When the windows in my apartment start rumbling just a little bit harder from the usual pulsating beats on Church Street, I know Pride Week is nearing!

From both friends and strangers, I have always heard the line, “Church Street is all about the scene, not about the food,” and since moving here a few years ago, I reckon there is some truth to this rumour. However, my time in this neighbourhood has led me to find some favourites, whether for a night out, fast take away or a lazy brunch. Through trials of good and bad eating experiences, plus insider tips from other food-savvy folk familiar with the Gay Village dining scene, here follows my top picks for satisfying an appetite while partaking in Pride Week festivities.

Continue reading The Insider’s Guide to Pride Week Eats »

When I went to Joe to pick up the cucumbers and wild dill for my annual batch of pickles he had a case twice as big as last year. 40 pounds! “That’s how they come from the guy down there,” was his explanation. Joe runs Augusta Fruits (65 Nassau Street), a produce wholesaler in Kensington market, one of dozens a few decades ago, now one of the handful left. “The guy down there” he’s referring to is one of his suppliers at the Ontario Food Terminal, where nearly all of the produce in Toronto makes a stop. The Terminal is where growers and large-scale wholesalers sell their product to local wholesalers, who in turn supply Toronto’s restaurants. And I’ve always been way-curious about this Shangri-La of fruits and vegetables despite many people telling me how unexotic it is.

Joe agrees to take me with him. When I arrive at the shop at 11am Brad the delivery guy asks me what’s up. I tell him and he asks, “Why would you want to go there?” Why indeed.

Continue reading Where Apples Really Come From »

Nestled between Chinatown, the Ontario College of Art and Design, and the University of Toronto is the fine assortment of establishments that make up Baldwin Street. With so many eateries and styles of cuisine on one small street, it’s no wonder that Baldwin is so busy and popular amongst students, families, and office workers alike. But what is it that makes Baldwin so unique? The answer is quite simply: diversity.

On the corner of McCaul & Baldwin, Margarita’s Fiesta Room (14 Baldwin Street) is a bright pink house that quickly grabs the attention of anyone approaching the neighbourhood from the east. With the neon-coloured sign and upstairs patio, this Mexican spot is where customers can enjoy giant sizzling fajitas served with some of the best homemade guacamole ever. Ice-cold Margaritas in a variety of flavours quench the thirst and put everyone in the mood to dance to the catchy Latin tunes.

Continue reading Globetrotting on Baldwin Street »

The Toronto International Film Festival has the city playing host to a bunch Hollywood hotshots, and there’s a buzz all over town about who’s eating (and drinking and partying) where.

In all it’s rich chi-chi glory, Yorkville is the centre of TIFF hobnobbing. It’s where TV chef Mark McEwan chose to launch the highly-anticipated One (116 Yorkville Avenue) on the ground floor of the Hazelton Hotel. Last year’s TIFF debut hotspot was Kultura (169 King Street East); One is definitely the place to be in 2007. With a luxurious patio complete with leather couches, pristine shrubbery and elegant black umbrellas, this hot ticket is serving up $14 cocktails (make sure you nurse that one) and shared dishes (including a very expensive and very gourmet burger) that will be served family style (aka self-serve).

Continue reading Eat, Drink, and Be Starstruck »

One of the coolest things about Toronto’s many cultural neighbourhoods is how they’ve evolved over the years. One group of immigrants moves out, another moves in to create their own community in their new home. During years of overlap, communities exist side by side and somewhat intertwined.

The most recent example of this cultural mosaic is Bloorcourt Village. This short stretch of Bloor Street West from Christie Pits park to Ossington Avenue was at first a predominantly Greek neighbourhood, pre-dating Greektown on the Danforth. Some vestiges of this still remain in the area today with restaurants such as Menalon (841 Bloor Street West) and Astoria Athens Restaurant (865 Bloor Street West) serving up traditional Greek cuisine and the quaint Greek Corner Grocery (859 Bloor Street West) still selling tins of olive oil from home.

Continue reading Out of Africa »

People don’t really think of Parkdale as being a foodie paradise. And yes, if you’re looking for high-end health food items, organic meat or artisanal bread or cheese, you’d be mostly out of luck. But as one of the most multi-cultural neighbours in one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world, we’ve got a lot of variety working in our favour.

