(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
The never-ending line for a table at Snakes and Lattes convinced Samantha Lerner and Alisa Sadler, friends and patrons of the Annex café, that the appetite for board game–centric spots was far from sated. Although Leslieville initially seemed like a good neighbourhood to launch their own contribution to the genre, the pair finally settled on the western edge of Parkdale for Go Lounge, which opened last week (given the recent ban on new openings on the strip, it’ll be one of the last places to open there for a while). Lerner and Sadler are aiming to keep the café a kid-friendly space during the day, while at night—especially after their liquor licence kicks in—a slightly rowdier crowd of board gamers can take over.
The 30-seat space features exposed brick walls, brightly coloured chairs and a custom-built reclaimed wood bar. Photographs from local artist Mathew Marrett dot the walls, while the games themselves—there are some 350—act as a vivid backdrop to the café. Unlike at Snakes and Lattes, Lerner and Sadler have opted not to charge a cover fee. For those in need of a pick-me-up during a marathon game of Risk, Go has a roster of panini served on Ace Bakery bread. The prosciutto version ($8) features provolone, slices of tomato and arugula, and comes with either kettle chips or mixed greens; other options include apple, cheddar and honey ($7) and banana and Nutella ($5). There’s also Detour –roasted coffee and baked goods from Circles and Squares, which will soon be joined by a late-night snack menu for those furious Settlers of Catan sessions. With large groups already booking weekend spots, we have a feeling this end of Parkdale is about to get a little busier.
179818 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-intro.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-intro/ nov12-go-lounge-intro 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179814 Banana and Nutella panini ($5) (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-10.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-10/ nov12-go-lounge-10 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179816 Prosciutto panini with provolone, tomato and arugula ($8) (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-12.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-12/ nov12-go-lounge-12 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179815 Canadian Rocky cookie ($1.75) and caramel apple muffin ($2.25) from Circles and Squares (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-11.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-11/ nov12-go-lounge-11 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179813 Latté made from Detour coffee ($3.50) (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-09.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-09/ nov12-go-lounge-09 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179805 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-01.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-01/ nov12-go-lounge-01 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179806 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-02.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-02/ nov12-go-lounge-02 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179809 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-05.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-05/ nov12-go-lounge-05 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179810 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-06.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-06/ nov12-go-lounge-06 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179807 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-03.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-03/ nov12-go-lounge-03 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179808 A peek at Go’s 350-strong library of games (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-04.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-04/ nov12-go-lounge-04 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179811 One of Go Lounge’s simpler games (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-07.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-07/ nov12-go-lounge-07 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179812 Looking out onto the westernmost stretch of Parkdale (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-08.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-08/ nov12-go-lounge-08 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
179817 The space was previously home to Zippie Café and The Big Guy’s Coffee Shop (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Go Lounge Introducing: Go Lounge https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-13-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nov12-Go-Lounge-13.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/go-lounge/slide/nov12-go-lounge-13/ nov12-go-lounge-13 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
Go Lounge, 1718 Queen St. W., 416-588-7529, golounge.ca, @golounge
great (sigh) another hipster douchebag haven
hope they do okay – i think they’re more targeting younger people that don’t wish to sit around in bars. wishing them luck hopefully they can make it on a tough corner. and to runwithscissors above – you’re an idiot
spoken like a true hipster douche…
i agree with you trickydisco. and to you runswithscissors….mind you don’t fall on those scissors.
naive little children. are you unable to read the last line of a 126 word paragraph? they are planning to become a bar “Lerner and Sadler are aiming to keep the café a kid-friendly space during the day, while at night—especially after their liquor licence kicks in—a slightly rowdier crowd of board gamers can take over.”
apparently you can’t understand anything longer than a status update or tweet. try this #youareahipsterdouchebag
Yeah, playing boardgames is so douchy….
boardgames and playing them isn’t douchey, but drinking lattes in your plaid shirts and potato beards is….
Sad – your behaviour is very sad.
Whatever happened to the old saying….”if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say it”. Use some decorum – look it up if you don’t know the meaning. This is hardly the forum for such poor behaviour. If you don’t like what they report, there is an off switch, just as there is to your poor behaviour, use it a tad more frequently.
sad, sad that that free speech must be limited by someone else’s idea of decorum. if something offends me lady-take some smelling salts…how old are you? old sayings are for old people…have you never met yelp?