Zaza Espresso Bar & the Best Cannoli in Hillcrest Village

lunch at Zaza

I was recently passing through Toronto on my way to Vancouver and found myself at writer-friend Nina Munteanu’s current house-gig (she is an insufferable gypsy) in the heart of Hillcrest Village—not far from the University of Toronto, where she is currently teaching.

She was so happy to see me. “I’ve got a nice surprise for you,” she offered. “Well, it won’t be a surprise for long, because I’m going to tell you about it.”

I nodded. She never could keep a surprise to herself for long. This one took all of thirty seconds.

“Listen to this,” Nina said, picking up a postcard with that rather infamous eager smile of hers. I glimpsed a picture of an espresso and cannoli—very promising indeed! “Zaza Espresso Bar,” she read to me, “is a place where you can enjoy the warmth, energy & passion of a typical Italian espresso bar in your own neighbourhood!” She winked at me. “I thought of you right away. And now, here you are!”

I’ve always had impeccable timing. I’m Toulouse, the Cool Travel Cat, after all.

People underestimate a stuffed cat. They think we exist outside the parameters of time. In a way, they’re right and that’s why our little stuffed insides and outer shells tap very nicely into the quantum energy entangled in the network of all that was, is, and will be. :-3

 

Lilacs blooming in Hillcrest Village

It was Victoria Day in Canada—the queen’s birthday—and everyone was enjoying the warm sunshine and pleasant breeze outside. We walked through a lovely residential area, along Davenport Road, through Hillcrest Park then up a gently rising slope, along Turner Avenue, past stately brick and stone homes covered in ivy,  then up Arlington Avenue to the top of the hill at St Clair Avenue. The walk had taken us past small yards and gardens, some rioting with colour, others more sedate and subdued by order. All presented a mosaic of beauty and a celebration of Nature. We passed several lilac shrubs in full bloom. My nose twitched with glee at the delicate scent that wafted into my very being. Robins, sparrows and wrens chirped in a kind of chaotic harmony. 

Zaza patio

Then, like a sudden wind, we were there. Zaza! On our approach to St. Clair, we passed a wooden fence and beyond it a flower-festooned patio greeted us. Zaza occupies a red brick building on the corner of Arlington and St. Clair. Fine Italian music flowed out from inside.  I smiled. This is what Toronto is famous for: the surprising little gems nested in the heart of a community with the promise of genuine Europe. In this case, Italy.

Their promotional material describes Zaza as providing “the highest quality & decadent products in a comfortable, warm & inviting space with attentive, accommodating & welcoming staff.” It was as if they had little moi in mind! Anyone who has the courage to juxtapose the promise of highest quality with decadence earns my respect—if they can pull it off. And Zaza does. 

Owner Tina and staffer Bojana

Tina, the current owner has made this franchise her own with friendly competent staff and original interior design. Zaza beans, she told me, are roasted in Italy with a company that has more than 40 years of experience. Good beans make good coffee, she added, but to make great coffee it takes passion, patience and experience. Amen!

A well-stocked display of excellent gelato ice cream beckoned as we entered. Bojana told me that it comes from Woodbridge, where Italians make all things wonderful.  Over 30 enticing flavours included ciliegia (cherry), fragola (strawberry), mojito, cioccolato, nocciola (hazelnut), nutella, and tiramisu—Ooh! La! La!

Bojana adds the filling in my cannoli

We ordered two espressos and croissants (cornetti) with prosciutto, cheese and arugula.  After eyeing the ice cream, my sights landed firmly on the cannoli and I knew I would save some room.  Cannoli, which means “little tube”, is an Italian pastry dessert that originates from Sicily.  Filling is piped fresh into the sugar-dusted shells for that perfect contrast of creaminess and crispness. Fillings are traditionally made with ricotta but can also be custard or mascarpone.  

We sat outside in the shade of an umbrella in the patio that faced Arlington and watched the pedestrians come and go with flowers or daily supplies from the grocery store across the street. Old men in hats had a friendly argument on the street corner. Bicycles led by running dogs sped by. A large man ambled by with a black chiwawa. Streetcars clanged along St. Clair. 

Nina did some crazy dance moves in her chair to the upbeat Italian music.

When we finished our croissants, our eyes met conspiratorially. The cannoli.

Bojana dusts my cannoli

Chairs slid back and bodies moved forward and we made our way back indoors. After making me a fresh cannoli, Bojana shared that their filling is made with ricotta cheese, lemon, sugar and chocolate chips … and magic—perhaps it’s love. Because one bite into the pastry and cheese filling and I was embraced with that kind of euphoria that makes you silly.

