Harbord Bakery

I was looking for a carrot cake for my girlfriend’s birthday and this place did not disappoint! This is definitely one of the best carrot cakes I’ve ever had! Loved the cream cheese icing and the fact that there are no raisins! Cake was moist as well! It was very reasonably priced compared to the competitors out there. Simple design/decoration, but that’s what I was going for. I got the 7 inch cake. It was an easy process to order. I called two days in advance and pick up was simple. Will definitely order from here again!!

A lovely selection of fresh baked goods. Looks like you can put in orders ahead of time for your bread needs. Looks like the fresh bread loaves sell out fast. Lots of loafs, cookies and other sweet bakery goods. They have a small deli type counter suitable to get lunch on the go, with a selection of salads etc. This is is not inexpensive, but you get quality goods.

This is one of the best hidden gems in Toronto. The Gefilite Fish, sweet is amazing. I drive far too buy them. The sourdough onion rye bread is outstanding. Shall I go on?

A must visit Jewish Bakery with reasonable n fresh breads, Danish, croissant 🥐 and other eats. Sweet attentive staff . Recommended: Almond croissant Apple blintzes

Today was one of those beautiful days in the city that just calls for a little walk and a treat — the perfect excuse to finally stop by Harbord Bakery. Although I came by later in the day, the popularity of this place was clear: most of the baked goods and bagels were already sold out, with just one mixed bagel bin left. They had also wrapped up cream cheese service for the day, as they were already deep into prep mode for the next rush. Still, it was a lovely visit. I chatted with the owner's friend who was working the floor and later with the current owner herself. It was clear from our conversation that Harbord Bakery is more than just a bakery — it’s an anchor in the neighborhood, a fixture that's been part of the community for generations. You can feel the history and care in the space. I’ll definitely be back, but next time I’ll make sure to come earlier to beat the rush and snag some of those legendary bagels and baked goods before they’re gone!

I have been coming to this bakery for 30 years. The selection of bagels and fresh breads, danish, blintzes, cookies, pies and cakes is based on a daily rotation. Normally, if it isn’t in stock tomorrow or the next day is the baking day I am told, which means that they stick to par levels based on expected sales. It’s best to order ahead of there id something you require. The croissants include: cheese, almond, pistachio Nutella. There is a really good mixed chocolate and pistachio cookie I enjoyed. There are muffins, carrot cakes and pumpkin pies on hand right now. Prices are generally higher than the grocery with some breads actually fairly priced.

This is the best bakery in Toronto. The bread choices are excellent. They also have prepared food, salad, soups, etc. I have tried everything and it is all super delicious! I love the Harbord Bakery.

This bakery shop is one of the best around UofT. It offers a variety of baked goodies and special occasion cake. It also has a deli/salad bar. Customer service is not bad and inside of the store is clean and safe. Items presentation is not the greatest and they can definitely do better. They don’t have signs and the layout of the bakery section is a tad weird. I have it 4 because it doesn’t have vegan options and the prices are on the higher side. Otherwise, if you are around the area and feeling like having a a good muffin or cookies, give Harbord Bakery a try!

Memories of my Lithuanian/Latvian Bobba's kitchen. Everthing there is authentic. Real bagels, REAL rye bread, cherry buns, cinnamon wheels and of COURSE rugelach. I love coming in here and re-living my happy childhood afternoons with my maternal grandparents.

Hello, since my last review of this bakery was taken down for being too colourful, I will condense it to something very straightforward: - sold me all sorts of products, and they told me they were freshly baked - they were not at all fresh, they were horrible - bakery stole my money as far as I'm concerned

Toronto's Harbord Bakery is a small, charming upscale family owned / operated full service bakery located on Harbord Street in Toronto. They offer a full range of fresh baked breads, pastries, desserts, daily sandwiches, and other prepared food as well as several groceries items that are hard to find including specialty cheeses, olive oil, and sea salt. Our favorite is their loaf of Dark Rye Bread. It's delicious and melts in your mouth. Suzi manages the Bakery and is on the floor most days. Highly recommended.

