TORONTO- TAKE TWO

This same time last year, I was in the wonderful Canadian city of Toronto! When many people think of Canada destinations, they often think of Montreal, Niagara Falls, Quebec, or Vancouver. But, I have to tell all you jet setters, while Toronto is low on the radar, it's pretty awesome and it's waiting to be discovered! I loved it so much that I am itching to go there again for my Toronto- Take Two trip.

Toronto has so many cool neighborhoods, shops, restaurants, museums, galleries, etc. Out of most big cities I have been to, it most closely reminds me of Chicago. Situated right on Lake Ontario, it has the water and Harbourfront (that's how they spell it), a downtown with big buildings, and all that a big city has to offer.

Toronto is also a good walking city. In addition, it's extremely ethnically and culturally diverse. You can check out Chinatown, Korea Town, Greek Town, Little Indian and Little Portugal all in one day! Toronto is definitely a great weekend getaway. I would say that you only need about 3-4 days to get a good feel for the city. Plus, for all you East Coasters, it's such a short flight...so why not go?

Click the link below to read more about some of the restaurants I checked out last year:
Tasty Toronto
Click the link below to read more about some of the great shops I checked out last year:
Toronto Home Stores

CANADA AND WINE- A PERFECT WINTER COMBO!

The Niagara Wine Country in upstate New York and Canada has a lot of great wineries. In the town of Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada alone- there are over 20 wineries. One of the best wines they produce in that region is Ice Wine- a sweet, syrupy delicious wine that's best alone, with cheese or dessert. While most people think of checking out wineries when it's sunny and warm outside, this is the time of year when Ice wine grapes are at their finest.

Winter can feel like forever, so a short weekend getaway is a great way to break up my least favorite season. I was just in Niagara and Toronto, Canada this past September for my big 3-0 and I have to say it was awesome! If you haven't been, definitely look into it and see if you can check it out.

Your perfect excuse for planning a weekend to go there...The Niagara Wine Festival 2010! The festival runs this month from January 15th-31st. There are a lot of great events planned for the festival from wine tastings, to food tastings and celebrations of all kinds. Yes, it's certainly cold up there this time of year, probably not the place to go to with kids, but it's a good excuse to jet set on the cheap with friends or your honey. The price for flights and hotel rooms this time of year is low. It's also a great way to be introduced to some new wines you may have never tried before...California isn't the only place that makes wines my jet setters!

TORONTO HOME STORES

From fashion for you to wear, to fashion for your home, Toronto is fashion-forward when it comes to both. There are so many home-stores with a modern flair where you can find that "perfect piece" for your place. I've highlighted just a few to keep in mind the next time you jet set north of the border.

StyleGarage: 983 Queen Street West (416) 534-4343
StyleGarage is a modern furniture and accessories retailer. They can create original and custom pieces as well!
Quasi Modo: 789 Queen Street West (416) 703-8300
Many consider this a hidden gem in the Queen West section of the city. They sell funky modern furniture, lighting, ceiling fans, storage solutions, stools and accessories. They also have unique modern exterior items like mailboxes, door bells and house numbers.

Pavilion: 739 Queen Street West (416) 504-9859

If you are looking for contemporary style and design for your home or space, then Pavilion is just what you're looking for. This Toronto design staple features modern home accessories and furnishings, including beautiful metal and glass tables, lighting, linens, throw pillows and frames. You'll find many Asian design elements as well.

One Twenty Modern: 120 Ossington Avenue (416) 537-4400

Everything in this store is beautiful, with clean lines...think simple decor and living. You can find great lighting, furniture, and home accessories.

Haveli Home: 171 East Liberty Street (In Historic Liberty Village District) (416) 539-8055

At this store you will find a collection of new, re-claimed, re-cycled and vintage furniture from India. All of their textile coverings, pillows and cushions are handmade in India. You can also get antique doors, arches, and sculptural objects as well. I actually bought a beautiful silk-printed scarf at the store for my mom for under $8 U.S.

All along Ossington Street, you will find an abundance of Art Galleries! Pop your head in and you can usually chat it up with the artist and find a great piece that is original and something you can remember your trip by every time you stare at it on your wall at home!

TASTY TORONTO

Eating and trying different foods is one of my favorite things to do when I jet set to a different destination. I just got back from a trip to Toronto, Canada, and took pictures of almost all of the places we stopped into for a bite to eat. Whether it was just a snack, a drink, or a meal, I kept notes so that I could share it with all of you. So consider this article your "Eating Your Way Through Toronto Guide." If you ever happen to jet set to Toronto in the future, feel free to print this and take this along with you so you can eat and be merry!

