Benna's Bakery and Deli is a bakery in Roncesvalles, Toronto.
Benna's on Roncesvalles is the family-owned Polish bakery and deli, paczki and pierogi alongside in-house smoked meats and European groceries.
Must order: A paczki with rose-petal or plum jam plus a takeaway tub of pierogi for the freezer.
Tip: Fat Thursday before Lent (late Feb) is paczki day; lineup runs 90 minutes. Polish Festival in September anchors the Roncesvalles strip.
Address: 135 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto, ON M6R 2L2
Brick Street Bakery on Trinity Street in the Distillery District has run rustic European-style bread and pastries since 2003, sticky buns and savoury pies.
Order: The sticky bun and a slice of pork pie for the patio.
Tip: Cash and card. The Distillery flagship is the original; smaller satellites at Roy Thomson Hall and Front Street East.
Tre Mari on Corso Italia has been the Deleo family's Italian bakery since 1960, cannoli filled to order, sfogliatelle and panettone at Christmas.
Order: A cannoli filled to order with the espresso at the back counter.
Tip: Cash and card. The deli counter at the back has hot porchetta sandwiches by the slice.
Blackbird Baking on Baldwin in Kensington is baker Simon Blackwell's sourdough bakery since 2014, 23 varieties of bread including 10 sourdough loaves.
Order: The Kensington white sourdough loaf and a morning bun.
Tip: Murray, the sourdough starter, was the first Canadian inductee to the Puratos International Sourdough Library in Belgium in 2018.
Worth the queue: Kensington white sourdough
Nadege Nourian's flagship patisserie on Queen West has run French pastry since 2009, macarons and seasonal entremets opposite Trinity Bellwoods park.
Order: A box of macarons, including the rotating seasonal flavours.
Tip: Second branch at 1099 Yonge in Summerhill. Lunch counter does croque-monsieur and quiche.
Worth the queue: Macarons
Forno Cultura on King West is baker Andrea Mastandrea's Italian bakery since 2013, the King location the main production house for breads, open kitchen.
Order: A square of focaccia Romana and a chocolate babka.
Tip: Sister Queen West branch at 1056 Queen carries the same loaves. The biscotti and panettone are seasonal worth the trip.
Worth the queue: Focaccia Romana
Bakerbots on Delaware in Bloorcourt is baker Rosanne Tang's ice cream sandwich shop since 2011, cookies pressed around housemade ice cream daily.
Order: An ice cream sandwich with malted milk chocolate cookies.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The space is small; takeaway only on weekends.
Worth the queue: Cookie ice cream sandwich
