Toronto Doughnuts: Polish Doughnuts at Benna’s Bakery & Deli

Our Homer’s Odyssey into Toronto’s doughnuts continues…

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The iconic Granowska’s may have closed down, but those hankering for Polish treats at Roncesvalles can still find pączki (Polish doughnuts) at Benna’s Bakery & Deli. Amidst the jars of pickles, the sauerkraut and kielbasa, and the perogies (those tasty, tasty perogies), you’ll find the spongy doughnuts at Benna’s pastry counter. The traditional filling is a stewed plum jam, but you’ll find other fruits as well.

While these doughnuts are made and bought year-round, pączki are especially enjoyed on Pączki Day, harkening back to a time as far as the 17th century when flour, sugar, butter, and milk were brought to a holy union and fried in lard by Catholic Poles  feasting before Lent. I doubt anyone uses fat for frying today, but the doughnut was definitely rich and sweet, the sort of treat you’ll have before going on a more secular fast.

More Toronto Doughnuts: Bake Lab / Bonjour Brioche / Caldense Bakery /Glory Hole / Mexi-Can Market / Nova Era Bakery / Paulette’s Original Donuts and Chicken /  Venezia Bakery

Benna’s Bakery & Deli
135 Roncesvalles Ave. | Yelp

 

Roncesvalles: Sweetpea’s and Roncy’s Bean

Here are some film photos from a Sunday walk in Roncesvalles, taken all the way back in April! It was after my brunch with Amy at Keriwa. We dropped by a few vintage stores, Sweetpea’s (florist), and then Roncy’s Bean for gelato. Amy has a post on all the chocolate she got from The Mercantile, a quaint little grocer along the strip that sells some hard to find stuff like Kushmi Tea brand from Paris…and Jamie Oliver foodstuff.

Canon AE-1 | Kodak Porta 400

Dinner at Barque Smokehouse | Sampler for Two

We dropped in for dinner at Barque’s on a weekday night. It was packed to the brim and we waited an hour to an hour a half before getting seated at the bar. Now, here’s the thing, we really wanted to love it, but from the cold food to the incredibly dry brisket and the decidedly not-spicy-at-all ‘spicy’ baby back ribs, we weren’t very impressed. If there was a bottle of sriracha sauce, Leo would have been all over it, because there wasn’t very much flavour apart from the smokiness.

I’m not sure if we just went on a bad night or it’s that we ordered a sampler, which may explain why the food was cold by the time it go to our table, but I was disappointed. I don’t know. I don’t eat a lot of barbecue outside of home, maybe it’s meant to be like that. Maybe we’ll go for brunch.

Eaten:

Barque Sampler for Two with a choice of three sides ($40)

Brisket – Light smokey flavour, but dry and lean; we suspect we probably just got end of the cut… (Well, I guess someone has to, right?). The leftover was taken home and thrown in a fried rice, mmmmm.

Spicy baby back ribs – Despite the lack of heat, they were the best thing on our plate that evening. They were moist with the loveliest carmelization. I can’t remember what they said was in the rub, but it made me think of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.

Competition chicken thighs - It was just chicken….not better or worse than any other.

Sides: Pickled platter – Cauliflower, daikon, green peppers, beets, green beans and carrots; smoked asparagus (recommended!); and fries.

Barque Smokehouse
299 Roncesvalles Avenue | Website | Yelp