Happy Canada Day – Toronto Tribute

This post was prompted by many things. a) How often I tell everyone I love Toronto, and how often I’m greeted with mild response to that statement. b) The fact that Steve Pavlina is in town and put feelers out for interesting things to do, and c) ‘Cause I’ve always wanted to give some props to all the food-places my family and I ‘collect.’

Yes, it’s another list post, but of a much different vein than we usually have. We talk about appreciation all the time, and though many claim Toronto is filled with the apathetic, ungrateful, and down-trodden — here’s some appreciation for a city that we know rocks so hard.

This may be the longest post about Toronto hot-spots and goings-on on the net. This is the compilation of years and years of sampling the city, my experience as a top-blogger for OurFaves.com, SpiritSentient’s connections around the city, and my love for attracting and sifting through the best the world has to offer. I could do this forever, and this is tip of the iceberg tapping into the amount of knowledge I have about Toronto. It’s a start for some of the places that jump off the top of my head. Enjoy!

Note: I love, love, love shared food experiences with awesome environments, company, and menus and I could go on and on about Toronto’s fantastic restaurant scene.

 

Warning: Long Post – Here’s some Quick-Navigation:
Parks | Restaurants | Bars | Cafes | Dessert | Hobbies | Charities | Climbing Gyms | Bloggers | Sports | Media | Events | XXX | Art | Rappers | Rockers | Books | Clothing | Clubs | Concert Venues

Toronto Parks – God I love our green city.

G Ross Lord – We know a few people who organize park clean-ups for this every year, and we were an instrumental presence for one of them. This park is on the Northern Edge of Toronto, Bathurst + Steeles area.

Mill Pond Park – A quaint new discovery, a little North in Richmond Hill at Bathurst + Elgin Mills. Not the ‘biggest’ or ‘best’ park around, it’s an absolutely gorgeous spot for those who can’t get down to the south of Toronto.

Trinity Bellwoods – A massive Toronto landmark, cool things going down there all the time: drum circles, dog-walking, artshows, sports, and normal park-going activities.

Don River Park – Near the Don Valley Parkway is a hidden oasis. Kilometers of green space, bike trails and parks nestled in the heart of the city, but you’d never realize it once you were there.

Centre Island – Toronto’s island escape – a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city without driving for hours. You do need to take the ferry to get there, but it’s a blast, and that’s part of the fun. I think it also features Hanlan’s Point, Toronto’s nude beach.

 

 

Toronto – Restaurants – Yum

Szechuan Szechuan – Top-notch Chinese. This is where Toronto lawyers and bay-st. businessmen go when they want Chinese. High-end fare, delivered extremely fast, with massive portions… you’d think it’d be expensive, but you’d be wrong

Dhaba – Exquisite Indian food. Chef P.K. Ahluwalia delivers a restaurant featuring stunning lunch buffets and an amazing dinner menu. Daring and varied menus, cool cocktails and an outstanding wine list. Often mentioned is that they have the winner of Most Memorable Meal award .

Fran’s – Home-cooked retro-style diner, 24 hours of goodness. Fran’s started in 1940, and has was family-owned for a long time. It eventually was sold to independent investors, who had a passion for the place that has propelled it to even greater success. My brother recommends the Shepherd’s Pie.

Bier Markt – Recently expanded to a King St. location, the Bier Markt offers over 100 beers for order. Elite, 5-star grub, and an elegant atmosphere. I recommend the strawberry beer and the flamekueches, mm.

Baton Rouge – Ribs. Sweet, sweet, fall-off-the-bone ribs (literally, I’ve tried to pick a rack up more than once and had it break.) The ribs are very rich, marinated in… some rich sauce of… richness.Downtown + Scarborough locations.

Sassafraz – I’ll never forget my experience here. It was my first introduction to celebrity-dining. This place burned down recently, but has recovered and is rocking it harder than ever. Located in the oh-so-posh Yorkville neighborhood, Sassafraz has a sumptuous environment, large vertical garden, and a dress code. I asked the waiter for a burger and he hesitated, and then told me he’d "consult the chef." He then came back and apologized because the chef "declined" to make it. Such. An. Awesome. Experience. I felt like I was in a movie, and I proceeded to enjoy the delectable penne. If you do want a high-end burger, try Bymark’s or Lobby.

