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Good Egg
Categories: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Shopping Home & Garden Kitchen & Bath Bookstores, Kitchen & Bath [Edit]
267 Augusta AveToronto, ON M5T 2M2
Neighbourhood: Kensington Market
(416) 593-4663
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
32 reviews for Good Egg
Review Highlights
"Their selection of le creuset cast iron makes me fantasize..."
(in 4 reviews)
"So much more than cookbooks and kitchen stuff."
(in 9 reviews)
"...selection rounded out by knick knacks, kid's items and cute..."
(in 3 reviews)
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32 reviews in English
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Review from Jake G.
Toronto, ON
1/28/2012
Great selection of cookbooks and products, but they also have a wonderfully curated selection of other books, including a few pieces of fiction. Love coming here.
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Review from Jonathan S.
York, ON
2/3/2012
I promise to rate Good Egg higher if I ever purchase something here.
As it stands, Good Egg is an excellent place to kill a few minutes while waiting for your table at the local tacqueria, empanada joint or jamaican Patty shack .
Small in size, but huge in cuteness, Good Egg is mostly staffed by hipsters who don't mind if you browse. They're slow to approach, but ready with informed answers to your questions.
Fun stuff to buy includes walls of cookbooks, a smattering of Le Creuset enamelware, and an edited selection of Wusthof knives.
Foodie gimmickry abounds. It's a great place to buy your favourite culinary gearhead a stocking (or sausage) stuffer, complete with a smug sense of ironic detachment. Prices seem just north of steep, though, and true funksters will probably prefer the much larger, more indie Blue Banana across the street.
I'm still heading there next time I visit Kensington Market, though. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
10/17/2011 1 photo
I really smell something cooking when I walked into Good Egg!! There is a small kitchen at the back of the store and something really cooking on the stove.
Good Egg is not just a cookbook store, cool kitchenware store, great gift store... It also held cooking classes... Maybe I need that more than a cookbook?! -
Review from Marie F.
1/28/2012 3 Check-ins Here
I love this place! Good Egg is a go to location for foodies and knick knack enthusiasts alike. My boyfriend is a chef and practically cried tears of joy when he saw the cookbooks. I recently went in and purchased a bag of novelty Ramen noodles called "Hello Lazy" for a friend's housewarming, bacon flavoured dental floss and a book with featuring fun haikus.
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Review from Joe H.
7/20/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This is seriously one of the coolest stores ever. If I were to describe what kind of stuff this place sells I'd probably say a cross from "Kitchen" to "Coffee Table" to "Living Room". Really, this place is pretty awesome if you're looking for something in those rooms.
You kinda have to shop around for some of the stuff you're looking for in particular, and the prices very from average to OMG why is this priced so low?
The only thing I can say is that they have a rolling inventory of whatever they decide to bring in, so they may not have everything at any given time (which kinda sucks). Come often and see what new goodies they have in! -
Review from Melinda M.
Toronto, ON
8/16/2011
Great place to buy a housewarming gift, or a gift for anyone with a home or a kitchen!
Some of the products are super cute and/or funny. Most are really practical and useful.
Last time I was in there I was tempted to buy a few things - including but not limited to an ice pop maker for under $20. What a good idea! And good ideas are what you'll get when you pop into Good Egg.
The store is small and may get cramped on a busy Saturday, but make your way to the back - that's where they had the sale items last time I was there.Listed in: 5 star reviews: Shopping in…, Kensington Market
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Review from Dimitrios D.
7/28/2011
This place is small but very cute and chock full of kitsch/boutique items that ultimately are perfect for small gifts.
I ended up buying what was meant to originally be a children's book that was written and drawn by a Czech author in the '60s. He does hard cover picture books about different cities and countries. I got the NYC version for two of my friends who are thinking about moving from Toronto to NYC.
The cashiers were very friendly. -
Review from Tanya N.
4/21/2011
*3.5 star review*
This place is packed with a ton of cooking related items considering it's not a very large store.
They have a great selection of cooking books along with other genres. I found Norman Doidge's book How the Brain Changes Itself on the shelf and liked this place even more (one of my favourite books).
