Grinder Coffee

Cafe: Grinder Coffee

Address: 1021 Gerrard St. E.

Phone: 416-901-0290

Store Hours: Mon-Sat 7 AM - 4 PM, Sun 8 AM - 4 PM

Website: N/A

Wi-Fi?: Yes

Study Appropriate?: Yes

Stamp Cards?: No

Interior

Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: Yes to all

- Offers rooibos latte

- Offers Mexican hot chocolate

- Offers fruit smoothies

- Offers italian soda

- Sells 12 types of coffee beans, $12 for one bag (1/2 pound) or $20 for 2 bags

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free?: Vegetarian and gluten-free only

- Fresh salads available daily

- Breakfast options available

- Sandwich options available

- Fresh ingredients purchased from St. Lawrence Market

Cappuccino, $3.95

Review

Drink of Choice: Chai Latte, $4.20

I have to admit, I scribbled a couple of things into my notebook that I was unable to decipher (and it was awhile since I last visited the cafe - procrastination alert!). Hopefully though what I have here in this review is pretty accurate!

Grinder Coffee is a quiet cafe at the corner of a neighbourhood block in Leslieville. Considering that it's not a tiny space, I wished the cafe had one or two bigger tables rather than the singular round ones. Usually when arriving to a cafe I have yet to review, I would ask the barista right away if I could do a interview. The barista said if it could be done quickly because she wanted to get back to chatting with her father since she never had the time to spend it with him. Although she wasn't outright rude, I found this to be off-putting because I was the one and only customer there at the time. She had plenty of time to speak with her father, which she did afterwards when she was done with my order. Being from a business background, you don't tell a customer to hurry up because you have something else you want to do that is not related to work. That just gives a customer a bad image of your company.

Rant aside, I did quite enjoy the chai latte I ordered. It was a bit too much on the sweetness but I rather have it sweet than not. When I came back again a few days later, I ordered the same drink again because it really appealed to the sweet tooth in me.

Tango Palace Coffee Company

Cafe: Tango Palace Coffee Company
Address: 1156 Queen St. E.
Phone: 416-465-8085
Store Hours: Mon-Fri 6:30 AM - 11 PM, Sat-Sun 7 AM - 11 PM
Website: N/A

Wi-Fi?: Yes
Study Appropriate?: Yes
Stamp Cards?: No

Interior

Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: N/A

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Vegan and gluten-free snacks

Review

Choice of Drink: Small Cafe Latte, $3.19

A more artistic cafe, Tango Palace Coffee Company doesn't shy away from draping the ceilings with stars and art-for-sale upon the wall. They even have henna artists and tarot card readers to boot!

Originally, I decided to head to this cafe because it was named one of the top cafes with a patio on BlogTO. However, as you can see, I did not situate myself in their patio. I think at the time I didn't see it off the bat and assumed that it didn't exist. Though looking back, there might have been a backdoor that I totally missed....

I recall it wasn't a super busy cafe but at least a few regular customers here and there. Considering the amount of space, I was able to sit in an area where I was able to work quietly with not too many distractions around me near the windows. However, I feel the environment is more suited for an evening meeting with some friends to bond over the latest in culture and art.

Now if they actually had tango lessons, that would have been pretty cool.

Lazy Daisy's Cafe

Cafe: Lazy Daisy's Cafe
Address: 1515 Gerrard St. E.
Phone: 647-341-4070
Store Hours: Mon-Wed 8 AM - 6 PM, Thurs 8 AM - 11 PM, Fri 8 AM - 12 AM, Sat 8:30 AM - 12 AM, Sun 8:30 AM - 5 PM
Website: www.lazydaisyscafe.ca

Wi-Fi?: Yes
Study Appropriate?: Yes
Stamp Cards?: No

Interior

Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: Yes to all
- 2 choices of soy milk: sweetened or unsweetened
- All teas are organic
- Freshly squeezed lemonade and orange juice

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Yes to all
- Gluten-free bread
- Vegan and gluten-free treats
- Mostly locally grown; free-range meat and egg
- Soup made with vegetable stock with vegan choices

Extras
- Breakfast until 11:30 AM everyday
- Every Sunday there is brunch until 2:30 PM, new menu every week to keep things fresh!

Macchiato, $2.65

Review

Choice of Drink: Medium Dirty Chai Latte, $4.35

Upon entering Lazy Daisy's Cafe, I was glad how extremely spacious it was and how it had plenty of seating available. Since this was one of the further cafes I had to trek to, I was glad my efforts were not wasted when I planned to study there.

After ordering, I immediately realized how children-friendly the cafe was. At the very back of the cafe, they had baby stools available and a range of children books and toys. They even offered products geared towards children for their parents to buy! They successively tapped into a niche market when I noticed the frequency of customers that had brought their young children with them, something I rarely saw in past cafes I'd been to.

Originally, I was planning on trying their Pear Creme Tea because it was something I have never heard of before. But I realized I needed something strong so I could stay awake for my evening class. The dirty chai latte I ordered with a double shot espresso wasn't as sweet as other chai lattes I was used to but, it wasn't bitter where I had to get out of my way to add any sugar. I think it did an effective job on keeping me awake (adding on top of the regular coffee I had the morning of).

Deciding on the spot in which I was planning to create this blog, Tissa the barista, was very nice and helpful in replying to all off the questions I had regarding their menu. Her knowledge went far and beyond as I received way more information than I expected. Before she left her shift, she thanked for my visit and looked forward to my review of this cafe. It was very thoughtful of her and definitely added to my sweet experience at Lazy Daisy's Cafe.

Updated (Oct 4/13): For my earlier update of this review, I expressed I was disappointed with the cup size of the macchiato that I received. I did not realize that it was going to be an espresso cup-size, thinking that it was going to be a lot bigger due to past experiences. Dawn reached out to me in the comments below, which was sweet of her since she genuinely wanted her customers to have a great experience at the cafe.

Just when I was about to leave the cafe before 6 PM, thinking that it was going to close soon because of their old hours, I met Dawn in person! She explained to me that the macchiato she had in the past were espresso-sized. However, she was going to change the macchiato cup-size soon, enough for two shots and cream on top. She didn't want me leaving with a bad experience, so she gave me a card for a free macchiato for the next time I visit! (Though she wrote it behind a free fresh roast filter coffee card, so I'm not sure which one I would be cashing in!). That alone created a memorable experience for me as a customer!

I learnt that they recently obtained a liquor license. Dawn said she realized that there weren't many locations in the neighbourhood that provided adults with an opportunity to enjoy a glass of wine in a nice setting. Therefore they extended their hours and created night menus. They now have a craft beer menu, wine list, cocktail menu and appetizers (see above for new menus; menus' appearance in progress). In order to create that more intimate atmosphere, they dimmed the lights and provided candles on the tables. I definitely saw the change in customers compared to earlier in the afternoon! More couples compared to moms with their babies.

Once a month, they have a couple of events that they host for the community. Every second Wednesday of each month, there is a Trivia Night. Another event is their Motherload Comedy Show, which happens randomly but if you keep in check with the cafe's social media, you will be able to find out. They now also have board games available!