Mr. Toronto

As we head into the last month of the year, this is the time we get inundated in all media with “Best of…” lists. So why shouldn’t Mr. Toronto be allowed to throw in his two cents?  Although come to think of it, this entire blog is dedicated to the best things to see, do, hear and eat in our City.  That being the case, I’m going to “borrow” a bit for these next couple of blogs, and pull some “Best of” lists from others who also know what they are talking about!

Let’s start with Ontario Tourism and the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario.  These two organizations recently gave out awards to recipients around the province, so while these may require day trips from Toronto, they’re worth it!:

• Sustainable Tourism Award: Algonquin Eco-Lodge (www.algonquinecolodge.com) -Located on the southern border of Algonquin Park (3 hours from Toronto), it’s a wilderness enthusiasts’ dream!
• Tourism Innovator of the Year: EdgeWalk at the CN Tower (www.edgewalkcntower.ca) – Toronto’s newest and tallest attraction has adventure lovers taking a walk OUTSIDE – around the circumference of the roof!
• Event of the Year: The Stratford Perth Culinary Festival (www.visitstratford.ca/culinaryfestival)  - Award-winning chefs, amazing toured tastings, cooking shows and entertainment come together for a fantastic September weekend in beautiful Stratford (another reason to visit besides the Stratford Festival and a tour of Justin Beiber’s favourite haunts!)
• Culinary Tourism Experience Award: The Culinary Adventure Company (www.culinaryadventureco.com) – I’ve blogged about these folks before – my new friend Chef Scott leads fabulous food-related tours throughout the City and even over to the Toronto Islands! And that’s a good segue way to mention a few more of Toronto’s top “food tour” companies – check out these websites to see what they offer and when:
  • www.chowbellaconcierge.com
  • www.toursbylocals.com
  • www.torontowalksbikes.com
  • www.tastytourstoronto.com

While I’m on the topic of Toronto’s best, I would be remiss if I ended this blog without a shout-out to the city’s best sports team, since we don’t often (like once every 15 years or so!) get to brag about these things….AAAARRRGGGOOOSSS!!!  For those of you outside of Canada who have NO clue what I am referring to, our Canadian Football League (yes, there is one!) team, the Toronto Argonauts, just won the Grey Cup (the CFL’s version of the Super Bowl).  Even sweeter, the game was played in Toronto this year, at the Rogers Centre.  Sweeter still, it was the 100th Anniversary of the Cup, and all the stops were pulled out – including a halftime show featuring Canada’s top musical talents, past (Gordon Lightfoot) and present (the aforementioned Beibs – hey, I said Top”, not “best”!).  Sweetest of all?  I was there! (photos).
To be continued….

Mr. Toronto

I guess that’s why they call me “Mr. Toronto”….

I had another topic planned for this blog entry, but this past weekend was one of those jam-packed, gee-this-city-is-terrific whirlwinds that just demands sharing…so here goes!

Friday night: Went to one of my favourite live music venues in town, Monarchs Pub (full disclosure – located at the Delta Chelsea Hotel, where I work!).  Live music – featuring the best local and visiting jazz, blues and rock musicians – is featured here four nights a week, and there is never a cover charge!  This particular evening was a benefit concert, which featured at least a dozen incredible performers over five hours!www.monarchspub.ca

Saturday: Took a walk through Yorkville. Usually not my favourite Toronto neighbourhood – a little too chic for my tastes – this time I discovered a couple of totally awesome stores (more suited to ‘hoods I prefer, like Kensington or Queen (way)West).  The first is Rolo Gifticians (www.rolostore.com)  – an incredibly cramped funhouse full of stuff I would love to receive (feel free – Chanukah is around the corner!).  The second is Legends (www.legendsgallery.ca), a photography gallery specializing in “Music, Film, Fashion, History”– with dozens of iconic prints by well-known photographers (photo #1).Side note: Yorkville is also home to the glorious new Four Seasons Hotel, replacing the gloriously faded/outdated Four Seasons Hotel.  Popped in for a quick visit; it really is something else (photo #2 is the reception desk).  And famed chef Daniel Boulud is the star of the show, with both a gorgeous restaurant (Café Boulud) and lobby bar (DB – nothing like self-promotion!).  The exterior, which boasts a magnificent entranceway with courtyard and fountain, will be even more amazing come spring, when an adjacent park they are currently constructing will be complete…

Saturday night: Went to my first “Holiday Season” event – Ice, Wine & Dine, put on by Downtown Yonge as part of their “Winter Magic” programming. This was just a one-night event, which closed down Elm Street so that pedestrians could eat, drink and be merry. But other fun events are scheduled throughout November and December – check out www.wintermagic.ca for the full schedule.