They have cute & kitschy items that keeps you entertained for awhile. I came here once with my nephew and nieces and walked out with a book filled with animals-made-of-fruit pictures (kids loved it) and a fruit & cutting board toy for the girls. It's a bit more on the pricey side but some of the items are hard to find elsewhere.
They also offer workshops, classes and demos. Go to their site to get on their mailing list (the knife skills class seem to always fill up quickly).Listed in: My .5 Reviews, Kensington Market, you give me…
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Review from Jessica W.
Toronto, ON
12/28/2010
You will find something you want to buy here and then you'll find something you want to buy for a friend.
Great cookbook selection rounded out by knick knacks, kid's items and cute odds and ends.
One thing though - I've found the owner to be a little short with customers. She just comes across as, I guess, brisk. And while they sell kid items, keep your kids close, I've witnessed a few staff to parent scoldings. -
Review from jocelyn l.
3/13/2011
Adorable store with cute kitchenware.
A great place for the cook and baker in you (or your friends).
Will be back when I need to get cute kitchen gifts -
Review from Michelle G.
Toronto, ON
11/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
I snuck in here when it started to rain and wandered around looking at more Barbapapa stuff than I'd seen even when I was a child, adorable little baby products, cookbooks aplenty and the most beautifully unnecessary (albeit potentially useful) kitchen accoutrements and accessories.
I loved this store. Couldn't help making a little list in my head of all the things I wanted.
One of the folks at the cash was pleasant and even held the door open for me when I was coming in; the other one was pretty much off in her own world. Though this was fine with me, since I just wanted to browse the store in peace, and they didn't seem to care that I had been in there for a considerable amount of time. -
Review from Clarissa S.
4/17/2011
I think that any store that manages to combine my 3 favorite things is an obvious win.
Art + Design + Food = Absolutely Fabulous.
The product offerings run the gamut with Staub cookware displayed next to hand painted Vilac toys and lovely prints and tea towels with a motley crew of kitchen and office supplies. This charming little store has great character, good price points, and is tastefully well-appointed.
While I only stepped out of here with a print on my first visit, I will surely be making this a necessary stop on every trip back to Toronto. -
Review from Jessie M.
7/6/2010
I want to live inside this store. I could do it.
I'll bet you two adorable aprons, a dozen pastel egg stands, and a Momofuku cookbook. -
Review from Peter M.
Toronto, ON
12/1/2010
Warning: I'm feeling somewhat long winded and philosophical. Sorry, this is going to be one of "those" reviews.
I guess the problem comes down to the proposition that book stores can not charge admission. Given how much people like to just wander in to book stores to browse, kill five minutes, escape someone on the sidewalk, and how little people go in to book stores to actually buy a book, it would make sense that people should be willing to just leave a quarter or three in a jar at the door. There is a good that is being consumed for free.
This is not to say that all things should have a price attached to them, but when that service is being provided at a cost (e.g. rent) and that service is becoming increasingly rare given the prevalence of places like Amazon, shouldn't people be willing to subsidize it to keep it in business?
I try to do my part. I buy cook books here every once in a while. But that's the problem: it's only once in a while. The remaining proportion of the time, I go in, browse, see what looks interesting, and then look at the price tag. Then the problem hits: how much is it worth to me to have this place. Is it worth paying $45 for a book I could get online at http://Amazon.com for $26? Day to day, I do go on Amazon and buy it at nearly half the cost. But once or twice a year? Sure. Because I like being able to come in and browse. The price of books in Toronto (Canada?) is just frustrating. When it is Book City, I have no problem walking by and seeing them go under. When it is the Good Egg, I really want them to stay in business but the reason I am willing to pay more is because it is a tax, plain and simple and a "public good" is being provided.
So why do I feel this way? The Good Egg had a characteristic that all great book stores share that is sadly too rare (rhyme word score +2). I'm thinking particularly of Green Apple in SF. They bring things to my attention that I never would have thought of, and even more to the point, I end up wanting to buy. A North African/Moroccan cookbook? Neverwouldthoughtait, but yeah! I also have to applaud the fact that they have started stocking cocktail books. This was not the case a year ago but it is nice to see they are making an effort. The staff are wonderful too, they gave me a fresh chocolate chip cookie once. It was yummy.
I'll keep coming and keep buying, I just wish I did not end up thinking of the mark-up as a tax. -
Review from Carmen M.
