Fashion-able: Leslieville street style

Queen West is home to
great fashion, food, drink, espresso, entertainment and our very own Burroughes building. We feel lucky to work in such a vibrant, happening ‘hood. But the other end of Queen Street is equally as hip, with its unassuming, grounded culture and (nearly) big-box store-free streets.

Leslieville is flourishing; it hosts high-quality
local, sustainable food stores such as Hooked, Rowe Farms and Leslieville Cheese.
We love its growing variety of delish eateries, such as Leslieville Pumps,
Paulette’s Original Donuts, Goods & Provisions and Enoteca Ascari 26. Shops
like Thrill of the Find, Baby on the Hip, Nathalie-Rose and Co. and Doll Factory offer great finds and a strong community vibe.

We decided to head over to the east end again (check out our previous blog
posts on Leslieville Pumps and Paulette’s Original Donuts), but this time to take a
few snaps of the local street style. We were not disappointed. We found the style
generally unpretentious and fun. Bright pops of colour and floral patterns were popular, and strappy sandals a staple.

Bright colours and a mullet skirt are fresh and summery.

A floral dress with gladiator sandals and a
black vest mixes sugar and spice.

This maxi dress with a smart cardigan and bag looks polished
but not overdone.

A print bag lends a flirty summer vibe to the
classic skinny-jeans-and-cute-blouse look.

This romantic dress looks city chic with a crossbody bag
and strappy sandals.

A bright skirt adds some sun to this outfit.

These bohemian capris are the centerpiece of a unique earthy
look.

We’re looking forward to hitting up more Toronto neighbourhoods to check out what styles people are rocking. 

Yum yum: Best sandwiches

Sandwiches are versatile – they work for pretty much any meal (kinda like pizza, right?). We’ve sampled at restaurants all over our city, so it was hard to narrow it down to just a few, but check out some of our favourite spots to grab a sandwich in Toronto. If you need further inspiration, blogTO has some additional choices in their recent sandwich round up (we didn’t copy, we swear!).

Black Camel  @black_camel

If you’re looking for variety, this is not your place. But if it’s the best pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwiches in the city you’re after, then look no further. Located a stone’s throw from Rosedale subway station, this sandwich bar is one we often find ourselves craving. They start out with the basics, including beef brisket, pulled pork shoulder, seared steak, roasted pulled chicken or tomato, pepper, arugula and eggplant. From there you can choose from a selection of house prepared sauces and toppings. Did we mention the brisket and pulled pork preparation process lasts five days?

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Leslieville Cheese Market @CheeseMarket

What better place to get a grilled cheese sandwich than a shop that specializes in cheese? Don’t let the name deceive you, they have three locations across the city, all serving up delicious gourmet concoctions. Specialties change by day and location, but we have yet to meet a grilled cheese here we don’t like. We especially love their flavoured ketchups – the balsamic-infused version takes your sammy to the next level.

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Bonjour Brioche 
We love a little French cuisine once in awhile, and the fare at this east end hot spot is bang on. While a number of things are droolworthy here (everything baked, for example) we also love the rare roast beef sandwich on a crusty-yet-soft baguette. The garlic aioli and Brie add delicious creaminess. Rare beef + baguette + Brie? No brainer.

 

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Lou Dawg’s  @loudawgs

If you’re in the market for a beef brisket, get over to Lou Dawg’s. They make all their sauces in house and their smoked beef brisket sandwich shows just how much love and tenderness they put into their menu. The briskets are smoked for 14 hours and then partnered with the Genuine Smokehouse BBQ sauce for unbeatable Southern-inspired flavour. 

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Murray’sSandwich Emporium @ilovemurrays

The name says it all. If you are a huge lover of sandwiches, this is the place for you. From sliced rib eye to a fancy BLT to “The Classic” PB & J, the selection of sandwiches could have you choosing a different sandwich a day for two weeks, each one more decadent than the next. We especially love the Uncle Phil – a take on a Philly cheesesteak – but it’s best to eat that rich meal when you’re feeling good about your waistline.

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Happy lunching!