The pastries are fine but the actual food there like the noodles and everything are absolutely disgusting.

This bakery has its followers though other than the bread option (Challah seems to be their mainstay) I didn't find it enticing. Few of the dessert options including the biscuits were quite mundane. There are some cooked food options as well and from what I saw they all looked sad. Too bad my prime source for challah only sells their version on the weekends as otherwise this place would be a skip.

5 stars for poppy seed pastry, 3 for rugelach. The fresher pastry I had, some sort of flaky croissant-type thing with poppy seed filling, was delicious, with great dough flavor. The rugelach were pre-bagged, though, and tasted stale and kinda too sweet. It balances out. I'll probably return because it's so convenient, but will make sure I know what I'm getting.

Absolutely amazing chocolate croissant and bagels!! Father raved about the bagels and I got a croissant, surprised by how big it was, made from good quality chocolate!!

Amazing bakery. Their Cherry pies are amazing! Their onion rye bread will change your life! Their challah is fantastic.

This is a nice bakery in harbord. Walking distance to campus. They have variety of breads, Jams, cookies, muffins and cold salads as well. They have coffee and tea too. I suggest everyone who miss a nice bakery to check this place.

Really really disgusting. Just moved to the neighborhood so thought I'd give this place a try. Went on a busy Saturday morning and picked up about $50 worth of food/baked goods. To my surprise, half the baked goods I bought were actually mouldy from being left out so long (pic attached). Safe to say I will never be back!

Nice baked goods. Been Going there for years But the prices are high for their baked goods

At first they don't seems to fancy when you walk in but the food is really good ,good quality,there sweets ,hot table,salads to go.Good service.

This bakery has an amazing selection of freshly baked breads, cakes, and cookies, with an emphasis on Jewish favourites like bagels, babka, blini, and challah. Try the chocolate babka available only Thursday through Sunday.

I swung in here for the first time after my hair appointment and it was pretty busy in there around noon. I could tell the staff was used to being busy as they rushed me. I asked for a whole grain loaf and it was the last one. It was pretty good, didn't taste like it was full of preservative and it was covered in toasted sunflower seeds which I love. I wish the staff was a little more attentive and I probably would have bought more and given them a better review. They weren't rude just very rushed and even though there were still staff standing around with no customers to assist.

Just moved to the neighborhood- tried Butter tarts and shortbread and they were delicious. Competitive prices. Will definitely try some of their many other baked goods

Walked in on a Sunday. Bought: 2 empanadas (chicken), $4 each. Croissant, has coconut inside, $4. Almond cookie, $2.75 They don't put prices on their merchandise. Taste-wise, ok. Price-wise, expensive.

If I could give 5 stars to certain items, I would totally give 5 stars to the Challah bread AND my newest obsession, SCHNECKEN! Only sold on Fridays, this wonderous thing is flakey and tender inside like a croissant, but stuffed with currants and topped with chopped walnuts and an incredible caramel glaze. Sticky and sweet on the outside, but balanced by the flakey layers of cinnamon dough below. If you love Cinnabon, you won't love this, it's not sweet enough for you. But if you are like me and find Cinnabon too sweet, but miss old school cinnamon buns and chelsea buns, Schnecken is the treat you MUST TRY! Order the day before if you want to guarantee you get one, they sell out fast and don't hit the shelves until noon or so I think.

While waiting for my friendly friend I popped in here to have a carb-attack. Most of the choice here is pretty standard for a bakery. The staff were friendly and quick to help me. I grabbed a chocolate croissant and some shortbread. The croissant was decent. Not the greatest but hit hit the spot. The shortbread fell a little short. It wasn't as buttery as I would have liked. The pies and cakes in the display case looked phenomenal. I will be back to give them a try.

Long-standing bakery on Harbord near Spadina and U of T. Solid selection of cakes and pastries. In general everything here is quite expensive- everything is fresh-baked (SUPPOSEDLY) and look at the location!!! - However I got particular sticker-shock re: the prepared foods. They charge by weight and two small cabbage rolls was $10!!! Inflation is well and strong at this establishment. DO NOT get the prepared foods here unless you're okay with CRAPPY VALUE for your HARD-EARNED dollars. Also, the customer service at the counter is NOT the best - make sure to SPEAK UP when you go to the cash, otherwise they might cash out the person behind you first, thinking that you are waiting for counter service. An acceptable oversight, but this might bother people who are in a hurry.

