Café Fiorentina owner/chef Tina Leckie‘s culinary career began in high school as a co-op student for Dufflet. After receiving her BComm in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Ryerson University, she spent 6 months apprenticing at Eigensinn Farm under acclaimed chef Michael Stadtländer. Since then, she’s worked at Opus, and Célestin, with such chefs as Pascal Ribreau, Jason Cox and Martial Ribeau.
Epi Breads is where she first collaborated with co-chef Alex Chong, who has worked in Toronto at Susur, Didier, and Niagara Street Café. He also worked for a time at La Petraia in Chianti, Italy.
“Having two such good cooks in the kitchen takes the place well beyond the average café. The quality of soups, salads, pizza, quiches and panini – all made from scratch – soars,” says James Chatto.