Of course, I wasn't the only one to spot it.
Photos soon began popping up on my various social feeds, introducing new products exclusive to this particular location while the Baldwin is closed for the season. It probably wasn't the wisest decision to set out on the windiest day of the week, but the journey ended up being executed purely out of curiosity.
Contrary to the claustrophobia-inducing size in Grange Park, the Queen St. W shop is definitely more serene, and also no longer void of chairs and bathrooms.
A few large tables and benches are situated in the lobby area, likely serving as refuge for courageous gelato- and soft serve-goers during the upcoming Canadian winter.
I was also tempted to try one of the items from their newly-developed drink menu, as a steaming latte would definitely hit the spot given the windy conditions of the outside world. On second thought, though, I probably wouldn't have enough hands to hold two things while taking photos. To avoid another melty soft serve and churro disaster, I opted to leave the drinks for another visit.
Unlike the girl who had served me during my other visit, the girl who was tending to gelato sampling and the cashier wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about her job. It was quite a shame to see, as unauthenticity practicially oozed out of her every word and plastered smile.
Once the top scoop had been munched away at, I was finally able to taste the stronger flavour of the two: the Hong Kong Milk Tea. This one was less melty, and was very much a joy to devour. Reaching the top of the cone, I had expected to still be able to savour a slight bit of HK Milk Tea within it. However, this was not the case. The bottom had simply been placed on top of the cone, and none had fallen through it. It was as if the cone was a completely separate component, and a soggy one at that. The standard crispiness was nowhere to be found, and the bits of dried seaweed had essentially created no impact whatsoever on the overall flavour. It wasn't a mix of sweet and salty, but instead a stale, bland Pizelle cookie.
This honestly saddened me, as my first visit was such a delightful experience. It was true that the gelato was still as prone to rapid melting as ever, but I hadn't thought that it was that challenging to store waffle cones in such a way that they wouldn't transform into soggy gelato handles.
I was informed that, to date, the location has been open for a few weeks; I sure hope they settle into their new environment quickly as to produce better products.
I'll probably still return to try their drinks, but can't promise a third visit if the drinks fall below expectations.