sketching at Venezia Bakery

It's been a while since I've been to Venezia Bakery on Ossington. The last sketch of the Bakery can be seen here (WOW! that was 6 years ago!). It's one of the last few hold outs on this strip where posh, hipster cafes, bars and galleries have taken over. It's run by an older Portuguese couple and they have definitely made their presence known in the shop. The lady of the business is loud, shrill and friendly and talks to her Portuguese clientele without paying heed to how long the line up is… that's what her daughter is for. I loved it and actually got a pat on the back from her when I was drawing this. I'll be sure to visit again.

Sketchbook 26/05/09

With the cafe market being dominanted by the coffee chains like Starbucks, second cup, Tim Hortons and co., it's quite refreshing (and welcome) to sit in an independently run one with a bit more character and design that doesn't come straight from a kit.

Fortunately, I live in the heart of little Portugal, so there's quite a few mom and pop coffee shops, with tons of character and tastier treats that won't break the bank.

Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to finish the left side of this image because a bunch of business types came in and took over that area and kept on moving about… next time.