Cannoli is a staple pastry in the best Italian bakeries in Toronto. If you live in or are visiting Toronto, like me, and are looking for a classier tour destination than all the Tim Hortons, here is a list of some of the best Italian bakeries in the GTA that feature cannoli: Rustic Bakery; North Pole Bakery; Francesca Italian Bakery; Bar Buca, Messina Bakery; Tre Mari Bakery; Riviera Bakery; Nino D’Aversa; and LaManna’s Bakery.

Toulouse shares cannoli with his friend Mouse

Well sated on excellent espresso and cannoli, we were about to leave when Nina suggested that we get more cannoli to share with my good travel friend, Mouse. I happily obliged. And Mouse was very happy I did. What are good friends for?

Information on Zaza Espresso Bar

The Lipscani District of Bucharest

Strada Smardan in Lipscani District

Thanks to my Romanian friend SF writer Nina Munteanu, I found myself flying into Henri Coandă International Airport in Bucharest last week. We came to attend the Gaudeamus Book Fair at Romexpo where Editura Paralela 45 was launching the Romanian version of Nina’s writing guidebook The Fiction Writer (Scriitorul de Fictiune).

Dr. Florin Munteanu, respected scientist in Complexity Theory, picked us up at the airport and took us to the Phoenicia Grand Hotel, a rather posh spacious hotel that lived up to its name. We relaxed in the lounge, discussing fractal geometry and the Fibonacci Golden Ratio over café crèmes. It was a very civilized introduction to this eclectic “city of joy” (bucurie means joy in Romanian) and I felt strangely at home.

Alexander Lobrano of the New York Times heralded Bucharest as “one of the last European cities that hasn’t been pasteurized by gentrification or lost its soul to mass tourism. It’s an odd but lively mutt of a city—one that’s clearly seen better days but where something is also suddenly stirring. The locals love to have a good time, and the Romanian economy is chugging along pretty nicely.” I’m not sure I agree with calling Bucharest a “mutt of a city”; although Bucharest does exude eccentricity in style and form, spanning the baroque to neo-gothic style of the Lipscani District to the eclectic opulence of the CEC Bank building to the insane self-indulgent extravagance of Ceauşescu’s Casa Popurului (House of the People). Parisianne-inspired Arcul de Triumf and the Odean Theatre are reasons why Bucharest is sometimes referred to as Little Paris of the East. The historic Lipscani District in Old Town Bucharest (in the heart of the city), provides an authentic medieval setting — complete with pedestrian cobbled lanes — that includes stunning baroque, renaissance and neo-classical architecture dating back to medieval times. It is all that remains of a previously vibrant commercial centre (much of which was destroyed during Ceauşescu’s reign).

Long before the official founding of the city of Bucharest in 1459, the Lipscani area was already an important commercial centre. It got its name from the German town of Leipzig, because during the 1600s and 1700s many traders from Leipzig came to sell their wares to the locals and the Turks. Lipscani flourished in the 1600s after Vlad Tepes (the Turk impaler) chose it for his Princely Court. Craftsmen and merchants from all over settled there and many of Lipscani’s streets still retain the names of these trades. The diverse mix of Romanian, Greek, Bulgarian, Serbian, Armenian, Jewish, Albanian and Austrians mingled and clashed in a vibrant mix of culture and contrast.

The general decay of the historic centre following successive bombings by the Allies and the Luftwaffe during World War II, then a devastating earthquake in 1977, rendered it vulnerable to communist leader Nicolae Ceauşescu's maniacal vision of a concrete, communist Utopia. Ceauşescu ordered Bucharest's historic centre demolished to make way for his Civic Centre project, which included the massive Palace of Parliament, and replaced a section of the historic district larger than New York's Central Park with unimaginative grotesque imitations of palatial elegance. Somehow, the Lipscani District managed to survive to see the 1989 Romanian Revolution and Ceausescu's execution.

George Kudor, one of Dr. Munteanu’s brilliant students, took me to the Lipsani District where we wandered the pedestrian cobbled streets, along Strada. Smardan, the first street to be completely repaved and renovated, past sushi bars, shops, Irish pubs, nightclubs and cafes like the Dutch-owned Grand Café Van Gogh, which according to Lobrano serves awesome coffee. 

  

I found us wandering down Stavropoleos Street. George led me to an old monastery built in the Brâncovenesc style where he said he often came to listen to the Byzantine music of the small choir. The church holds the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania. Built in 1724, the Stavropoleos monastery was dedicated to St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The name Stavropoleos is a Romanian rendition of a Greek word (Stauropolis), which means “the city of the Cross”.

