. The store has a huge following of Japanese buyers who start trends with picks from its racks. Embroidered aprons and retro finds from hot-right-now designer labels like Balenciaga and Balmain are big in Japan.
Photos by Ethan Eisenberg
Dundas West hairdo haunts include Salon Goulart (256 Crawford, 416-319-4839), Grateful Head (1006 Dundas West, 416-915-4323) and Barberella (891 Dundas West, 416-408-0440), whose owners, Shelley Ring and Taraleigh Wallace, opened Heartbreaker (889 Dundas West, 416-869-0440). The two-level nail spa is wallpapered in bordello red and gold and offers up a full menu of esthetic services, including facials, waxing and $20 manicures using a rainbow of eco-friendly Zoya lacquers.
On the home front, Julie Nicholson and Shaun Moore’s Made (867 Dundas West, 416-607-6384) is a Toronto Living staple and our go-to shop for made-in-Canada furniture and housewares.
Photos by Ethan Eisenberg
Design hunters can also head down the street to Bookhou (798 Dundas West, 416-203-2549) for another batch of locally designed decor finds. Arounna Khounnoraj and John Booth’s store sells the entire Bookhou collection, including house-shaped woodblock bookends and animal softies – plush pillows screened with images of cats, rabbits and owls. Khounnoraj teaches printing classes in her workshop space and mounts monthly shows by local artists like Aneela Dias-D’Sousa, whose ceramics are on display until June 28.
A few doors west, Futé Design (824 Dundas West, 416-762-0167, futedesign.com) focuses on contemporary cabinetry and sculptural outdoor furniture.
Photos by Ethan Eisenberg
If you’d rather sit on someone else’s patio than decorate your own, the Lakeview (1132 Dundas West, 416-850-8886) has added some al fresco tables out front. Musa’s (847 Dundas West, 416-368-8484) leafy deck is packed on hot summer nights, and the Black Hoof (928 Dundas West, 416-551-8854) earned one of NOW’s top Patio Guide slots.
Café 668 (885 Dundas West, 416-703-0668) is the veggie yin to the Black Hoof’s meaty yang. Carnivores and herbivores line up for brunch together outside Saving Grace (907 Dundas West, 416-703-7368).
The Trinity Bellwoods Farmers’ Market (tbfm.ca) takes over the park at Dundas and Shaw on Tuesdays between 3 and 7 pm. And for barflies, there’s Press Club (850 Dundas West, 416-364-7183), Magpie (831 Dundas West, 416-916-6499) and Opera Bob’s Public House (1112 Dundas West, 416-536-5585).
Photos by Ethan Eisenberg
Other recent openings include the Sleeping Giant Gallery (789 Dundas West, 647-345-4425), where owner Josh Glover shows alt art like this month’s Art Of Music Video exhibit, and Odile Chocolat (829 Dundas West, 416-538-1016).
Odile’s menu includes fleur de sel caramel, tequila- and mushroom-flavoured sweets, but judging by the neighbourhood’s java tastes, we have a feeling that a Moka espresso truffle will be its biggest seller.
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