The Tap

Rated this place:

517 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON, M5S1Y4

Place to drink and play pacman simultaneously: This pub was built with Annex student slackers in mind. They have table hockey at the back. They have a PacMan table you can play for a quarter. They have 4 busts of Elvis painted to look like KISS. They have chili dogs and poutine and nachos and many other things to help clog your arteries. Nearly everything served in the bar has bacon on it. There's beer galore and frozen Jager and big screen TVs and gruff yet lovable bartenders. The Tap: for all your slackin' needs.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Place to Drink and Play PacMan Simultaneously

Bulldog Coffee

Rated this place:

89 Granby St, Toronto, ON

Coffee shop: Laziness plays a factor in why I caffeinate at Bulldog Coffee: it's close to a good friend's house. Regardless, the espresso is creamy and rich, the decor modern, and the prices reasonable. Hot chocolate is made with Ghirardelli. Ross, the owner and head barista, wins all sorts of awards for his fern and heart foam art, but he has quite a temper. Some days he loves you, other days you should just get your damn coffee and go. http://www.bulldogtoronto.com/home.htm

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• coffee shop

John Fluevog Shoes

Rated this place:

242 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M5V1Z7

Shoe store of the gods: The fact that they have "Satan resistant" soles was enough to sell me on this brand. Beyond that, Fluevogs are Canadian-designed and made (West Side, represent!) They're hipster, but not obnoxiously so. They're like what would happen if Doc Marten and Vivienne Westwood had a naughty lovechild. They're good enough for Madonna. My Fluevogs can beat up your Blahniks, etc. http://www.fluevog.com/

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Shoe Store of the Gods

Textile Museum of Canada

Rated this place:

55 Centre Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G2H5

Museum: I admit it: I'm a craft whore. I knit. I quilt. I sew. The textile arts intrigue me. This museum deserves your attention even if you couldn't care less about those things. In 2006, they exhibited millions of dead tropical insects cunningly pinned in patterns to mimic Victorian wallpaper. These curators are crazy/fabulous. War carpets from Afghanistan, obis from Japan, fur upholstered toys. It's all here, folks, and the gift shop kicks ass. Bring the kids; there's an interactive exhibit, too.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Museum

Bay Street Video

Rated this place:

1172 Bay St, Toronto, ON, M5S2B4

Video store: Back in 1998, I lived at Bay & Bloor and despaired of walking all the way to Markham to rent a DVD. Eureka! I found Bay Street Video, tucked behind Tim Hortons, just south of Bloor. Little yellow post-its with earnest staff recommendations; the whole Criterion Collection; endless BBC productions on DVD... it was true love. They've grown in size but remain indie at heart, and claim to have Toronto's largest DVD collection. I salute them for giving me 10 years of awesome service.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Video store

Game Centre

Rated this place:

730 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 2B7

Indie video game shop: Video game addiction is an expensive habit: I should know. Game Centre makes it gloriously cheap. Hidden inside the mall at Yonge & Charles, near the Dollarama, lies a vast collection of new and used games and consoles, complimented by a treasure trove of Old School goodies. Want a game for your 1980s Sega or NES? Look no further. Seeking a second-hand PS2? Done, for peanuts. They’ve got well-priced used DVDs and accessories, too: Wiimotes were in stock months after they sold out at Best Buy

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Indie Video Game Shop

J S Bon Bons -- CLOSED

Rated this place:

163 Dupont St, Toronto, ON, M5R1V5

Chocolate: This store does not screw around about innovation in sweet delights. Pushing the envelope of what you can acceptably bathe in chocolate, proprietress Jenn Stone lovingly handcrafts each truffle, filling them with bizarre but mouthwatering items like tarragon and black pepper, cinnamon marshmallows, rosemary, cardamom caramel, and chipotle sesame with lime. Her bravery is breathtaking. You can also educate yourself with chocolate making classes at this chic boutique. http://www.jsbonbons.com/

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Chocolate

Greg's Ice Cream

Rated this place:

750 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON, M5P2X4

Ice cream parlour: Greg's is the antidote to Toronto's punishing August heat. When you're schvitzing in 40 degree humidity, make your way to the Jewish Community Center at Bloor & Spadina for a cooling treat. Everyone raves about the Coffee Toffee and Roasted Marshmallow flavours, which is fair since they're freaking DELICIOUS. However, I choose Green Tea, every time. Here's how it tastes in the form of haiku: My tongue darts forward / Catches the creamy dribble / Green tea ecstacy

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Ice Cream Parlour

Canada Computers

Rated this place:

366 College Street, Toronto, ON

Computer store: Whether you're hunting for parts to build your ultimate Alex Murphy-style cyberman, or just looking for a cheap flash drive, digital camera, USB headet or external hard drive, these guys have the best prices and great selection. So much better than Best Buy or Future Shop, it's not even funny. The College Street location is just north of Kensington, so you can get juice at Rice Bar on your way home with your new toys.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• computer store

