Last night, I went to Nuit Blanche for the first time and braved crazy crowds on Queen West that were a combination of Nuit Blanche attendees and club kids making it impossible to walk or find anywhere to eat that wasn't packed to the rafters. At Queen and Palmerston, Marcelo spotted a small sandwich boarding saying that $2 grilled cheese sandwiches were available all night at Kensington Market Organic Ice Cream just north on Palmerston and happily there was only one other person in the small shop.
None of us had ever been there before and while we were waiting we enjoyed reading their cheeky ice cream flavour names like Strawberry and the Devil (strawberry, anise, and eastern black pepper), Emotional Rescue (vanilla and cardamom). They had really dark, decadent-looking vegan chocolate as well. I'll definitely go back for ice cream as soon as I can.
I have a feeling that the man serving us was Brad Kurtenbach who is the owner and founder. He was so cheerful, sweet, and patient with all the patrons, including the loud, drunk girls. While we were there he told a young guy that he'd brew him some fresh coffee and bring it out to him so that the kid could keep dancing in the crazy performance art thing that was going on just outside. True to his word, he went out there, coffee in hand, trying to find him in the throngs of dancers.
We each received our classic grilled cheese sandwiches (cheddar on white bread) in cute little brown paper bags and ate them sitting on the curb outside watching the strange lip-syncing, flag-waving, go-go dancing. Nothing could have been better at that moment. I forgot to ask if they have them all the time or if it was just for Nuit Blanche. I'll have to go back to see.
Kensington Market Organic Ice Cream
650 1/2 Queen Street West (entrance on Palmerston)
Toronto, ON
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