Riverdale’s GEM: Our newest collaborative-run beer garden

Article and photos by Fleur Boomsma

It’s all about the beachy vibes: the sand lot, hanging barn lights, and the sunset orange picnic tables along with Muskoka chairs really make you feel like you’re on vacation in Mexico. Gerrard East Market, also known as GEM is your new family and pet-friendly outdoor summer patio.

Since there is limited indoor and outdoor dining space available on Gerrard St East, GEM highly benefits local restaurants such as the Pinkerton, La Cubana, and Poor Romeo. These vendors offer so many different variety-style meals that everyone with different taste buds can enjoy. GEM doesn’t target one specific audience; it invites everyone with open arms.

Riverdale is one big community, and this is an ideal way to bring the local restaurants and its residents together to support each other during these difficult times.

This outdoor patio is also highly supported by Mayor John Tory and Toronto-Danforth Councillor Paula Fletcher.

Of course, social distancing measurements are enforced. You’ll find plastic coverings between the picnic tables, contactless delivery from these local restaurants, and masks are mandatory upon arrival until you’re seated. The staff are helpful and will serve you quick with your drinks while you wait for your online order to be delivered.

How does it work?
Since it’s a walk-in only, you’ll have to wait in line outside of GEM. Each restaurant has their own QR codes attached to your table for easy ordering and contactless and cashless payment. You just have to ensure that you put your right table number in your order! Drinks can be ordered directly from the GEM staff using their pay-per-round method.

We hope GEM can be an eye-opening and pleasurable experience and makes you want to visit their local restaurants in the fall. The pop-up outdoor patio is open Thursdays to Sundays. Since the pop-up is part of the CafeTO program, you can expect GEM to run until November of this year.

Opening hours
Thursday: 6-10pm
Friday: 6-11pm
Saturday: noon-11pm
Sunday: noon-10pm

1014 Gerrard St East, Toronto, Ontario

GEM’s vendors

Hype Food Co.
This local restaurant and bakery offers an allergy-friendly menu. Those who may have a nut and/or a gluten allergy will find great options here. Their kitchen is free from gluten and priority allergens such as peanuts, fish, diary, and wheat.

Pinkerton’s
This retro snack bar offers Asian-inspired small plates called bao, which are meals packed away in a white, warm, soft bun. They offer a variety of bao options along with a few vegan options and other snacks such as duck fried rice and king mushroom nappa rolls.

La Cubana
This family-run restaurant offers home-made Cuban comfort food. Their GEM menu includes a variety of dishes such as their Cuban plates such as Guava BBQ beef short ribs and pork shoulder. All of their dishes are greatly seasoned and there is an option for everyone in the family.

Poor Romeo
They serve all kinds of delicious comfort foods at GEM including dishes such as Buffalo cauliflower and smash patty burger and fried chicken called the ‘Southern man’. Classic meals with a twist. The perfect comfort food.

The Vatican Gift Shop
Although you might think this is a gift shop, they’re actually known for their hand-tossed pizzas (and cocktails). Trust us, their variety of pizzas won’t bore you. You’ll have the option of ordering 10” personal pizzas or 13” regular pizzas.

The Dive Shop
This local bar offers a variety of options including jerk chicken wings, Barbacoa tacos, lemongrass pork skewers, and even spicy garlic shrimp. Their food and their location give you a beachy vibe. They’re a perfect fit for GEM.

Yard Sale
As this retro bar usually attracts the hippies, disco queens, and boogie kings, they will now attract all kinds of locals because of their cultural and flavourful options. Are you feeling some Mexican food? Grab their Mexican corn salad. Or are you feeling some Thai food? Grab their Bangkok pad Thai. There are enough options for everyone. Yard Sale also offers icy snow cones and ice pops for those who want to cool off!

Com Tam Pho 168
They serve true authentic Vietnamese cousine. With their affordable menu prices you’re able to grab a few snacks like deep fried shrimp rolls, spring rolls, and Vietnamese sausage rolls.

GB Hand Pulled Noodles
The name of the restaurant says it all. They serve heaping ramen bowls of steamy handmade Lanzhou-style noodles, such as the Zha Jiang Noodles and special beef Lanzhou beef noodles. You also have options to order their classic chow mein (with your choice of protein) and dishes like bok choy and kimchi.