MmmHmm. I love this place. Another stop on my never-ending, early-twenties nostalgia tour, coming here always makes me feel warm and fuzzy and hungry for my youth. And some bread. Discovering the quiet dignity of Harbord Street was a revelation then, a humble alternative to walking home (ie, to my BFF's apartment) from school down College or Bloor. As Erin said, they have been around forever, and everything just oozes with old-fashioned care, such as: the little cellophane bundles of cookies, each tied and labeled, and of which I can't usually resist the almond crescents. The empanadas are very good, though quite rich, with a flaky, buttery crust (quite a different style than what my recently-reviewed Jumbo Empanadas serves up), for which I am always on board. The egg bread used to be such a staple in my routine, that I once had a dream that the shelf behind the counter (where they keep it, natch) was relocated to my kitchen. The pie- especially the peach- is so good that it changed the way I feel about pie. I crave it fortnightly, for serious.

Lot's lot great treat's. It's a must visit . Prices are high but well woth it. I had the best butter cup ever....

Been coming here for years. Good quality food, good selection of baked goods, and service is always zip-zap prompt. I've given H B only 3 stars this time, since the prices are $nutty$. If you happen to be rich, then this isn't an issue, but I bought a cheese bagel ($2), and a chocolate danish ($9). Since when should a bagel ever be $2 each?? There's a bagel shop in Kensington Market where their freshly-made bagels, are only $1ish each. Just saying... expensive!

My congregation ordered a slab cake before. The letters on chocolate cake was blue and it looked strange. The taste was not bad as a slab cake. Their regular breads were fine, but their pastries were expensive and their tastes were just average.

Love that the place opens so early! My mission in going to this bakery was to try Challah bread, which I have always seen but never tasted. The bakery is much more spacious than any other downtown bakery I've seen, which a variety of European pastries and breads that look like very high quality. At this point, I only bought the Challah - 5.00$ for a loaf, which seems expensive for bread, but I guess a lot of extra physical effort needs to go into rolling and weaving challah... It was fresh and nice. Overall, very positive experience. Will go back to try some of the their products sometime.

It's a decent sized bakery with quite the variety of baked breads. They have a good selection of yummy tarts and their pistachio cookies are to die for! I also had their almond croissant which was alright but I've had better. Service was quick and staff members are friendly.

They delivered a dried out, stale cake for what was supposed to be a special surprise birthday treat. I could have gotten a better cake in the grocery store freezer for a quarter of the price. Don't bother.

