It's not truly summer until Bar Ape reopens.
This beloved small-batch gelato shop has been operating along Rushton Road since 2016 and despite their storefront being partially hidden when driving by on the main street of St. Clair Avenue, the one thing you do always see is a line up.
Resuming their weekly gelato rotations for the season, as they usually do sometime after Mother's Day Weekend, this year Bar Ape is operating a little bit differently. While in summer 2020 they focused on promoting pre-orders and pick-ups only for their products with little to no opportunity for last minute in line purchases, the duo of James Carnevale and Nick Genova are mixing it up this season.
Now only open on Saturdays and Sundays for in-person orders, they're also providing the option of pre-ordering a limited line of products online, Friday nights at 9 p.m. for next day pick-up on Saturday from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m.
If you plan on pre-ordering, you'll definitely want to be vigilant in your online navigation because items sell fast, often times within the first couple of minutes. With products like chocolate-coated Italian Sour Cherry gelato bars and Ontario Peach Ice Cream cornetti for sale, who would be surprised?
One of the aspects of this small business that make them stand apart is the fact that many of their flavours rotate weekly, and in regards to their soft serve gelato combinations, are often not repeated again for the season. At Bar Ape, you can typically find a selection of hand-crafted gelato bars encased in a thin layer of chocolate, sundae cups that feature a fior di latte swirl surrounded by a generous pool of toppings––which have previously included Kitten and the Bear jams––as well as take home pints that no one will stop you from eating right then and there.
Not to mention, of course, their iconic soft serve gelato straight from the machine will also be available, and has featured combinations like Sour Cherry and Brown Butter, Ontario Yellow Plum and Vanilla Bean and Banana and Salted Caramel. There's a big focus on using high-quality, seasonal ingredients here and it always comes through in the final product.
If you're after gelato bars in particular and want to beat the line, you can keep an eye on stockists, which include Famiglia Baldassarre, Conzo's, Sugo and The Sovereign who tend to carry them.
Though they serve fast and constant line ups for gelato here on Rushton Road are common, especially after 8 p.m., you'll want to plan your dessert adventures accordingly. Bar Ape is open for walk up orders on Saturday from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. and on Sunday from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m.––cash only. Online pre-orders open on their website Friday at 9 p.m. for pick-up the next day from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m.
