Toronto Uncovered

Archive for the ‘Rec’ Category

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?

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?

Feeling proud? Well, maybe that’s because it’s Pride Week here in Toronto! That’s right folks, from June 25^th to July 4^th Toronto pays homage to the rainbow flag. Lots of fun stuff is lined up for this weekend including a street fair with vendors and artisans along Church Street on Saturday and Sunday and of course, don’t forget the 30^th Annual Pride Parade starting at Bloor and Church on Sunday at 2pm. Check out the Toronto Pride website for more details and a handy map of the stages set up as well as the parade’s route.

These festivities can get a little wild so if that’s not your thing organizers have set up a drug and alcohol Free Zone at Paul Kane Parkette (off of Wellesley Street East between Yonge Street and Church Street) for those of you looking to express your pride inconspicuously. The Free Zone will feature a DJ and a stage with live performances, holistic services, green lawn and confidential recovery meetings. A family zone has also been set up as part of Family Pride on the grounds of the Church Street Junior Public School (southeast corner of Church Street and Alexander Street) offering inclusive, family-friendly activities and events.

Have a fun and safe weekend everybody!

Long time no contribution. I must admit, I’ve been slacking off a little but here’s why – it’s summer! Patio season is here folks so slather on the SPF and get your mmm on outside like I did the other day.  Java House, located at 537 Queen Street West on the southwest corner of Queen and Augusta, is without a doubt a hipster hot-spot. Personally, I’m not all that hip but I still appreciate quality food that doesn’t break the bank.

Their eclectic menu features lighter pub fare and a variety of Thai entrees in the $5, that’s right $5 price range, not to mention daily specials, all day breakfast, and a good selection of coffee, teas and cheap pitchers.

Upon first impression, Java House looks like a dive bar and a coffee shop had a one night stand, but that’s precisely the restaurant’s charm. Though be warned, the bathrooms are of the, to quote my friend Angela “flush with your foot” variety.

On busy days, inside can be a little cramped with a line-up for the large patio. Luckily for my friend and I we arrived at Java House before yesterday’s dinner rush. We were promptly seated outside at a wobbly table but brushed it off as that small price we were willing to pay for sunshine.

Service at Java House is whimsical. If you go in expecting to be treated like royalty chances are your expectations will not be met. I’ve returned to Java House many times and I’ve had adequate service and terrible service but never the type of service to sing praises about, but then again I’m not picky. What keeps me coming back to Java House is the great prices, yummy food and, as I fancy myself a people watcher, the quirky clientele. Still, I don’t want to speak ill of the servers at Java House. It’s not that the servers are rude to their customers, rather in most cases they are in general a bit green and sometimes forgetful. Our server yesterday spilled our water (though the wobbly table was partly to blame) and of another server my friend requested an ashtray, which never came. Neither of those things particularly irked either of us,  as said before we weren’t all that concerned about the quality of the service. We were just hungry.

We both ordered the stir-fry and vegetables. Angela had the tofu option while I went with the chicken. Portion size was large enough that Angela didn’t finish her rice where as I stopped short of licking the plate when I was finished. We also shared a pitcher of Amsterdam Blonde between us. In the end, the sum total for everything was around $28 and we left Java House happy enough with our experience yesterday that I’m sure we’ll both continue to gravitate there this summer and many summers thereafter.

In recent years, the faux-vintage indie scene appears to have taken our city by storm.  I cite the replacement of many funky Queen Street shops, specifically between Spadina and University, with chain stores like H&M and Urban Outfitters as my evidence. Don’t get me wrong, I like both those stores but I miss the authentic vintage ambiance of “Old Queen”. Yard sales and flea markets are rare in urban cities, which is a shame because in a world where we’ve become so tech and trend obsessed sometimes a little nostalgic taste of the past can be good for the soul.

Fortunately, St. Lawrence Market is our metropolis’s retro oasis and its located right downtown at Front and Jarvis. It’s all too easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle of contemporary city life and take for granted many of life’s simple pleasures. Get back down to earth by visiting St. Lawrence as soon as you can and might I specifically suggest you do so on the weekend. After an eventful Friday and Saturday a friend and I spent our lazy Sunday browsing the St. Lawrence indoor and outdoor flea market (Sunday Antique Market).  We came upon many marvels such as antique furniture, funky glassware, rare vinyl, retro albeit fully functional turntables, vintage clothes, watches and jewelry and so much more.


Personally, I was delighted upon the discovery of a box of plush toys that took me right back to my childhood. Finding Care Bears was amazing but I was blown away to stumble upon a My Pet Monster with the cuffs intact. Another great benefit about the flea market is that the vendors are informative without being pushy. They’re also incredibly friendly and funny people to talk to so it’s a great place to go especially if you’re a social butterfly and/or new to the city.

Keep an eye out for celebrity sightings such as Colonel Sanders and Aunt Jemima. Alright, so actually they were just a couple of quirky figurines that we noticed were for sale and as tacky as they were it was still delightfully amusing to discover them amongst the sea of memorabilia.

The flea market will appeal to those of you looking for a bargain or a treasure hunt and, with some vendors selling old stamps and coins, it’s also a collector’s paradise.

I have been spinning twice a week for nearly four years. For those who don’t know, spinning is a hardcore cardio workout done to the beats of loud music on a stationary bike. Really great spin instructors will leave you breathless, and fighting off the “I think I might puke” feeling. Being a regular spinner, I haven’t actually felt this puke sensation in a while, despite my amazing instructors. Until now..