Sunday: Took a drive out to Kleinburg, a quaint little town about half an hour northwest of the city.  The main attraction there is the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, housed in a spectacular building out in the woods.  Focusing on Canadian painters the Group of Seven (Google them, American/International friends!), it is currently running a couple of other fascinating exhibits as well, including photos of Queen Elizabeth when she was still Princess and raising Charles (isn’t she still doing that?).  The grounds of the museum are also home to a wonderful sculpture garden (photo #3). http://www.mcmichael.com/

I could go on, but I’ve already used up every superlative adjective I know.  Did I mention I love this City?

Mr. Toronto

Halloween is around the corner, and although my trick-or-treat days are long behind me, I feel obligated to share with you a few cool things to do during this creepy time of the year (as tempting as it is, I will leave watching the US Presidential debates off the list).

First and foremost, everyone’s favourite amusement park, Canada’s Wonderland, does the season justice with its “Halloween Haunt”. Every weekend night, evil takes over the park, as Zombies, psychotic clowns and other nightmare-inducing characters come out to play.

Warning: according to their website, www.canadaswonderland.com/haunt2012, “this event is too intense for anyone under the age of 13. Or anyone, for that matter.” The Haunt is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 7pm-12am, through October 28.

For something a little more family friendly, try The Haunted Walk of Old Toronto. Tours depart from the Distillery District (20 Gristmill Lane) strolling through the cobblestone streets by lantern, then make their way over to the old hanging grounds at St. Lawrence Market.  A special Halloween twist is given to these tours until the end of this month. (www.hauntedwalk.com/torontotours)

And I guess now would be a great time to mention the brand new blockbuster exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario, which opens October 20 and runs through January. www.ago.net/frida-diego-passion-politics-and-painting
Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics and Painting features more than 80 works on paper and paintings by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and more than 60 photographs of the couple, whose shared passion for each other and Mexico’s revolutionary culture during the 1920s and 1930s have made them Mexico’s most famous artists. I know this doesn’t sound too creepy, but take a look at this couple! (photo #1).  An absolutely bizarre relationship, which I won’t go into at the risk of being a “spoiler”.  But the art of both these characters is wonderful, and the exhibit is a gem.  I had the pleasure of going to the media launch yesterday, where we were treated to cookies shaped like Frida herself (affectionately dubbed “uni-brow” here at the office). (photo #2)

How scary is that?!

Mr. Toronto

OK, guess I have to finally come to terms with the fact that summer is officially over (though if you want to get really technical, the first day of Autumn is September 22…).  I just haven’t wanted to let this summer go – it’s been one of the nicest I can remember in many years.  And the weather has remained fantastic, and there are still plenty of outdoor events and concerts (KISS just played the Molson Amphitheatre last night!) going on…

But everyone is back to school, back to work, traffic is congested again, the nights are cool…time to move on.  But before I do, a few last memories to share, that will also fulfill my duty of giving you some ideas of cool things to do!

Experienced a fantastic new concert venue this summer – Echo Beach (see photo 1).  It’s on the Ontario Place grounds (site of the aforementioned Amphi), but actually ON a beach!  They have constructed a great stage, and nothing is better on a warm summer night than kicking off your shoes and dancing in the sand to a great band (in this case, My Morning Jacket).  The last concert of the season is this weekend, but keep it on your radar for next year!

Discovered a fantastic new tour experience just this past week…there is a company called “Culinary Adventure Tours” – led by the larger than life Chef Scott (sorry, Chef, that was meant to be flattering!) – which hosts incredibly fun and “exotic” food-related excursions in various parts of the City and beyond….in my case, I went on the “Paddle and Picnic” tour – 9 of us in a large canoe, paddling over to the Toronto Islands, where we disembarked while Chef prepared a gourmet picnic for us.  Then we all paddled back in the dark, with a gorgeous skyline lighting the way.  Quite magical.  This particular tour is over for the season, but others offered throughout the year – check out www.CulinaryAdventureCo.com

And went to a fantastic exhibit at the ROM-  Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana.  The state of the art technology they are using to make some of the dinos come alive is amazing. (see photo 2).  You still have plenty of time to check it out, as it continues through March. (Special packages available at my favourite Hotel, the Delta Chelsea!)

Looking to the immediate future – before I let go of summer entirely – Canada’s Walk of Fame Festival takes place September 20-23, honouring our country’s finest…much more than just a great awards ceremony (which you can get tickets to), there are a bunch of concerts and performances, many free – http://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/festival
So don’t break out that winter coat quite yet!  But talk to you again on the “other side”….