One of my favourite places in Toronto, Harbord Bakery has served up the best in Jewish baking longer than I've been alive. I write this review with a freezer full of Harbord Bakery products. Regrettably, portion sizes have recently decreased while prices have increased. For breakfast this morning, I toasted a bialy-a flatter, sweeter, oniony-er cousin of the bagel. A proper bialy is about the circumference of a big dude's palm. These were tiny. Make an OK sign with your hand, and unless you're on a first-name basis with the Wizard Gargamel, chances are you could fit one through the hole. They do remain tasty, with crisp outsides and tender middles even after their term in suspended animation. With apologies to baguette fans everywhere, there are only two kinds of bread worth buying on the planet. Both are served here. Workday lunches on Russian black, light or marble rye are well worth the carbs. Lights crusts and springy crumbs add body to the most anaemic sandwich. On their own, with just a bit of salted butter, they're perfection. In old-country Jewish homes, Challah, made of finer flour with an abundance of eggs, was reserved for the Sabbath. Harbord's version is rich and deeply flavoured, glazed to an egg-washed shine and studded with sesame or poppy seeds. With the High Holidays approaching, it's worth ordering a gigantic crown of a bread, even if you don't celebrate. A raisin version, turned into french toast the next day might encourage you to convert. Bagels err on the light side. Baked without parboiling, they lack the density and chew one associates with a 'real bagel'. Served fresh, they're still perfect vehicles for smoked salmon and cream cheese. Desserts are primed for sharing, or at least for breaking off a piece if you're the sort who can't truly enjoy a cup of coffee without a little something on the side. Assorted pies and cakes are just fine, although a banana cream version drizzled with chocolate might challenge the upscale version sold further up Spadina Rd. Chocolate cupcakes are smeared with thick chocolate icing and colourful sprinkles. More sweet than cocoa in flavour, they're childhood in wax paper. The french palmier is reinterpreted as a dinner-plate sized round of puff pastry lightly topped with caramelized sugar, then dusted with more sugar and cinnamon. It's outrageously addictive and impossible to place between 'snack' and 'dessert'. Seven-layer cake is coated in thick, hardened ganache. Alternating yellow sponge and light whipped chocolate icing need liquid support. I recommend coffee with cream and no sugar. Depending on your appetite, danish with fresh fruit, cheese and/or custard are your best bet. Just this side of sticky; crispy pastry on the outside yielding to tender leaves inside. If you just want a bite, opt for the Rugalach; a lighter cookie dough rolled around chocolate, cinnamon or fruit preserves. If you're entertaining a crowd, a fresh chocolate ring uses more of that danish pastry, and plenty of the good stuff. Shopping at Harbord Bakery is an experience; prepared items like salads, entrees and empanadas are dished out from a central island. Random freezers conceal juices, dairy and ice cream. A haphazard toy store takes up a third of the space. The whole shebang gets 5 stars. How could it not? It feels like home.

We happened upon this bakery while visiting Toronto. We had the delicious challah, croissants, rugalach & blueberry tarts. Very fresh. I don't think it was expensive for the quality.

Harbord Bakery is your average neighbourhood bakery...some decent items, some over-rated items. ***As a note, I am presently not patronizing Harbord Bakery (although I haven't changed their rating). They are leading the OPPOSITION to BIKE LANES on Harbord Street. If you do choose to patronize them, I encourage you to mention your support for bike lanes in Toronto.*** The HITS: I enjoy some of their small pastries and sweets. They do some lovely challah bread. I've also enjoyed the Danish and Ruggelach. The MISSES: Bagels (they seem to skip the boiling step giving them a bread texture). Most of the cakes end up being oddly bland with boring cake sandwiched between even less flavourful whipped cream. I'll also pass on the "empanada"-like pastries...anyone of Latin extraction would be a bit perplexed by these creations. The SERVICE is also hit and miss. I've had the sweetest staff ever helping me. I've also had the bakery equivalent of an old cat-lady grade school librarian who's having a bad day. OVERALL, this is a hit-and-miss bakery. If you figure out what's good and what's not good, you can rely on consistency in those items. The prices are a bit on the higher side. As I said, I'm boycotting them until they come to their senses on the bike lanes.

I love this bakery. It offers simply delicious food, everything's always fresh, and of course the added bonus of chocolates, cheeses, sodas, etc. is great. If I'm going to buy lunch at work, I'll opt to pick up one or two small things here as opposed to a lunch special or sushi for the 2000th time on Bloor Street. Point by point, this is why I love Harbord Bakery: Salads- They have all the classics - black bean, coleslaw, chickpea, greek, artichoke, tomato/mozz, and probably about 10 others I'm not remembering right now. I can't recall if it's a rotating menu of salads, but there's always about 12 or available, the one's i've tried (black bean, greek, chickpea, slaw) have all been perfect (never overdressed, oversweet, or oversalted). Sweet baked goods- Seriously, these make me feel like a kid again, I buy a little pack of cookies every few weeks and their my little calming morsels of deliciousness when I feel like I deserve a little break at work. It's great. The chocolate chip cookies are huge, but delicious. I've also had their checkerboard cookies, those classic ones with the jelly dots in them, and a handful of other things I can't recall right now. Always delicious. Breadsticks- yea these deserve their own category, hey have them in plain, with sesame seeds, spicy, sprinkled with cheese... they have them in every variety and they are yummy. If I'm hitting that 3:30 slump at work, I bolt over and grab one to get myself feeling peppy. Artisanal Sodas - I'm usually not a fan, but they have a great variety, my favorite is the lime-lemongrass soda. Coffee - I'm shocked at how hard it is to get a decent cup of coffee in this city. This one is cheap, and it's good. But my favorite thing is the Chicken Wonton Soup. Now, hear me out. This soup is perfect for if you're feeling under the weather, or are feeling fabulous and want to keep your good vibes going, It's light so you can eat it before you work out but it's also hearty enough to eat after your run. Seriously, it's no frills, it's delicious, buy it and thank me later. There's tons of stuff in here I haven't tried yet, but I trust that I will eventually. Last but certainly not least, the lovely ladies behind the counters are always smiling and ready to help. When I'm indecisive about what I'd like to get they'll make a recommendation without being in my face about it. I want to live in this bakery. That's pretty much what I'm saying.