(1) Harbord Fish & Chips: 147 Harbord Street (416) 925-2225
For around $10 U.S., you get a nice helping of fish & chips.We went for the Haddock and fries. I have to say it was delicious! What really impressed me was the fact that the fish is fresh- not frozen- and when you order french fries, they are literally cut right in front of you and cooked before your eyes, so you know they haven't been sitting around all day. The one thing I was disappointed in about this place was that their tartar sauce came out of a package. You would think if they go through all of that trouble for their fish and fries, that they would equally do the same for their sauce and make it homemade. But, the good news is is that the food was so good that you didn't even need the tartar sauce. One place that we didn't get to try, but that we heard is also good for fish & chips is Chippy's: 893 Queen Street West (416) 866-7474.

(2) Nyood Restaurant: 1096 Queen Street West (416) 466-1888

This is a really chic and trendy little hot spot. They serve Mediterreanean food in a "tapas style" menu. They have an open-style kitchen, so literally the chef prepares your food right in front of you. The dishes are creative and presented really nicely. We had their Soft Shell Crab Salad with yuzu, watercress & coriander ($18), Mushroom Flatbread with gorgonzola, cremini, king oyster & lemon thyme ($18), Chimichurri Tiger Shrimp with crispy lentil, smoked tomato, and spiced honey ($17), Panko Crusted Chicken with radicchio, pear and key lime ($16), and the Malta Braised Short Ribs with spice crunch ($14). Everything was amazing! The owners of this restaurant also own a place called Kultura: 169 King East (416) 363-9000 which we heard is equally as good.

(3) Queen Star Restaurant: 1116 Queen Street West (416) 537-1067

This place seems to be open all day. It's your typical greasy spoon spot where you can get a yummy breakfast of eggs & bacon or good Chinese food for lunch or dinner. Or it's also a good place for Poutine ($5)- The French Canadian dish of french fries with cheese curds & gravy...Heaven! Poutine seemed to be sold at many different places around Toronto- so we knew it was a must try.

(4) National Bakery & Pastry: 812 College Street (416) 536-9981

Toronto has an area known as Little Portugal. We knew we had to stop at a Portuguese Bakery and have some coffee and Pasteis de Nata or Portuguese Custard Tarts. They also have a great selection of Portuguese rolls & breads...this place is totally authentic and worth the calories!

(5) Reposado Bar & Lounge: 136 Ossington Avenue (416) 532-6474

Reposado is an awesome Tequila Bar. We had Margaritas: The Original Reposado Margarita ($9), The Blood Orange Margarita ($9.50) & The Mango Margarita ($9.50)...all were so yummy!

(6) The Gladstone Ballroom Cafe at The Gladstone Hotel: 1214 Queen Street West (416) 531-4635

Their Breakfast On The Go Sandwich ($6.95) is worth staying at the cafe for. It has eggs over medium, grilled peameal bacon, cheddar, tomato & chipotole mayo on a toasted english muffin.

They also have House-Made Baked Goods. Their chocolate-banana-walnut muffin is definitely worth ordering ($1.77) as is their cinammon-raisin scone ($1.99)! Wash it all down with one of their Lattes ($3.53)...which was voted best Latte in Toronto by The Economist!

(7) Carole's Cafe & Kitchen: 109 Atlantic Avenue (416) 536-1347. This place serves brunch, but is better known for it's wide array of cheesecakes. You name a flavor and it's probably on the menu from plain to pumpkin.

(8) Mildred's Temple Kitchen: 99 Sudbury Street (416) 588-5695

This place does an AMAZING Sunday brunch...and considering brunch is such a big deal in Toronto...this was a must try for us. We had their Mrs. Biederhof's Pancakes ($12)- The BEST blueberry buttermilk pancakes with Lanark County maple syrup & whipped cream.

We also had their Huevos Monty ($13)- black bean refritos, sharp cheddar baked in flour tortillas, eggs sunny, salsa & avocado creme fraiche, and we had their Chef's savory tart with salad ($12)- the choice changes every week. When we went, their tart was made with fingerling potatoes, goat cheese, onions & herbs.

(9) Chinese Bakery: Just wander through Chinatown and you are bound to find this place!

It has everything from Chinese steamed buns, to butter rolls, pork buns and everything in between. It's a great place to stop in for a quick bite as you are touring the city. The buns are 3 for $1...so go ahead and help yourself!

