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Part Due (CLOSED)

If, like me, you thought Sorelle and Co.’s downtown location was special, you’ll be blown away by their setup in Vaughan. Especially if you like Alice and Wonderland. And tea parties.

This is good news for 2 reasons:

1. It gives you an excuse to not be lazy. Sure, it might be a little farther than you usually go for food, but it’s SO worth it.
2. The 3 prizes for the giveaway I’m holding can only be redeemed at the Vaughan location.

And really, when you think about it, a 30(ish) minute drive from downtown TO isn’t that long of a journey considering what a treat you’re in for.

When you first pull into the parking lot, you can’t help but notice that the quaint little Sorelle and Co. “cottage” stands out among the chains and strip malls of the surrounding suburbia.

Wow worthy

Walk inside, and I dare you not to say “wow.” (It could just be that my toddler is currently obsessed with all forms of lighting, but these fantastic chandeliers resulted in quite a few loud WOWs on his part. Forget the food, he pretty much stared at them the entire time we were there.)

Unlike the Toronto location, this spot has 2 levels of seating, but be warned: They are very, very busy on weekends. We headed over on a Sunday afternoon and were almost turned away at the door. (We were lucky a table came up moments before we were about to leave.) I suggest calling in advance before making the trek. And, if you’re hoping to experience high tea, you definitely need to make reservations—at least 2 weeks in advance.

Time for a tea party

Speaking of high tea, I got to witness it in person, and it was a breathtaking display of colourful cookies, dainty teacups and happy little girls. I had to stop myself from approaching the table and asking random strangers if I could take their photo for this blog post. (Now I kind of regret not asking.) But let me just tell you that the grand prize winner is one lucky food-allergic kid!

Another way that the Vaughan location is different from its Toronto counterpart is that they offer savoury selections, so you can actually sit down for a meal (or a cup of coffee… or a smoothie) if you’d like. What I found a little tricky was that it’s not regular table service, so you order your food at the case, and then wait for someone to bring it to you. The whole process was a little bit chaotic. Not to mention, I had to line up for a bit longer that I would have liked. If possible, I’d recommend going at a less busy time (mid week, perhaps?) if you’d like to enjoy a more relaxed experience.

Service with (more than) a smile

When it was finally my turn to order, I was happy to see that the servers here were just as helpful as those I’d encountered downtown. They patiently answered a zillion questions—this time, from all the parents in line—and when it came to me, they did the best they could to find eating options for my toddler’s tricky allergens. See, Sorelle and Co.’s foods are free of the top 8, but unfortunately, my little guy is allergic to an ingredient they use in most of their stuff: sunflower oil. We were able to find him one safe savoury option (lettuce-wrapped tacos) and a cookie (chocolate chip) that the server kindly wrapped individually so that it wouldn’t touch any of the other treats in the box.

Overall, it was a magical experience, and it would have been even better if we had avoided the busy weekend. So while I recommend hopping in your car and making the “trip” to Wonderland… err… Vaughan, I highly recommend calling in advance so that they can accommodate you and your family.

“To walk in and say yes to anything – priceless.”

Still not sure it’s worth the drive? This food allergy mama took a special trip with her son all the way from the States. If they can do it, you can do it!

Have you been to Sorelle’s flagship location in Vaughan? Share your experience with the allergy community in the comments below!

P.S. 3 more days until I draw the names of 3 lucky AllergyBites members for the Sorelle and Co. giveaway. Stay tuned… and good luck!

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This post was written by AllergyBites founder, Kathleen O’Hagan. Kathleen is a writer, a foodie, and the mom of a toddler with multiple food allergies. Want to help make a difference? Contact Kathleen about volunteering for the Top 10 Challenge fundraiser.

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