I have a soft spot for stores that specializes in one particular item and The Queen of Tarts is all about tarts. You wouldn't find any cakes in their display case but I can assure you that you wouldn't miss it.
On the day of my visit, there were over fifteen different choices for individual-size tarts it was difficult to make a decision.
I ended up with a Mexican Chocolate & Chipotle Tart and a bag of handmade raspberry marshmallows enrobed in chocolate. The tart had a very flaky and tender chocolate pâte sucrée of just the right thickness. It was filled with a smooth chipotle infused dark chocolate ganache with chunks of Mexican chocolate that provided very interesting textural contrast. The spice from the chipotle was very subtle and did not have any burn.
I liked the tart so much I decided to return to the shop as soon as I finished eating. I wanted something made with plain pâte sucrée this time. What's a better barometer than lemon tart? My first bite told me what I wanted to know...the buttery flavour of the crust came through loud and clear (good) but the lemon curd was a little too tame for me (oh well). My preference for lemon curd has always been on the tart side. However, overall, it is still a very good lemon tart. The candied lemon slice was particularly tasty. Oh yes, The Queen of Tarts is also home to the funkiest gingerbread cookies in Toronto. Here, you would find gingerbread cookies in the likeness of celebrities as well as hunky firefighters!