Toronto just got a new inclusive gelato and wine spot to indulge in this summer.
On Third Thought is a Toronto-based gelato business serving up vegan and allergen-conscious gelato made in small batches. According to Jade Lalonde and Joey Ottaviano, the owners of OTT, it all started when 'an Italian boy met a vegan girl and realized finding great spots for both of them to eat something they enjoy was almost impossible'.
This prompted Ottaviano and Lalonde to come up with the gelato concept, which had a focus on providing accessible and delicious desserts with no stress for people with dietary restrictions.
On Third Thought began as an event catering business––they were serving their gelato at weddings, showers, corporate parties, large events and food festivals as an allergy friendly option everyone could enjoy. After the pandemic hit, they decided to pivot and started delivering gelato weekly to their loyal clientele and having weekly drops through social media.
They first started out by renting a commercial kitchen space to make their gelato, which lead to quite a massive growth in business. Now, the couple is opening up their first brick and mortar location. You can find over 19 different gelato flavours like mint chocolate chip, banana fudge chunk, strawberry shortcake, french vanilla or cookies and cream. The gelato is rice milk-based and the sorbettos are made with fresh fruit and water.
The mission and passion behind On Third Thought gelato comes from creating a culinary experience that can be enjoyed socially, so that worrying over one's dietary restrictions aren’t at the forefront of enjoying time with your loved ones. Everyone can have an equally delicious dessert and get to focussing on what matters––indulging in great tasting treats with the people you love.
Ottaviano and Lalonde have taken that a step further with their wine bar experience––the shop will also boast a wide range of wines with vegan-friendly options that have been expertly paired with their gelato flavours. They are working with Lauren Power and TreAmici wines to pair the wines with some of their sorbets.
When patio season returns, you can look forward to pairings such as Mango and Misty Coves Sauv Blanc, Strawberry and Santome Rose Prosecco and Chocolate with a Santome sparkling red. They plan to offer flights for wine and gelato tasting, as well as standard patio beverages such as cocktails and beer.
As a fun and thoughtful touch, On Third Thought also offers a gift pack through their online ordering platform, where you can gift a 'Pint and Prosecco' to someone special for an easy wine and gelato pairing.
The new storefront is now open at 6 Markham Street along the West Queen West area, and are scooping from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
