New bakery and cafe that serves cakes and coffee now open in east-end Toronto neighbourhood
Published August 23, 2024 at 1:05 pm
A new cafe and bakery offering cakes, cookies, coffee and more recently opened in Toronto’s Gerrard and Logan area.
Alice Marie opened last month and is co-helmed by Rachelle Cornish, who is probably best known for her creations as the pastry chef at the popular White Lily Diner.
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While the standalone shop is brand new, the Alice Marie brand has been gaining traction for some time.
Last year, Cornish and White Lily Diner launched a Family Day pop-up to share the treats and goodies that the pastry chef had been making as part of what was then an “itsy bitsy” home-baking business.
The Alice Marie pop-up offered cookies, cakes, tarts and more and now, the standalone shop–which was first announced this past April–offers scones, tarts, banana bread, fruitcake (when seasonally appropriate), daily salads and sandwiches and more.
As far as drinks go, the menu features espresso-based beverages, tea, hot chocolate, fruit sodas and more.
The website also lists some products available for sale, including bar nuts, chocolate almonds, coffee beans, and some Soul-branded chocolate products.
As for what inspired the venture, Alice Marie’s website says Cornish drew inspiration from time spent baking with her grandmother, who the bakery is named after.
“My first memories associated with food are standing on a chair in the kitchen with my gram, Alice Marie. We used to make all kinds of things – apple pies, lemon meringue pies, chocolate and butterscotch pudding tarts, angel food cake with cream and fresh berries, tons and tons of cookies, and chocolate confections around Christmas,” she writes.
On the website, the founders say the bakery aims to offer whole foods made from scratch, as well as some childhood nostalgia.
The cafe is open Thursday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.