Travelling Starfish

I’m back in Canada this month and trying to see some of my favourite spots.  I went to university in a town called Waterloo at a university called Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU).  Since I graduated in 2001, I haven’t been back too much – it’s a town with 2 universities that’s about an hour west of Toronto. It is close to a city called Kitchener that hosts the 2nd largest Oktoberfest (2nd to Germany obviously).  It’s a fun university town with a lot of character – lots to see and do in the surrounding areas, including a Mennonite town called St. Jacob’s.

So for this month’s 24 hours – I’m heading from the city life of Toronto to country stylin’ in Waterloo…

8 am – for a change, I woke up naturally today – no alarm!  It is a Saturday so I’m giving myself a taste of what a weekend actually feels like after working my tail off the past few weeks.  I’m up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and toast – aww…the joys of staying with your parents for a bit!

10 am – after a lazy breakfast of porridge, juice and coffee (yes, I am a woman of routine) I decide to check out the bus schedules for my journey from Toronto to Guelph. To be frank, I find the transit system a bit confusing here – there are so many different systems I really don’t understand why they can’t all be under one hat.  There is the TTC (for Toronto proper), Viva (for York Region), Go Transit, Greyhound, Via Rail (train service) – the list I’m sure goes on and on.  I think I sense a business opportunity coming to mind.

Downtown Toronto

To give you some bearings, Guelph is only an hour away.  It really shouldn’t cost me a lot or be too complicated. After almost an hour searching online I find a direct bus with Greyhound that leaves from Bay Street downtown Toronto.  I’m off to get ready and get outta here!

12 noon – After about an hours subway journey south from Finch to Dundas station, I arrive at my destination.  A one-way ticket to Guelph costs me CAD$24 (about the same in US$).  A bit hefty for an hour ride but I’m just going to suck it up and not complain.  It actually started snowing today – not my favourite thing in the world – so I’d rather someone else be driving at the moment than me anyway.

1:00 pm – I’m here – I get to the Guelph Park & Ride (or Aberfoyle Park & Ride as it’s called) and wait for my friend Jen.  She arrives on-time in a sea of snow!  We make our way to our destination for the day – St. Jacob’s.

Me checking out the produce!

1:30 pm – after some killer navigation, Jen gets us to St Jacobs safe and sound.  The snow isn’t too bad up here actually – thankfully. We stop in at St.Jacob’s Farmers Market.  Ah – the memories.  When I went to school here, I had a car and my roommate and I often went off to St Jacobs to pick up fresh veggies and baked goods (maybe a bit too many!!).  The market is lovely as it is smack dab in the middle of Mennonite country.  Mennonites are similar to the Amish in the US.  They live a very basic lifestyle.  Here at the market they sell their produce and you can even see them with their horse and buggies.  I honestly love it!  Too bad its a bit chilly out today – I must come back one time in the summer so I can wander around when its nice outside.

2:30 pm - by about this time, my stomach is growling – I did only have porridge!  Jen & I agree there is only one place we can go to in order to fill us up – that’s right – Morty’s!!  For those of us who lived in Waterloo, Morty’s is synonymous with a true Canadian food – chicken wings.  They have the best wings I’ve ever tasted and I must say they are quite large.  I lived only steps away from Morty’s my final 2 years of uni and I can tell you that I had to fight the urge many a time from indulging.

Morty’s has specials night (we are in a university town for goodness sake) on Monday’s and Thursday’s where wings cost only 65 cents a wing.  Considering the size of them, you won’t need many.  As we sit down and order, I get a bit nostalgic.  I loved my university years that’s for sure!

Me at Morty's

5:00 pm – Jen and I take our time at the pub and end up leaving a bit late.  On our way back, we pop into the Guelph Mall – Stone Road Mall – for a bit of a browse.  With Christmas on its way, there are shoppers everywhere.  I don’t celebrate Christmas but growing up in Canada, I’m used to the crowds at this time of year.  I like it.  Even I have a photo with Good Ole St. Nic .

7:00 pm – both of us are a bit pooped from the day of events and decide to call it a day.  Jen has been gracious enough to offer to take me home tonight.  It is very sweet of her + it gives us more time to gab in the car.  I’ve really enjoyed my time back in this part of the province.  When I went to school here I really enjoyed the small town feel of Waterloo and all that surrounds it.  Guelph feels like it has a similar vibe – lots of friendly people and a nice relaxed pace. As I wave goodbye again to this part of the world, I tell myself that I need to return soon.

8:30pm – after a bit of Saturday night traffic into the city, I’m back home.  It’s been a long day – even though I’ve been out in the country with time to put my feet up.

