The Mount Pleasant Guide
  By Karon Liu
Image credit: Jessica Darmanin
The Mount Pleasant strip isn’t exactly the next hot ’hood or the new Queen West or the developer district du jour. No, the Mount Pleasant strip is as it always has been: a charming stretch between Eglinton and Davisville that is lined with European bakeries, amazing Gallic restaurants (where the servers still speak French), whimsical shops and one-screen movie houses that take us back to the Toronto of yore. Unlike other shopping and dining districts, customers aren’t paying for the view, the rent or the trend—they’re paying for a slice of authenticity in an ever-gentrifying city. Here, we visit our 26 favourite spots along Mount Pleasant, finding quirky antiques, fanciful items for kids, refined meals and stunning baguettes.
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How in the world did you miss Simple Bistro ???. Hands down one the BEST restaurants in our ‘hood…...and certainly one of the top 20 bistros in TO……..shame !
December 8, 2009 | by skygalTo make a guide on Mt. Pleasant and miss Simple is... Simply unexceptable!
December 8, 2009 | by yummytummyWow ! We also can’t believe some of the omissions….Fabulous Nail Bar not on your list ???!!! Same with Simple Bistro – like others have mentioned…ummmm have you ever BEEN in this ‘hood ???? You folks are usually so on the mark.
December 10, 2009 | by BootsThe Mt. Pleasant strip without a doubt is charming and very unique. The shops that line these few blocks are one of a kind and most interesting.
You certainly did hit the nail on the head when mentioning such notable stops along the way in your guide .
However your readers should know of the fabulous costume shops for kids on the street – Kid’s Costumes, the lovely flowers found year ‘round at Kennedy Flowers – and like other readers have mentioned - Simple Bistro – a busy & bustling bistro with great food , good service – and a very unique atmosphere that has neighbors and regulars greeting one another as the tables turn.
Surely it must be hard to name all of the extraordinary places on the Mt. Pleasant strip – our neighborhood’s sweet little costume shop, flower shop and our jewel of a bistro really should have been mentioned so that others in our fair city know such gems exist
December 10, 2009 | by PleasantPheasantSo happy to finally see some attention paid to Mt. Pleasant. You produced a great guide to our terrific neighbourhood and we are very pleased. You hit many of the high points and even let us know about some worthy places we haven't visited yet - we'll definitely make a point of going to them now. Thanks so much.
But you missed Simple Bistro and that is just wrong. Simple has a tremendous chef, a warm and welcoming owner, consistently great food and a skilled staff. They really are an important and lively part of the Mt. Pleasant strip and should be in your guide.
p.s. please include our Mt. Pleasant Davisville Village area in your future real estate reviews. You always forget our neighbourhood!
December 16, 2009 | by waltmar