Some of the things there are phenomenal, but be warned- this place is much more expensive than you'd expect. No idea why it has only one $. On that note, sometimes splurging is well worth it for some of their delicious chicken cutlets, cheesy bagels, spicy cheese sticks, or croissants. The staff is generally friendly too. There are some things that I wouldn't buy again, like the sufganyot (jelly donuts eaten over Hanukkah) or some of the cakes. Don't miss the empanadas though! They may not be traditional South American empanadas, but they are delicious!! TL;DR- Most food is great, but it's rather expensive. And don't miss the empanadas!!

This is a great bakery! I get my rye and challah on here all the time. Bagels too. My favourite is the russian black loaf. oh man. Not the cheapest, but definitely worth it. If you want that great rye with the crunchy crust go here, I guarantee you eat 4 slices when you get home even if you're not hungry!

There is no way I can be in the Annex area and not make a trip to this bakery. Truth be told, I have a serious sweet-tooth, but I also love fresh bagels. When I can't get to Gryfe's http://www.yelp.ca/biz/gryfe-bakery-north-york#hrid:qhbMugBXDrfcgBEmXCtQAQ/src:search/query:Gryfe's%20Bagels or Pascal's http://www.yelp.ca/biz/pascals-baguette-and-bagels-toronto for bagels I'm more then happy to load up at Harbord Bakery. I love the sugar cookies with the jam in the centre, and find it hard not to eat all of them before I get home.

Living across the street from this bakery makes life particularly difficult. Everything they make is good, from their sweets (Cherry-cheese, almond or poppy seed danishes), to their bread (Raisin Challah is to die for and so it their Rye) to their hot table (try a Chicken Empanada) and cold salads. It's ridiculous really! Besides the fact that it can be a little expensive this bakery really never lets you down!

Products are tasty but way too expensive for what you get. I suppose they have little competition in the area so they can charge what they want. Too bad, would be great to have a bakery like this that didn't cost an arm & a leg.

This place is a hit and miss. They have the best cheese blintzes and their soufganiot is worth waiting for Hannukha to come around again...but I've found the rest of their fare to be rather underwhelming. It's fresh and customer service is very kind, but on the whole I wouldn't say it's mind-blowing, just your friendly neighbourhood Jewish bakery.

I like this place because it reminds me of the old Jewish delis/bakeries back home in Vancouver. Stuffy, crampes, hot, delicious smelling. The goods themselves though can be hit or miss and the price you pay will be slightly higher than your premium grocer. I definitely wouldn't go out of my way for this bakery. But I also would never pass up going in if I were passing by

They've got a lot of different breads and desserts here, I gave their butter tarts a try and was very surprised and pleased. Very sweet and gooey without any raisins or walnuts, I'd come back for this one.

I am really lucky to live within an easy distance of this phenomenal bakery. (Or unlucky if you're looking at my waistline!) They have a good selection of traditional Jewish baked goods (babka, challah, amazing Rye bread) as well as croissants, danishes, cookies, etc. They carry pints of Greg's ice cream, which is very handy (and cheaper than buying a pint of Ben and Jerry's or Haagen Daz, actually). Their quiches are amazing, and they have an excellent selection of prepared sandwiches and sandwich fillings, as well as teas, coffees, and artisanal cheeses. The debit minimum is $5, $10 for credit.

