This past Saturday, while on a fruitless attempt to visit a few of the choicest venues for the open Doors Toronto event, Adrienne passed through the Moss Park area and found ourselves Elias Makhoul's Mystic Muffin restaurant at Jarvis and Richmond of Toronto.
The first thing that caught my eye was the sign on the side of the building. Satisfied that we were both of age (by the Muffin's criteria anyway), we entered. Deliberating at the extensive and colourful menu, Elias (the owner) encouraged us to try the apple cake - $2.00 a piece (a generous one at that) for with our coffees. He looked at his watch, noted he was closing in half-an-hour, and proceeded to enter into a negotiation process. The offer was to sell us half of an apple cake for $8.00 instead of $8.95. We hummed and hawed. But it sure smelled great so I agreed providing he cut off some for us to have with our coffees. Elias then said we should leave the cake intact and he would give us a couple of regular pieces of apple cake instead as a snack (since he was going to close soon anyway). The deal was done and Adrienne and I settled on stools at the bar to enjoy.
A few moments later and slightly agitated man entered, clearly under the influence of some type of recreational pharmaceutical, and proceeded to loudly offer to pay Elias $10.00 tomorrow (i.e. Sunday) if he could have a piece of Rice Crispy Square now. Elias then suggested he may never see the money if he did that. Elias furthermore reminded him that he was still owed money from the last time. A debate ensued. Although the man was somewhat agitated, the verbal sparring was clearly good natured, although protracted. The offer to pay tomorrow was repeated. Elias reminded him that "tomorrow" was Sunday and the place was closed. I quietly signaled to Elias that I would buy the square for the man. Elias nodded and winked to us and carried on with the negotiations, but quickly gave the man the square, after which he left the restaurant and returned to the Moss Park grounds.
Elias then explained to us the man was a regular there. He had no money, lived in a men's shelter and was a long-time drug user. His history was typical for the area: recurring cycles of drug use, police arrests followed by cleaning up and getting clean, return to the only place he knows and could afford, reestablishing his "friendships", getting that first "free" welcome back hit from his dealer and the certain and rapid return to the druggie lifestyle. The area has an inordinately high concentration of shelters and halfway houses. The parks are home to many others in the same boat. Elias said that in the 16 years he had been in that location, nothing much has changed and he has a number of regulars who benefit from his end-of-the-day cleanup.
The Mystic Muffin is an intriguing place. If you visit, spend some time reading the menus and especially the notices on the blackboard. The apple cake fully lived up to Elias' claims. Visit for a great snack and enjoy the local colour.