Konnichiwa – If you’ve been to Japan (…and back a few times), you’ve probably hunted around for a good Japanese place. I used to go to Rikishi (also top-notch) but Konichiwa is a new fave and boasts traditional ingredients and methods of preparation.

Black Camel – Sandwiches, yes, sandwiches. Their mission is to provide good-tasting high-quality food, quickly and priced fairly. They accomplish this massively. They start with 5 foundation sandwich choice, which are brilliant on their own, but the true beauty comes from their myriad of sauces. Near Rosedale station.

Carnaval Grill – A Brazilian Grill experience, the waiters parade around with huge slow-roasted meat on skewers while belly-dancers provide a delight for the eyes.

Bombay Bhel – More indian, because, hey, I love Indian. Order a ‘Poori’ (or ‘Bhatura’ depending which waiter you’re talking to, lol), and chicken tikka masala for a treat. Many locations throughout the GTA, my favourite is Yonge + Sheppard.

Tokyo Sushi House- A small, but efficiently used space that caters to Patrick Stewart (that’s right, Patrick ‘Tea, Earl-Grey, Hot’ Stewart, when he eats in Toronto.) The sushi here is fresh and the service is fantastic. Note, I’ve heard that they do not serve alcohol. Yonge + Wellesley area.

Little Bavaria – Robust and unique European delicacies, you cannot, I repeat cannot go wrong with the schnitzel. Unless you’re vegetarian

Grill Time Korean BBQ – Gather your friends, don’t wait for chefs, enjoy the experience of laughing and chatting and watching food sizzle right in front of you on some high-end equipment. All you can eat, and the thinly-sliced, fast-cooking Korean fare keeps coming.

Bymark’s – Woo.. special-occasion dining, or perhaps run-of-the-mill dining, depending on your perspective (certain celebrities are known to frequent the place.) They serve very high-quality vodka and the plating is supremely elegant. Chef Mark McEwan deliver’s. In the middle of the banking district, a swank upscale a la carte restaurant run by a celebrity chef — the rooftop view over-looking the financial district is gorgeous. Love eating here! Check out McEwan’s other place, North44 as well! (I still want to try their gourmet poutine.)

Green Mango – A Toronto-staple for thai cuisine, the green mango’s gone through a lot. It started out as a buffet style fast-thai place, but their success caused them to expand to a separate buffet location, converting the main place into a fine, sit-down dining kinda deal. After that experiment they almost went back to their cafeteria style-roots, but kept the best of both worlds. Seat yourself facing The Brass Rail across the street (especially if on a date), for a surreal experience – I believe they’re up to 4 locations now, my favourite is Yonge + Charles.

 

Restaurants – Vegan

Magic Oven – Gah. So good. With many vegetarian offerings, and a slow-food philosophy, you’re in for a treat when ordering their pizza, but by far our favourite is the feta + tzatziki potato wedges, washed down with a Nickelback organic lager.They also don’t shy away from meat, selecting the choicest butcher cuts from local farms to create their famous oven-cooked pizza. No locations North of like… Bloor.

Fresh – My first introduction to vegan food, and I still love it. It expanded quickly and draws crowds, it’s also drawn gossip/controversy, but go try one of their Warrior or Buddha Bowls with brown-rice and see for yourself. They’ve got a few locations downtown. (Almond-Date Smoothie = Ballin’."

Freshly Squeezed – Similar to Jugo Juice,this juice bar has been a long-time favourite of mine. I love adding protein to their yoghurt-based smoothies. Spots all over

Live Food Bar – A nice change if you’re not feeling Fresh, and very similar. I particularly like their desserts.

 

Restaurants – Fast Food

Jetsun’s Juicy Burger – Fan-fricking-tastic. You really can’t beat these guys for burgers. A passionate owner, with a passionate staff, these friendly folk will make your experience grand. Our hamburgers are made from fresh 100% lean ground beef never frozen. We make every burger one at a time, cooked fresh to order because when it comes to burgers, fries and shakes, getting fresh is a good thing. In a world where food is often processed with chemicals, pre-packaged and frozen, Jetsun’s Juicyburger makes everything the old fashioned way. (Great tunes too!)

