News and Reviews
Here is our news mixed in with what folks are saying about us
January 2012 Ed's was there at the evening Interior Design show opening Thursday January 26th.
December 2011 Holiday ice cream flavours come only once a year - get yours before it's too late! Oh yes, and Christmas trees! The lucky few also picked up unique gingerbread houses!
November 2011 Now Readers pick Ed's as Best Ice cream!
Our Pint Sale - Savings of $1 for 1 pint, or $3 for 2 pints! and frequent flyer pint card stamped - best deal around.
Sept 2011 Chatelaine writes about favourite Leslieville haunts including Ed's www.chatelaine.com
July 2011 Toronto Life, August edition publishes Best of the
City and yup, its us for icecream!! holy camolie! a great write up that highlights our Mercury Espresso ice cream, made using coffee from the Mercury Espresso Bar http://www.mercuryespresso.com.
July 2011 Julia McNeely showing her beautiful paintings at Leslieville. An amazing local talent.
blogto likes us for our gelato and ice cream, (June 29, Rick McGinnis calls us the best!) but their mission this time was to sample a sundae creation, and we were still the best! Come on in and we'll make you something divine to suit your taste!
June/July 2011 exciting young artists showing at Leslieville, our very own scoopers Camille Jodoin-Eng and Patrick Durning, showing an exuberant and playful spirit.
We are lucky to have such talent in the shop! 
June 14th 680 News interviews Ed from Ed's Real Scoop in the Beach on the best places to be on a warm sunny day!
February was Black History month in Canada and we celebrated with photographs taken during the 1960's and 70's by Laura Jones. Her photos of this critical period for human rights have been put on billboards in Selma, Alabama and purchased by the Martin Luther King Museum. Laura is a long-time Riverdale resident, deeply involved in public service as a volunteer and in her career as researcher, writer and photographer. www.laurajones.ca
Interior Design Show in Toronto January 27-30 Ed's booth was a hit at the opening night serving tasters for guests. Canadian and international exhibitors create inspiring designs with new materials and ideas, putting Toronto on the international design map! Energizing for us!
Ed’s Real Scoop in the Beach
Canada’s First Solar Powered Ice Cream and Gelato Store
For a number of years, Ed Francis, owner of Ed’s Real Scoop has been trying to find ways to save on energy costs while making his business as “green” as possible. Seven years ago, he converted all the lighting in his shop to compact fluorescent, and with improvements over the years, the amount of electricity needed for lighting his store has come down by over 80%.
Last year, Ed decided to take the big step of converting his Beach store to the use of solar energy. The shop uses hot water to wash the scoops, pots and pans, dishes and equipment. On hot sunny days when the shop is busiest, the store uses greater quantities of hot water, so solar hot water fits perfectly with the ice cream business. After doing his research, Ed approached Village Technologies to see how he could benefit from solar energy both for hot water and for electricity generation. They determined Ed could use his store’s flat roof space both to heat hot water for the store and the apartment above, and also to generate electricity and benefit from the Province of Ontario’s MicroFIT program for Solar Photovoltaic(PV) installations.
The solar hot water system went operational in June, 2010 and on sunny days year round produces enough hot water for both the store and the apartment above. The solar PV system went into operation in December and is now producing much of the power needed to operate the store lights and equipment. “People have already commented to me that they have seen the solar panels from Queen Street and they are very excited by it.” said Ed, “The publicity and buzz is great for my business, but even better is knowing that on sunny days more customers are coming in and I get all my hot water for free, plus making additional revenues by selling electricity into the grid!”
Also check out www.cleanbreak.ca/2010/12/02/hot-day-cold-cravings-solar-and-ice-cream
January 2011 Do you want to take your game to the next level? Are you looking to improve your style, lateral movement, puck handling, rebound control and mental focus? Not your average photography artist, Jens Casten is a Life Coach, along with being goalie skills and players coach for elite athletes and now showing his photos at the Leslieville location. The black & white and colour photos are dramatic, beautiful portrayals. Check it out at www.windowstothesoul.org
December 2010 - art at the Leslieville store, showing Rachel Clark-Hall. This exciting young artist transforms ordinary used and abandoned objects, giving them dramatic new meaning on the canvas. (Pic below.)
November 4th 2010 Now Magasine readers pick Ed's as Readers #1 Choice! thank you dear readers. We will continue to work hard to bring you the best!
Sun October 31 free choreos were handed out for those visiting us in costume this Halloween!
Weddings Ed's has supplied ice cream for two October weddings! who would have thought!
October, 2010 Leslieville displayed photo-art titled "Memories of Summer" from an amazing group of talented people in the Beaches-Leslieville area. A wonderful collection of photos with something for everyone. Check it out -http://www.flickr.com/groups/blasc
September, 2010 at Leslieville . "..Julia McNeely shows us the most simple scenes of nature and family with an energy that moves the viewer to look deeper. Her passion, whether nature or family is evident in every bold stroke." www.juliamcneely.com 
August 21, 2010 Ed and Steve spent a fun day demonstrating ice cream-making at the Williams and Sonoma store at Bay & Bloor. Pineapple sorbet was made using a Cuisinart, and an antique ice cream maker in the demo, while sorbet already made from the Beach store was on hand for samplers.
http://www.blogto.com A great place to find out about the best of anything in Toronto, they wrote some nice things about us. Go to the review for great pics - better than our own site! They said: Ed's Real Scoop in the Beaches smells like what I would imagine heaven would, something like warm marshmallow and melted butter with a bit of cinnamon. I was lured in from the street by this, and the promise of hand made ice cream in flavours that brought out the kid in me....
July 2010 ING Direct chose a handful of businesses that reflect successful community-based service to showcase at their new location on the corner of Shuter and Yonge in Toronto. Ed & Steve took a peek - great fun to be picked! Thank you ING Direct! Check it out for the month of July.
(pic below) "Ed’s is the first and only ice cream parlour in Leslieville. While they don’t have any competition, they offer some of the highest quality in-house made ice creams I’ve ever tasted. Obviously a hit during the hot summer months, they have a few tables inside and benches outside to “chill out” while lapping on an ice cream cone with your date."
Chef David Adjey came to visit Ed's in the Beach along with 2 other good ice cream shops in the city with the Global TV News crew and aired the results on the 6 o'clock news Friday May 28th. We think he liked us best!
Ed’s Real Scoop
Authenticity rules here. To wit: Ed’s chocolate peanut butter fudge ice cream combines his mom’s fudge with made-from-scratch ice cream. Mercury espresso uses the Leslieville coffee shop’s beans. Enjoy one of 100-plus homemade varieties on a waffle cone – house made, of course. Thank you Michelle!
Best Review:
Chris Stewart comments on the Leslieville store
From: Chris Stewart
E-mail: chris@candycritic.org
Message:
My name is Chris Stewart. I run a fairly popular web site all about candy (www.candycritic.org). I was recently in your store on Queen in Leslieville and I had an amazing experience there. The ice cream was spectacular, the service was great, and the giant cardboard scoop was intriguing.
http://candy-critic.blogspot.com/2010/05/eds-really-good-scoop.html
Thank you Chris and good luck with your website, it's very cool!
Filming Ed's in Leslieville, the Westwind Productions film crew (on the left) worked on a new series, Home to Keep with Peter Fallico. The lucky family is seated on the bench with Ed, Steve and Camille on either side.
Budget Travel Magazine - check this out!!
Wow!!
Ed's in Leslieville is included in an article in the May 2010 Issue of Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel magazine (see right, page 22 on left!) that gives visitors the must see and do spots in Leslieville,Toronto.
That's us beside the icecream cone along with some of our really great neighbours!!