When I worked in a café I made up stories for all the regulars that come in. I decided Miss Decafe Latte, with perfectly applied red lipstick every morning, was a struggling actress unhappy with working her retail job and secretly thinking about moving to Alberta marrying a oil cowboy and selling Mary Kay. Mr double espresso with a croissant was obviously a successful CEO who secretly longed to return to Paris where he had spent the only truly happy summer of his life. And Ms black dark roast who never got off her phone had three kids, a dog and a slew of underlings at work all of who constantly required supervision and guidance. I think about this every time I go to B because there I am the regular and they’ve seen me in some varied roles through the years. I’ve been a university student cramming, a student Chef in my blood splattered whites, despondent after fights with The Banker and nervous in business gear right before an interview. I’d like to know the story they have for me. It might actually be true.
B is comfort
to me; a place to rest, revive and head out. I’ve been lucky that such is happily located and a well travelled junction in my life. It’s not a cozy café, being much to sleek in design and appearance. It’s minimalist without being cold; two communal tables offer the bulk of the seating and the crowd is generally the literary business type from the magazine offices above. My only reservation about the aesthetics of the place lies with the flat scene television in the corner. I’m of the (minority) school of thought that believes outside of sports bars T.V.’s do not belong in eating establishments. The service is consistently brilliant; friendly without being cloying and often charmingly quirky (sometimes the owner Bruno sings opera for the crowd). B is a place that gets the details; spoons are carefully folded into napkins, cookies are artfully placed on your plate and espresso drinks are as pleasing to the eye as to the palate. Everything is thought about and I have always found tremendous comfort in that.
to me; a place to rest, revive and head out. I’ve been lucky that such is happily located and a well travelled junction in my life. It’s not a cozy café, being much to sleek in design and appearance. It’s minimalist without being cold; two communal tables offer the bulk of the seating and the crowd is generally the literary business type from the magazine offices above. My only reservation about the aesthetics of the place lies with the flat scene television in the corner. I’m of the (minority) school of thought that believes outside of sports bars T.V.’s do not belong in eating establishments. The service is consistently brilliant; friendly without being cloying and often charmingly quirky (sometimes the owner Bruno sings opera for the crowd). B is a place that gets the details; spoons are carefully folded into napkins, cookies are artfully placed on your plate and espresso drinks are as pleasing to the eye as to the palate. Everything is thought about and I have always found tremendous comfort in that.The food offering on the savoury side are simple lunch far; pizzas, sandwiches and salads. In 
all honesty I rarely try any of them. When I go to B’s I want succor and find it in spades in the sweet case. The biscotti have long been a favourite but the cookies are making a strong run for top of the heap. These are cookies for grownups; not too sweet and compelling in the mouth. The two best in my opinion are the almond biscottini with a boozy, crumbly interior a set off by the toothsome sugar flecked exterior, and the double chocolate espresso cookie with a moist rich bite that begins overwhelmingly chocolate then fads around the edges to let the espresso finish.
all honesty I rarely try any of them. When I go to B’s I want succor and find it in spades in the sweet case. The biscotti have long been a favourite but the cookies are making a strong run for top of the heap. These are cookies for grownups; not too sweet and compelling in the mouth. The two best in my opinion are the almond biscottini with a boozy, crumbly interior a set off by the toothsome sugar flecked exterior, and the double chocolate espresso cookie with a moist rich bite that begins overwhelmingly chocolate then fads around the edges to let the espresso finish. B Espresso Bar
111 Queen Street East
Great post! Must try B next time I'm in the city.
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