The strip of Dundas West between Ossington and Lansdowne has not been immune to the wild gentrification going on directly south of it. New restaurants, stores and bars have been cropping up for the past couple of years (Red Canoe, a swank Canadiana shop, opened two weeks ago), but there is a hesitation in the ’hood to turn Little Portugal and Brockton Village into the next Ossington. Incoming business owners make a point of blending in with the long-standing family-owned bakeries, soccer bars and pho stops. Even in new establishments, the decor has a thrift shop feel, and the prices cater to locals rather than destination diners. From east to west, here are our 21 favourite Dundas West spots for cheap eats, good music and authentic Portuguese cuisine. By Karon Liu. Photos by Jenna Marie Wakani.

Laptop, latte, lovely (Image: Matthew Hague)

For the entry price of a latte, many freelancers are finding sanctuary at coffee shops, where they can plug in, boot up and work uninterrupted. But as Leah McLaren tells us, not all cafés are equally accommodating. Sam James and Manic refuse to offer Wi-Fi, and Zoots tapes over outlets to stop customers from plugging in. For a freelancer, finding a welcoming café can be as important as finding that next contract. We’ve scoured the city for bright, spacious, laptop-friendly spots where great food, strong coffee and plentiful outlets make for a freelancer’s (temporary) paradise. Here, our eight picks.

Brew colours: coffee houses are sprouting up everywhere this recession (Photo by Iain Farrell)

While McDonald’s, Tim Hortons and Starbucks duke it out across North America in their giveaway coffee war, a new batch of independent brewers has emerged in Toronto. Since our last roundup six months ago, at least 13 new cafés have opened up. Here, organized by neighbourhood, is our survey of the city’s hot new fuel-up joints.

Leslieville
The east end’s coffee house culture continues to thrive with the addition of Te Aro, opened by New Zealander Andy Wilkins and his wife, Jessie. Unlike most independent cafés—essentially elegant holes in the wall—Te Aro gussied up a car garage, placed their giant roaster among the tables and converted the large driveway into a spacious patio. Cream: The Urban Dairy, which opened in mid-July, is differentiating itself from the rest with an emphasis on milk products (house-made ice cream is a big draw). Co-owner Danielle Thomas says they wanted to open a place where families could come after dinner. Soon, Cream will be getting competition from the yet-to-open Lil’ Bean’ n’ Green. Designed as a socializing hub for parents, the new café will offer loads of space for stroller parking. Up in South Riverdale, the Sideshow Café is located at the Centre of Gravity circus training studio (the vintage acrobat and elephant décor reflects this). The venue strives to be more than just a coffeehouse, with poetry readings on Mondays and acoustic sets on Wednesdays.

Annex and environs
Like Cream (above), Scoop and Bean is also getting into the ice cream niche, with selections from the Kawartha Dairy Company along with its caffeinated options. Just around the corner from long-time hangout Grapefruit Moon, “S&B” also offers cavity-inducing fare for vegans and celiac suffers. The Illy coffee slingers at B Espresso Bar—a favourite of office dwellers in the Church and Queen area—have recently thrown open the doors of their second location at the renovated Royal Conservatory of Music on Bloor. One of the most eagerly anticipated cafés is from Sam James, the barista champ formerly of Manic Coffee and Hank’s. His Sam James Coffee Bar, slated to open on Harbord on August 8, will introduce siphon coffee—a method popular in Asian countries that produces a lighter taste. He describes the place as having a “polished, Italian feel” rather than the ubiquitous “shabby chic with exposed brick” aesthetic.

Lansdowne
The once-derelict strip of Lansdowne Avenue between Dupont and College is rapidly following the gentrification examples set by Ossington and Queen West. The owners former managers of the Tranzac Club opened Holy Oak at Bloor and Lansdowne; a little farther north, the Starving Artist offers a large deck, waffles and one of the strongest coffees in the city. And then there’s the Naco Gallery Café near Lansdowne and College. “We’re trying to be more than a coffee shop,” says Naco owner Julian Calleros. “We’re the only café we know of that also does dance parties. We want to reach out to the community and act as a cultural hub.”