Now that ive gone back a few times i really appreciate the variety they have on hand, from smoked fish (which is great), to prepared foods, frozen items, cheeses, condiments, all good quality and a nice alternative to the big box stores if you live near by. Prices are reasonable too.

Harbord Bakery is a Harbord St. institution. It has been here since the dawn of time. The staff are very nice and the quality of the product can't be beat. I wish they were open later but that is just my own selfishness cause everything is so good. Don't go too late because they can run out of stuff and are very very busy. They have a good selection of cheese, crackers and tea as well. They have a little tucked away corner with kids toys etc. GO GO GO!

I love their challah and it's really the only Jewish-style bakery in the neighbourhood but I wish they would post their prices. I know they don't because some people are given discounts and others whom they don't recognize are overcharged so they can add to their profit but that's not ok. During my last visit I was handed my order of just challah (and only challah!!) by someone behind the counter and was told it was $13. When I walked over to the cash the guy charged me $26. I clarified the order and he insisted that was the charge. I asked for a receipt and was only given my debit receipt... I asked again for the price of the challah and was told by the man who charged me that it was $26 (for 2 loaves!!!). I was basically charged twice what I had initially been told. I could see other people being charged $30 for the same two loaves and many pastries, bagels and croissants. There is no way those additional items only came to $4... it's really not ok to take advantage of people whom you don't recognize as a "regular." I'd rather spend my money at an honest business. I don't understand how this practice is legal.

Where to begin. 1. Service is the pits. 2. Baked goods are questionable. 3. Prices are absurdly high. 1. I was waiting in line for a cheese danish and a poppy seed danish. The "lineup" was all over the place, with customers drifting in and out, picking up pieces and goodies from all over the store and then wafting back to the main line to order 'one more thing'. The young lady behind the counter asked 'who's next?' That's me. I placed my order and the owner zips in ahead of my server and takes the poppy seed danishes, exclaiming they were the last two and had just been requested by one of those drifting-in-and-out customers. But I was right there! Not the first time I was pushed out by someone shopping while they were "in line", but it will be the last time. Not impressed. 2. I used to love their cinnamon raisin bread. It's addictive, like cake, and in my opinion, pricey at $6; so I usually scanned the 'day-old' bin in hopes of finding a loaf there. I used to score one every month or so, just often enough to satisfy my craving. But the last one was definitely off. It tasted weird and stale, and no amount of toasting would cure it. I decided to keep my memories of the good rather than risking another bad batch so I stopped buying it. On a related note, a friend ordered a birthday cake to be picked up on a Sunday morning which happened to be the first day of a major holiday. The bakery was jammed. He managed to get his cake which had already been boxed up, but when he opened the box later that day he found it was completely the wrong cake. The bakery did try and contact him to see why he had not picked up "his" order, but he was already out of town. They closed for the holidays, and when they reopened the following Wednesday, what did I see on the 'day old' tray but my friend's cake, now easily over 4 days old, cut into 4 pieces, on sale for $2.50 - $3.00 a slice. I knew it was his because the unique birthday name and inscription were still legible. What a joke! 3. I once brought a dozen chocolate/almond cookies as a gift. They came to $36 plus $1.50 extra for the plain white bakery box. Pricey to me.

Love this place! I've had the chocolate babka quite a few times from here and it is to die for! I got the chocolate brownie and chocolate croissant for a change and they were both divine! The brownie was dense and rich, just the way I like it. Will be back for sure!

Go to spot at work for baked goods for office mtgs and parties. The chocolate croissants are delectable.

