Toronto Uncovered

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I don’t make it out to the Distillery District as much as I’d like to. I know there are tons of cool shops, restaurants and galleries to explore, but being a  West end girl I usually only travel to the East side for a reason. A couple months I went to support the relaunch of Hoi Bo, a clothing boutique my friend works at. The show was great, and the clothes totally gorgeous. I even made away with a super cool hand painted gold t-shirt. But the best part of the night was the discovery, trial, and error of this “ride”.  If you have ever wondered what it would be like to ride a real life conveyor belt, wonder no longer! Unfortunately for the rider (my fearless boyfriend), the security guard wasn’t nearly as inspired or impressed as the rest of us. Luckily we got a video of it – pretty hilarious.

When it starts to get cold outside, my body starts going into hibernation mode almost instantly. I’m not a winter girl. This year, to help battle the winter blues, my friends and I have started an International Film Club, which we have affectionately dubbed the IFC. The concept is simple: each person in the takes a turn hosting a soiree which includes selecting an international movie and creating a meal to correspond with the film’s country of origin.

We hosted our first IFC night last week with spectacular results. Our host, Maya, chose the Mexican film Frida and created an amazing Mexican feast. The menu for the night was spicy yam soup and fresh tortillas from La Tortilleria with tons of options to stuff into them: black beans, chorizo, chicken, salsa, guacamole and cheese. We washed our tortillas down with unnecessarily large shots of Tequila Rose, and snuggled up in front of her crystal clear LCD TV.

I had never seen Frida, and had no idea what a beautifully shot film it was. The artistic nature of the plot was expressed with equally artistic visuals, in which some scenes were made to embody live murals and cutouts of the characters and film strip.  Great film selection for our first IFC night. No telling what next months IFC night will hold – German, Japanese, Korean? Can’t wait!

This was such a simple idea – hopefully it will inspire Torontonians to break out of the winter blues and find indoor activities that keep you feeling good!

I recently relocated (again) to a place all my own on Euclid Avenue. It’s not my first time calling Euclid home. I lived on this street with 3 other girls (and one bathroom) during my second year of university.  For that reason, it will always hold a special place in my heart. I moved in about 1 month ago and have been enjoying reliving all of my old neighbourhood favourites.

First of all, ‘YAY’ for living close to markets again! The Manning and Palmerston markets are incredible.   One of the first things I did when I moved back was hit up the Manning market (at the corner of Manning and Bloor). I remembered shopping here as a student because the produce is cheap cheap cheap and good good good. You’re not forced to pay an arm and a leg for tiny avocados or bruised apples. I usually leave with 1 or 2 bags full of fresh fruits and vegetables for under $20.00. Amazing! The Palmerston market (Palmerston and Bloor) is equally as good and, unlike the Manning market, also accepts debit

Honest Eds: I have to admit, Honest Eds has always freaked me out a bit. Mostly because once you go in, it is SO hard to find your way out.  I have made it my mission to one day master full navigation  of Honest Eds without getting lost or turned around.  It’s no easy feat. You can find everything your heart desires inside its 4, not wait, 8, nope, 12 walls? Food? Check. Electronics? Check. Crock Pots (which I recently purchased)? Check. Hardware? Check. Cleaning supplies? Check. Dishes? Check. You get the point – they have everything. If you’re brave enough to wander through the turn-style entry ways, its usually worth your while.

P.A.T Central.: The P.A.T. is an Asian grocery store on the South West corner of Manning and Bloor. They have pretty much everything a Metro or Sobey’s would have for a fraction of the price. Don’t be deterred by its proximity to The Metro (Adult Only) Theatre. The P.A.T. is an awesome place to grab staple groceries. I always end up picking up a few items that Ive never tried -  ready-made dim sum, dumplings or beef buns regularly find their way into my cart.

Pho Rex: It’s practically winter. It’s getting cold. It’s absolutely time for some nice warm Pho. Pho Rex is amazing. It is right at the top of Euclid and Bloor (North Side). The weight staff is super friendly, so much so that I actually thought I might have known our server the first time I ate there and the food is delicious. I am hooked on their rare beef Pho but have also tried their spicy calamari appetizers and beef papaya salad. The beef is always high quality, more so than other Pho places. Best of all, you can walk away full, warm and fuzzy inside for under 10 bucks. You can actually walk away pretty satisfied for under 5 if you’re only going in for Pho. The small is only $3.95.

