Forno Cultura King West is a bakery in King West, Toronto.
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.
Must 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.
Address: 609 King Street W, Toronto, ON M5V 1M5
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
Carousel Bakery in St Lawrence Market Upper Level 42 has run the city's reference peameal bacon sandwich since 1977, the Biancolin family the operators.
Order: The peameal bacon sandwich on a kaiser, choose mustard at the counter.
Tip: Closed Mondays with the market. The kaiser is soft; the bacon stack mountains. Featured on Bourdain, Food and Wine and the NYT four times.
Worth the queue: Peameal bacon sandwich
Caldense Bakery on Dundas West has run Portuguese pastries since 1968, the pastel de nata baked through the day plus full savoury counter with rissois.
Order: A pastel de nata at the counter, plus a galao for the walk home.
Tip: Take a number from the dispenser at the counter. Multiple Caldense locations across the GTA including Symington, Eglinton and Royal York.
Worth the queue: Pastel de nata
Future Bakery on Bloor in the Annex has run since 1982 as the city's cafeteria-style Eastern European bakery, hot meals plus a cake counter to 23:00.
Order: A slice of chocolate truffle cake with a coffee at the window.
Tip: Open 365 days, late night until 23:00. The cake counter holds 20+ slices fresh-cut.
Worth the queue: Chocolate truffle cake
Wanda's Pie in the Sky on Augusta in Kensington Market has run the city's reference butter tart counter since 1989, baker Wanda Beaver's pies.
Order: A classic Canadian butter tart, runny in the middle.
Tip: Closed Mondays. The cherry pie is seasonal in summer; the pumpkin pie in October.
Worth the queue: Butter tart
Bonjour Brioche on Queen East in Leslieville is owner Tom Rea's French bakery since 1995, the city's reference almond croissant and an all-day brunch counter.
Order: The almond croissant and a Saturday brioche.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Weekend brunch the busiest; 09:00 the cleanest window.
Worth the queue: Brioche, almond croissant