I read about Good Egg in Toronto Life mag and casually stopped in. I almost wet myself with the amazingness that was Good Egg!
The owner was very gracious and, when I asked about a particular book I was looking for, she helpfully showed me that one, but also recommended some others that might be even better for the novice cook like me. No bookstore in Toronto has the range of cookbooks, or books about food, that Good Egg has. They also have travel books -- take a look at "How To Be An Explorer of the World", which tells you how to be a tourist in your own city. It's pretty awesome.
Oddly, even though I don't cook, I have a thing for kitschy kitchen timers. Good Egg had one that I'd never seen before -- a pink blob thing wearing a chef's hat. I was told that he was the character "Barbapapa", a french cartoon with an entire family of Barba's, and now I'm hooked! I bought him and smile every time I walk into my kitchen and see him sitting there.
And that's the thing about Good Egg -- you never know what amusing things you might find. I just wish I could read the books I've bought from there faster, so I can go and buy more.
TIP: Sign up for the Good Egg newsletter -- it's witty, assorted, and whimsical, just like the store. -
Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
5/13/2010
Definitely worth a look if you have any interest in Culinary School as there is a FRENCH section to browse through where I breezed through Escoffier's book and was contemplating to purchase or not.
Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire is exactly as what I've heard about it. There is some INTIMIDATION to it if you are not fluent in cooking terminology or basic cookery.
I also noticed Robuchon's as well but Escoffier's was enough to blow my mind. I walked through this CUTESY place looking at what some of these EGG shaped things are intended for but unfortunately I don't need an Egg Bank which was priced way out of my budget.
I looked at a Stuffed Purple Squid and wished it was a Stuffed Octopus as it looked so much like the live Octopus that Detroit Red Wings fans like myself will through onto the ice when they score.
I can see there's lots of what I would call Toys that are Food themed, which isn't really the side that draws me back. The things that other stores place nearby the registers to intice you, here it is SCATTERED to let you explore as if it is an Easter Egg Hunt.
I think of this as a Kitchen Stuff Plus + Chapters Hybrid that is Food themed.Listed in: 4+ ****Stars****, Retirement Planning
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Review from Elaine Y.
10/13/2009
I have a love-hate relationship with stores like Good Egg - on one hand they're cutesy and cozy but on the other they're so disorganized. I am a function-oriented person, so when I go into a store I want to see a theme. Ok, the theme here is "Food/ egg", but they have everything from cutesy wall decorations to random wrapping papers to Cath Kidston stickers to food guides to mugs to egg holders... huh?
When you want to find a book, you go to a bookstore. When you need housewares, you go to Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn.
So fill in the blank for me, when you need ________________, you go to Good Egg? Cuz I really can't think of any occasion...Comment from Mika B. of Good Egg 10/15/2009
The theme of our store is "food." Our books are organized… More » -
Review from Tammy Y.
Toronto, ON
6/4/2009
As Yelp would say: "5 stars! Woohoo! As good as it gets!"
Just go there and fall in love. And don't worry if you can't afford everything in there, just pretend it is an extension of your home and walk around pompously admiring all the fantabulous goodies you have. -
Review from Kat F.
6/6/2009
If you're looking for a book about food - ANY kind of food - head straight to Good Egg, cause it houses pretty much every piece of printed material ever written about the topic. Cookbooks, food guides, city guides, nutrition advice - literally anything you can imagine. I'll bet the selection rivals that of The Cookbook Store, even.
The right side of the store is set up like a library with books divided by type of cuisine or topic, with little knick knacks like wine bottle openers and figurines interspersed between the shelving. On the left side of the store are more kitchen supplies, like Le Creuset sets, potholders, tins, hors d'oeuvre trays, etc. This would be a great place to pick up a housewarming gift or thank you gift.
They have knife skills classes on a weekly basis and they seem to sell out FAST because every session was full on the chalkboard listing.Listed in: Home Decor 101
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Review from Nathan M.
Toronto, ON
1/12/2011
Overall, the store is very expensive and the staff could use a lesson customer service. You can find a better selection of cook books at The 'Cookbook Store' (Yorkville and Yonge). As for the 'knick knacks' go to Blue Banana across the Street. At least there you will be supporting local artists instead of the larger corporations behind the items sold at 'Good Egg'. They also have great customer service and the environment is welcoming and a lot of fun.
