Indie coffee passport: Reunion Island Cafe
It's not always easy to prise myself out of air conditioning and into a heat wave, but the promise of a free cup of excellent coffee is sometimes all that's needed to get my sweaty self on a streetcar. In this case, several streetcars to counter the ongoing mess of summer rail maintenance, and that's partly why I landed all the way across town at Reunion Island Cafe at just 15 minutes shy of closing time. As the 504 plodded up Roncesvalles, it seemed prudent to abandon this particular quest and return with more leisure.
But no matter- the barista was welcoming, the cafe itself was attractive, and I was actually quite in need of a caffeine by the time I got there.
Quite of the few of the newer cafes in town are following a similar esthetic: white floors, uncluttered space, tall steel stools in the window, white-tiled bar. I'm not clear on how long this particular coffee shop has stood on its corner- Lynd, just a block below Howard Park- but to my eyes, it looks as mimimal and studied-casual as, say, Cygnet or Tucana or Fool/now Tokyo Smoke on College.
I order a cappuccino.
There's an episode of the web show Comedians in Cars getting Coffee in which Jerry Seinfeld and, I think it was Fred Armisen, are the only customers in a hip coffee shop, and yet it's taking a very long time for their drinks to be prepared, leading to a stopwatch-like timer superimposed for a joke. "That's just how long it takes."
I also buy a cookie. Of the three varieties under the glass-domed plate, I choose the oddest-sounding one: lemon-cornflake. "That's my favourite," offers the barista as he rings it up. "Well, I'll always pick the thing I've never tried before," I said.
My related credo is, I'll try anything once, and twice if I like it. And this cookie, as it turns out, will not be tried again. The texture was thick and too soft, the lemon was minimal, the too-coarse crunch of corn flakes reminded me of the cereal's origin as a health food in a sanatorium. Not my favourite. No doubt the fat molasses cookie, sparkling with sugar and crowned with a little chunk of crystallised ginger, would have been the cheerier option.
While waiting, I check out the prices on the menu posted on the wall, attractively printed on slender wooden rungs. One of my markers for coffee happens to be how the price of an Americano stacks up next to Starbucks. At Reunion Island Coffee, it's more expensive. They also over a pour-over coffee option, which costs $4.50 for one, or $7.50 "to share." (I sincerely hope those prices are accurate in my memory. In fairness, it might have been $4 and $7.) That is quite steep for a cup of coffee without frothy dairy or fancy flavour additions. In other words, it better be awfully good.
The second barista methodically pulled my espresso shot from one of the two gleaming machine heads that rose from the counter, looking like space-age beer taps. The heated milk was swirled into a small scarlet cup, the saucer and the tiny spoon, oh my!- the most perfect latte art of the year thus far, a tulip with crisply-defined nested leaves. It was just as pretty as a perfect little Instagram picture.
And... well, first let me tell you more about the space. I'm pleased to report that the cafe is one of the cherished few on my list that are fully accessible. There's a small ramp installed at the front door. The washrooms are not in the basement, but on level at the back of the space: there is a tiny height change to the floor, less than two inches up to the hall containing two rooms, each marked simply W/C. There are no grab bars for the toilet, but there is enough space in each cabine for a person to wield a mobility device. One of the washrooms also features a foldaway diaper-change deck. Both are decorated with photos of coffee growing and production.
As it turns out, Reunion Island is not just a cafe, but a coffee producing and roasting business, selling to food service companies as well as other coffee retailers. I've seen their beans at my favourite spice store in Kensington Market. The Reunion Island website is eye-opening: the company is over 20 years old and works directly with coffee producers, supporting fair trade and sustainability initiatives. They produce a wide variety of signature roasts and blends which can be shipped directly to individual buyers, or picked up at the shop. I'm strongly considering trying out their delicious-sounding darker blends, which might be worth that long ride across the city to Roncevalles.
But having said all that, it's my sad duty to also mention that the cappuccino they served me was the worst damn coffee I've encountered in this entire Indie Cafe tour to date. Not being a true coffee cognescenti (ie, coffee snob) I can't be sure whether it was over-extracted or under-extracted. I can only tell you that it was thin, harsh, sour, left a vaguely gasoline-like scent impression, and did not taste or smell like espresso in the slightest. Dear reader, it was awful. And if the cafe wasn't closing less than ten minutes after they made it for me, I might even have mentioned it to the barman.