Victory Cafe: The VC is great for any time of day or occasion of heart. Brunch, lunch, drinks or late night snacks. The service could use some work, but it’s close, inexpensive and almost always busy.

Walnut Cakes: There is a Korean walnut cake store a few doors East of the Manning market. If you’ve never tried a walnut cake you’re missing out. They are a delicious Korean desert shaped like walnuts stuffed with bean paste. It sounds weird, but they’re really really good. Plus, they’re only a few bucks for a bag full. If you don’t like them, let me know. Ill gladly take them off your hands.

Snakes and Lattes: I cant wait to spend every cold, blistering Sunday afternoon sipping on lattes and playing board games with friends. Snakes and Lattes opened recently and is PACKED every time I walk by. It is such a great idea and has an insane amount of board games. Id love to know how long it took them to amass the hundreds of games on their shelves.

Do you live close to Bloor and Bathurst? Where is your favourite spot? Any tips for someone who recently moved back to the Annex?

Today brings with it a whole new line of sight – one that doesn’t require glasses, contacts or any other type of vision correction accessories. Thursday afternoon, I bit the bullet and had my eyes lasered (insert Austin Powers voice here) at Bochner Eye Institute. My vision wasn’t that bad, a weak prescription by some standards:  -1 and -1.25, but that didn’t change the fact that I had to begin and end every day by putting in and taking out my contacts, or that if I wanted to go for a swim I either had to go half blind or tight eyed. Needless to say, for someone as active as I am, this routine got tired fast.

I went in for my consult at the beginning of August and had financed and scheduled the procedure by the following week. At Bochner, every person who undergoes the surgery pays the same price: $2700.00 per eye. This includes all of your pre and post care as well as the surgery itself. It also includes a promise of perfect eyesight for life – even if my eyes start to slip again in 20 or 30 years, I can go back and have the surgery done again…. for free!  For me, a lifetime warranty for perfect eyesight is definitely worth $5400.00.

The procedure itself was pretty quick and somewhat painless. I’ll describe it to you now – for anyone who is squeamish, consider yourself warned.

I arrived one hour before my surgery  for some last minute tests and the final diagnosis of my vision. About 20 minutes before I went in, I was given a sweet sweet Valium to calm my nerves and keep them in check throughout the procedure. Then it was show time. I was guided into the first room where the nurse administered freezing drops to my eyes before inserting  what seemed like a round pressure-inducing clamp around my first eye.”16 to 17 seconds per eye,” she told me after I asked how long the surgery would last. 16 – 17 seconds for the laser to cut around each pupil. This was phase 1 of the procedure. It felt weird: slight pressure on the eye and lots of flashing lights, which I was told to keep watching. It didn’t hurt, but it won’t exactly make it into my top ten list of good times. I held perfectly still and it was over pretty quickly.

Phase 2 came about 15 minutes after phase 1, in a completely different room, where the doctor reshaped my corneas to refract light at the right angles and provide clear vision. This phase was shorter than the first, but more of a mind- fuck. The laser part only took 3 seconds for one eye and 6 for the other, but you felt and saw the doctor lift the corneal flap they had created in phase 1 and put it back in place, smoothing it over the round surface of your eye. Again there were lots of flashing lights and blurry moments. Thank god for Valium.

Half an hour later I was checked out by the doctor, who had to further smooth my corneal flap over my eye, and sent home with some more relaxing drugs, dark glasses and a plethora of different eye drops (antibiotics, steroids, lubricants, etc.). I got into a cab, still pretty dazed and proclaimed “I can see!” I spent most of that night sleeping off the stress and drugs but was awake for about 45 minutes, during which I recited every label on top of my washing machine to my mom over the phone. I could read them!

And now, 4 days later, I sit (with my dark protective glasses still in tow) watching a movie and seeing it with crystal clarity!