As I start to doze off, I realize how much I’ve changed over the years.  When I moved to Waterloo in 1997 I thought it was really a small town and it took me awhile to adjust but now when I go back over 10 years later, I see that it is more me now than it was then.  I find that I suit smaller towns that are closer to the country.  What can I say, maybe a farm is where this Travelling Starfish will plant her feet one day.

And with that…I fall asleep.

6:45 am – beep…beep!  Yup, it’s that alarm again.  It’s Sunday but I’m up and running again.  I guess it’s true what they say – there’s no rest for the wicked:) Hehe.

Until next time, Miriam x

One of my favourite things about Toronto is the multiculturalism.  Funny enough, this comes out most in the range of cuisine you can find at the city’s restaurants.

First of all, Toronto is surrounded by various segments of the city – Chinatown, Little Korea, Greektown, Little Italy, Little India – you name it, it’s got it.  All of these areas specialize in their local food because many of the people living there are either descendants from these places or their ancestors are.  There are some amazing food options here at very affordable prices.

In addition to the restaurants I’ll mention below, I have to highlight that anyone who likes sushi needs to come to Toronto.  Since I’ve travelled, I recognize how good the quality is at the Japanese restaurants in Toronto for the price.  Go at lunchtime and you’ll get a full meal – sushi, green tea, soup and salad – for about 10 dollars.  It’s insane and its uber tasty!  There isn’t one in particular I go to as they are all usually incredible – so just give one a try and I’m sure you won’t regret it.

Out of my top 3, 2 of them are chains.  I know, you must think I’m crazy.  The reason I like these 2 chains is because you always know what you are going to get.  Also, my all-time favourite Toronto restaurant is not open anymore.  It was a Moroccan restaurant called Boujadi (on Eglinton near the Allen).  It offered proper Moroccan food, feeling like you stepped into someones kitchen.  There are other Moroccan restaurants in the city but they don’t come close so I won’t highlight them today.  It’s quite upsetting actually:(…lol.

So, what are my top 3 picks for a good meal out in Toronto?  Here you go…

1) Want a sure hit?  Try The Keg Steakhouse

The Keg is an all-time favourite for me.  Basically this chain has restaurants all around Canada and has a couple they’ve opened in the US.  I’ve never had a bad meal here and I’ve eaten in quite a few.  Their steak is delicious and is cooked to perfection.  When you order a steak, they will tell you exactly how it’s going to be cooked.  With your meal you always get a side and often get a salad and piping hot, freshly baked sourdough bread (that is my favourite…it is incredible).  Top that off with a fantastic wine list and who would complain?  The funny thing is that this is one of my favourite restaurants and I don’t even eat red meat! Their salmon fillet is lovely and their chicken dishes are amazing too.  The overall atmosphere also is great for a family night out as well as an intimate dinner for two.

Some serious beef at The Keg

In Toronto, The Keg has restaurants all over the city but my favourite is the Keg Mansion.  The Keg Mansion is on Jarvis Street and literally lives up to its name.  It is a big mansion and the entire structure is dedicated to the restaurant.  It just adds that extra element – a great place to go on a really cold day where you want a nice glass of red wine & some tasty comfort food.

2) A must go every time I’m in Toronto – Spring Rolls (preferably by St. Lawrence Market)

Tornado Rolls

Most of my friends know how much I love this restaurant.  It is a Pan Asian restaurant that offers a mix of Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes.  The food is fabulous and its very affordable.  Spring Rolls started off with only a couple locations in Toronto but now it seems to be everywhere.  My favourite dish is the Satay Pad Thai.  It has a slightly spicier sauce than the traditional Pad Thai and is amazing.  I’ve also tried other dishes there, including the Phao (Vietnamese soup with noodles and vegetables) and that is delicious too.

Out of all the Spring Rolls restaurants in the city, my favourite is the one by St. Lawrence Market at Jarvis and Front.  Maybe it’s because that was the first one I went to or maybe its because of the area its in.  I don’t know but I just adore it.

Most importantly, if you are a fan of Asian food make sure to try out a Spring Rolls near you today.

3) My non-chain choice for brunch – Kalendar in Little Italy

My favourite type of meal is brunch – yes, I know it’s weird.  I’ve always loved breakfast and going out for brunch has always been a favourite past-time of mine as well.  Toronto has a ton of brunch places and lots of these fall into the chain variety too.  Some other notable ones are Sunset Grill and Eggspectations, but the ultimate in good coffee and eggs is Kalendar in Little Italy (in this starfish’s opinion at least).

Mussels - yummy!

