Another childhood favourite making a comeback is the waffle. Toronto's first attempt at a waffle revolution was cut short when the Kensington Market waffle house Goed Eten packed up and left. (That space now houses The Grilled Cheese.) After that, it was up to Starving Artist, a self-described waffle and espresso bar on a sketchy strip of Lansdowne, to fill the alt-waffle niche. It has a cool, indie DIY aesthetic and a passion for waffles that sees them transformed from familiar breakfast staple into things like waffle sliders (mini burgers on mini waffles) and a deeply spicy Tex-Mex chicken sandwich that delivers a sweat-inducing blast of jalapeno heat between two tender, light, downright fluffy waffles.
Desserts are excessively large sundaes piled into so-called “waffle boats” (waffles bent into ship shape and loaded with your choice of sweets). This is not a time to skimp, so go ahead and try that banana, peanut butter, Nutella and graham cracker waffle sundae you have always dreamed of.
If any surer sign of waffle ascendancy was needed, Goed Eten has just reopened on the perpetually hip Ossington strip. A true Belgian waffle house, it offers classic versions with only whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or chocolate syrup. They haven't completely abandoned the savoury waffle, though: Grilled waffle sandwiches – tuna melt, Bolognese, tomato and gouda with an apple and olive chutney – are made by pressing fillings between waffles in a panini machine. The croque-monsieur version – essentially a glorified grilled cheese – might just be the trendiest thing you can eat in the city this summer.
Finally, Toronto has long been an ice cream and gelato kind of town, but Jedd's Frozen Custard aims to change that. Frozen custard is basically ice cream's richer, creamier cousin. Like ice cream, it's built around cream and sugar, but eggs are added for extra depth. Anyone who has ever seen the lineup at the Shake Shack in New York (a custard delivery system as much as a burger joint) will know the kind of devotion it inspires in people.
Jedd's version is available daily in three scoop-ready flavours (chocolate, vanilla and a changing daily special that might be blackberry or chocolate mint). You can jazz them up with all the usual sundae fixings – peanuts, hot fudge, smashed up M&Ms, etc. – and that's great for the kids, but adults will appreciate what custard does to affogatto, which is typically gelato “drowned” in espresso: Pouring a shot of espresso over custard, as Jedd's does, induces the kind of moans and sighs that you probably haven't heard in a restaurant since Harry met Sally.
These are some of my favourite flavours of the waning summer. If you've discovered other tastemakers that have recently opened their doors, I'd love to hear about them through cjohns@globeandmail.com.