Most folks tend to think of the ‘Dale as a low-end neighbourhood full of nothing but greasy spoons and burger joints. For sure, we’ve got two of the best. The Gate (1206 King Street West) sits at the corner of King and Dufferin and offers up filling breakfast, burgers and some damn fine fish and chips. Peggy, the waitress who’s been working the tables here since the late 60s when she came to Toronto to be a go-go dancer, tells regulars to help themselves to coffee. Further west along Queen, The Skyline (1402 Queen Street West) is about as retro as you can get in terms of diners, with that famous neon sign out front, and fast and efficient service inside from the flurry of activity that is Doris, once voted “best waitress in Toronto”. Other places that serve up a mean burger or all-day breakfast includes Harry’s Burgers (160 Springhurst Avenue) and Stavros (1530 Queen Street West).

Continue reading Hail to the ‘Dale »

Mid-town Toronto is more than just Yonge and Eglinton. Just one block south is one of the busiest business intersections in this part of town. Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue is home to an assortment of people from business people to creative types and street peddlers. Standard Broadcasting Corporation (CFRB, Mix 99.9, EZ Rock) makes its home at the northwest intersection, and CHUM is just a short walk south. There are also government offices on the west and east side of Yonge, confusing many poor souls looking for one office only to end up in the other. The wild variety of people and businesses is easily reflected by the types of great cuisine available in the area.

Continue reading Neighbourhoods: Yonge and St. Clair »

When I was growing up in Calgary, going out for “ethnic” meant going out for Italian (pronounced eye-tal’-yun). Hey, what can I say? It was Alberta. It was the 70s. I did not discover different flavours until waaay after I moved away from home, went away to university and traveled a bit. Suddenly I realized Chinese food is not all about beef and broccoli and sweet and sour chicken balls; that Italian food does not necessarily mean spaghetti; that there’s a difference between Indian and Japanese curries; and that there’s rice beyond Uncle Ben’s.

The more I traveled and got exposed to different cuisines, the more I realized how little I knew. By the time I finished university, I was hooked. I was a total foodie.

Nearly ten years ago, I ended up in Toronto. Much to the dismay of my western friends and relatives, I have turned out to be quite the Toronto cheerleader. And why not? Toronto’s rich multicultural fabric allows me to indulge my new found passion for food.

Continue reading An East End Foodie Field Trip »

The last I time I found myself walking east on Mill Street towards the historical buildings of The Distillery District, I noticed that they are almost hidden by new condo construction. Only the tops of its tallest buildings provided reassurance that I was indeed walking the correct way. By the time I arrived at the main entrance, Trinity Street, the modernity of the half-finished condo receded from view, replaced with historic buildings and wonderfully Victorian pedestrian-only lanes that look and feel very different from the rest of Toronto.

Originally the Gooderham and Worts Distillery, one of the largest distilleries in the world during the 19th century, the old Victorian Industrial buildings are now filled with galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Thanks to the new owners’ refusal to lease any space to chains or franchises, it’s an excellent chance to get away from the usual garish Starbucks, McDonald’s and Quiznos signage that increasingly dominates most Toronto neighbourhoods. The restaurants and eateries that have established themselves in The Distillery have great food, atmosphere and dynamic variety.

Continue reading Eating My Way Through The Distillery District »

It was the promise of mangoes that lured me across town to Little India; sweet, juicy, luscious things available only for a few weeks each year. But since I was there and all, it didn’t hurt to pick up some other sweet tasty treats, like burfi.

Burfi or Barfi is an Indian sweet, similar in consistency to fudge. Also known as Indian cheesecake, it is made by boiling milk, usually condensed milk, along with sugar and flavourings and spices and then allowing it to cool.

Nuts are a common flavouring, particularly pistachios, but burfi can also contain cashews, mango, chocolate, coconut, rose and saffron, as well as spices such as cardamom.

Continue reading Gerrard Street Sweets »

Let me state from the outset that I have been served a three-course meal while sitting on a toilet. You don’t believe me? Well click here! So perhaps, as far as food is concerned, I’m not excessively worried about hygiene. And it is for reasons of hygiene and sanitation that Toronto’s street food is limited to wretched hot-dogs and sausages.

I ordered a hot-dog last Saturday. The experience made me feel angry, sickened and ashamed. I hated the vendor who sold me the hot dog. I hated the people who lined up behind me to buy their hot-dogs. I hated the cows, pigs and cats who were slaughtered to make the hot-dogs. And most of all I hated myself.

Why, oh why did I do it? I was hungry. I was in a hurry. I confess that the aroma of that unholy flesh excited my palate. In the end it was an empty and degrading culinary experience. Eating a hot-dog on the street is the culinary equivalent of smoking crack-cocaine in an alley.

Continue reading Passage to Little India »