Trinity Bellwoods
Peter Primiani—formerly half of DJ duo Peter and Tyrone—opened the Communal Mule on Dundas Street West in June, but he hasn’t completely retired his turntables: he often spins while pulling shots. Ezra’s Pound quietly expanded with another spot at near Trinity Bellwoods Park that serves breakfast and lunch; the Dark Horse is garnering both positive and negative press after opening a second location on Spadina.

• Te Aro, 983 Queen St. E., 416-465-2006, te-aro.ca

• Cream: The Urban Dairy, 1298 Queen St. E., 416-463-0110

• Lil’ Bean ‘n’ Green, 1133 Queen St. E., lilbeanandgreen.com

• Sideshow Café, 1300 Gerrard St. E., 416-938-6030

• Scoop and Bean, 2 Follis Ave., 647-342-7770

• B Espresso, 273 Bloor St. W., 416-866-2111

• Sam James Coffee Bar, 297 Harbord St., 647-341-2572

• Holy Oak, 1241 Bloor St. W., 647-345-2803

• Starving Artist, 584 Lansdowne Ave., 647-342-5058, starvingartistbar.com

• Naco Gallery Café, 1665 Dundas St. W., 647-347-6499

• The Communal Mule, 984 Dundas St. W., 416-653-2084

• Ezra’s Pound, 913 Dundas St. W., 647-346-8488, ezraspound.com

• Dark Horse, 215 Spadina Ave., 416-979-1200, darkhorseespresso.com

The drag show at El Convento Rico is legendary (Photo by El Convento Rico)

Church Street may be Toronto’s traditional gay epicentre, but queer-positive clubs are no longer confined to its borders. Here, the top 10 homo hangouts outside the gay ghetto.

1. The Beaver
What: Opened in 2003, Will Munro’s Beaver Café is now the old kid on the West Queer West block, having solidified its status as home base for hipster gay men and women. The tiny chameleonic space effortlessly morphs from a quaint daytime cafe with killer coffee and local baked goods into a cozy first-date dining room, a gallery space, and the host of queer dance parties and dyke bands.
When: The Beaver is queer central seven days a week, with such monthly parties as Hot Nutz, Le Cock Sportif, Bush Party and more.
Who: Boys who like boys, girls who like girls, drag queens, t-girls and everything in-between.
Bonus feature: The newly expanded patio is a prime perch for people-watching.
Where: 1192 Queen St. W. (at Gladstone Ave.), 416-537-2768, thebeavertoronto.com.

2. Yes Yes Y’All
What: After a disastrous move to The Drake’s Underground, the six-month-old dance party has returned to its original home at the Backpacker’s Hostel at King and Spadina. The massive patio gives revellers a break from the hot and sweaty indoor dance floor. With DJs Sammy D and Hollyrock spinning old-school hip hop, dancehall and baile funk, there is no doubt: the ’90s are back.
When: Third Friday of the month.
Who: Hip-hop hipsters and (boasting a straight-friendly scene) some drunken hostel guests who don’t know what they’ve got themselves into.
Bonus feature: Drinks for under $5? In Toronto? Really?
Where: The Backpacker’s Hostel, 460 King St. W. (at Spadina), yesyesyall416.blogspot.com.

3. The Henhouse
What: Blink and you’ll miss this pho-restaurant-turned-bar in Little Portugal, where recession-priced pints of Cameron’s Cream and kitschy decor (stuffed fish, ceramic deer, pin-up puzzles, etc.) are the order of the day.
When: Open every day. One night will be rowdy while the next is quiet, with no consistent formula. Just go with it.
Who: Owners Katie Sketch and Jenny Smyth, from the now-defunct Vancouver-based band The Organ, have made this the go-to watering hole for local lesbians and gay men too languid to walk all the way to The Beaver.
Bonus Feature: It has one of the best jukeboxes in the city. Plus, they offer classic pancake breakfasts on Sundays.
Where: 1532 Dundas St. W. (at Sheridan Ave.), 416-534-5939.

