NADÈGE

Think ‘macarons’ in Toronto and the first place that comes to mind is NADÈGE. The pastel-coloured French treats are a staple in the patisserie’s display case, and are also its bestsellers, with 8,000 to 10,000 made every week. But NADÈGE is also synonymous with flaky croissants, artfully created cakes and savoury sandwiches that guarantee a constant flow of customers, no matter what time of day or season.

Nadège Nourian, the master chef behind the famed French pastries, notes that the neighbourhood hotspot was a success from the moment it opened its doors. For weeks after the flagship store debuted on Queen Street West in 2009, the patisserie would sell out in a matter of hours. “We were running out of food at four o’clock,” Nadège recalls, until one day, the team finally succeeded at meeting the high demand for their delicious baked goods. “And [since] then, I never stopped,” says the baker extraordinaire. She opened a second NADÈGE location on Yonge Street in May 2011.