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Review from Princess M.
3/12/2010
A store with its heart firmly in the kitchen.
The person manning the store (possibly an owner) was clearly very knowledgeable about all the cook books they carried, which was nice if you're looking to buy something.
There is a small selection of Le Creuset cookware on sale when I was there (15% off). This store has an eclectic mix of cookware such as reusable Le Cruset silicone cupcake wrappers, Japanese cartoon-printed ceramic mugs, pretty kitchen aprons etc.
Really great to browse around when you are in the Kensington Market area. -
Review from Deanna W.
12/14/2008
Good Egg is a good thing hatching in Kensington market. I swear I cannot go into this store without buying a cookbook or some other knick knack related to food and cooking. It's like I have to make a pit stop here everytime when I'm finished with my grocery shopping in the market!
Their selection of cookbooks and other food related books is extensive and the layout is designed well so you can find books according to cuisine, audience etc. I have found some really great non-fiction food books here that would have taken some time to find at the big box book store. Plus they have other unique and quirky kitchen items that would be hard to find elsewhere. I am especially a fan of their printed tea cloths, where else could you find Marimekko prints downtown? The staff are very friendly here and also put extra care into gift wrapping if you are purchasing a gift for a friend.Listed in: Smooth Operator!-Favourite…
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Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
12/18/2008
Good Egg is where food, travel, good stories, and great design mix to form the top priorities in life.
I don't really gush on about stores, mainly because I move around a lot and having excessive belongings is ridiculous. BUT if I ever did have my own condo and needed to fill it with items that reflected what was going on in my head, a lot of stuff would come from Good Egg.
After all the minutes poring through books, groping all the pillows, bags, and kitchen implements, and mentally photocopying new recipes to try, it made for a heavenly afternoon jaunt.
Someone want to buy me a condo... and then everything in this store? Thank you. -
Review from Leslie-anne W.
Toronto, ON
11/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
This is my dream store. A well thought out culinary book selection that makes me swoon and is presented beside fantastic and often totally unnecessary doodads and trinkets. Their selection of le creuset cast iron makes me fantasize about braises, stews and cassoulet. Wonderful and expensive tea towels and aprons are the perfect gifts for foodies (and me!).
Listed in: Bookish
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Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
11/12/2008
This store is heavenly. It's heaven for anyone who loves to cook, who wants to love to cook, who knows someone who loves to cook, or who dreams of having one of those beautiful kitchens in Martha Stewart's magazine.
I believe I fit into all four of those categories in some way, so I can tell you that this store has everything food-related that you could possibly dream of. They have super expensive Le Creuset pots and pans in fun, bright colours and Marimekko printed aprons (SO CUTE, Martha would be all over them). They've got books for serious cooks who want to master their craft and funny books for gag gifts that have the possibility of being useful as well!
Not only that, but they've got all sorts of cute little kitchen accessories like rubber colanders that collapse for easy storage, and Hello Kitty lunchbox containers. As well as tons of great gift ideas that will make shopping for your favourite gastronomy-obsessed friend a lot easier.
Basically this store has everything to make your kitchen look amazing, and provides the reading materials so that you can fill it with delicious food. Don't make your trip here a short one -- as soon as you enter the bookshelf maze you will be in here for at least 20 minutes. -
Review from Dardana M.
ON
1/22/2009
Joining this hella enthusiastic crowd, I have to say that this was one of the cutest new (to me, don't know how old it is) stores I've entered in a long time. Quite often I find the endless stream of "lifestyle" shops a little daunting, but this one pleased me at every corner.
They have everything from poetry to children's writing, to music writing to travel writing to pet writing to eating writing, all with corresponding accessories to match many of the sections' themes...but, as is not always the case with this kind of place, I felt that everything was so carefully, lovingly picked and arranged that it really was like entering one person's own personal collection, personal statement about what they liked and what they wanted to share with their friends. That is, a number of different friends with different interests, but a similar appreciation of quality and modern but cute aesthetics.