241 Pizza
Their main ideology is to serve pizza with the freshest ingredients at an affordable price. They also use GMO free flour to make their pizza dough.

Start your spice trail in Riverdale. The latest addition in the 'hood!

Article and Photos by: Fleur Boomsma

Meet proud Owner and Head Chef of Herby, Javad Zehdifar. // FLEUR BOOMSMA

From Northwestern Iranian inspired artwork to handmade local potteries, Herby invites you to dive into Iran’s homey culture full of organic and fresh homemade dishes.

Think of Herby as a big family offering you a seat at their table. You will witness the vibrant culture being expressed through the spices, food and atmosphere allowing friends and family to get together to socialize over food and reminisce over the memories made back home. Owner Javad Zehdifar expresses his generosity and shows his big heart through his customer service and desire in wanting to share his love for food with others.

The family-run business is named after Herbi, a village known for their rose-filled fields located near Zehdifar’s hometown in Tabriz. Of course, as some of you may know, the term herby is defined as a food or drink having lots of taste and smell of herbs. It resembles the perfect representation of the Iranian kitchen cuisine.   

Zehdifar has developed his love and passion for cooking at a very early age and was always aspired to open his own restaurant. Prior to opening up Herby, he owned a small take-out spot for nearly a decade. Now, years later he turned his dreams into reality and opened his door to the Riverdale and Danforth community by offering delicious dishes made with recipes passed down from his mother and grandmother.

“The food is not just for the business,” Zehdifar says. “The food is part of our culture, it’s art. That’s why I made this a cultural and artistic space.”

The place is decorated with items and art pieces that remind him of Tabriz. It also includes photographs taken by his son-in-law, handmade pottery imported from Tabriz and a large seven-piece artwork based on an Iranian poem called “The Conference of the Birds”.

If you observe the artwork closely, you’ll find a breathtaking photograph of his niece picking roses at a farm in Herbi.

The Food

Herby does serve your all-time favourite Persian kebabs, but they are particularly known for their unique Azerbaijani style menu, which includes meals like piti and tava kebab – all well worth a try! Note that each Iranian province uses different herbs, spices and vegetables to season their dishes.

Piti is a very rich meal as it contains lamb and chickpea that is served in a traditional piti pot (handmade and imported from Tabriz), and it requires a bit of mashing using a mallet.

The serving of their tea could personally be my favourite thing on the menu as they boil the (imported) organic tea the traditional way for several hours and serve it in the traditional Persian tea pot along with its tiny teacups and Iranian sweets.

Tava kebab is made very differently than the kebab you may purchase at your Persian take-out restaurant. Instead, it’s made in a tava (a pan) – along with its vegetables and rice or tahdig (also known as rice that has a thin crust of slightly browned rice that’s produced on the bottom of the cooking pot). 

Zehdifar enjoys cooking so much that he considers all the dishes on the menu to be his kids, especially because they originate from his hometown, a place very close to his heart.

You’re in for a treat!

Herby Restaurant
397 Danforth Ave
Catering services are also available upon request.

Trust the Flo!

Seating and access for everyone in the family

Written by Fleur Boomsma

Many homemade and gluten free options are available at your newly opened cafe on Gerrard St East // FLEUR BOOMSMA

Elvy & Flo is that cute corner café on Gerrard where you can sit down for hours and unwind. Whether you’re taking a break from work or you’re there to get work done, owners Ann Peel and Perry Caicco don’t see you as a transaction but rather as a friend. This definitely isn’t your typical Second Cup or Starbucks in Toronto.

The walls are decorated with blue and yellow restored woods, combined with the brick wall. The large windows allow the shining sun to come through and the space automatically feels ten times better than it already is. You can see it as a warm and cheerful community space, and don’t be surprised to mommy groups and teachers’ meetings taking place!

Whether you want to sit in the front or in their sun room, tons of light shines through the windows and it even has a stroller accessible side door! // FLEUR BOOMSMA

The name, Elvy & Flo signifies the owner’s grandmothers because they were so good at creating warmth and community. The names of their grandmothers captured the essence of what they wanted to convey. 