This restaurant was introduced to me by a good friend – she told me they did really nice salads, sandwiches and brunch.  The food is homemade and so tasty and it’s in one of the nicest areas of the city.

One thing I love is coffee – as I think you’ve learned to know already and they do one of the best brews I’ve ever tasted.  I haven’t been back here since I came back to Toronto this time but its on the list – they obviously made a good impression.

Once I tried their mussels and I must say they are incredible.  I love mussels from my Jersey days but those ones from PEI were lovely and really show how a small place like Kalendar can really be worth the visit!

As you can see from my list, all are very different choices from different parts of the city with different tastes and flavours.

Whenever I’m in Toronto, I always do my best to visit all of them.  For those Torontonians out there or those that have visited, what’s your favourite restaurant in the city?

Longest Street in the World?

Everyone always says that when you grow up in a place you never really recognize any of the tourist aspects to it.  Am I right?

I don’t think I really appreciated a lot of Toronto’s tourist side until I left Canada back in 2006 as our tourist attractions – things like the CN Tower, the Hockey Hall of Fame or Yonge Street – never seemed to be anything special.  Who really cares about a big tower, a place to glorify a sport where two men club one another with sticks (just kidding hockey fans) and isn’t a street just a street?

Well, as I’m sure you can tell – I’ve changed my tune now.  All of these things and more are really a special part of Toronto.  I’m not really into tourist sites but I get why people like them and it’s great that Toronto has some things for people to see.  It helps our economy, makes for a fun holiday and helps the city celebrate the great place that it is.

So – why is Yonge Street so special?  Well, I grew up a few kilometres away – again, kidding!  Yonge Street (pronounced “young”) has something unique that other streets in the world don’t.  It’s longer than any of them.  I didn’t actually know this fact until about 5/6 years ago.  It was listed by Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at 1,896 km. Or was it?

I love a bit of controversy so here it is!

Yonge Street runs all the way from Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto all the way north to Holland Landing which is just north of Newmarket.  Since that is only about 64 km I was a bit confused on the 1,800 km + claim.

Basically the original claim was that Yonge Street and Highway 11 were synonymous leading all the way to the Ontario-Minnesota border.  The Guinness Book of World Records originally accepted this claim but it was founded, at a later time to be inconclusive.  Guinness does not list Yonge Street as the longest street anymore:(.

Regardless of what they say, Yonge Street is special – for many reasons.  It is the centre of the city and the city was basically built around it.  Streets are directed east to west based on where they are from Yonge Street.  So if you are on King Street West, you are west of Yonge. Toronto is a grid – know that when you come visit here.  It will help you out a lot.

Yonge - Dundas Square

Yonge Street also is home to many of the city’s attractions.  Over the past few years they have really built up various parts of the street.  Yonge-Dundas Square, the area where the Toronto Eaton Centre is located, has really evolved and has free concerts in the summer and various entertainment for the kids.  I must say, it’s a really great venue – especially since I have memories of that area of Toronto’s homeless loitering there.  They invested the money to turn it into a Canadian Times Square and now they are reaping the rewards.

As you head north on Yonge, there are a number of attractions.  Every year there is a big Yonge Street festival which extends from Yonge & Lawrence to Yonge & Dundas.  Intersections around the core areas of Yonge Street (Lawrence, Eglinton, St. Clair, Bloor & Dundas) are closed during the 3-day event often held in July.

Head a little further north and you’ll get to Mel Lastman Square.  Named after the former Mayor of North York and Toronto, this square is located in the North York area of Toronto.  It has various weekly events and monthly events including ice skating in the winter and a farmer’s market in the summer.  Over the years and as people are moving to the outskirts of the city, there’s a lot more to do on Yonge Street in the north end.  I know, as I grew up here!

If you make a visit to Toronto, trust me you won’t miss a visit to Yonge Street.  The best parts of this street is that most of the shops are open late, the subway can take you from top to bottom (from Yonge by the lake – at Union – to Finch Street Station) and (most importantly) you can have a lot of fun.

Enjoy!

Since I’ve been back in Toronto, I’ve had constant reminders of how many things are going on.  One of the best things I can say about Toronto is all the shows and events that go on throughout the year.

Roger's Dome (formerly SkyDome)

If you come to Toronto in the summer, you are spoiled for choice.  There are street festivals galore and the city really does come alive.  I have my personal favourites but there are so many – I urge you to visit Toronto.com to find out what’s exactly on offer.  It’s a good site to find out all the latest and greatest news on what’s on in the City of Toronto.

Out of all the festivals in the summertime, my personal favourite is the Beaches International Jazz Festival.  I haven’t been in years but when I was living in the city I was a regular.