Johnny’s Hamburgers – A classic, around back when North York was mostly farmland. The burgers come out of a box but they’re oh-so-good, (order the Banquet burger for cheese+bacon, but note that this specific item is NOT display on the menu). The staff wear paper hats and service can be surly. They’re cooked hot—with fire—and dressed to order on a soft and satisfying white bun, and remember "Johnny doesn’t LIKE lettuce." – Vic Park and Sheppard

Hunter’s – Another’s words fit so well: "This is a favourite in the neighborhood, and around the city! A family owned and operated establishment, everybody who eats here swears by it. The owners are a great family, and the food is to die for. By far my favourite restaurant." I like the souvlaki, or the pizza, depending on my mood. Birchmount + Huntingwood.

Real McCoy’s – A childhood favourite and around for decades, Real McCoy’s Pizza at Markham and Ellesmere is another down-to-earth, no-seat, burger joint, and the pizza is so, so, so, so good. Greasy, but good.

Zupa’s Deli – Another oldie, tried-and-true, Zupa’s deli provides incredible taste + value. Back when I used to work at an upstart domain registry in the entertainment district, this was a staple. Love, love, love their toasted-fried-egg-sandwiches with tomato, bacon, and cheese.

Burrito Boyz – I’m pretty sure the two guys who started this have split off into two locations, one taking the name, the other the original recipe. Doesn’t matter, both locations are absolutely fantastic, like the rest of these places, the space is pretty small, minimal seating, but packs a punch for food/service/price ratio Constant line-ups.

 

 

Toronto Bars/Pubs – Chillax here.

Duggan’s BrewPub – Oh. My. God. LOVE this place. Started by one of the members of Mill St. Brewery, these guys turn out some of the most delectable brews ever. They keep things fresh and refuse to order extra stock, so they sometimes run out of flavours, but the beer is always precise. The chef’s are top-notch and the menu is eclectically awesome. From London originals like the V and Chips to the Duck-Confit Poutine, go try it. You can eat there, drink there, and walk-out with a 6 pack

The Wheat Sheaf – Est. 1849. I used to make a 2.5 hour trek every Sunday, rain or shine, to revel in the Sheaf’s easy going, celebratory environment with my friends. Plus, it’s the oldest pub in Toronto. Plus, it used to be a brothel, lol.

Mill St. Brewery – This is an old tankhouse and the heart of the distillery district. They have minimal online presence, but pretty much everyone in Toronto knows them. They were the first in the city to debut an organic lager.

Sneaky Dees – A student hang-out where the tables are all meticulously covered with unique scrawls and grafitti, that serves some of the best nachos (Try the King’s Cross) with loud grunge-punk in the background. An experience to be sure

The Madison – 3 Victorian houses meshed to become a super-pub, with 5 heated patios, pool tables, and over 100 beers on tap! Each sub-bar has a different styles that appeals to different folks.

 

Toronto Cafes – Great meeting spots!

Cafe Mirage – My fave, especially the location at Yonge and Sheppard. Gorgeous decor, huge beautiful paintings all over, smooth trance-y euro-beats and beautiful wait-staff. The food is quality, organic and huge portions for an average price.

The Tea Emporium – A tea shop filled to the brim with amazingly high-end tea blends and insanely knowledgeable passionate staff, always ready to chat and enlighten others regarding all things tea. You can sit and enjoy in the cafe towards the back. The trendy Yonge + Eglinton location is my favourite (run by Frank.)

Bulldog Coffee – Beautiful coffee art. Mmm.

Olde Curiosity Tea Shop – Another tea shop, this one much more restaurant-like and Victorian, where they bring the blends around to your table and allow you to inhale before pouring, and the menu is riddled with delicious treats, puddings, and scones.

The Green Beanery – Bathurst + Bloor in the Annex, this Co-Op Coffee House has all kinds of interesting quirks. Canada’s largest selection of fair trade beans, tables made from burlap coffee bags, and more!

Urbana – A hip meeting place, reminiscent of Starbucks but so-much-cooler. We’ve had language exchange meetings here which have really propelled some newcomers to the city forward on their journeys, and I learned bits and pieces of Japanese and Korean.