“We mainly want to be a woman centred space, which is also the purpose of the café’s name because it’s named to the women that were important in our lives,” Ann said.

Seating is available for the whole family, who doesn’t love that? !// FLEUR BOOMSMA

The food

Ann and Perry work with the Taste Canada Award winning food blogger, Susan (better known as Sue) Keefe. Sue is not only the in-house chef and baker, but she is also the mastermind behind the café’s recipes. We highly recommend you try the maple tofu panini or the homemade cinnamon brioche!

Cozy up with Elvy & Flo’s house-made cinnamon brioche and a latte // SUE KEEFE

If you have a gluten intolerance, this is another reason why Elvy & Flo is the new spot for you. The café offers many sourdough products because Perry also has a gluten intolerance. We suggest you try the sourdough pizza and the baked dough sandwich (the milk buns are homemade)!

Follow Elvy & Flo on Instagram to see their most delicious meals!

“Pop in for a slice of Sweet Heat pizza. Piled high with mortadella, chunks of fresh pineapple, and spicy banana peppers covered in a blanket of gooey provolone, this pizza is sure to cure you of your rainy day blues,” // SUE KEEFE

Vibes speak louder than words at KA Space Café

A place where you can feel at home

Written by Fleur Boomsma

Photography credit: @MANUANDPASCAL

The whole name defines itself: Space. As you walk in, you realize how much space there is. The big windows, large wooden tables combined with the small and round marble tables describes it all. You can almost see it as an interior designer’s dream café because of its artistic touches and furniture. The open kitchen in the café makes it feel like you’re at home.  

 “Vibes speak louder than words,” very well said by the fashion designer Kevin Allwood. This is the brand and the café’s slogan; as it’s imprinted on the wall and menus. We were lucky to speak with the owner himself about his life, his brand, and the café itself.

Image by Fleur Boomsma

 The KA Space brand is co-owned by the Canadian-Jamaican designer Kevin Allwood and his wife Ashley King Allwood. Originally from Montreal, the couple moved to Toronto to set up their venture on Carlaw several years ago.

Kevin and Ashley are very mindful of their atmosphere and the café has essentially designed itself. The space is decorated with healing crystals, plants and of course (our favourite part), fresh bread and baked goods.

When Allwood walks into a place, he likes to feel that he’s not a number and that he matters as a customer. He likes to have room around him, enjoy natural lighting, and he definitely does not like clutter. This is his idea behind the design of the café.

“The whole point behind the design of this space was to create a place that had an open kitchen, a playroom for the children, and to give people the feeling that they have space,” Allwood said.

You can come in with your family to have brunch over the weekend or grab your laptop to get some work done during the day. The point is, you have room and it gives you the ability to relax.

You may find it surprising that this organic, vegan, and vegetarian place is reasonably priced. The café sources their ingredients from Sweets from the Earth (vegan) and Epi Breads (European-style stone baked bakeshop), and they even source their sea salt from Vancouver which is hand harvested.

Meet the designer himself: Kevin Allwood / Photography credit: @MANUANDPASCAL

Kevin is also very conscious on what’s being put in the human body. He sees his body as a machine and you need to be healthy in order for it to function properly.

“When I eat, I don’t want to feel like I’m putting bad things in my body, so I really couldn't do that to somebody else,” Allwood says.

He also doesn’t like the labels of veganism and vegetarianism but says that’s what you have to use in order to communicate the truth.

So, looking at the menu options, you may see that everything is very simplified. Kevin went down the list of what a human’s basic needs are with regards to food. His favourite items on the menu happen to be the breakfast sandwich and the pink lychee cactus pear juice (trust us, this is a great combination).

Future vision for KA Space Café

Come and enjoy the avocado artisanal toast with tomato and sea salt at the KA Space Cafe / Photography credit: @MANUANDPASCAL

Kevin laughs when we asked about the café’s future, “it’s an interesting thing because the whole idea behind the place is very divine,” he says. The café can be replicated because it’s so structured.

Can he see himself opening up this kind of café in every city? His answer: definitely.

“I can see myself opening a few more here in the city and also stay within the context of veganism/vegetarianism.”

Location: 1183 Queen St East