No choice seemed superfluous, everything was so colourful (but not too colourful) and welcoming, I wanted to hang out there all day- and we almost did. It took awhile to share all of our feelings about the Julia Child video playing on their tv;
-the girl behind the counter: dressed like her for halloween,
-my friend Andrew: might be related to her,
-the rest of us: likely agreeing. -
Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
9/19/2008 1 photo
Good Egg is unlike any store I've ever been in before. The sign says that they're a book store, but I think that that sells them short. They are a food themed store which is really interesting. They have cookbooks from all the big names, Ramsey, Oliver and the like. They also have books about food like Anthony Bourdain, which are always a good read, but they also have Green Eggs and Ham, which to me fits perfectly but I would never think to do it. They also have a selection of cook ware, but they almost seem to be there to fill out the store. Good Egg is a neat little store if you have a foodie in your life, it's a very good place to get a book that they certainly want.
Like the review? Check out the link to my blog on my profile. -
Review from mondayjane s.
Toronto, ON
8/26/2010
Cute store, lovely things, in wonderful Kensington Market. Expensive though, and the service isn't always so friendly. As in, the young woman at the cash could not be bothered to look up from her book when I walked in and sort of grumbled at me when I said 'thank you' upon leaving the store. Maybe she was at a juicy part?
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Review from Kat T.
1/5/2010
I stumbled upon Good Egg one Saturday afternoon strolling through Kensington market with an out of town visitor. She was tickled pink with the store's cuteness and bought several little souvenirs. I browsed the books and thought someone had left a bowl of chicken noodle soup on the book shelf for 10 minutes before I realized it was plastic!
Since that fateful day, I read more Yelp reviews and have really fallen in love with cookbooks and am cooking a lot more than I used to. I decided I really needed a Le Crueset enamaled cast-iron pot. Therefore, my Christmas gift from my husband this year was the 7.4L Cerise pot from Good Egg. He claims the women were instrumental in helping in pick the perfect pot. I LOVE IT! I've used it so many times since I got it Dec 27, 09 and I am so happy that he went to Good Egg. I would happily display it in my kitchen all the time, it's so gorgeous, except for its acreage, I would. It also matches our Le Crueset Flame-coloured tea kettle we also picked up at Good Egg.
Thank you Good Egg for delivering the best Christmas pot (cooking) ever. -
Review from MARIANA L.
9/21/2009
Adorable book shop! Great boutique for foodies, you can find eclectic kitchen gadgets, accessories, specialty books about food, cookbooks, etc. Some vintage stuff, some quirky items. I love indie shops that are delightful like this.
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Review from Mason W.
Toronto, ON
4/28/2009
So much more than cookbooks and kitchen stuff. My GF got me an amazing and unique book of essays on basketball here, for example, and it's got as complete a collection of Wallpaper travel guides as one can find. Interesting and stylish store!
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Review from Jimi S.
ON
1/7/2009 16 photos
i spent maybe two dozen or so quality minutes in this store, part of which was spent talking to the owner. its a real treat in general to be able to have that access to the creator of the business on a daily basis as opposed to sales staff that are not as knowledgeable or interested.
the store has its feet stewing in a few different areas. one way or another the owner claims, if pressed, that anything she carries can relate somehow back to food. She is an avid cookbook reader, collector and proprietor. i was debating getting this huge phaidon book of Ferran Adria (touted as the best chef in the world - whatever that means), as it was a mere 40 dollars. if you saw the book youd realize its a steal. but it was damn heavy and i had other places to go before i went home. that book sat adjacent to a video of anthony bourdain exploring the work of adria. those items sat amidst many other books on food, cookbooks and others alike.
for example, though the initial impulses for stock items stem from the inner workings of the kitchen they extend to include a wider breadth of creative ventures, like phaidons atlas of twenty-first century world architecture. or perhaps you are toiling away trying to finally set in stone your perfect or perhaps THE perfect recipe for chili, and you need to occupy your kid while you conjure, you might then pass off a cool little book like The Sweetest Fig or a classic like The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
for your kitchen itself you are sure to find many utensils, fun polka-dotted plates, collapsable strainers, cool shot glasses and so on. i believe that the owner of good egg is herself a good egg and strives to bring to her customers intelligent, great quality and perhaps most of all fun items to help your living experience be that much sweeter.
look also on her website if you have any cool recipes as shes compiling a good egg cookbook, whose proceeds will go to oxfam.