For anyone considering this surgery I have 3 words for you: GO FOR IT! Truly amazing!

Yahoo Canada (a client of ours at Sequentia) unveiled a new social program this week called You In! I don’t usually cover clients on this blog, however, I do feel like this particular cause is well worth talking about.

The program is simple – Yahoo is looking for Canadians step forward and get involved in a new movement dedicated to kindness in Canada. Your participation and planning over the next few weeks will then roll into a larger national program in October. The goal is to inspire at least 80,000 individual acts of kindness in one week.

If you’re looking for a way to get involved in community, promote social acts of kindness, brainstorm and share ideas with others about a national kindness campaign, and most of all feel like you’ve made a difference this may be perfect for you. Yahoo has set up a sign up on their Facebook page.

Good luck!

I have always thought of myself as a West coast girl at heart. Although I haven’t been lucky enough to boast long term residence there, I spent many summers in California growing up.

I took my first trip to Canada’s West coast this weekend, flying into Vancouver and touring the Gulf Islands aboard an amazing 2 bedroom yacht. The 4 days flew by way too quickly, but were packed with amazing experiences from start to finish.

Arriving late Thursday night, we stayed in  Coast Coal Harbour Hotel, which was an affordable rate of $139.00/night with a spectacular mountain view of Coal Harbour.  Friday morning I boarded my first float plane and headed out to Galiano Island which lays nestled in amazingly lush green hills. The weather couldn’t have been better, a perfect 25 degrees with a cool mountain breeze.  The day was spent reading, boating and jumping into the freezing water off of the yacht’s deck. It was exhilarating.

Saturday morning we strapped on our running shoes and went for a run through the tree lined hills of Galiano. Deer ran across our path more than once as we tried to conquer rolling hills, unparalleled to anything you might find in Toronto. Saturday afternoon we set off towards Salt Spring Island Market. Being a beautifully sunny day on the August long weekend, the market was packed with bargain hunters from every harbour around. I grabbed a few gluten free chocolate goodies, and then devoured a delicious lunch of seafood and caesars at the Oyster Catcher Seafood Bar and Grill. Thoroughly stuffed, we headed out to open waters towards Vancouver proper. I have to say, traveling by boat is pretty fantastic: no cramped car, beautiful scenery, relaxing lull of the engine and no annoying  traffic.  We docked back in Coal Harbour and enjoyed a relaxing evening of BBQ burgers and red wine.

Sunday morning brought with it delicious smoked salmon and chorizo breakfast sandwiches  from Vancouver’s Urban Fare. As the weather started to warm up, we strapped on our runners once again and powered through a 10K run along the Sea Wall. Beautiful scenery – mountains in the distance and the Pacific ocean right below our feet.

Sunday afternoon was Pride celebration – we hit the town, starting at Score on Davie (sports bar), ending at Chill Winston. If you end up here, I highly recommend their cheese and charcuterie platters.

In case you couldn’t tell I loved my time on Canada’s West coast and cant wait to return.

Have you been to Vancouver? What are your favourite things to do there?

If Summer is the season in which lust and love are allowed to run rampant, Hercules and Love Affair is the perfect accent to Summer’s seduction. I went to see them play at Mod Club Monday night, and was thoroughly entranced. I had a vague idea of what to expect: I had watched them on YouTube and listened to them on Hype Machine, but had no idea they would rock out so hard.

To describe their music, and why the show was so incredible, I must first describe the band. Some could (and did) define Hecules and Love Affair as homosensual (that’s sensual, not sexual). There were a lot of rumors that Antony Hegarty would make an appearance, which, like most rumors, turned out to be total crap. But it seemed to work out in our favour. Instead, Kim Ann Foxman, who declares herself “like a faggy, lesbian messenger boy that delivers legends and messages for the Gods” carried the lead vocals. Her back up singers were two ‘divas’ with rich voices who bumped and grinded all night long. DJ Andy Butler mixed beats behind the vocals to create a truly energetic and unique sound. The whole crowd was dancing, jumping and throwing down along side Hercules. I think it’s fair to say we all developed a new love affair that night.