Mr. Toronto

Most Torontonians brag about the fact that Yonge Street, the main artery that cuts through our City dividing “east” addresses from “west” addresses, is

Yonge Street Downtown Toronto

the longest street in the world: a whopping 1,178 miles (1,896 km) in length — roughly the distance from San Diego, California, to Seattle, Washington. It starts on the Toronto lakeshore and winds its way northwesterly along Highway 11 to Rainy River, Ontario, at the Minnesota border.

Yonge Street has certainly been the most “colourful” thoroughfare in Toronto’s history…mention the name to twenty different people, you’ll get twenty different memories/stories/thoughts:

“It’s where I saw The Band when they were just Ronnie Hawkin’s back-up group”

“It’s where I went to my first strip club”

“My first date was at the Eaton Centre”

“I remember when R.E.M. did a free concert there in the pouring rain”

Yonge has been through more transformations than Madonna…from an entertainment centre, to a shopping mecca, to a pedestrian haven, to a panhandler’s dream…well, now it is once again re-inventing itself with a marvelous month-long “pilot project” spearheaded by the area’s Business Improvement Area group.

“Celebrate Yonge” started August 17 and runs to September 16. The street’s sidewalks have been widened from Queen to Gerrard streets to make way for new outdoor patios, provocative public art (I especially love the half-dozen bicycles that have been “re-designed” by local artists), pedestrian spaces, exciting programming and special deals from local retailers. Family –friendly entertainment and activities are happening up and down the street… a walk along Yonge has changed from car-dodging to the

One of many artistic bicycles on Yonge street

pedestrian experience of the summer! And, the event coincides with other fun Toronto events like the Canadian National Exhibition, Brazil Day, Yonge-Dundas Square’s Indie Fridays, and the Toronto International Film Festival.

For more information on Celebrate Yonge, visit www.celebrateyonge.com and make the most out of the last couple weeks of summer!
Mr. Toronto

First, a disclaimer- well, not really a disclaimer, because I have nothing to disclaim! But let it be known that I have no “official” ties to Ryerson University. I never went there, my kids don’t go there, they have not given me large (or even small!) sums of money for what I am about to write….the only real connection I have is that the Delta Chelsea Hotel – where I work- is next to the school, so I get to see what goes on there on a fairly regular basis…

And what goes on there! I just had to dedicate this blog to them – and I rarely dedicate an entire blog to one subject – because they have really done – and continue to do – some amazing things, that have really transformed the neighbourhood and downtown core. It is rare that you see an institution not only grow by leaps and bounds, but grow in a way that benefits those around them.

Where to begin? Every time I walk through their “campus” I see something new and exciting (I put that in quotation marks, because not only is it its own neighbourhood, but it has other buildings around town as well, like the new School of Business Management next to the Eaton Centre). A couple years ago, they closed down part of their main walkway to make it a “car-free” zone, where people can hang out and look over their little man-made pond. Then, last year, they introduced a farmer’s market in this area, every Tuesday afternoon (3-7pm) in the summer and fall. Last week, I noticed that adjacent to the pedestrian mall is a beautiful little garden growing herbs and vegetables among pieces of urban art. And right across from this is the spanking new Image Centre – so new, in fact, that it isn’t opening until the fall – and when it does, it will include the famous Black Star photography collection of approximately 292,000 photojournalistic prints of some of the most iconic images of the 20th century.

Next on the horizon?  The ground has broken – on the site of good ol’ SAM The Record Man – on the new Student Learning Centre, which will integrate classrooms, places to hang out, and retail outlets, so that it fits in with the Yonge Street landscape. I can’t finish my enthusiastic babbling about the school (which, by the way, has some very interesting and unique programs, unavailable anywhere else in Canada!), without mentioning its beautiful quad…although the school is smack-dab in the middle of Canada’s largest city, it still has an idyllic green space which makes you feel like you’re in the Ivy Leagues (sorry, my American roots poking through…)

So next time you’re in town, book a room at the Chelsea (shameless plug), grab a drink at the beautiful new Balzac’s Coffee Roastery on Ryerson’s Gould Street mall - and spend the day hanging around our hidden academic gem!

Mr. Toronto

So the biggest buzz in Toronto nowadays – besides the opening of the new Ripley’s Aquarium, but that’s not for another year yet – is the proliferation of new luxury hotels that are sprouting up in Toronto like (very expensive) weeds…I’m not talking about the funky boutique hotels like the Gladstone, Thompson and Drake – though those are amazing places worth checking out (just go and hang out in the lobby and soak up the cool factor even if you can’t afford to stay there).  No, I’m talking about monstrous, downtown, brand name properties that are now gracing our City with their presence.

