Sari shops and curry emporiums still dot Gerrard Street, the main artery in Toronto’s Little India. But over the last decade, much of the city’s South Asian population has decamped for suburbs like Brampton and Rexdale. Now, as artists and young families move into the neighborhood’s neat single-family homes, Gerrard Street’s affordable storefronts are attracting creative entrepreneurs priced out of trendier districts. The fresh crop of businesses is giving this east-end enclave a vibe that’s both edgy and homey. And with a wave of Irish immigrants settling nearby side streets, a distinctive lilt can now be heard on the strip.
Flying pony
1481 Gerrard St. E; flyingpony.ca
The swag sisters
1511 Gerrard St. E; 416-628-1280; facebook.com/theswagsisters
Tea n Bannock
Enos Miller’s tranquil native Canadian cafe, whose name is slang for “friendly chat,” serves indigenous-inspired dishes like hominy corn soup with pork (3 Canadian dollars), roast elk on a fry bread bannock bun (11 dollars) and pan-fried pickerel (11 dollars).
1294 Gerrard St. E; 416-220-2915; teanbannock.ca
Lazy daisy’s café
Inspired by her childhood on her grandfather’s Ontario farm, Dawn Chapman’s cozy cafe conjures country spirit with homespun fare like Mennonite smoked bacon, free-range egg and cheddar on a biscuit (6.94 Canadian dollars, about the same in U.S. dollars) and a grilled-cheese sandwich with slow-roasted pork (8.66 dollars).
1515 Gerrard St. E; 647-341-4070; lazydaisyscafe.ca
Gerrard Art Space
A typical month at this 700-square-foot corner gallery and artists’ collective, founded by Joanne Filletti, a local painter, might include multimedia exhibits, Sunday afternoon concerts, ukulele classes and children’s art workshops.