If youre new to their music, here are some tracks to get you started. When they come back to Toronto, dont pass up this show. If its not one of the most amazing concerts youve ever been to, youre a damn liar!

Hercules and Love Affair – Blind

Hercules and Love Affair – Im Telling You (live)

I’ve never been one to turn down a good dance party, hell, I throw my own dance parties for one whenever I am lucky enough to have my condo to myself. I love house music, I love playing it loud, and I love to dance.

This weekend I went to one such dance party at Tequila Bookworm, a venue that until recently I had no idea was so awesome! The party was held on the upper level which feels like you are actually at someones house – a few rooms with couches, a bar and a well-sized dance floor.

Toronto has some awesome DJs that don’t get nearly enough credit. I have been a friend and devoted fan of DJ Lee MacDonald ever since I first heard him spin in first year university. He kicked off the party, mixing in tons of great old school 90′s dance tracks and overlaying them with more recent beats. DJ Rich Hope took the party into the late hours of the night, each track making you dance harder than the track before. We were cheering and clapping with each new mix. I honestly didn’t want the night to end, and wished we really were at a house party so our lame 2:30am bar closures didn’t apply.

If you’re looking for some new Toronto DJs to support here are some sessions from Lee and Rich.

Lee MacDonald (download from this site)

Rich Hope (right click, save as)

Who is your favourite Toronto DJ?

I made my first trip down to New Orleans last week in celebration of  a friends wedding.  New Orleans is a magical sort of place, that tells it like it is every chance it gets. Bourbon Street boasts “Huge Ass Beers”, tawdry cabarets and live sex shows, daiquiris on every corner and Southern hospitality in every restaurant. If Amsterdam and Vegas hooked up, New Orleans would be their love child.

If you are planning on hitting ‘Nawlins’, keep the following in mind:

1. It is hot as sin in New Orleans – 35 degrees plus humidity! Make sure you get a hotel with a rooftop pool. We stayed at the Omni Royal, in the French quarter. The rooms were small, quaint and well priced and the roof top bar and pool area was amazing.

2. Practice asking for a ‘To Go Cup’. In New Orleans you can drink any time, any place, on any street, as long as you aren’t drinking from a glass cup or bottle. If you are moving bars, ask for your drink in a to go cup and take it with you!

3. Eat up, its good for you. All the food we ate in New Orleans was amazing. We tried Mr. B’s Bistro for a real Southern meal of deep fried soft shell crab, bbq shrimp, and jambalaya. At the rehearsal dinner at renowned Chef John Besh’s masterpiece dishes, including seared scallops in an oxtail jus risotto (seriously to die for). My favourite restaurant  was a small local joint called the Green Goddess. The menu was unique and fused food together in a August restaurant, we filled up on world delicate perfection. We tested as much as our stomachs would allow. Some of the real show stoppers were the BBQ peaches with bacon and blue cheese and the pulled pork marinaded and wrapped in a banana leaf. Quite possibly the best pulled pork I have ever tasted. We also sampled their cheese selection which was diverse and delicious. The owner chatted with us all night, explaining the different thinking behind each dish. This restaurant is a MUST.

4. Drink the bourbon. The old expression ‘when in Rome’ definitely applies here. The bourbon in the south is readily available at any bar you saunter into. I prefer it on the rocks and tasted quite a few different brands. My favourite picks were Sam Houston’s and Makers Mark.

5. Dress in as little clothing as possible – like I said, it is HOT. But make sure you always bring a small sweater or jacket with you cuz they pump the A/C like there is no BP oil spill.

6. Prepare to party. This is my last tip to you. There is no room for party-poopers or sour faces in New Orleans. Prepare to go out and have a great time, no matter what you do!

I have been given an amazing opportunity to guest blog with the CBC’s G20 citizen blogger team. The G20: Street Level blog launches today and will cover street level events and issues in and around the G20. My main goal is to reach out to as many Torontonians as possible and listen to their experiences and insights surrounding this event.

If you have a story to tell or want to share your experiences or opinions let me know! I’m hoping to hear from all sides and perspectives. Are you happy to host the G20? Has the G20 disrupted your day to day life? If so, how? What do you want to say or share?