First out of the gate was the Ritz Carlton, which opened a year ago.  I’m not a big Ritz guy, but those who are tell me this one is different than others, well integrated into the downtown landscape and utilizing a lot of“local” flavour.  Part of that flavour is cheese – my jaw dropped when I saw the cheese room they have in the middle of their restaurant (photo).  I learned a new word the day I visited, too – they have an  “affineur” on staff – a person whose specialty is maturing and ripening cheese.  Great to throw around at your next cocktail party…actor, even if you can’t afford to stay there).  No, I’m talking about monstrous, downtown, brand name properties that are now gracing our City with their presence.

The next luxe hotel to open was the Trump.  The Donald himself came in to cut the ribbon, along with his kids.  The place is as glitzy as one would expect – I needed sunglasses to check out their bar (see photo).  A little overdone – bars of chocolate in each room look like gold bricks and are embossed with the Trump name – but I guess that’s what you want if you’re paying $500 a night…

Two more posh hotels are set to open over the next couple of months.  One is the Shangri-la, part of a chain based mainly in Asia.  Supposed to be spectacular.  But the real buzz is being saved for the new Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville.  All eyes are on this one, as the old Four Seasons – now closed and being converted into condos – was SUCH a landmark in Toronto. Every celebrity you can name has stayed there over the past 35 years.  And since the Four Seasons chain is headquartered in Toronto (along with the Fairmont and Delta chains – we do good hotels in this town!), the Yorkville was really the pride and joy of Isadore Sharp, the founder and president.  Needless to say, the new Hotel – set to open in October, I believe – is said to be magnificent – the jewel in the crown of the chain, a flagship and model for any future Four Seasons.  So save those pennies for the fall!

Talking about “jewels” also reminds me to mention that our diamond-looking museum – the Royal Ontario Museum, with glass jutting out of it’s new front entrance – is host to a 5-star exhibit until March – Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana. Almost as cool as the exhibit is the technology they are using both at the museum and in advertising, which makes the dinos come to life (check out the ad I am holding!).  You need a smart phone to fully enjoy it, but if you don’t have one, apparently they have them there for you to use…and if you want to know what/where Gondwana is – you’ll just have to come and visit!

Mr. Toronto

I don’t know what to be more excited about – the fact that the MuchMusic Video Awards happened last weekend, so I no longer have to step over hoards of teenage girls who have been camped out for DAYS (weeks?!) hoping to catch a glimpse of Justin Bieber (I’m not joking – see accompanying photo – the tents stretched down 3 city blocks!), or the official start of summer this week….since the Biebs is written about every time he (or his girlfriend Selena) sneezes, I think I’ll dedicated a little blogging time to the latter – and specifically, the Farmer’s Markets that begin to pop up all over town this time of year…

For a full listing, go to http://www.greenbeltfresh.ca/farmers-market-list – but here are a few favourites:

• The one at City Hall (Nathan Phillips Square) runs every Wednesday through October 24, 2012 [excluding June 27 and September 26]. Enjoy noon-hour concerts while you browse from July 11 to August 29,

• Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St. (at St. Clair Ave. W.) is open every Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm and includes some great read-to-eat foods

• Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Ave) is one of the latest entry to the Farmers’ Market fray-very cool location. Also Saturdays, 8am-1pm

• One of the city’s newest local-food markets opened in an unusual venue—the ING Direct bank at 221 Yonge St.  The market runs every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

• Another great spot is on Gould Street, part of Ryerson University.  Their market runs Tuesdays from 3-7pm, and  has special themes and entertainment, which can be found at http://www.ryerson.ca/news/events/General_Public/20120605_market.html

And let’s not forget that, although it is not seasonal (open year round), the best of the best is still downtown’s St. Lawrence Market, named by National Geographic as one of the top 10 markets in the WORLD. www.stlawrencemarket.com for hours (much more accessible/predictable than the others listed above)
And since we’re talking fruits and veggies, thought this would be an appropriate time to give a plug to the Toronto Vegetarian Association…if you prefer your legumes cooked for you, visit their website for a comprehensive list of the best vegetarian food in the GTA… http://veg.ca/directory/list/restaurants

Here’s to a healthy summer!

Mr. Toronto

PS. On a totally un-related note – except that it’s my duty as Mr. Toronto to keep you up to date on what’s happening in the City – just attended the media launch of a cool festival coming up in a couple of weeks http://www.musicafrica.org/ Afrofest, a free celebration of the richness and diversity of African culture, is set for Woodbine Park in Toronto on Saturday July 7th and Sunday July 8th.  Featuring world-renowned African musicians and top African groups based in Canada, an African marketplace, food and craft vendors, artistic displays, music workshops, and organized activities for youth and children. Afrofest is THE cultural event of the summer.

