A new Queen West coffeehouse for the laptop-toting crowd
In 2008, a six-alarm blaze tore through the south-side block of Queen between Ryerson and Bathurst, razing half the buildings. Since then the strip’s been reoccupied with a raft of trendy new businesses including an eyewear store, a resale clothing shop and Early Bird Espresso and Brew Bar, another Queen Street indie café. The new space has all the coffeehouse essentials—exposed brick, a laptop-friendly farmhouse table and beans from Pilot Coffee Roasters—plus a few special quirks, like mid-century light fixtures salvaged from a Polish chocolate factory and a cold brew contraption imported from Japan. Italian sandwiches, stuffed with prosciutto, pesto and fresh mozzarella, are best enjoyed on the roomy back patio.
Early Bird Espresso and Brew Bar, 613 Queen St. W., facebook.com
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
