Name: Through Being Cool Vegan Baking Co.
Neighbourhood: Bloordale Village
Contact Info: 1277 Bloor St. W., 416-998-3321, throughbeingcoolvegan.com
Owner and Head Baker: Amanda Somerville
The Place : A bright green storefront with “All vegan since 2010” stenciled on the front window. Inside, doily-topped shelves and dressers display jars of homemade preserves, while a big glass case at the back holds platters of doughnuts and other baked goods. Somerville is waiting for a license to turn the bakery into a proper sit-down café (for now, it’s takeout only).
The Food: Vegan cookies, doughnuts and tarts, plus savoury snacks like pizza buns and soft pretzels (with house mustard for dipping). Somerville also sells lasagnas, cabbage rolls and other oven-ready meals for vegans on-the-go.
The Drinks: Espresso-based drinks made with Anchored coffee beans, imported from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
The Numbers:
• 20 doughnut flavours (four available daily)
• 15-30 kilos of flour per day
• $7 for a bag of vegan dog treats
• 6 years since Somerville began selling vegan snacks to Sadie’s Diner on Adelaide West
• 4 types of vegan cookie: ginger molasses, sugar, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin
• 1 allusion to American punk band Saves the Day, whose second album is titled Through Being Cool
• 0 animal products
241738 The bakery is located on Bloor West, just east of Lansdowne (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Through Being Cool Vegan Bakery https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A001-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A001.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A001.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/through-being-cool-vegan-bakery/slide/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a001/ toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a001 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
241739 (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Through Being Cool Vegan Bakery https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A002-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A002.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A002.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/through-being-cool-vegan-bakery/slide/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a002/ toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a002 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
241740 The owner is waiting for a license that will let her turn the space into a proper sit-down café (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Through Being Cool Vegan Bakery https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A003-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A003.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A003.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/through-being-cool-vegan-bakery/slide/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a003/ toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a003 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
241741 Pizza bun ($4.50) and pretzel ($3.50) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Through Being Cool Vegan Bakery https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A004-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A004.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A004.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/through-being-cool-vegan-bakery/slide/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a004/ toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a004 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
241742 Lemon bar ($4.25) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Through Being Cool Vegan Bakery https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A005-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A005.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A005.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/through-being-cool-vegan-bakery/slide/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a005/ toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a005 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
241743 Doughnuts ($3) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Through Being Cool Vegan Bakery https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A006-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A006.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A006.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/through-being-cool-vegan-bakery/slide/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a006/ toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a006 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
241744 Chocolate chip and ginger-molasses cookies ($2.50) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Through Being Cool Vegan Bakery https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A007-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A007.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A007.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/through-being-cool-vegan-bakery/slide/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a007/ toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a007 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
241745 (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Through Being Cool Vegan Bakery https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A008-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A008.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-A008.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/through-being-cool-vegan-bakery/slide/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a008/ toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-a008 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
241857 Through Being Cool owner Amanda Somerville (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Through Being Cool Vegan Bakery https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-B002-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-B002.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-B002.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/through-being-cool-vegan-bakery/slide/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-b002/ toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-b002 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
241858 Mini carrot cakes ($3.50) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Through Being Cool Vegan Bakery https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-B001-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-B001.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-B001.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/through-being-cool-vegan-bakery/slide/toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-b001/ toronto-restaurant-through-being-cool-vegan-bakery-b001 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)