Bakka Phoenix Bookstore

Rated this place:

697 Queen Street W, Toronto, ON, M6J1E6

Sci-fi and fantasy bookstore: Nerd alert! I read a lot of fantasy and a bit of sci-fi as a teenager, and even way back then, Bakka was feeding my overactive imagination with Spider Robinson, Charles DeLint, Anne McCaffrey and Orson Scott Card. Staff are warm and cuddly and give great recommendations. Also, I have to love any store named after Fremen legend. In Frank Herbert's novel Dune, Bakka was "the weeper who mourns for all mankind." I just wish they’d stop moving around: Queen, Yonge, Queen again? Stay put!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Sci-fi and Fantasy Bookstore

Bathurst Street Theatre

Rated this place:

736 Bathurst, Toronto, ON, M5S2R4

Theatre: A lovely old church at Bathurst and Lennox (one traffic light south of Honest Ed’s, across from Central Tech) is home to a lovely little theatre space. The building’s been around since 1888, and I bet the congregation back then would have been shocked to know that in 2008, their pulpit has being used to perform “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Footloose: the Musical”, thanks to the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $20 through TicketMaster.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Theatre

Hodo Kwaja

Rated this place:

656 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON, M6G 1K9

Tiny korean pastry snack: Hodo Kwaja, aside from sounding like food Yoda would eat, are walnut-shaped baked snacks made in a crazy Korean waffle iron that is the size of a small car. They are served up hot and fresh until 11pm daily in the bakery of the same name, at Bloor & Christie. The pastries are full of tasty walnut, almond or red bean paste filling and at $1 for 6, they make Timbits look expensive. Man, are they ever good. Buttery and delectable, blow $3 and buy the 18-pack to share with friends.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Tiny Korean Pastry Snack

Knit-O-Matic

Rated this place:

1378 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M5R 3J1

Knitting goods shop: I like the nice, cozy, almost untidy atmosphere of this store. Everything is in its proper place - a wide selection of needles and a fantastic stash of yarn - but there's no sense of teutonic order. Discoveries and magic still lurk in the bottom of the sale bin. Speaking of which, prices are good and the staff are friendly, willing to help you meet your gauge requirements, give pattern advice, talk shop about new brands or just shoot the breeze about coffee and cats. http://www.knitomatic.com/

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Knitting Goods Shop

Toronto Islands

Rated this place:

Toronto, ON

Outdoor water sporting event: Fun and laid-back; you pull one big oar in a wide, stable boat with 18 rowers and a coxie to call the strokes. I did it last year, it's all-ages and easy. Rowing costs $130 for the full season of training 2 nights a week on the water down by Cherry Bridge. Sign up online; registration week is April 21-24. The awesome end-of-season Viking Festival happens June 12-15 on Toronto Island. Proceeds support inner-city kids programs. Dom, the head coach, is a BIG personality and always makes me laugh.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Outdoor Water Sporting Event

Dutch Dreams Ltd

Rated this place:

78 Vaughan Rd, York, ON, M6C2L7

Ice cream parlour: If Terry Gilliam owned an ice cream parlour, it would look like Dutch Dreams. The surreal interior is cluttered with tchotchkas: clogs hang next to hockey skates, not an inch of wall left unadorned. The Monty-Pythonesque décor carries on outside, with cows floating in midair, anchored to the brick exterior. In business for 20 years, they serve 50 flavours of ice cream and 3-scoop Dutch pancakes. Milkshakes are a full litre in size. No dieters, please. Open noon–midnight in summer.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Ice Cream Parlour

Plant World Ltd

Rated this place:

4000 Eglinton Ave W, Etobicoke, ON, M9A4M2

Garden centre: Plant World has been owned by the Reeves family for over 100 years. With 5 acres of shopping, a huge parking lot and massive greenhouses, it’s a year-round gardener’s haven. Buy a ton of mulch, rocks for your hard landscaping, perennials, annuals, Japanese maples, roses, hostas - if you can plant it, they have it. They also do stunning floral arrangements and custom container plantings. Be sure to meet Manager Paul Zammit, a gifted agriculturist and one of the nicest people on planet Earth.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Garden Centre

The Beguiling

Rated this place:

601 Markham St, Toronto, ON, M6G2L7

Comic book store: This was my first comic shop, where I nervously developed my snooty taste for obscure graphic novels. While technically Birkemoe and Butcher do sell Marvel and DC titles, Spidey and the Hulk are tucked away on the 2nd floor, next to the nasty hentai. They specialize in Seth, Chris Ware, Joe Sacco, Daniel Clowes, Julie Doucet... not so much caped crusaders. Proud creators of the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, they are popular with local comic creators and sell original art. A great place to shop.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Comic book store

