Toronto shopping

[nictan]

fucking old thread. but only specific toronto thread i could find.

heading there for a few days next week.

i know there're probably quite a number of members from toronto here.

any suggestions for cool places to hang/chill/see? not into touristy stuff.

all i know of is the affiliate Sydney's

[Dane]

http://theserpentine.net/ - carries some rick, julius, etc.
http://www.tntfashion.ca/ - cdg (in hazelton lanes mall)

[nictan]

thanks! would appreciate non-shopping suggestions too. like cool places to hang or chill :)

[Dane]

I have no life...I'll leave those suggestions to someone else.

[kvjan]

As stated earlier, Sydneys is a fantastic shop. The Serpentine is in Yorkville, and carries some excellent lines. Both stores have sales on right now.
The Ossington strip is very popular (Ossington, between Dundas and Queen); it is filled with restaurants and bars that you might be interested in. There are also plenty of nice spots on Dundas west of Bathurst (Black Hoof, Raw Bar, Campagnolo, Saving Grace for brunch, many others), and then some other bars west of Ossington. If you can get a table at one of three Momofuku restaurants they are highly recommended.
College Street has recently had an influx of restaurants and bars that are worth going to, including La Carnita, Woodlot, Acadia and Frank's Kitchen. The Distillery District on the east side might be nice to visit during the day.
The big cultural institutions, The AGO and ROM, have gone through some major changes, and have improved, especially the AGO. If the weather is nice, walking on Queen Street, west of Bathurst, could be enjoyable, as there are plenty of shops and galleries.

[sshum88]

Totally jealous you will be in T.O while I'll be experiencing my 1st Christmas in S'pore.

Yorkville - you can do the ROM + Serpentine + TNT at one go. Everything is pretty expensive up here for food/drinks but there's a take out shop runs by some korean ladies on the side street up from Harry Rosen that is not too bad. You can eat across the street in the plaza.

Queen West - you can walk from Bathurst all the way to Parkdale, which is great if sunny out. Stop at the White Squirrel for refreshments if tired - across from Trinity Bellwoods Park or go up a few doors to Clafouti to grab some croissants if there are any left. If you're in Parkdale, stop by Parts & Labour for food/drinks & if there at night, whatever they have going on downstairs.

Ossington / Dundas - lots of bars and restaurants but gets packed on weekends. For bars, I like Painted Lady on Ossignton or Camp 4 on Dundas. If a place is full, just wander down one of those streets and find another place. Check out the Garrison for some live music if you are out on Dundas at night. Go to Porchetta for their pork sandwiches. Libretto for pizza.

Kensington / Chinatown - where i go to get my groceries as my old place is on the edge of Chinatown. Lots of Pho noodle houses here. All Singaporeans think the seafood is much cheaper here than in Singapore so there's lots to choose from. I went to one place in Chinatown where you could get 2 lobsters served any style for $20. Kensington is a weird mix of cultures, shops, people - don't be scared off by the punks and rastas. There are lots of great little places to eat here depending on what you want - mexican, south american etc. The AGO is close by to here and if you want simple cooked japanese food walk across the street on McCaul to this food court called the Grange. Inside there is a small sit down japanese restaurant (limited hours) that is run by a young japanese couple. Good food and relatively cheap.

College Street - for decent food/drinks and if you need a big menu due to picky eaters, go to Utopia. There's lots of italian restaurants in this stretch but i like one that is way down on college called black skirt. There's good gelato here as well.

AVOID - entertainment district at night on King Street. Unless of course you like that type of scene - sort of like Clark Quay in S'Pore.

[nictan]

kvjan: thanks for the recommendations! will definitely try to fit everything into the little time i have in toronto.

sshum: haha christmas in s'pore kinda just sucks. thanks for the detailed write-up though! :P looking forward to check out the city.

[Nomad_]

nictan- when you get the chance if you want, hit up banh mi boyz at queen street west and spadina avenue, gourmet style banh mi sandwiches, and their kimchi fries with mayo, secret luck sauce topped with pulled pork and kimchi.... I highly recommend this and its cheap eats

also check out smoke's poutinerie on queen street west and bathurst street, pretty cool and interesting styles of poutine,

one of the few things us torontonian canadians can be proud of

[j43chan]

hmm I went to sydneys over the weekend and it seems that they don't carry julius anymore =(. Anyone know where I can find any in toronto still?

[Dane]

hmm I went to sydneys over the weekend and it seems that they don't carry julius anymore =(. Anyone know where I can find any in toronto still?

Serpentine

[Icarium]

In toronto through the 19th... any updated tips for places to eat? Probably not doing any shopping but Sydney's is almost too close to pass up. Serpentine's is pretty close too.

Staying in Chinatown on Spadina at the Super 8. In town with the Next Music From Tokyo v5 tour: http://www.nextmusicfromtokyo.com/.

[blackfedora]

Bahn Mi Boys

[Icarium]

Nod, nod saw that rec earlier :) Very excited by that place. Going there in a bit. Probably stop by Sydney's never the less.... feel like the days I have in Toronto aren't enough to fully explore the menu ahwell.

[stagename]

It depends what kind of food you're looking for but I enjoyed the following restaurants and they are well-reviewed:
Acadia, Black Hoof, Buca, Campagnolo, Chantecler, Grand Electric (but the wait is not worth it), Enoteca Sociale, Marben, Ursa, Yours Truly. Best burger imo at the County General (I like burgers). The ramen at a-OK next door are like the name indicates. I would place Libretto, Burger Priest, Terroni, Momofuku in the over-hyped category.

I heard good things about Barque and Osso Bucco but haven't tried them yet.

Enjoy your trip!

[blackfedora]

Unless they have altered their menu, I would not do Chantecler. It was the only restaurant in my life that I ever walked out of before finishing my meal, found everything to be just terrible.