Spring is well underway, which means that Toronto’s fair-weather attractions and events are being promoted and/or opening for business.  Which means that Mr. Toronto has been busy enjoying the beautiful weather, and getting out-and-about…

Although I have lived in Toronto for 25 years now (where has the time gone?!), I have never had the opportunity to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens until this month.  The fact that they are located in Burlington is no excuse – it only took 45 minutes to drive there (shorter than most people here’s commute to work!).  It really is a beautiful place.  Not overwhelmingly huge and very well maintained…a great place to spend a sunny afternoon, especially if you stop off in one of the café’s on the premises for a tea or beer… http://www.rbg.ca/

On the other side of the “breathtaking” spectrum, Canada’s Wonderland opened its gates last weekend, with the new Leviathan roller coaster added to the roster.  Fifth largest in the world, and definitely the most incredibly ride I have ever been on.  Still can’t believe I sat in the front car – they say it is like dropping straight down from the top of the Royal York Hotel…as my son would say…SICK!  Just be prepared for long lines, or get there as soon as the gates open and run right over! www.canadaswonderland.com/

And still, another breathtaking activity – and for this one, you don’t even have to leave your seat!  Cavalia has just brought its new show, Odysseo, to a huge tent by the waterfront.  Like Cirque du Soleil (it was actually created by one of their founders) but with horses as the main attraction, this show has to be seen to be believed.  Truly dazzling. http://www.cavalia.net/en/odysseo

As for announcements of things to come, I’ve already mentioned festivals like Luminato and Toronto Jazz in previous blogs…add to this events like the North by Northeast Music Festival (June 11-17), Honda Indy (July 6-8), Caribbean Carnival (formerly known as Caribana) (Aug 4-6), and Tennis Canada’s Rogers Cup (Aug 4-12) and you have a jam- packed spring/summer season.  And if you stay at my lovely Hotel, the Delta Chelsea (sorry, gotta plug it once in a while), you’re right around the corner from Yonge-Dundas Square, which has a series of free concerts every Monday (lunchtime) and Friday (dinnertime), starting May 28 and running all the way thru mid-September.  Check it all out on www.ydsquare.ca

C’mon over and smell the flowers!

Mr. Toronto

…Is not a museum, amusement park or aquarium (though Ripley’s has finally broken ground on that, near the CN Tower).  No, the biggest new draw our city has is…a GROCERY STORE!

Now, folks reading this in Upstate NY won’t find this so strange, as Wegman’s is famous throughout the land (any Canadian folks reading this who haven’t been to a Wegman’s – you haven’t lived…).  But this is new territory for us Torontonians, who treat our grocery stores like…well, like a place to buy groceries!  But the new Loblaw’s on Carlton Street, just east of Yonge, has changed all that.  Why, you may ask?  Well, this new superstore has taken over the Taj Mahal of Canada, the Wailing Wall of Toronto – the old Maple Leaf Gardens, the venerable home of our sanctified hockey team.

Maple Leaf welcomes visitors at new Toronto Loblaw's

From the moment you walk through the door – facing a huge blue maple leaf created from the original arena chairs (see photo) – until you roll your cart over the big dot painted on the floor indicating where “centre ice” once stood – the aura of this famous arena permeates.

And if that doesn’t get to you, the sights and smells certainly will.  From the acclaimed 20-foot “Wall of Cheese”to the amazing display of cupcakes, this store has everything – freshly made sushi, a bakery, pizza and panini station…and anything can be taken upstairs (after paying for it, of course) and eaten on the spot (on tables depicting all the great events that took place in the Gardens, including concerts by Elvis and the Beatles, and boxing matches with Mohammed Ali…).  In the same area upstairs is a cooking school, where visitors can stop by for demonstrations and samples all day long, as well an an LCBO (liquor store) and “Joe Fresh, the new Loblaw’s-owned clothing store that has taken North America by storm.

Since I feel foolish writing an entire blog gushing about a grocery store, let me switch gears before I close and give a little plug to the Toronto Jazz Festival, which announced it’s 26^th season this week.  Running from June 22-July 1, this amazing event takes over the City, with 1500 artists performing at over 40 locations (and lots for free!).  Visit www.torontojazz.com for the full rundown.

So soak up some Gardens’ history, grab some Loblaw’s take-out and head over to hear some great JazzFest tunes this summer!

Mr. Toronto