Note: G… for Gelato and Espresso Bar is permanently closed.
As father to an infant, my expectations shot through the roof for my dining experience compared to where they were a year ago. Now that my evenings away from home have plummeted in frequency, I want every time I’m out to be an amazing one, and I pity the establishment who’s lacking in their skills.
But on those odd occasions where I’m out and someone gets it really right, the effect stays with me, seeing me rave about it to friends and family seeking a solid recommendation.
One of the good ones is G… for Gelato and Espresso Bar, run by Shant Behesnilian, a man whose dedication to customer service is readily evident in the dining experience his patrons receive in his restaurant.
Shant Behesnilan is a man who’s passionate about customer service. He’s done what many only dream of—making the jump from working a safe job to working the right job.
With a family history in the restaurant trade, Shant grew up working in all areas behind the scenes at Phoenicia Restaurant in Glendale, California (aka one of the favourite Armenian restaurants of the Kardashians), owned by his uncle, Ara Kalfaian.
After travelling the path of many a Canadian—go to school, get a job, pay your dues—Shant soon discovered that life behind a desk wasn’t for him and went on a quest for something different.
Originally looking to open a frozen yogurt shop, Shant was thrice denied by fate, once having lost out on a lease to Menchie’s by seconds; once seeing a Yogurty’s opening up across the street from a spot he was viewing; and when he looked one last time, up the street was G… for Gelato and Espresso Bar, a family-owned business founded in November 2011 that had astounding family recipes covered, but to take customer service to the next level, needed some outside help.
Under Shant’s new management and ownership as of fall 2012, G for Gelato has a ton going for it—a scenic view of St. James Park across the street, authentic Italian food and customer service that brings it all together.
The good thing about doing reviews for Buytopia.ca is that it gets me to find cool places in Toronto that I wouldn’t make time to visit otherwise, and I’m glad I didn’t miss out on this one!
With recipes coming from a small Italian town and brought to Toronto for our delight, G for Gelato has a lot going for it:
it’s ranked #1 of 4,065 restaurants in Toronto on TripAdvisor
all the food’s made in-house, especially the gelato made daily at 7:30 AM with hand-squeezed flavours, pasteurized for healthiness and rotated more often than your average gelato shop
espressos made with a Faema Emblema machine based on designs from Giorgetto Giugiaro (who’s designed some obscure cars called Lamborghinis and Ferraris to name a few)
The flavours at the Bite Me Bakery get a lot more colourful than the names listed here! Check it out!
Sarah and I had a great time getting to know Shant and his team, and I hope to visit again sometime. If you don’t happen to make it to the St. Lawrence Market area, they’re also delivering through orderit.ca, so you can get your gelato… and eat it too! (Especially if you take advantage of the Buytopia deal on until end-of-day Sunday, March 24, 2013!)
–case p.
[Disclaimer: As a Buytopia Inner Circle blogger, I get to test deals out to give you an honest review so you know what you’re getting into. Shant was kind enough to comp the delicious meal! Thanks, Shant!]
Tell your wife, tell your kids, tell your husbands:
