Name : Bolt Fresh Bar
Contact Info : 1170 Queen St. W., (416) 588-8103, boltfreshbar.com
Neighbourhood : Little Portugal
Owners : Eddie Chan and Tyler Gilchrist
Chef: Eddie Chan
The Food: Nutrient-dense dishes, ideal for restoring body and chi after one too many late-night binge sessions. The menu includes vegan grain bowls, açaí parfaits and salads layered with things like kelp noodles and kimchi. Kale is massaged-to-order with lemon juice and avocado oil.
The Drinks: House-made smoothies and juices with names like Chocolate Thunder (dark chocolate, raw cacao, peanut butter, banana, flax seed, chia seed, almond milk and agave) and Greena Colada (pineapple, shredded coconut, raw cashew, flax seed, kale, coconut milk and agave). A juice detox program is in the works.
The Place: The take-out shop has enough vintage charm to fit right in on the trendy West Queen West strip. The pièce de resistance: a 120-year-old antique walk-in cooler and display case, which houses apothecary-style bottles of Toronto-brewed kombucha.
The Numbers:
• 100 bunches of kale chopped shredded and pulverized per day
• 60 pounds of bananas blended per day
• 6 back-to-back shots of super-pungent ginger juice—the current standing record by co-owner Eddie Chan
• 2 Blendtecs, the quietest blender on the market
• 1 vintage walk-in cooler from the 1890s
• 1 dead tree salvaged to construct the wooden countertop
247571 The bold green paint job is hard to miss on the West Queen West strip (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Bolt Fresh Bar https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A001-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A001.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A001.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/bolt-fresh-bar-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a001/ toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a001 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
247572 (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Bolt Fresh Bar https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A002-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A002.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A002.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/bolt-fresh-bar-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a002/ toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a002 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
247573 A 120-year-old walk-in cooler and display case houses Toronto-made VAMS kombucha and other healthy beverages (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Bolt Fresh Bar https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A003-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A003.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A003.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/bolt-fresh-bar-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a003/ toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a003 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
247574 The salad bar includes items like kelp noodles, goji berries and shredded squash (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Bolt Fresh Barbar-A004 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A004-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A004.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A004.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/bolt-fresh-bar-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a004/ toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a004 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
247575 Vitamin Sea Bowl: Quinoa, shredded carrots, avocado, seaweed, red cabbage, sesame seeds, kimchi and kelp noodles in a creamy lemon tahini sauce ($9) (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Bolt Fresh Bar https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A005-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A005.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A005.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/bolt-fresh-bar-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a005/ toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a005 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
247576 Protein Bowl: Brown rice, beans, marinated tofu, sprouts, butternut squash, cherry tomatoes and pepitas in a carrot-miso dressing ($9) (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Bolt Fresh Bar https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A006-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A006.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A006.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/bolt-fresh-bar-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a006/ toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a006 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
247577 Kale is massaged-to-order in lemon juice and avocado oil, then topped with shredded mango and carrots, avocado, flaked coconut, walnuts and Himalayan sea salt ($10) (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Bolt Fresh Bar https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A007-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A007.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A007.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/bolt-fresh-bar-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a007/ toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a007 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
247578 Moroccan lentil soup with stewed tomatoes, eggplant, sliced apricots and fresh mint ($5) (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Bolt Fresh Bar https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A008-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A008.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-A008.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/bolt-fresh-bar-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a008/ toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-a008 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
247579 Power Açaí Bowl: two types of gluten-free granola, blended açaí berries, bananas, pineapple, raspberries and whipped coconut milk ($5) (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Bolt Fresh Bar https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-B001-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-B001.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-B001.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/bolt-fresh-bar-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-b001/ toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-b001 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
247580 A selection of smoothies and juices ($6–$9) (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Bolt Fresh Bar https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-B002-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-B002.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-B002.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/bolt-fresh-bar-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-b002/ toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-b002 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
247581 Bolt also carries chocolate bars, cocoa and nibs from Toronto chocolate producer Chocosol (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Bolt Fresh Bar https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-B003-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-B003.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-B003.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/bolt-fresh-bar-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-b003/ toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-b003 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
247582 Kombucha from local producer VAMS (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Bolt Fresh Bar https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-B004-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-B004.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-B004.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/bolt-fresh-bar-toronto-restaurants/slide/toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-b004/ toronto-restaurants-bolt-fresh-bar-b004 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)