All I can say is that it's likely I will give their beans a try. But there are a great many fine cafes in Toronto, like I mean A LOT, so it's extremely unlikely that I'll ever risk ordering a coffee drink at Reunion Island again.
accessible: yes
Plenty of seating inside, plus a small outdoor seating area around the corner
Based on the one coffee they served me: not recommended
But no matter- the barista was welcoming, the cafe itself was attractive, and I was actually quite in need of a caffeine by the time I got there.
Quite of the few of the newer cafes in town are following a similar esthetic: white floors, uncluttered space, tall steel stools in the window, white-tiled bar. I'm not clear on how long this particular coffee shop has stood on its corner- Lynd, just a block below Howard Park- but to my eyes, it looks as mimimal and studied-casual as, say, Cygnet or Tucana or Fool/now Tokyo Smoke on College.
I order a cappuccino.
There's an episode of the web show Comedians in Cars getting Coffee in which Jerry Seinfeld and, I think it was Fred Armisen, are the only customers in a hip coffee shop, and yet it's taking a very long time for their drinks to be prepared, leading to a stopwatch-like timer superimposed for a joke. "That's just how long it takes."
I also buy a cookie. Of the three varieties under the glass-domed plate, I choose the oddest-sounding one: lemon-cornflake. "That's my favourite," offers the barista as he rings it up. "Well, I'll always pick the thing I've never tried before," I said.
My related credo is, I'll try anything once, and twice if I like it. And this cookie, as it turns out, will not be tried again. The texture was thick and too soft, the lemon was minimal, the too-coarse crunch of corn flakes reminded me of the cereal's origin as a health food in a sanatorium. Not my favourite. No doubt the fat molasses cookie, sparkling with sugar and crowned with a little chunk of crystallised ginger, would have been the cheerier option.
While waiting, I check out the prices on the menu posted on the wall, attractively printed on slender wooden rungs. One of my markers for coffee happens to be how the price of an Americano stacks up next to Starbucks. At Reunion Island Coffee, it's more expensive. They also over a pour-over coffee option, which costs $4.50 for one, or $7.50 "to share." (I sincerely hope those prices are accurate in my memory. In fairness, it might have been $4 and $7.) That is quite steep for a cup of coffee without frothy dairy or fancy flavour additions. In other words, it better be awfully good.
The second barista methodically pulled my espresso shot from one of the two gleaming machine heads that rose from the counter, looking like space-age beer taps. The heated milk was swirled into a small scarlet cup, the saucer and the tiny spoon, oh my!- the most perfect latte art of the year thus far, a tulip with crisply-defined nested leaves. It was just as pretty as a perfect little Instagram picture.
And... well, first let me tell you more about the space. I'm pleased to report that the cafe is one of the cherished few on my list that are fully accessible. There's a small ramp installed at the front door. The washrooms are not in the basement, but on level at the back of the space: there is a tiny height change to the floor, less than two inches up to the hall containing two rooms, each marked simply W/C. There are no grab bars for the toilet, but there is enough space in each cabine for a person to wield a mobility device. One of the washrooms also features a foldaway diaper-change deck. Both are decorated with photos of coffee growing and production.
As it turns out, Reunion Island is not just a cafe, but a coffee producing and roasting business, selling to food service companies as well as other coffee retailers. I've seen their beans at my favourite spice store in Kensington Market. The Reunion Island website is eye-opening: the company is over 20 years old and works directly with coffee producers, supporting fair trade and sustainability initiatives. They produce a wide variety of signature roasts and blends which can be shipped directly to individual buyers, or picked up at the shop. I'm strongly considering trying out their delicious-sounding darker blends, which might be worth that long ride across the city to Roncevalles.
But having said all that, it's my sad duty to also mention that the cappuccino they served me was the worst damn coffee I've encountered in this entire Indie Cafe tour to date. Not being a true coffee cognescenti (ie, coffee snob) I can't be sure whether it was over-extracted or under-extracted. I can only tell you that it was thin, harsh, sour, left a vaguely gasoline-like scent impression, and did not taste or smell like espresso in the slightest. Dear reader, it was awful. And if the cafe wasn't closing less than ten minutes after they made it for me, I might even have mentioned it to the barman.
All I can say is that it's likely I will give their beans a try. But there are a great many fine cafes in Toronto, like I mean A LOT, so it's extremely unlikely that I'll ever risk ordering a coffee drink at Reunion Island again.
accessible: yes
Plenty of seating inside, plus a small outdoor seating area around the corner
Based on the one coffee they served me: not recommended