Description: Grand Piano Pastries is a newly opened restaurant in the new
Distillery District just east of downtown Toronto.
This small lunch spot was just putting out its shingle during our visit on 11/29/03, and it looks to be a promising start.
Housed in a long, thin room in Building 59 of the old Goderham and Wort Distillery, Grand Piano Pastries strikes a mood upon entering. Aged, exposed brick, massive supporting beams, steel lally columns, and a mix of antiques and new chic furnishings beckons patrons to enter, settle in and enjoy the atmosphere. Smooth jazz and blues completes the carefully constructed feel.
At the counter, the cases are dominated by beautifully presented tortes, mousses, tiramisu, tartlets and the like. A tall mirror at one end of the room announces the day's offerings. In addition, they also offer four or five different sandwiches for a light lunch.
My wife and I opted for a sandwich of roast beef, cheddar and tomato, with a small salad of meslun greens with Caesar dressing. The sandwich was on whole wheat and grilled panini-style, which made for a satisfying toasted crunch, and thankfully, it was not overstuffed. Many confuse volume of food with value, but this was just enough for a light bite with two sharing. Regrettably, it came with ordinary crinkle-cut chips, which seemed to be unimaginative when compared with the Vogues and Vanity Fairs scattered about the place.
They will apparently have music in the evenings based on the namesake piano to the back of the restaurant.
The coffee here was very good, although at CN$1.75 with a CN$.75 refill charge, it's a bit steep. The total tab for the meal, coffee and a soft drink was CN$10.00.
Regardless, I would certainly make a return trip to try the desserts and the ambience again!
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