In 2011, they will be celebrating 23 years of fantastic jazz music from July 15-24th.

As the name says, this jazz festival is held in the Beaches area of Toronto – which is situated around Queen Street East.  It isn’t accessible by subway but there are streetcars that go there.  You can also drive but parking is at a premium.  The only downside of this festival is getting there.  It is an event most Torontonians love so it is always packed.  Get there early to grab a space.  The roads are shutdown to allow musicians to play on almost every corner.  There is just such a great atmosphere.

Whether you are a fan of jazz or not, you will love the music – it ranges from big band, latin and music from around the world.  It truly has something for everyone.

Two of my favourite Toronto events have just passed – The National Women’s Show and The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo.  Both are held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and are so much fun.  The former is an annual show targeted at themes surrounding women’s needs.  There are always special guests and lots of freebies.  The latter, which my friend & I tried to get into this year but it was SOLD OUT, is for both general wine enthusiasts and those in the trade.  I went in 2005 and it was a lot of fun – I took a Tutored Tasting where they have individuals give you lessons on different wine-related topics.  It is really great actually.  They also have wines that you often can’t get in stores and since I am a big fan of wine (I have my Wine and Spirits Education Trust certification to prove it) I really enjoyed it.  Definitely worth a go if you are in town!!

CN Tower

One thing I always tell people about Toronto is when in doubt, go to the CN Tower or to see a Blue Jays game.  The CN Tower is like most towers and skyscrapers around the world, it is a cool tourist attraction.  The thing I like about it though is that on a clear day you can see all the way to Niagara Falls.  It also has a glass floor which is really fun during the day.  Take the skypod to the top and you will either be screaming or have a big smile on your face.

A Blue Jays game isn’t for everyone but I think its a nice day out – especially if you have kids.  It is quite relaxed and the stadium is comfortable.  I always tell people to give it a try. You can usually get tickets last minute so its one of those activities you don’t have to plan far in advance.

Most of all, get out and about in this city – especially in the summer.  I’ve travelled a lot but I must say that Toronto is a place that is always jam-packed with activities almost every weekend.

Enjoy my home town and tell me all about your favourite things to do in this city!

I’m back in Toronto and headed down to one of my favourite areas of the city – the Distillery District.  It’s not old like it is in Israel or Europe (obviously) but it has an old style mixed with a modern flair – just my kind of place!

So what is the Distillery District?

Distillery District

Well, about 10 years ago a small group of developers in Toronto looked at an up and coming area of the city and saw a lot of potential.  Close to the lakefront there was a group of derelict Victorian Industrial buildings that had been pronounced a national historic site.  These developers wanted to transform it into something different.  They wanted to create a place that would excite and inspire the senses. Where people could experience new ideas, new foods, new designs and new ways of living and working.

These developers thought of the cobble stone streets of Europe combined with the cool dynamic of an area like New York City’s SoHo or Chelsea and came up with this area.

The actual area itself, before it was re-developed, has an incredibly rich history. The site was once The Gooderham and Worts Distillery, and represents the largest and best preserved collection of Victorian Industrial Architecture in North America.

In its time, The Gooderham and Worts Distillery played an important role in the growth and wealth of both the city and the nation. In addition to various involvements in real estate and banking, the company at one time contributed more to Federal coffers than any other enterprise in the country.

It’s amazing to think that once an industrial area where whisky was made, is now a bubbling area of excitement and artistic license.

This area passed hands from the late 1800s until its present day but through that time its maintained its charm.  As you walk through the various buildings, I always find that you find new nooks and crannies to get lost in.  In the summer, this is a booming part of town – one with live entertainment (bands and acts for the kids) and is always a great selection for a day out.

Distillery District, Toronto

For the last couple of years that I was living in Toronto, I spent a lot of time visiting the Distillery District.  As you obviously can tell, I really love Europe and I always found that being in this little area of Toronto brought me into a little bit of Europe right in the city.  There are a number of art galleries free to the public, lots of cafes and bars and even a brewery (Mill Street Brew Pub) where you can get a bit of history of the old Distillery District.

This time, I actually visited the Distillery District for a wedding.  I’ve only been to a few weddings in Toronto but I must say that I found this to be one of the best locations I’ve ever been to.  They had the ceremony in a gallery and then the reception at this lovely restaurant across the way.  I can’t even imagine what the photos must have been like before the event actually began.

The wedding was great and it brought me back to an area I haven’t explored in a long time – one I hope to visit again soon.

I highly recommend grabbing a bite or a drink at the Distillery District on your next visit to Toronto!!

Miriam