Sarah's Falafel & Shawarma

Rated this place:

487 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON, M5S1Y2

Cheap falafel: Sarah's has long been my Annex staple for low-budget, high-flavour grilled falafels; be sure to ask for spicy sauce and extra tahini. They carry my own personal crack (Peach Snapple Iced Tea) as well as guava, papaya & mango juices in cans. For dessert, there's baklava dripping with honey and pistachio bits. Bonus points if you try "halvah". It looks like a brick of beige cement but it tastes divine - like sesame snacks but with nicer texture. Great meal for under $10.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Cheap Falafel

Science City

Rated this place:

50 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON, M4W 1A1

Place to shop for science nerds: Got beakers? These guys do. And telescopes and magnets and prisms and skeletons and all sorts of other cool science toys for kids and grown-ups. Board games and books galore for puzzle lovers, budding biologists, future chemists, young geologists, aspiring zoologists... Located under Holt Renfrew its hard to find, but worth it for the antique science kits in the window display alone! Good selection of cards and calendars, hours are 10-8, M-F, 10-7 Sat, 12-6 Sun.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Place to Shop for Science Nerds

Silver Snail Comics

Rated this place:

367 Queen St. West, Toronto, ON, M5V 2A4

Comic and toy collector's paradise: Caveat! Not only did I work at the Snail, I dated the manager for several years. Overtime and heartache aside, the Snail is a landmark and a paradise for comic & toy lovers. It's Nerdvana. Want to buy Iron Man's helmet? A CGC copy of Spider Man #1? The Knives of Legolas? A lightsaber? JTHM? Muppet toys? Ugly dolls? The Snail provides. Canadian to the bone, run by the Van Leeuwens for over 30 years, it's a Queen Street legend. The staff and managers know comics. Essential pilgrimage for geeks

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Comic and Toy Collector's Paradise

Want Boutique

Rated this place:

1454 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON, M4T 1Y4

Place to shop when i marry rich: Holy dresses, Batman! Everything at Want looks not just pret-a-porter but pret-a-manger (French for "good enough to eat"). These are clothes season 7 Rory or season 4 Willow would wear. Fresh, funky, unconventional. Satin and cashmere and silk, oh my! If only I could afford a $300 princess-sleeved v-neck babydoll dress to wear over my $180 jeans. Rich potential husbands who want to buy me these things, please apply here (with credit report, natch).

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Place to Shop When I Marry Rich

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

Rated this place:

145 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M5A 1E8

Current opera performance: Coming in April, Toronto baritone Brett Polegato will be singing the title role in Eugene Onegin - a Russian tragedy scored by Tchaikovsky - at the shiny new Four Seasons Opera House. We're lucky to have him home for the season: Brett is usually stolen away to perform in foreign lands. His charisma, sense of humour and passion for his craft always show in his roles. Listening to him sing as Valentin in last year's 'Faust' was glorious. He's also ridiculously good looking. ;)

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Current Opera Performance

Riverdale Farm

Rated this place:

201 Winchester St., Toronto, ON, M4 X1B8

Farmer's market for local produce: One day I'd like to own my own sheep, that I could shear and milk and love (not in the nasty way). Until then, there's Riverdale Farm. The farm's market runs from 3 PM to 7 PM each Tuesday, early May to end of October. All vendors are certified organic, and carry fresh local seasonal food. From fiddleheads to fresh baked sourdough bread, lamb, yogurt, fish from Georgian Bay, bison... it's a cornucopia of Edenic fruits, veg, dairy and meat.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Farmer's Market for Local Produce

The Cloak and Dagger

Rated this place:

394 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1S7

Cozy irish bar: When Kevin Smith came to town, I partied with his film crew at this dark, snug old bar on College Street. We laughed, we danced on the tiny dance floor, we drank many a beer (and a few shots of Jager for good measure) and had a rockin' good time. The bartender was laughing right along with us, not at us, and ponied up a free round in honour of our raucous shenanigans. Plus, it's named after an Atari video game and they serve deep fried Mars Bars. What's not to love?

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Cozy Irish Bar

Webster's Falls

Rated this place:

Spencer Gorge/Webster's Falls Conservation Area, Hamilton, ON

Local waterfall: Some days Toronto's hectic pace gets to be too much, and you need some love from Mother Nature. High Park is great, but it doesn't have waterfalls. Less than an hour west of the city lies Spencer Gorge, just off Highway 5. Bring hiking boots, a picnic, and $5 for parking. Enjoy walking behind the cascade of Webster's, or keep going to see the 41 meter drop of water at Tew's -- nearly as high as Niagara, but fewer tourists and less fudge. Don't litter, and remember, the park closes at sunset.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Local Waterfall