Okay… it’s time for a break from writing all these reviews, and I’m psyched to get this out for Canada Day Weekend, so I’ll post it and you guys can contribute to it, or I’ll fill it in down the road. At least it’s a list of awesome, awesome places in Toronto. Feel the love.

Toronto Dessert – Luxurious.

Soma Chocolatier – Sweet chocolatey goodness.

Dufflets – Pastries and baked goods.

Greg’s Ice Cream – Marshmallow, Green Tea, Honey Vanilla, Mango, and more.

Brother’s Bakery – Chinese delicacies, pacific-mall style.

ChocoSol – Organic, bicycle-powered, chocolate beauty.

The Nutmeg Pantry – Quaint cafe out in the beaches. Try their unique (and funny-named) ice cream flavour: grapenut.

 

Toronto Hobbies/Groups

The Laugh Resort – YukYuk’s alternative, a great experience.

Felinity – Strip-yoga/aerobics. Yeup.

MeetUp Groups – We have TONS.

ZenFinder – Yoga (GrooveYoga!) and eco-boutique.

Sacred Seed – Get all the most amazing… seeds. (Blue lotus!)

Singles Parties Networks – A client of ours, throws amazing bash’s for the 35+ crowd.

The Serene Way – Integrated reiki/yoga/dance, run by Tim White.

Tribes.ca – Their forums are jumpin’

Wu Xing Martial Arts – A tucked away little place on St. Nicholas St., this studio has an powerfully open vibe and really teaches some key, positive foundations for Kung Fu and Tai-Chi and weaponry and more. The owner, Sifu Ali, is a really positive guy, who intends great things for the people he teaches. He’s also a very spiritual sort

Vybe Dance – Arthur’s home away from home, this dance studio pulls in the Markham crowd and has a hip flavour, rockin’ top 40 tracks. Hip-hop, Breakdance, Sexy Urban Pop, Jazz, Popping and more.

Grey Region – CLOSED, sniff. Try 1,000,000 Comix instead.

 

Toronto Charities/Non-Profits

Well Of Change – Christine Ho’s brain-child – Trade talents for charity! This is a cool new idea based on the volunteering of skills, as opposed to straigh-out cash-donations.

Young Station – Natasha Bowes helps out the youth, inspired by her cadets group. Launching soon.

My First Wheels – Grassroots charity for a bike a child

Regensis Project – The Toronto Chapter is fronted by Claudia Larraine-Rodriguez, a tremendously cool chick with vision, and they are a grassroots foundation for environmental and social justice and humanitarian organization.

About Face Collective – A project dedicated to retro-fitting Toronto buildings resulting in an eco-friendly sustainable community.

The Remix Project – Mainly Drex Jancar’s creation, The Remix Project is an incubator for at-risk youth to develop their creative visions.

Manifesto – Manifesto Community Projects is a non-profit grassroots organization working to unite, energize, support and celebrate Toronto’s vibrant and diverse music and arts community.

*Note: there are much ‘bigger’ charities, but I felt it was time to highlight some up and comers.

 

Toronto Climbing Gyms – Climb Ppl!

True North – John Gross recently debuted this stunningly constructed gym. Slacklines, stalactites, and more!

Toronto Climbing Academy – Recently re-located and renovated, some amazing inclines here.

Rock Oasis – Toronto original, some of the highest climbs and constantly changing.

Boulderz – Small, west-end, and tons and tons of bouldering.

Rock ‘N’ Chalk – A Newmarket gym I’ve never been to, but it’s on the list.

 

Toronto Blogs – We have a community!

ToroMagazine – A men’s mag for Toronto. What guys need to know.

ImCharmingYou – Run by Valerie Stachurski, a talented, upbeat, beautiful chick who loves Toronto Social Life.

SpacingToronto – A slight political bent, informing often on the TTC.

MartiniBoys – Toronto Food Reviews!

FashionistaTalk – Lida shows us that normal people can rock couture too.

Raymi The Minx – (In)Famous Toronto blogger, Raymi, dishes (often hated) emo-angst and interesting tidbits of life.

TastingToronto – More Food Reviews.

LoveInToronto.com – Toronto dating scene, tips, and articles.

