First Look: Barton Snacks, a quick-stop munchies shop in the Annex
By Karolyne Ellacott
An ice cream sandwich with — what else? — Pop Rocks (Images: Karolyne Ellacott)
A stone’s throw north of Bathurst station, Barton Snacks is the handiwork of Katherine Lehto. Dubbing it a “modern snack bar with an old school twist,” Lehto aims to offer a cornucopia of snacks with a healthier-than-average tilt. After working in the ‘hood and learning of the Annex’s charms, Lehto opted to open her shop smack dab in the centre of it.
Positioned on the corner of, well, Barton Avenue, the space is just large enough to let folks peruse the goods without feeling crammed. On the off chance that customers aren’t grabbing stuff to go, a trio of mismatched stools is perched facing the street; outside, chairs provide a keener view of ‘hood happenings.
The snacks themselves have been selected with care, many of them hailing from nearby purveyors. Americanos ($2.50) are pulled thanks to Stouffville’s Velvet Sunrise, while ChocoSol’s bars of the dark stuff ($6.25) are crafted right here in the city. More exotic additions include soda pop from Johnnie Ryan, in classic flavours like root beer and cream soda ($2.50), and G.H. Cretors’ Chicago-style popped corn ($5), which matches corn with cheese and caramel.
The big draw, however, is the ice cream sandwich ($4.75), which sees Maypole Dairy ice cream wedged between two house-baked chocolate chip cookies; the edges are then rolled in Pop Rocks, and the whole affair is tucked into a Chinese take-out box. Though chocolate chip is currently the only variety of cookie available, Lehto notes that they’ll be bringing out six variants, as well as having other edge-toppers available.
For west-enders who might not wish to make the arduous trek so far north, stay tuned for a Queen West location soon to open beside Poutini’s House of Poutine — the next addition to Lehto’s mini snack empire.
Barton Snacks, 15 Barton Ave.
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