Toronto’s sandwich scene has seen a major upgrade this summer with the opening of several players that have earned a quick rise to fame with decadent sizes, cheese flown in from Europe and celebrity ownership.
But the latest, a hole-in-the-wall in Kensington Market called Uncle Pete’s Bread Co., is a new contender on the streets, making waves for its freshly baked focaccia — and partnership with a beloved donut shop.
Now declared “The Focaccia Boys of Kensington Market,” Uncle Pete’s Bread Co. began as an online focaccia delivery service, formed after namesake Pete Petrovic and his three longtime friends, Jules, Leo and Jamie, came together over the love for the bread he perfected.
“I got a little focused on making focaccia and I created this Frankenstein recipe out of 15I found online, and I came up with a winner,” Petrovic says.
Although he only recently left the corporate world to launch Uncle Pete’s, Petrovic grew up with a love of the kitchen, shaped by his immigrant parents.
“When you’re a ten-year-old and your parents are at work at eight in the morning and they don’t come back until 8 p.m., you have to figure out a way to feed yourself,” he says. “That’s how it started for me — I got good at cooking out of necessity,”
What started as friends and family begging for his focaccia quickly grew into online orders and pop-ups at Black Lab Brewing, where Uncle Pete’s built a loyal following. So when the chance came to open a brick-and-mortar in Kensington Market — less than a year after launching online — in partnership with Dipped Donuts, it was, as Petrovic puts it, a “no brainer.”
“Kensington is a staple of the city — it’s just the perfect spot to be,” Petrovic says. “There’s just something about Kensington that I think makes it completely different from any other part of the city.”
The focaccia, available as full loaves in-store, strikes the perfect balance of crunchy, soft, airy and salty. Delicious on its own, it truly shines when made into grab-and-go sandwiches, making Uncle Pete’s a must-visit spot for lunch.
The lean menu features two sandwiches vying for the spotlight. The OG earns its name, stacked with locally sourced prosciutto, mortadella and soppressata from Grace Meat Market. The cured meats are paired with whipped lemon ricotta, chili crisp, peppery arugula and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
For the vegetarian diners, the Pesto Pete is similar to a caprese sandwich, crafted with a house-made, vegan, and nut-free pesto that’s combined with the whipped lemon ricotta and heirloom tomatoes.
Another grab-and-go treat at Uncle Pete’s is the focaccia bites, served with the Holy Trinity Dip — whipped lemon ricotta, pesto and a drizzle of chili crisp. They’re perfect for kids or for snacking on the go.
Don’t leave without grabbing some decadent, gourmet donuts for dessert. When you buy from Uncle Pete’s, you get 10 per cent off your Dipped Donuts order — and vice versa!
“It’s a perfect little mix of sweet and savourry,” he says. “It’s a really nice pairing where we’re sharing the space.”