Caru cu Bere on Str. Stavropoleos

We continued down Str. Stavropoleos with a view of the CEC Palace Romanian Savings Bank, an eclectic building with a monumental central dome and entrance archway supported by pillars. We walked along neo-gothic facades to one of Lipscani’s best known and popular restaurants, Caru’ cu Bere (cart of beer), which brews its own beer in a stunning Bell Epoque cathedral-like setting of high vaulted ceilings with painted ceilings, balconies, chandeliers, stained glass, and frescoes and ornate woodwork. One patron from London remarked, “It was like having a meal at Cardiff Castle!” The decadently opulent neo-gothic interior was designed by the Austrian architect Zigrid Kofczinsky in 1875 as a beer hall (they certainly had interesting ideas of what a beer hall should look like then!). The service has apparently vastly improved from its former Sovietsky days. Our waitress was friendly and prompt. Caru’ cu Bere has a menu the size of a newspaper and celebrates a diversity of traditional Romanian food like mamaliga (polenta-like dish), carnaţi şi fasole (sausage and beans), dovlecei umpluţi cu carne (squash stuffed with minced meat), varzǎ acrǎ cǎlitǎ cu cǎrnaţi bine afumaţi (sauerkraut with smoked sausage) and sarmale (cabbage rolls) to a juicy T-bone steak. The banner outside the restaurant proclaims in English: “Possibly the Best Restaurant in Town.” For its combination of atmosphere, good local food and price, they might be right.

Neo-gothic interior of Caru cu Bere

George then took me through the Macca-Villacrosse Passage, an odd little U-shaped passageway linking Streets Lipscani and Eugen Carada with Calea Victoriei. This jewel of 19^th century architecture is a year-round haven for coffee drinkers and shoppers beneath amber-tinted glass roof. Named “Valley of the Kings”, the passage was renovated in 1989 and contains small stores, a bistro, Chinese restaurant and cafes. Among them is the Cafenea Egipleana, an Egyptian-themed café and hookah lounge, where patrons share shisha or flavored tobacco from a communal hookah or nargile, placed at each table.

After meeting Dr. Munteanu at the Centre for Complexity on Jean-Louis Calderan, we walked to Burebista Vanatoresc (Str. Batistei) a local medieval-themed restaurant where we enjoyed another hearty traditional Romanian meal (Romanians like to eat—my kind of people!) to the piano music of a local artist. I saw dishes like carnati de oaie (mutton sausages) and mititei (grilled links of mixed ground meat seasoned with garlic, thyme and anise). Specialties include bear paws and civet; spicy crispy pork ribs, filet of wild boar in red wine and brandy sauce. I had ciorbă de perişoare (meatball soup), which came with hearty bread and a bracing Romanian beer. 

Macca-Villacrosse Passage

Bucharest is Europe’s sixth largest city and a three-hour flight from most western European capitals, adds Lobrano. I saw obvious influences of western (particularly North American) consumerism and pop culture (e.g., apparel, modern architecture, fast-food places like KFC, Pizza Hut; English spoken everywhere)—no doubt a visceral reaction of a culture emerging from the oppressive Ceauşescu reign. I also recognized the influence of the east in the foods, dress, Byzantine architecture, music and comportment of the locals. 

Florin Munteanu said it perfectly: “Romania is the corpus callosum of the world,” where east and west converge, mingle and learn. It’s no wonder that Romania is one of the leading countries in work on complexity theory, a science that embraces the “collision” of different “worlds” to create more than the sum of its parts. I look forward to coming back to this vibrant city and its countryside. When I return I will make sure to visit Bucharest’s excellent museums, particularly the Muzeul Taranului Roman (Peasant Museum) and the Muzeul Naţional al Satului Diminitrie Gusti (Village Museum). Both are not far from the Lipscani District.

Historic Distillery District

Toulouse enjoys his Mill St Coffee Porter

“The pleasant aroma of baked food seemed to permeate my soul.”—InOntario

I wasn’t long in Toronto, when Nina—who understood my penchant for fine dining, great coffee and culture in unusual settings—took me to the historic Distillery District.

Set on 13 acres in the heart of downtown Toronto, The Distillery District is the single largest collection of Victorian Industrial architecture in North America and one of Toronto’s hottest “gastrozones”. I was in COOL Travel Cat Heaven. Wonderfully restored to retain its funky retro-industrial setting, The Distillery features a wide and eclectic tapestry of shops, cafés, restaurants and galleries including: chocolatiers who produce artisan chocolate directly from the cocoa bean itself; cafés that micro-roast Fairtrade beans; Canadian fine cuisine in industrial chic settings; and galleries and shops that embrace original funk-chic.

