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.

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.

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!

Photo via BlogTO

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.

I have to say that these classes to be a perfect middle ground between Bikram and traditional Moksha. They are definitely challenging and work towards improving your mental and physical strength, but they are not as intense as the Bikram and offer a variety of different movements each class.

The downtown location celebrates its 1 year anniversary in February and there is already such a huge sense of friendship and community among those who practice. The uptown location, Moksha Yoga Uptown, is more of a Moksha style, but also offers flow classes for anyone living further North.

I have to admit I’m a bit of a convert. Ill probably mix up practicing between Bikram and these flow classes depending on my mood and energy levels.

Where do you practice? Any other good hot yoga studios downtown?

I am happy to admit that not much has changed. Last weekend, some friends and I took a short road trip to Chudleigh’s apple orchards. Luckily, the weather was on our side – sun shining and not a cloud in the sky. This made for a                                       great escape from the city. Almost immediately, we returned to our childhood, lowered our already questionable maturity levels, and ran around the orchard picking apples of every variety we could find. We eventually tired our selves out and found a spot to lay in the sun and enjoy our surroundings.

Everyone left with a few bags of gorgeous apples, and some jams and other baked goods from the Chudleigh’s store. The best part of having all of these perfectly ripe apples is the inevitable baking to follow. Below are some delicious apple recipes I plan on trying out this week!

Apple Crisp Recipe via Roberts Place

Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast

Other Apple Recipes via Ontario Apple Growers

I first started practicing hot yoga while I was living in the Annex during University and recently picked it up again in the East end. I am no stranger to yoga, having taken some form for years.  Hot yoga, which is done at a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, has certain benefits which I find are absent in other forms.

First, I am completely in ‘the moment’ for the entire 90 minutes of class. My mind is fully focused on the different movements and poses, never drifting to other topics. In other forms of yoga, I find my mind wanders and I am rarely in a truly meditative state. Clearing my head of daily distractions allows me to recharge and gives me a much better outlook and perspective.

Second, the physical benefits are unmatched by any other form I have taken. In one 90 minute class you can burn anywhere between 1000 and 1700 calories. The class is intense and challenging from beginning to end, providing a true sense of accomplishment when completed. Hot yoga also increases my metabolism, flexibility and overall strength more than any other form. I have even noticed improvements in the health of my skin and hair.

Third, because of the heat, you will sweat more than you ever believed possible – if you’re not dripping from head to toe within a few minutes, you’re not human! This provides an amazing detox and flush of your system, unparalleled in any other exercise I have encountered.

There are two main forms of hot yoga: Bikram and Moksha.  I have taken both and prefer Bikram. The main difference is that Bikram is the same every class. You go through 26 predefined poses, holding them for a specific amount of time each. Each pose has its place in the sequence for a reason. Good Bikram instructors will explain the different poses and their benefits as you go through them. Moksha is more flexible, with similar poses as Bikram, but not necessarily and any predefined order. I found Bikram to be more difficult, and therefore, I had a greater sense of achievement after class. It really comes down to your own personal preference.

If you’re looking for good studios to go in and around town check out the following – I have tried all of these, and find them to be clean, well priced, and above all else staffed with excellent instructors.

Bikram Yoga Centre (42 Colborne Lane)

Bikram Yoga Annex (720 Spadina Avenue)

Moksha Yoga Downtown (577 Wellington Street West)

Namaste!