The Junction

[junctionist]

Some Junction coverage in the Post...

An outpost of an island nation

FYI, cool kids: Say goodbye to pizza, hello to pastizzi
Vanessa Farquharson
Saturday, January 12, 2008

As hipsters continue to migrate west along Dundas Street West, one of Toronto's neighbourhoods within a neighbourhood might start witnessing a surge in popularity. In fact, Little Malta, nestled between Keele and Jane in the westernmost reaches of the Junction, could just be the new Little Italy.

Well, OK, that's pushing it -- but there are about 10,000 Maltese-Canadians who call Toronto home, and for a country whose total population is only 400,000, that's pretty impressive (it's actually the largest community of Maltese people outside of the island nation).

In terms of urban planning, Little Malta has a few of its bases covered: It's got a parkette -- named, appropriately, Malta Park -- as well as St. Paul the Apostle Church, some flags flying on the lampposts and the official headquarters of the Maltese Canadian Society of Toronto, founded in 1922, which happens to be the oldest Maltese association in North America. There's also an annual community children's picnic, a Miss Malta Toronto Pageant, a Maltese radio station and the popular Fiera Maltija festival.

But as with all cultural nooks and crannies in this city, the true gauge of success lies in the food. Here, a couple of cafes and a restaurant have taken the lead.

Malta Bake Shop, at 3256 Dundas St. W., is a favourite with nearby residents who come for homemade pastries and Kinnie -- a bitter, caramel-coloured soft drink native to the island made with a blend of citrus and herbs that's been compared to the Italian chinotto beverage.

There's also Malta's Finest Pastries, at 4138 Dundas St. W., which serves similar fare, and Joe's Pastizzi Plus, at 5070 Dundas St. W., for those craving something more substantial (pastizzi are small, diamond-shaped savoury pastries filled with anything from ricotta to meat, or even mushy peas and other vegetables. They've been described, more simply, as samosas in phyllo pastry).

 

[sungs]

so junctionist, what are the better restaurants and waterholes you've been to in the area? so far all i've managed to check out was shoxs for a few pints, i think im going to designate that my waterhole! spent a couple of nice summer days on the patio there with a cigar watching dundas street traffic. and are there permanent art galleries? i was going to get an expresso at "cool hand of a girl" but they dont serve those there. i think there's an arts community based inside there too, called gathering space...

 

[junctionist]

so junctionist, what are the better restaurants and waterholes you've been to in the area? so far all i've managed to check out was shoxs for a few pints, i think im going to designate that my waterhole! spent a couple of nice summer days on the patio there with a cigar watching dundas street traffic. and are there permanent art galleries? i was going to get an expresso at "cool hand of a girl" but they dont serve those there. i think there's an arts community based inside there too, called gathering space...

It doesn't sound like you've been to Axis, which is a neighbourhood classic. The patio is great in the summer, but overall it's a great place, especially when they have someone playing the blues. For dining, I like Vesuvio and North of Bombay (admittedly two different worlds of cuisine). Both earn good marks for freshness and execution and are satisfying. They're pricey, but the interiors are nicely designed and clean, which for me has some importance. The Purple Onion I think is a better value than those above they make a really good steak as I discovered recently. I heard about it from friends, though we thought it closed (it was located across from Harvey's at Keele and St. Clair). It turned out they just moved to the strip.

I guess on a topic like this it's very subjective, but there are places which are very established, which I have enjoyed when I visit. After Shox, there isn't really much dining/drinking east of Keele, so go west. There's coffee shop just beside the Bank of Montreal which I still haven't visited, but they claim to have wireless and I think they even have "expresso" in their name. The Malta Bake Shop has some good pastries.

 

[sungs]

It doesn't sound like you've been to Axis, which is a neighbourhood classic. The patio is great in the summer, but overall it's a great place, especially when they have someone playing the blues. For dining, I like Vesuvio and North of Bombay (admittedly two different worlds of cuisine). Both earn good marks for freshness and execution and are satisfying. They're pricey, but the interiors are nicely designed and clean, which for me has some importance. The Purple Onion I think is a better value than those above they make a really good steak as I discovered recently. I heard about it from friends, though we thought it closed (it was located across from Harvey's at Keele and St. Clair). It turned out they just moved to the strip.

I guess on a topic like this it's very subjective, but there are places which are very established, which I have enjoyed when I visit. After Shox, there isn't really much dining/drinking east of Keele, so go west. There's coffee shop just beside the Bank of Montreal which I still haven't visited, but they claim to have wireless and I think they even have "expresso" in their name. The Malta Bake Shop has some good pastries.

cool, thanks for the info! i'm not sure if i've been to axis, but i know i was at a nice patio during the junction arts festival. it was on the north side of dundas...and it outside it had these massive jars of what appeared to be honey suspended really high like on light poles and bees would fly in. lol kind of an odd description, but thats what i remember distinctly about it. oh and it was on a corner.