4. Big Primpin’
What: The long-running homo hip-hop night has managed to survive the competition and its transition from the eclectic Stones Place to the seemingly unventilated Wrongbar. Purists be warned: while this is labelled a “hip-hop” event, DJs play fast and loose with the term—they are as likely to play Britney as they are Busta.
When: The first Friday of every month.
Who: See “Yes Yes Y’All.”
Bonus Feature: The lion-crested velvet wallpaper.
Where: Wrongbar, 1279 Queen St. W. (at Elm Grove Ave.), primpin.blogspot.com.

5. East End Boys Club
What: While most of the new crop of queer parties are in the west, the East End Boyz Club gives the gentlemen of Riverdale and Leslieville something a little closer to home. Get there by 11 p.m. as it fills up early and clears out by 1 a.m. (someone has to walk the labradoodle in the morning).
When: Varies from second or third Friday of the month, though less often during summer months.
Who: “Boyz” Club is a misnomer—the crowd certainly skews 30-plus.
Bonus Feature: If the goal is to acquire a single gent ready to settle down, seekers will find plenty of candidates.
Where: Prohibition, 696 Queen St. E. (at Broadview Ave.), 416-406-2669, eastendnoise.com.

6. Naco Gallery Café
What: The newly converted storefront on the Dundas West strip is the latest spot to open in this café-heavy neighbourhood. Naco, however, comes with a twist or two. Opened this past April by Mexican-born artist Julian Calleros, it features gallery space, hosts a queer lecture series called Wilde Chat, and the new monthly Latin dance party, Huevos.
Who: The west-end art crowd and Latin queers.
When: With a liquor license and extended hours, Naco is slowly growing a reputation as a nighttime hangout. Wilde Chat, Sundays. Huevos, every third Friday.
Bonus feature: Plaintain crumble with sweet cream.
Where: 1665 Dundas St. W. (at Margueretta St.), 647-347-6499.

7. West End Boys
What: No happening ’hood is complete without a gay event to call its own, and the Ossington strip is no exception. With a capacity of 40, Baby Huey fills up fast and feels like a university party, complete with holes in the walls and Goodwill-style wingbacks.
Who: Ossington stripsters and wannabe Ossington stripsters.
When: Every 2nd and 4th Saturday.
Bonus feature: Two words: Strong cocktails.
Where: Baby Huey, 70 Ossington Ave. (at Humbert St.), 647-618-7270.

8. El Convento Rico
What: Showing no signs of slowing down since the recent departure of resident celeb-beefcake Renzo, El Convento Rico is still the spiciest Latin club in town. The legendary drag shows put Church Street to shame. With salsa, top 40 and house tracks playing, the sweaty dance floor is as mixed as the drinks. Beware of bachelorette parties.
Who: Latin ladies, straight fellas, drag queens and gay boys all mix together in one of Toronto’s awesome club-scene anomalies.
When: Fridays and Saturdays, with drag shows starting at 1 a.m. and 12:30 a.m., respectively.
Bonus Feature: The annual Miss and Mr. El Convento Rico pageants.
Where: 750 College St. (at Shaw St.), 416-588-7800, elconventorico.com.

9. Steers and Queers
What: Cowboy boots, spurs, and plaid shirts—not all of them ironic—are de rigeur at this quarterly homo hoedown. With barrel tables, old tin signs and a banjo or two, it’s honky-tonk with a queer twist. The lineup usually features a drag show, country band, Djs and burlesque.
Who: West-end cowboys and cowgirls.
When: Every three months. The next roundup is July 2, 2009.
Bonus Feature: Swing on by for the famous all-you-can-eat Bluegrass Brunch every Sunday.
Where: The Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave. (at Dundas St. W.), 416-850-4579, thedakotatavern.com.

10. Hanlan’s Point
What: Not a club per se, but with no shirts (or much of anything else), ghetto blasters blaring pop tunes, and even a little dancing, one would be hard pressed to tell the difference. This is Toronto’s gay beach hot spot.
Who: Young and old, boys and girls. Who isn’t there?
When: Open every day, but gets crowded on hot summer weekends.
Bonus Feature: Toronto’s only nude beach lets you check out the goods before making your move.
Where: Toronto Island (take the Hanlan’s Point Ferry from the dock at Bay St. and Queen’s Quay).