Ontario

The first rule of wine club

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Ok, so it’s not that drastic.  I can speak of Wine Club.

No summary of my recent trip to Toronto would be complete without at least a mention of the time I spent with my sister at her wine club and cellar.   Shortly after arriving in town on Thursday, we made our way to the club nestled away on a side street in downtown for a light lunch and a beautiful bottle of Ontario red.  My sister isn’t a big red drinker, but had stashed a few bottles away for when someone like me comes along with her.  The Thirty Bench Cab Sauvignon was lovely – nice cherry and vanilla flavours – it went really well the chorizo and a few other items making up a light lunch:

Perfect lunch for a Thursday

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Ruby Watchco

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Trying to pick a restaurant in Toronto for each visit is overwhelming.  Which cuisine?  What neighbourhood?  Something new or something loved from a previous trip?  About three weeks before my last visit and I hadn’t picked anything despite reminders from my sister that time was running out to get a reservation for a Saturday night at anywhere popular.  A reminder text popped in from her as I was watching “Pitchin’ In” on Food Network and somewhere in the back of my head I remembered Chef Lynn Crawford had a newish place.  A quick look online and Ruby Watchco was my choice for this trip.

It was superb.  The grapefruit and blood orange tequila cocktail was so good I didn’t get to snap a picture of it.  I could have eaten a bucket of the clili roasted eggplant salad .  The ribeye melted in my mouth.  The sherry vinegar roasted mushrooms (a side with the steak) would make an incredible football day snack (I’m picturing them in a funnel cone with a spear to poke them with, but I digress).  The blueberry and lemon curd parfait was the perfect blend of tart and sweet.

Course 1: Chili roasted eggplant salad with honey mustard goat cheese dressing
Course 2: Slow roasted ribeye with onion jam and horseradish cream
Course 3: Artisinal cheese w/ cherries and almonds
Course 4: Maple blueberry parfait with lemon curd
Me with a glass of Chianti

The restaurant itself was beautiful inside.  Homey with a modern feel.  The staff was super friendly.  For an evening, I wished I lived in Riverside so this could be my neighbourhood place.  I think the picture of me above speaks for itself in that regard.

Toronto’s Signature Sandwich

/ Greg / 3 Comments

I’ve written about delicious sandwiches before (Philadephia’s cheesesteak, the Primanti Bros sandwich from Pittsburgh, the glorious hotdogs in Reykjavik) so I know what I’m talking about when it comes to a meal served on bread. Toronto’s peameal sandwich is right up there with the tastiest sandwiches I’ve tried.

Whenever I’m in Toronto on a Saturday morning, I’m making a beeline to the St. Lawrence Market.  Before the main course, there’s plenty of sights and tastes to take in.  For the carnivore, there are cases upon cases of cuts of meat like this:

Mmmmm.... meat Continue reading →

Public art in the Distillery District

/ Greg / 1 Comment

On my recent trips, I’ve taken a shine to seeking out public art installations.  On a quiet Sunday morning walk with my sister down to the Distillery District in search of an excellent coffee at Balzac’s, we came across a few interesting works.

This one, “Still Dancing” by Dennis Oppenheim, was right outside the coffee shop in the main square of the district and is a pretty clear nod to the brewing/distilling history of this area.  This installation is quite large with the top of the copper apparatus reaching almost 40 feet tall.

Still Dancing Continue reading →

Revisiting familiar places

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My next two trips are return visits in many ways.  Next week I’m heading to Toronto to visit my sister.  It’s a place I’ve visited almost an uncountable number of times; a place I’ve lived and worked in.  Next month, I’m heading to Quebec City.  Although not recently, it’s another place I’ve spent some time in owing to family friends, a relatively manageable 11 hour drive and my earlier-life passion for my beloved, but now extinct, Nordiques.

What to do when heading back to places this familiar?  For both it’ll be a mix of revisiting old favourites and finding a couple of new experiences.  In Toronto, I’m excited by the new: dinner reservations at Ruby Watchco, in what seems like a city with no end to dining choices.  I’ll also be tempted back to some old favourites – peameal sandwiches at the St Lawrence Market, a beer or two at the Rebel House, and perhaps some El Salvadorian food at Tacos El Asador.   In Quebec City, wandering around the old town and sitting down to a heart stopping poutine at Chez Ashton will bring back memories from many years ago.  For the new?  A host of restaurants and bars that my palette didn’t appreciate all those years ago.

My lists are made (but, as always, somewhat fluid) and my walking shoes are ready.  Here’s to the familiar and to a taste of the new.

Photos of the National War Monument

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It’s hard not to feel proud to be Canadian when visiting Ottawa.  The multitude of Canadian flags, the equal opportunity use of both of our official languages, and a wonderful selection of museums with many of our key national artifacts are all part of the experience.   My favourite patriotic aspect of our capital is the National War Monument.  Whether simply walking past it, or taking the time to visit, it leaves its mark.   One of the evenings of my stay, I wandered out of the hotel just to sit by the monument and be in its presence.  Here are a few of the photos I snapped to remember the moment:

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Ottawa Cycling Tour

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With my love fully immersed in her conference, I decided to rent a bike and take advantage of Ottawa’s wonderful bike paths.  I got an early start to get some riding in before the heat would become oppressive later in the day.  After picking up my bike and helmet from a local shop downtown, I’m off along the Ottawa River trail heading west away from downtown.

The bike trails around Ottawa are beautiful, and a great feature of the city helping to promote a healthy lifestyle:

Ottawa River cycling path Continue reading →

Touring Parliament and the Royal Canadian Mint

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After a morning city tour of Ottawa on our first day in the city, we’re excited to tour the Centre Block of Parliament in the afternoon for a couple of reasons.  First, the obvious thrill of standing in the place of so much of our country’s political history; Secondly, to escape the heat for about an hour.  We end up with a lovely tour guide who initially says she’s from Halifax.  After asking where everyone is from, she admits after our reply that she’s really from Dartmouth, but I think we’re the only ones who get her “City of Lakes” reference.

After the requisite security check, we’re off upstairs to just outside the House of Commons.  As the House isn’t sitting on this holiday Monday, we get a great view of the House from inside its doors:

House of Commons Continue reading →