Rolling Out the Roti for Caribana

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in caribbean, neighbourhoods on July 29, 2008 at 7:46 am

The debate could go on for hours. Long into the night, likely with much ranting and arm-waving, the people of Parkdale are always willing to argue over which neighbourhood roti shop is the best. In an area where residents are alarmed if they don’t wake up to the smell of curry, preference is based predominantly on location and proximity, but the fact that each roti shop offers a different style of roti also plays into each person’s choice. Many of the ‘Dale’s roti shops are also long-standing family-owned businesses, so allegiances can run deep based on how long each customer has lived in the neighbourhood.

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Not Feeling Irie

Posted by Kulsum Merchant in caribbean, restaurant review on September 16, 2007 at 8:14 am

kulsumjerk.jpg

The Real Jerk
709 Queen Street East
416-463-6055
Dinner for two, with all taxes and tip: $40

At the south-east corner of Queen Street and Broadview Avenue is a tri-coloured corner the likes of which there is none to be seen in Toronto. With a red, yellow and green paint job, a big, shiny, smiley sun and an enormous palm tree stuck to one side of it, and a bamboo-font proclaiming it to be The Real Jerk, it’s hard for me to decide whether this corner is an eyesore or one of the happiest-looking places in the city. I choose the latter. To be fair, they have had to compete with large posters of undressed women on the facade of the (in)famous, now-defunct strip club Jilly’s, across the street.

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