Founded in 1832 by brothers-in-law William Gooderham and James Worts, the Gooderham and

Historic Distillery District

Worts Distillery grew into the largest distillery in the world. They exported spirits and whiskey to ports around the world from New York to Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo. After 153 years of continuous production, the plant distilled its last drop of rum in 1990. Resident beer gardens, wine bars, an award-winning microbrewery (Mill Street Brewery) and even a sake distillery (which opened a few months ago) have amply filled the gap. The Ontario Spring Water Sake Company is the first and only sake brewery in Ontario. It’s prepared in the “Junmai” (pure rice) style, freshly pressed, unpasteurized and unfiltered. They have a lovely tasting room and several sakes to try along with Japanese food.

The Potter's Shed

The Distillery was restored and developed into a pedestrian-only cultural “Victorian Industrial chic village”, opening in May 2003 as Toronto’s new centre for Art, Culture and Entertainment. Pigcat and I strolled along the brick lined promenades and European piazza-style squares in what the Globe and Mail calls “a picture postcard draw”. Where ever I turned, a paradox of hip sophistication and retro-industrial funk greeted me. I was reminded a little of Soho in New York as my senses feasted on a range of motion, color, texture and fragrance: an old roadster parked in an alley overlooking the industrial punk sculpture of Dennis Oppenheim;  a collection of clay pots, dried lavender and ferns adding colorful texture to a red brick road.   As we strolled past eclectic shops and avant-garde galleries—once a distillery complex, flour mills and cooper shop—I inhaled the pleasant aroma of baked food and freshly roasted coffee. The Distillery, like a fine distilled spirit, is a feast of the senses. If Hemmingway was a Torontonian, he might have reserved his famous quote for this place.

Fleur de Sel chocolate caramel

Nina took me to Soma, where we savored a provocatively delicious Mayan hot chocolate over a Sparky chocolate (named after my good friend, Sparky, no doubt! LOL!)—a dark chocolate “half-moon” covering a “genache” of gianduja laced with paprocks. Eugenia served us our Mayan hot chocolate, made with ginger, Madagascar vanilla, orange peel, and their secret blend of spices. HA! I know that chili is one of them. The hot chocolate ran smooth over my tongue, rich with chocolate and a touch of heat.

Soma is one of the few artisan chocolatiers in North America who make small batch chocolates Veni, vidi, vici!

Patrons of Soma enjoy exquisite gelato

directly from the cocoa bean (which they get from plantations around the world including the Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Costa Rica and Panama—with a preference for Fairtrade, Organic and flavor grade. You can see them making their chocolates in their micro-chocolate factory through the display window! Toronto Life Magazine and Now Magazine voted Soma chocolates as the best in town. And why not? Their exquisite chocolates are lovingly made by dedicated and friendly staff (probably intoxicated with chocolate-induced endorphins). You can’t go wrong with names and elegant ingredients like fleur de sel caramels, almond cluster dark Peruvian, Arbequina Spanish olive oil, cherry bomb, Gooderham and Worts Whiskey, Douglas Fir and Bergamot.

Soma’s gelatos and sorbettos are also extremely popular. We returned later to savor one of their 14 flavours.

Mill Street Brewery Pub

We stopped for lunch at the Mill Street Brew Pub, a place to eat with character and its own micro-brewery. Mill Street Brewery is East Toronto’s first commercial brewery to open in more than 100 years, home to Ontario’s first certified organic lager, producing handcrafted beers and ales in historic Corktown area of the city. The pub was built around their open-concept brewery beneath 18 foot ceilings and huge skylights, successfully preserving the character and ambience of the century-old distillery district.

We sat in their patio facing Tank House Lane. Nina decided on their English Tea Beer and I asked Natalie, our friendly waitress, for their Coffee Porter. The Coffee Porter features roasted beans from Balzac Coffee, down the street, and delights the palate with complex lingering flavors of nuts. With 100% certified ingredients in their stock ales, tank house ales, and porters, who can go wrong?

The Brew Pub opened in 2006, serving exceptional pub-style food that use the Mill Street brews, brewed on site. I ordered a Drunken Butter Chicken (the name somehow appealed)—an organic lager marinated chicken simmered in the Mill’s own butter sauce and served with basmati rice and naan bread. I found large chicken pieces bathed in a delicate “rose” sauce with complex flavors that lingered with a mild heat.  Along with their cob salad, which Nina smartly chose, and their signature fish and chips, it is a favorite among Brew Pub patrons.

