Out & About #205 | Bang Bang Ice Cream, White Squirrel, and Maker Pizza

"Time flies when you're having fun." But does it really?
Roughly ten months have passed since my initial downtown excursions, and time seems to have flown by even more rapidly than I was aware of. Between early mornings, heavy intakes of caffeine, and tiring commutes, limited durations of "me-time" have been able to be salvaged at the end of weekdays and daylight hours on weekends (because chores aren't magically going to complete themselves).

After six months of failed initiations, postponing, and working around schedule changes, a much-needed meetup in the form of an excursion to Bang Bang was finally made possible.

Having been the talk of town since summer, Bang Bang Ice Cream and Bakery on Ossington is known for their yummy, sweet creations and atrociously long lines. While I don't think they've ever made it past the three-hour mark, I have heard that dedicated ice cream-goers have been patient enough to stand in the sweltering heat for over one hour!

The storefront was void of any banners that notified passerbys that they had arrived at the correct location; the sole sign was situated in one of the outward-facing windows and donned a muted gold coat.

The ceiling was much higher than when viewed from the shop's exterior. I presume that "spacious" would not be the most accurate term to describe the establishment, especially when lineups are abundant; though I found the parlour to be of a good size for its intended operations. Half of the back comprised of a commercial kitchen, while the front housed a display case filled with externally-sourced cookies, choux pastries (or cream puff shells), a painting of a deconstructed rendition of Homer Simpson, and a very large white screen for displaying videos.

​With the humming of machinery and contemporary pop articulating in the background, we pondered our available options from the shelves of labelled cylindrical tubs.
Both of us had a strong desire for egg waffles - some may refer to it as a "puffle" - so it was only a matter of flavour selection.

View the full album HERE !

Ultimately, I opted for the most popular choices: Thank You Very Matcha and Totaro, an extremely smooth combination of taro and coconut that would have put many Halo Halo dishes to shame. My adventurous partner-in-crime chose B'Day Cookie Don (complete with bits of frosting!) and the compelling Lychee with Raspberry Curd and Rosewater.

Not to sound overly critical, but I must confess that I was prepared to be disappointed if the egg waffles were not up to par. At this point in my life, it's safe to say that I've tried enough varieties of soggy or disgustingly firm egg waffles that I'm convinced that making the tactile walking indicator-like specimens is an art in itself.

Prior to pouring the batter onto the grill, it was observed that one of the members of kitchen staff shot a laser beam onto both surfaces. "Ah, he's checking the temperature." I applauded in my head.
And contrary to my eggspectations (pun very much intended), the waffles were as crisp and they were chewy! They were darker than regular egg waffles and presented with rugged edges, but didn't lose any other points in terms of visual appeal. It was quite the lovely surprise!

As the commute to Bang Bang wasn't an entirely enjoyable commute (boarding two heavily congested streetcars during rush hour was not how I imagined spending my Friday afternoon), I decided to make the most out of the excursion and purchased half a dozen Bakerbots cookies to munch on over the weekend.
The girl serving us was a tad too optimistic, thinking that she could fit all six palm-sized cookies into one flimsy paper bag. It should have been obvious when the fourth cookie refused to enter with ease though...

Bang Bang was, overall, a great first experience. The ice cream creations were undeniably yummy and well worth the claustrophobia-inducing commute. Egg waffle and ice cream combos were priced at $8.00 each, which is on par with Wooffles' customizable soft serve parfaits, while cookies could be purchased individually at $1.75 each or $9.00 for six (with the exception of vegan/gluten-free types). I had also wanted to purchase choux pastries to try as well, but was informed that they were only available to be served with ice cream.

While located at a definite distance from a major transit terminal, a second visit is still plausible, especially with good company in tow.


Munching away and chatting inside Bang Bang wasn't particularly easy due to the high volume of noise, so we took to hunting down a nearby coffee shop to continue the conversation.

Jimmy's Coffee was a dimly-lit coffee shop with several small tables situated at the back. However, all the seats, stools, and sofas were occupied. We turned to White Squirrel located directly across from the ever-so-scenic Trinity Bellwoods Park instead.

Warmth oozed from its interior, bringing much relief to our slightly frigid cheeks.

Neither of us particularly keen on consuming coffee at such a late hour and ended up ordering tea instead. The barista was extremely friendly and even named an extensive list of black, green, and herbal teas for our selection. A Gunpowder Green was ordered first, followed by a Lemon Chamomile Ginger, a White Squirrel-exclusive.

The two-floor space was every bit cozy as it was tech-friendly. Speedy Wi-Fi, a comfortably communal table, unobtrusive music, and an ancient map of Toronto made the cafe the ideal location for studying and/or quiet conversation.

As I slowly sipped on my scalding, yet soothing cup of herbal tea, I learned about how the cafe came to take on its name: an Albino squirrel (endangered, and sporting a completely white coat) once thrived in Trinity Bellwoods Park, but eventually succumbed due to whatever reason. I found it charming that the cafe had been named in its honour.

As the amount of light gradually reduced, we made our way to Maker Pizza for dinner.

Part warehouse, part restaurant, and part pickup service, it was the ultimate spot for innovative combinations freshly-made Italian flatbread.

With the chefs busy at work at the back of the restaurant, we seated ourselves at one of the many bar seats. Neither of us having tried the location before, I suggested asking the girl behind the cashier to give us a briefing on its concept. She gladly explained that Maker Pizza offered a number of Signature creations - both with or without tomato sauce ("White" or "Red") - in three different sizes, along with a build-your-own pizza option.
She noted that the Small pizzas were intended to be one person's portion, while the Medium and Large were meant for sharing between two and three people respectively.

Unleashing the herbivores from within us, we chose the CoOl Hand Zucch and Frank's Best - both "White" Signatures.

Where the CoOl Hand Zucch was made tangy from lemon zest and refreshing with fluffy ricotta, Frank's Best shone with its combination of honey, caramelized onion, and an absolutely crisp sesame crust. The portions were too large for us to finish on our own, thus we opted to take the remaining half of the 12" pizzas to go.

For ease of sharing (and potentially to save one's dignity), disposable foam plates and plastic cutlery had been made available at each bar seat. Packets of moist towelettes were, thankfully, also in abundance - what a lifesaver!

It pains me to say that Maker Pizza's strongest quality also happens to be their downfall: the pizzas are made from scratch in-house. While this ensures that scrumptious meals are presented at their prime time of eating, it also means that it's impossible to walk out of the rectangular-shaped building without reeking of grease and pan-fried onions and spices. (Needless to say, my fellow commuters weren't too fond of me either.)

But with such an outstanding range of tasty options, Maker Pizza is too good to cross off the list. (I mean, they've revolutionized the concept of pizza! It's not just cheese and pepperoni anymore.) I'd likely order takeout next time for the sake of my hair and attire though!

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