Neighbourhood Review: Roncesvalles

Beautiful High Park

Beautiful High Park

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We’ve been living in Roncy for a few months now and have thoroughly enjoyed exploring our new neighbourhood.  It’s so nice having all of the restaurants and shops on Roncesvalles plus beautiful High Park all within a few blocks walk.  I’m so happy we moved to this area to be able to live in such an outdoorsy, green tree lined neighbourhood and also to have the city at our finger tips, easily accessible by subway or streetcar.

There are many gluten free options available in Roncy, both whether you’re looking to eat out or buy products to stock your fridge and pantry.  I was so surprised that one of the fruit markets even sells many of my favourite gluten free products – lentil crackers, tortilla chips, beans, nuts, as well as an assortment of other packaged goods.  Besides the below list there are also a lot of other good looking restaurants along Roncy that I think will have gluten free options, I just haven’t been everywhere yet.  I’ve got to continuing exploring!

Barque

  • I can’t stop praising Barque.  It’s one of my all time favourite restaurants and it is pure smokehouse heaven.  All of their meats are naturally gluten free, so you have free range to choose from, plus many of the side dishes are gluten free too.  This place will make you speechless, it’s that good.  I highly recommend you try the sampler for dinner so that you can test some of everything – plus, their brunch is a must, you won’t be disappointed!

The Mercantile

  • A cute little specialty food & treat stop situated beside Barque.  They sell a handful of gluten free products.  I often get Boulder Canyon Totally Natural Kettle Chips, Denman Island Chocolate and maple fudge.  I’ve also bought popsicle moulds, Bix pizzelle, and sultana raisins.  There is such an assortment of products that I often just walk around to take a look at their new supplies.

Stasis Preserves

  • A great shop selling a variety of naturally gluten free spreads and some packaged gluten free products.  I most recently purchased unpasteurized wildflower honey, raspberry spread, natural peanut butter and pure maple sugar candy.  They also sell cheese, cured meats, pickled foods and ready made meals.

Qi Natural Food

  • A natural food shop that sells a variety of gluten free products, including pastas, cereal, nuts, sauces, vitamins, etc.

Cardinal Rule

  • A little place with an open kitchen where we ate brunch on our first weekend staying in our new place.  On the chalkboard above the bar is a legend identifying that all the blue circles with a ‘g’ on the menu mean gluten free.  I was happy to see that their brunch menu was speckled with those blue ‘g’s!  I quickly ordered the quinoa coconut pancakes served with a side of real maple syrup.  The giant pancake was full of shredded coconut, which gave it a great flavour but it still was a tad on the dry side though and could have used more maple syrup.  While the food was pretty good (aside from the potato latkes that were amazing), I don’t think we will be back often.  The restaurant had an overwhelming smell like a cheap bathroom cleaner… And we weren’t even too close to the bathroom.  I think there are a lot of better brunches out there, including our own kitchen!!  Barque is still hands down our favourite brunch on the street (and maybe in the city).
Coconut pancakes at Cardinal Rule

Coconut pancakes at Cardinal Rule