I was introduced to Cykl about a month ago and have been singing its praises ever since. Cykl is the only spin studio in the city (or anywhere else that I know of) that has RealRyder bikes that tilt and move as you ride. The 65 pound wheel (regular spinning wheels weigh around 40 pounds) is located at the back of the bike, leaving the handlebars free to tilt and turn as you spin, resulting in a serious upper body and core strengthening workout as you are spinning.

My first class, the instructor told me to throw everything I thought I knew about spinning out the window because most of it wouldn’t apply on the new bikes. She was dead on. If your form isn’t 100% perfect, the handlebars go crazy wobbling.  Standing up and turning right and left is a hell of a lot harder than third position on any normal spin bike. When I got off the bike after my first class on the RealRyder my legs were jello. When I got off the bike on Monday after my 7th class on the RealRyder, my legs were still jello.

Its an amazing work out. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a serious full body challenge. The instructors are all pretty great, my favourites being Jen and Katya (who will absolutely makes you feel like you’re going to puke). Costs are comparable to most other cycle studios and the first one is free!

Let me know if you give it a try and what you think!

Earlier this week I wrote a post called TCSSC Uncovered, which described how my rec level ultimate frisbee team had been matched against teams well above rec level, which also happened to be made up of TCSSC employees, resulting in bruised egos and some pretty lopsided results.

That post generated a good deal of interest and feedback from community members as well as the TCSSC co-founder and director Rol Miller. I spoke with Rol last week to a) get his side of the story, b)give my account of what we were facing and c) discuss possible resolutions. The discussion went really well, and I appreciate that Rol reached out to me directly. Below is an email with proposed solutions and next steps:

Dear Heather,

On behalf of myself and my coworkers here, I would like to offer my deepest thanks for your time on the phone today.  I just wanted to wrap up our chat and confirm a few things:

-       We recognize that self seeding has it strengths and weaknesses.  We will endeavor to keep doing the best we can in terms of creating balanced pools, and moving teams when time and logistics permit.

-       We will be making efforts in the coming months to clarify our skill level descriptions at the website.

-       We will be looking at the concept of adding a complete “beginner” division to some sports (if implemented, it would more than likely be for Fall 2010)

-       We will look into new methods of accepting pooling requests during the online registration process.

-       Please always make sure to drop an email to info@torontossc.com post registration to make us aware of any special requests. We will do our best to accommodate them when possible.

-       Your next two games will be against the lower teams in your division, and, unless there is a playoff upset, you will not see the top 2 teams for the rest of the season.  I hope I haven’t jinxed anyone by writing that!

I am sorry that it has been a tough go for your squad this season, but I hope you enjoy the rest of the games and we look forward to hosting you and your friends in future seasons.

Cheers

Rol Miller

While I’m not sure that Ill be signing up for Spring ultimate, it’s nice to know that the TCSSC recognizes that there is a problem and is making headway towards fixing it.  Last night we played a team that was actually rec level. We won and actually had fun doing it!

Last year I wrote a post reviewing different sports leagues in Toronto. The TCSSC (Toronto Central Sports and Social Club) is definitely the main league organizer and probably offers the widest variety of different sports, nights and times.  One would hope that the largest organizer would be organized themselves, setting good examples for other companies and delivering strong league services. Unfortunately, that is a hope that they continue to dash.  In the years I have played with them, I have never been overly amazed at their level of organization, communication or customer relations. They are often more expensive than other leagues, ranging in cost from $100 for an individual to upwards of $800-$900 for some teams. I continued to play with them because I was able to overlook their inadequacies and focus on the fun and good times of the games I was playing.  Until now..

This Winter season we signed up a team for our 4th season of Sunday night Ultimate Frisbee.  We are in the rec league, which is described by the TCSSC as

“almost no players will have experienced at an organized level of the sport, most having not played at all”.

This fit our description pretty well.  We were signing up to learn and have fun.  As the season got underway, we realized we were losing pretty badly each week against teams that had definitely played before, and were very well organized (ie. running drills during time outs).  Some skill differentiation between teams is to be expected,  but the real deal breaker for me was finding out that at least 2 of the teams are actually comprised  of TCSSC employees. They are literally doing somersault catches and boasting that they usually play at the intermediate or advanced level.  WTF?

Being a letter-writer by nature, I wrote the TCSSC a concerned and less than impressed email yesterday. The captain of the 1st place team responded saying,

“We happened to get a couple new players this season who have proved to be quite good, as well our team as a whole seems to be getting better at the game too.” and “We figured we would be good this season but we didn’t think we’d blow away all the teams (and we don’t have a perfect season, 1 tie and 1 loss)” out of a total of 9 games played.

The team in 2nd place is also comprised of TCSSC employees, winning 7 of their 9 games.

M point is this: People sign up to play because they are hoping to be competitive and to have some fun. From time to time its expected you will come up against a team that is probably out of your division. To face crushing defeats week after week is not so much fun and it is unacceptable that these dominant offenders are the organizers of the league itself. Surely they know the guidelines for each divisions, and surely they also know their skill set before they sign up. I honestly feel that our Sunday “games” are their practice. Why would we want to continue to pay hundreds of dollars to the TCSSC only to have them negate their own guidelines and rules and wipe the floor with us on a weekly basis? Where is the fun in that?

I am writing this because I am slightly outraged, and feel that anyone reading this post should be aware of the current situation. I am not sure if this has been happening in any other leagues but welcome feedback and discussion.