This weeks Indie Coffee Passport adventure took us to to the Abbott. Located at 99 Spencer avenue at King and Spencer in Parkdale. Hidden behind a convienience store and right and behind a fire escape this former laundromat is a bit tricky to find.  Once you do it’s well worth the discovery. Much like many of the other cafe’s I’ve been to in our beautiful city the Abbott has a nice menu of drinks and a nice looking assortment of baked goods. It seemed a comfortable little place with minimalistic furnishings and a fine and deep sense of history. The Spencer sign on the back wall was from when the location was a laundromat and it’s name comes from Anderson Rufus Abbott. Abbott was Canada’s first licensed black physician. Some of the the items decorating the shop were apparently owned by Dr. Abbott himself. How cool to find another layer to traveling the city and visiting our different neighborhoods and trying different things. Some if not all the baked goods were made in house at the Lakeview also owned by the Abbotts founders who include Watchmen lead singer Danny Greaves.

My chai latte was subtle and among the best I’ve had. Another fine coffee experience and a good urban adventure. Which ignited just a bit of pride in our history and legacy in Toronto.

http://www.indiecoffeepassport.com/

http://www.theabbott.ca/

Here’s a review from Toronto Life

http://www.torontolife.com/daily/daily-dish/opening-daily-dish/2010/12/01/introducing-the-abbott-yet-another-coffee-shop-in-parkdale/

The wikipedia page on Anderson Ruffin Abbott is well worth a read a well

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson_Ruffin_Abbott