 

[fcuesta]

Maltese Fine Dining

Does anyone know of a Maltese Fine Dining Restaurant in Toronto or Mississauga??

 

[Lilibet]

so junctionist, what are the better restaurants and waterholes you've been to in the area? so far all i've managed to check out was shoxs for a few pints, i think im going to designate that my waterhole! spent a couple of nice summer days on the patio there with a cigar watching dundas street traffic. and are there permanent art galleries? i was going to get an expresso at "cool hand of a girl" but they dont serve those there. i think there's an arts community based inside there too, called gathering space...

The Troubadour on Dundas West at Quebec is worth checking out.
Used to be the Junction Buzz. Small, cozy, good food and friendly staff and clientele. Has a good vibe.
Axis was mentioned but personally I found it to be a place with a bit of a personality crisis. Is it pub? Is it a restaurant? Is it a sports bar? Is it an upscale music bar? Trying to do too many things at once. I guess at one time when there was so little being offered on that strip they were trying to please the masses but I think they need to carve out a niche of their own.
The Hole in the Wall just west of Keele is interesting to say the least (Friday night karaoke can be entertaining), even if some of the clientele appear a bit sketchy (Croatian mafia I say...LOL!).
I say try 'em all (a Junction bar crawl could be fun) and see what is a good fit for you....

 

[rh-7]

West Toronto Junction Historical Society

The WTJHS has made an interesting presentation of old pictures from the Junction's past. Check it out:

http://www.wtjhs.ca/wtjhs-2b_files/frame.html

 

[W. K. Lis]

The Junction 40 bus, which used to be the west leg of the old Dundas streetcar line, currently runs from Dundas West Subway Station to the Runnymede Loop. The Runnymede Loop is at Dundas Street West and Runnymede on the north-west corner and was at the old border between the old city of Toronto and the old city of York (formally the township of York). It also used to separate the "dry" area to the east and the "wet" to the west.
I do not know why the Junction 40 bus still uses the loop, when the busy Jane 35 bus is only 700 metres to the west. Maybe they don't want the "dry" folks from visiting the LCBO, which is near Jane Street on Dundas?
I think the Junction 40 bus should loop clockwise around Dundas Street, Jane Street, St. Clair Ave., and Runnymede Road before returning to its regular route. A even better routing would be Dundas to Scarlett Road turning clockwise to St. Clair and Jane before returning, but the construction at Scarlett and St. Clair to widen that intersection may happen sometime this century.
This could be a first step until the Transit City LRT routes come into being.

 

[junctionist]

This old photo found on the Archive's website might be especially of interest to the Village by High Park people, because it shows what used to stand where their condo will rise, the Heintzman Piano Company. It will be nice to return to a streetscape with actual buildings meeting the sidewalk! Too bad about the Subway Hotel and the building with Coca Cola sign on the left, because no buildings have taken their place.

 

[rh-7]

Hey, that's a great photo. Thanks for posting it.

 

[sungs]

This old photo found on the Archive's website might be especially of interest to the Village by High Park people, because it shows what used to stand where their condo will rise, the Heintzman Piano Company. It will be nice to return to a streetscape with actual buildings meeting the sidewalk! Too bad about the Subway Hotel and the building with Coca Cola sign on the left, because no buildings have taken their place.

thanks, that is freakn awesome! I love pictures like that. all these pics should be digitally archived, i'd love to see more!

 

[train conductor]

I agree on the LRT issue, its a shame that the Dundas Street car was truncated late in the last century at Bloor, its astounding what they were thinking when they were did it, along with the demolition of the Junction Railway station. I have lived in the Junction for the past few years and have see it transform, albeit at a very slow pace. check out my blog at http://torontojunction.blogspot.com I try to post as often as I can on whats happening around the Junction.

 

[JasonParis]

Great blog! Any chance of a shout-out for Urban Toronto or a permanent link on your blog? If so, we'd be happy to add your blog to our Links section.

 

[junctionist]

I agree on the LRT issue, its a shame that the Dundas Street car was truncated late in the last century at Bloor, its astounding what they were thinking when they were did it, along with the demolition of the Junction Railway station. I have lived in the Junction for the past few years and have see it transform, albeit at a very slow pace. check out my blog at http://torontojunction.blogspot.com I try to post as often as I can on whats happening around the Junction.

That's a welcome blog. I took the liberty of adding many comments .

 

[sungs]

I agree on the LRT issue, its a shame that the Dundas Street car was truncated late in the last century at Bloor, its astounding what they were thinking when they were did it, along with the demolition of the Junction Railway station. I have lived in the Junction for the past few years and have see it transform, albeit at a very slow pace. check out my blog at http://torontojunction.blogspot.com I try to post as often as I can on whats happening around the Junction.

wild!