ShambledRamblings – Kris’s blog is a window to her soul.

 

Toronto Sports – So I could do better…

The NBA Breakdown – Run by Dave Mendonca and Audley Stephenson

Toronto Mike – Mike Boon consistently expounds on all things Toronto. Especially hockey

BudBlog – A hockey blog for true fans.

All Balls Don’t Bounce – Duane Watson’s un-updated basketball blog.

Hardcourt Lessons – Audley’s sports-show-cum-personal-development podcast.

 

 

Toronto Media – Love the media, please!

ThatChannel.com – Tori’s been interviewed by Huw, and my friend Josh is friends with Jay Stoyan. Not to mention Tim White of The Serene Way and Helen Goldstein of BuddhaGroove have rocked it there. Check em out.

The Edge – A radio station I could balance out with Flow 97.3 or somethin’.

Eye Weekly – Music, movies, entertainment and more.

Now Magazine – Toronto’s alternative news and resources.

BlogTO – All things Toronto!

Canoe – Canadian Content Portal

TorontoLife.com – Daily updated Toronto News.

Ecocentric Guide – Toronto’s guide to all things green, run by the fabulousfantastical Rachelle.

Torontoist – You know the theme for this section by now

 

Toronto Events – The city is jumpin’.

NXNE – North By North East Music Festival.

TIFF – Toronto International Film Festival.

Toronto Fashion Week –

Luminato –

Nuit Blanche – All Night Art Walk.

Pride – Toronto’s massive celebration of LGBT culture.

Fringe – Toronto’s largest Theatre Festival

Summerlicious/Winterlicious – Restaurants offer deals all across the city.

BuddhaGroove – Helen Goldstein’s hip gathering of the spiritual community.

 

Toronto Adult – Playtime?

Come As You Are – The planet’s only Co-Op Sex Store!

Muse Massage Spa – Sensual massage parlour, very upscale, Finch + Keele.

 

Toronto Art – The scene has life!

Josh Mayhem – Toronto’s biggest Airbrush/Bodypaint super-star

Tori Mongrain – A dominant force in the Toronto Art Scene, currently with the Moos Gallery.

Liana Saadi – Primarily a fitness and MMA photographer, she’s recently branched out to more creative works.

Xe Xe Gallery – Karyn Wong is a tremendous artist who also helps curate this gallery.

Meta Gallery – Alex Grey had a show here last summer. Dean Chamberlain may’ve as well. Attracts spiritual visionaries and intriguing works.

Charles Pachter – Famous for his Moose exhibits all around the city, he’s currently designing a children’s book, but my favourite creation is probably the Moose Factory, his studio. So. Good.

 

Toronto Rappers – Drake… say more?

Drake – Possibly Toronto’s biggest celebrity right now.

Famous – check out his track with Kardi or his innovative music video series.

Shad – Conscious hip-hop , Toronto Style. (Ok, he’s from London)

K’Naan – If you haven’t heard wavin’ flag, his inspired and mass-adopted haiti tribute…

 

Toronto Rockers – So many, so many…

Lights – Valerie Poxleitner is a young super-star musician, spinning catchy synth-pop.

Avril Lavigne – Napanee native, turned punk-alt-rock superstar at a young age. Recently rocked the Alice soundtrack.

Dallas Green – Love this guy. From his screamo debut with Alexisonfire to his heartfelt emoting with City And Color, definitely worth checking out his passion.

Metric – Emily Hanes gets together with some other Torontonians to bring some hip alt-pop fronted by some killer female vocals. Mm. Earcandy.

 

Toronto Books/Videos – Sift for gold.

BMV – Books, Movies, Videos – They recently opened another location, and is a truly loved independent bookstore by Torontonians. You can often find amazingly good and rare books browsing through here.

Elliot’s Bookstore – 3 Rickety floors of dusty, library-like shelves, complete with rolling ladders. So good.

Bakka Books – This place has moved around a lot, but it’s super-cool. A kitschy store with a focus on sci-fi and fantasy books. I’ve found the awesome Borderlands Anthologies here.

Suspect Video – Crazy bizarre and outlandish movies, documentaries, films and so on.