High quality foods and desserts. Even gluten free options that are incredible. The bread is by far the most delicious. I've been going there my whole life and it's only gotten better.

my only regret is that i'd never been to this bakery before last weekend. perhaps with good reason since: a) i can still fit into my skinny jeans now, and b) it's a bit pricey when you consider how much i now plan to go. c) just cancel out a) so, on my first and only trip i bought for a potluck: i) 3 empanadas (veggie, chicken, and beef). The pastry for all is the same: really flaky and dry, in a good way. I preferred the veggie empanada because, when i forked into it, a small amount of savoury veggie sauce helped moisten the mouthfuls of crust. I found the chicken and beef fillings to be a bit dry to accompany the great pastry. ii) Two handfuls of spicy cheese & anchovy bread twists. They were very crisp and buttery. I was surprised that they were sold by weight, rather than by the piece. I asked the cashier to pack them inside the box of empanadas, otherwise the twists never would have made it to their destination without crumbling. The potluck people liked all of the items. Next time I go, I want to try the blueberry muffins. While I was there, a guy came in to purchase one, claiming to have 'come all the way from LA for these muffins'. Alas, the blueberry muffins were sold out. When told to come tomorrow, and mistakenly hearing 'come tomorrow at 4am', he wasn't at all fazed. Even though the cashier had actually said 'come tomorrow, call beFORE' so a few muffins could be held to the side for him, he wanted those muffins so bad that 4am was worth it! must.have.those.muffins.

I'm an insanely picky eater because I was raised by parents who said, "If you don't like it, just leave it on your plate." Because of this I refuse to eat a whole manner of things and the majority of the time, I look at a menu and say, 'I have no idea what that is, I am not putting it anywhere near my mouth.' However, my little trip to Harbord Bakery was one of the rare times where I just wanted to try everything, no matter how odd it looked (the last time this happened it was with food carts and street meat, so consider this a step in a classier direction). I bought a few different things: Some chocolate roll cookies, some peanut butter cookies for my boyfriend and a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. The cinnamon raisin bread is fabulous! It tastes a bit like a cinnamon brioche, I think. Light and fluffy and amazing toasted and smothered with my best buddy butter. The chocolate cookies disappeared in a scarfing-frenzy after a trip to the gym. They could have been a little chocolatier (word? I think not!) but I didn't exactly put the bag down to come write this review... The peanut butter cookies, I have no idea. Peanut butter and chocolate/any kind of sugar is not a cause I support, nor do I feel peanuts have any place on a dessert menu. It's nothing against peanut butter, me and peanut butter go way back, It's just a personal movement with little, uh, movement. It's something that has remained solid through my transition from 'picky eater' to 'grown-up that eats leaves and other green things.' My boyfriend liked them though! They sounded quite crunchy? Sorry I can't give you guys more than that! Minus one star because I found there wasn't enough labeling happening. I saw things I was tempted to try but didn't because I wasn't sure of what they were. "Is that caramel brown or PEANUT BUTTER brown?" See the first world problems I face?

I had my first bagel here in 1970, after 25 years of wonder bread (as in, wonder if it's bread). The Jewish population which once supported a range of unique food shops had started moving north after the 1950s, and the stores catering to an older wave of Jewish immigrants were vanishing one at a time. But the Harbord Bakery has remained and adapted to new waves of immigration, intermarriage within the original family, and gentrification (or perhaps, Annexification) related to the U of T and downtown youth scene. The result is typically Toronto food fusion. A "calandria" (take out section) sells fast food that's not junk food -- empanada and spanakopita, for example (both excellent), as well as basic ingredients for prepared salads. But much of the old Yiddish cuisine survives, including bagels, challah bread baked for Fridays and lox and cream cheese and bagel for Sundays. Foods and cuisines are not frozen in time, and more than any other item of culture, but, as I argue in my e-book Food for City Building, acquire the character of the place the food inhabits, even as the foods lend their character to the place. Harbord Bakery is now co-evolving with Harvest Kitchen across the street, and with a range of restaurants catering to the young and restless. Adding yet another reason to linger in this area, and do an edible form of archeology, excavating layers of the city's history, while adding to the unique income and job creation stream of each village within the larger Toronto.

This is a nice little bakery in the Annex that serves a great selection of breads, pies, and other treats. The food is reasonably good and tastes home made, but my one complaint is that it is a bit on the pricey side -- be prepared to open your wallet here.