(10) Leslieville Cheese Market: 541 Queen Street West (416) 361-3111. This place has great cheese and breads. Stop in here before you head to Toronto Islands and pick up a basket of stuff to have a nice picnic. We had their Earl Grey Iced tea with lemon which is brewed fresh and sweetened...it was delish!

(11) Tim Hortons: THEY ARE EVERYWHERE! This is a coffee & donut chain (like our version of Dunkin Donuts in the U.S.) which started in Ontario, Canada. It's known for its Apple Fritter & The Dutchie donut. We had their Maple Glazed- which is basically a Boston Creme donut with maple glaze instead of chocolate...Oh My Gosh...I could have eaten a dozen by myself they were so good! Their coffee is pretty good too! They do now have Tim Hortons in the U.S., including 11 locations in NYC!

(12) The Drake Hotel Corner Cafe & Bistro: 1150 Queen Street West (416) 531-5042

We had their: Southern Fried Chicken & Waffles ($14)- Herbed waffles, BBQ Fried Chicken, Maple Syrup & Sweet Niagara Cherry Jam...to die for!
And their Eggs Benedict ($14)- 2 Poached Eggs, House Smoked Pork Loin, Toasted English Muffin, Hollandaise & BBQ French Fries...you must get this one too!
(13) Liberty Farmer's Market (Every Sunday 9am-2pm): Fresh local Canadian vegetables & fruits, along with tasty breads & pastries.


Buon Appetite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FASHION FRIDAY: SUPER TRENDY TORONTO

Toronto is one of the most trendy cities I have ever been to! Seriously, from the young to the old, everyone was in skinny jeans, booties, leather jackets, and thick plastic framed glasses. People always talk about how trendy New York is, but I have to say, you see more diversity when it comes to fashion in New York. But, in Toronto, everyone I saw looked like they all had stepped off the latest fashion runway or had copied what they saw in the "Stars are Currently Wearing" section in the most recent issue of InStyle magazine.Along Queen Street in the West Queen West section of the city are a lot of boutiques. Some are affordable, but I was also surprised by how expensive some of them are. We walked into a store a saw a watch that was selling for $4000 right next to a necklace for $125. Personally, if I was going to buy a $4000 watch, I would want to get it from a fancier store- but that's just me. For this reason I did not do a lot of shopping. Not to get discouraged, however, it just takes a little bit more time and digging to find the stuff that's in the right price range for you.One great store is Roots. I saw so many people walking around the city carrying a Roots shopping bag. It's a true Canadian store with Canadian roots. In my opinion, I would say it's closest to a Gap, only more high end. They have everything from sweatpants & sweatshirts, to really nice leather handbags. I also found out that they have four locations in the U.S.- California, Colorado, Michigan and Utah.

One store that I absolutely fell in love with was Girl Friday. If I lived in Toronto, this would be my go-to store for jeans, a good going out top, a cute coat, handbags, jewelry...you get the idea. I picked up a long cardigan sweater for $60 and a clutch for $20.

If clothing is not for you, Toronto also has a lot of great Home Stores. Stay tuned for my post about that in the coming days!

{photo: Daily Mail}

HAVE YOU BEEN TO TORONTO, "EH"?

Having just jet setted to Toronto, Canada...I have one question for you..."Have YOU been to Toronto, "EH"? ("eh" is a common phrase here) If you are thinking Toronto? What's in Toronto? Let me tell you...there's a lot to see and do in this city. When most people think of traveling to Canada, they often think Montreal or Quebec, but let me tell you Jet Setters...because Toronto is low on the radar...it is waiting to be discovered!

Toronto has so many cool neighborhoods, shops, restaurants, museums, etc. Out of most big cities I've been to, it most closely reminds me of Chicago. Situated right on Lake Ontario, it has the water and Harbourfront (that's how they spell it), the downtown with big buildings, and all that a big city has to offer.

Toronto is a good walking city. It's also extremely ethnically and culturally diverse. You can check out Chinatown, Korea Town, Greek Town, Little India and Little Portugal all in one day!

Toronto is definitely a great weekend getaway. I would say that you only need about 3-4 days total to get a good feel for the city. We also inlcuded Niagara Falls as a day trip in our itinerary (which I highly recommend). Bottom line...I will have a couple of posts about Toronto for the next three days...focusing more on Eating in Toronto, Shopping in Toronto, and things to do while you are here.For now, just give me this much...if you think you already know about Toronto...let me say forget everything you know about Toronto...what's that, you don't know about Toronto, eh? Well, give it a chance and check out why this place is so great!