Willow Books – David, Ralph, Paul, and Lily are a great great great group, and this place has undergone some serious creative changes. They put an alternative book section in the back (run by Revaz), a guitar store in the middle (books + music mix so well), and a vintage clothing store underneath (look the part!)

 

Clothing – Toronto’s fashion scene rocks.

Vantage Ground Clothing – The super-sexy, newly renovated, art-deco’d basement of Willow Books. So frickin’ cool. Apparently some MuchMusic personalities pick out unique style items there.

Blue Banana – Introduced to me by my friend Dominique, this place is huge, well-organized, and loaded with local brands!

BETA – Beyond Everything Tried Already, Beta clothing takes a new look at clothes. Going beyond street wear and sportswear, Beta has created something new that represents the evolution of multi-functional, urban sportswear. Every single stitch of their clothing is made in Canada with minimal eco-footprint.

The Banyan – A hip boutique on Queen West, that housed a very successful SpiritSentient arthsow. Tons of cool furniture, art, and clothing here and the owner Paul is a gem.

Mountain Equipment Co-Op – A favourite of mine, this share-holder owned, run, and patronized shop produces extremely high-quality clothing for all seasons and all elements

 

Clubs – So far, I don’t club *super* often.

C-Lounge – Indoor/Outdoor, water + spa-based atmosphere, this club has an entirely sexy urban vibe.

Dance Cave – The club aspect of Lee’s Palace, draws mainly Annex locals (some eccentric.

Lobby – Stylish and sophisticated, Lobby is quality glass, polished steel, and black accents draw celebrities and socialites. (Try their kobe-beef burger!)

Premium Rhythm Lounge – Haven’t checked in on these guys in awhile, but it’s a classy joint at Yonge+Eglinton run by Lennox. A piece of SpiritSentient art may be hanging up there

 

Toronto Concerts – I’ve been to 100s!

The Horseshoe – An intimate venue on Queen St., 350 person capacity, the horseshoe has given so many bands a leg up, and continues to attract all kinds of amazing acts. I saw the second last performance of The Watchmen here, where Danny Greaves laid out a phenomenal acapella. So powerful… wonder what he’s up to.

The Phoenix – Broken up into multiple rooms, the phoenix has concert space, a lounge and pool tables. It’s also home to many live-to-air edge 102.1 broadcasts, and a mainstay in many bands Toronto scene.

The KoolHaus – Formerly the Warehouse (much Kooler name if you ask me ), this venue by the lake is an absolute riot. K’Naan played there this year recently, and MGMT as well. Both shows were sold out. One of my fave performances here was Moby, and his opening act, Hybrid blew us all away. I’ve also seen Econoline Crush, Live, I Mother Earth, Matthew Good, Kardinal Offishal, Our Lady Peace, and many more here.

Roy Thompson Hall – Jazz, orchestra, dance, brass. Home of The TSO, and has held performances for Queen Elizabeth. Definitely an experience, and I believe they have Anthony Bourdain coming up in Sept. lol Seats 2630.

The Opera House – Opened in 1909, this historic venue, it went from vaudeville stage, performing arts center, to concert venue, and lately has been featuring a lot of metal acts

Massey Hall – Goes hand-in-hand with Roy Thompson Hall, but much more oriented towards mainstream bands and celebrities. I saw the Tea Party perform with a symphony here before they broke up Just incredible.

 

Extra: I’ve been meaning to post about this for awhile – a common complaint from Torontonians is that we have inferior transits systems, and while this may be true, I find the incessant complaints to be a little overboard. We are far far past where we once were, transit-wise, and it’s currently on the cusp of growing much bigger, all it needs is some energy, some attention, some focus, some care, and some love from Toronto. Go to SaveTransitCity.ca

 

Seriously, our city rocks so hard. Toronto is filled with creative, talented, fortunate, blessed people who are ready to blow up. Show ‘em some support, show ‘em some love, have faith and believe they’re gonna explode into success in the next second. What I’ve listed here is only tip of the iceberg, there is so, so, so much more.

Anyway, if you found any cool new spots, or reminisced about old faves, or even found something to avoid, thanks for reading. The power of appreciation is massive, and this is me sending out a ton of love to a city I love.

Happy (belated) Canada Day / Pride Weekend!