I have been walking by this café for sometime now and kept making a mental note to myself to drop in sometime. Well the other day I did just that, I had lunch at the Trinity Square Café. Upon first entering the establishment, I felt like I had been thrown back about 40 years to the early 70’s, there is this earthy and natural feel to the place that gave me flash backs to my early days of exploration into all things natural (i.e. my hippy days).
Folks, this is down to earth food, and they are very generous in their servings as well. While I doubt that they are serving certified Organic food, I can attest as a food expert and former chef that the food is fully prepared from scratch and it is as close to coming direct from the earth as is possible in a city like Toronto. Being a vegetarian, I can be quite fussy about how my veggies are prepared and I can say that these were done to near perfection. No soggy vegetables, they were hot and firm and the chunks were chunks not the tiny little cubes you see at more expensive and up-town style dining. This is food that those who like to reiterate the saying “food to stick to your ribs” would have no problem repeating after eating here.
The atmosphere is full of the energy of people going about their work and day, but sitting there and enjoying the meal of Curried chick peas and cauliflower, with a farmers serving of vegetable and potato soup, I witnessed a settling down of the patrons that only good and satisfying food can bring. I wouldn't say that this was Holistic Cooking, no but it certainly was closer to it than most any other café or restaurant I have been to in quite some time. I feel that I must warn you that your first impression when you walk into this café will be highly influenced by your own moral and ethical convictions; this is not a place for pinkies in the air style dining. This is a place of good food and healing, and the people who work here are in a process of healing. The Patrons who enter this place if they allow it to happen can benefit from the healing atmosphere that permeates the establishment. Focused intent and good will imbue the place and if you pause for a few minutes and sense it you will become affected by it.
The Trinity Square Café Inc. (Trinity Square Café) in addition to being good food is also a registered not-for-profit charity overseen by a volunteer community Board of Directors. The Café is located at 19 Trinity Square (in the Church of the Holy Trinity, entrance on the southeast side, outside the Eaton Centre's Sears store) Café hours are: Open for lunch Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Trinity Square Café has been operating since 1981 as a small business. They assist adults who are living with mental illness by providing a welcoming community and workplace where they can engage in meaningful work and employability skills development. Within their program, participants work on recovery through community involvement and meaningful work. The environment we have created at the café encourages participants to build relationships and develop community. Participants work alongside other participants, staff, people from the Church of the Holy Trinity (who rent us space), the Executive Director, Trinity Square Café Board of Directors, contracted service people we work with, café customers and the general public who walk in – collectively creating the positive and healthy community for recovery that is the café.
If you want good food at a reasonable price, a stress free atmosphere unique to healing and food that is both enjoyable and wholesome, this is the place to visit. Seating is limited and lunch hour is packed so you may want to time your visit to arrive early.
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