The Potter's Shed

   

Then it was time to exercise some of that butter chicken away. A little ways down Tank House Lane we felt drawn to the magic realism of The Potter’s Shed, whose earthy artworks looked like they’d spilled out from the tiny shop in artful chaos among the brick pavestones. Clay pots and gardening implements lay scattered among dizzying sprays of lavender, hydrangeas, and ferns.  Inside, Behar, in her rainbow sarong, added to a setting out of a classic fiction novel. When we finally stepped back into the sun, Pigcat asked me if I’d seen all the ferries sitting among the pots.

We ambled farther, poking inside eclectic shops, and ended up on Trinity Street. I highly recommend Cube Works Gallery, a fun shop that features original works created from Rubik’s cubes.

Balzac's Coffee

We followed our discerning noses to Balzac’s Coffee, the very establishment whose roasted beans provided the basis for my Coffee Porter at the Mill Street Brew Pub. The inside looked like the set of an old Bogart movie, with tall mirror, high ceiling, chandelier, staircases that lead nowhere and—what convinced me that this was a serious coffee establishment—an original nickel Elektra espresso maker, complete with soaring eagle. Although it was no longer used for espresso-making, according to the barista (they only used it now for frothing milk), its presence on the counter signified serious coffee intent. I wasn’t surprised when my single-shot espresso tasted exquisite, with a deep coffee nose and an attractive natural crema. We sat outside the coffee shop in the square that featured a kind of space-retro-industrial punk sculpture by Dennis Oppenheim. Called “Still Dancing” Oppenheim described it as “a combination of sculpture, architecture and theatre.”

We took Case Goods Lane, past several galleries, toward PureSpirits Oyster House & Grill and Toronto Life—for an exquisite dinner of fresh oysters and salad. Ben, out waiter—who recognized me, because he is from Toulouse, France!—offered us Fanny Bay oysters from British Columbia and Beausoleils from New Brunswick. They came on the half-shell with shredded horseradish and several shallot vinaigrettes. I showed Nina how to throw the oyster to the back of the throat and savor the full flavor of the creamy-sweet, sea-salt meat. Pure Spirit oysters are considered “the best” in Toronto by OurFaves.com. We slurped them down with panache, licking our little pink tongues, along with a refreshing baby spinach and arugula salad.

Oyster shucking contest

decided to have an early supper of fresh oysters and beer. Ah, the life of a Cool Cat… We settled on the outside patio—called “Toronto’s Best Patio” by

It was the last Tuesday in May and Pure Spirits was launching its “Topshuck Patio” shucking contest at 6pm. Of course, we stayed and watched them shuck their little hearts out—well, actually their little oysters out …hehe… It turned out that all of Toronto’s best had come to compete for money and a huge bottle of Sky vodka. Contestants from Rodney’s Oyster House, Oyster Boy and Big Daddy’s, and Starfish (to name a few quality establishments) shucked as we gorged on oysters (Pure Spirits donated the shucked oysters to its patrons. Bonus!). Head chef Tim Miles put on the shindig. Contestants were timed on their ability to successfully shuck a dozen oysters. The fastest shuck against the least demerit points for quality won. Tim and his assistant Carlier Morejon (the “Cuban Missile”) judged each shuck. They added to the time if: the oyster wasn’t severed, the gut was still in the oyster, the shell was broken, the meat was out of shell, it was a bad oyster, it was scrambled, the count was wrong, and on number of parts. We didn’t leave until very late that night and we had actually had our fill of oysters. We felt a little like the “Walrus and the Carpenter” as we ambled home, bellies full and happy.

Judging the shucking

With more patio space than any other Toronto location, The Distillery is a favorite hangout among thirsty locals in search of a little bit of European flair. I was told that The Distillery District is destined to become the epicenter of the largest waterfront redevelopment in North America. The Pan Am Games athletes village is currently being constructed just east of the Distillery with accommodation for 6,000 athletes. Right after the games in 2015 they will be transformed into residential units along with others in the West Don Lands. Old Corktown and The Old City environs between St. Laurence Market and The Distillery are being revitalized in the old heritage vision that has made The Distillery District so chic. 

World-class theatre and entertainment thrive in X-Men, Chicago, Long Kiss Goodnight, The Recruit and Cinderella Man.

Filming in the Distillery District

The Distillery District. I noted that several theatre companies have made The Distillery their home, including The Soulpepper Theatre Company and George Brown’s Theatre School, housed in the Young Centre for the Performing Arts. The Toronto Star calls it “Toronto’s new cultural hotspot.” Nina informed me that over 1000 movies, television shows, commercials and music videos were shot in The Distillery District; some include

The Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill Street, Toronto, ON, Canada; 416-364-1177