Tre Mari Bakery is a bakery in Little Italy, Toronto.
Tre Mari on Corso Italia has been the Deleo family's Italian bakery since 1960, cannoli filled to order, sfogliatelle and panettone at Christmas.
Must 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.
Address: 1311 St Clair Avenue W, Toronto, ON M6E 1C2
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
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
