The Big Chill

Rated this place:

367 Manning Avenue, Toronto, ON, M6G 1A1

I feel like I'm 5 yrs old again: You know it's almost summer when the waffley goodness of The Big Chill starts wafting through the streets of Little Italy. I had my first (of many) scoops of the season last night: mint chip and chocolate peanut butter... ummmm. And they put a little mini Oreo on top of every cone.

place milton

Rated this place:

220 rue Milton, Montreal, QC, H2X 1V6

Hungover Brunch: I've only been to Place Milton in a hung-over state of delirium and I’ve always waited in line. Located on the outskirt of the McGill Ghetto, this tiny all-day breakfast spot is a student prerequisite. For well under 10.00 you get all the greasy bacon and eggs you can stomach. The potato hash brown mixture is a really unnatural shade of yellow/green, and I typically leave my brunch at Place feeling worse than when I sat down, but I blame it on the booze not the breakfast itself.

Nico Ristorante

Rated this place:

851 Erie St E, Windsor, ON, N9A3Y7

Italian Delight: Nico’s serves up some truly authentic Italian food in Windsor. There are lots of other Italian restaurants on Erie street, but Nico’s blows them all out of the water with taste, quality, service and price. I always count on their specials for something deliciously fresh and often find myself craving the PEI mussel antipasti. This place is chic and cozy all at once. A definite must if you have guests visiting.

Thirsty Cactus Cantina & Grill

Rated this place:

2 King St E, Dundas, ON, L9H1B8

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

Charcuterie Le Cartier (aka Super Sandwich)

Rated this place:

1115 Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC

Best Kept Secret in MTL: In the bottom of the Cartier Building on Sherbrooke there is a little dep in the back that is home to some of the most delicious, cheapest and well…superest sandwiches. Yes that’s right it’s a dep…but just go up to the counter and for a few dollars (literally) you get a whole hot baguette full of sandwich in about 15 seconds. Oh and it’s hot! Disclaimer: Super Sandwich doesn’t have any seating so make alternate arrangements

Snack'n Blues

Rated this place:

5260 Saint-Laurent Boul, Montreal, QC

It's All in the Name: You can expect both snacks and blues at this Mile End fave. They always have the best little bowls of snacks. Ummm

Crescent Oil

Rated this place:

136 Cannon St W, Hamilton, ON, L8R2B9

Motorcycle Oil: Not only are the staff super friendly and knowledgeable—they also have great prices. This is the only place I even consider going to for motorcycle oil. Check it out!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Oil for my motorcycle

Duff's Sports Bar & Billiards

Rated this place:

1242 Garner Rd W, Ancaster, ON, L9G3K9

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• pool tables

Stampede Ranch

Rated this place:

226 Woodlawn Rd W, Guelph, ON, N1H1B6

2-step into my heart: The Stampede Ranch is where all the cowboys and girls come to play in Guelph. Whether you know how to 2-step or not, this hoedown is where it’s at. But be warned, the dance floor is exclusively meant for dancing!

Bonanza Bakery

Rated this place:

100 Murray St E, Hamilton, ON, L8L3G4

Best Lunch in the Hammer: I have a theory that wherever City workers are lined-up is typically the best place to eat lunch. In the case of Bonanza this is absolutely true. This tiny, almost hidden European bakery/deli caters to a lunch time crowd that often stretches out the door. With fresh homemade subs for 2.50 and home-cooked hotplate treats like veal and chicken cutlets and pizza, this is an absolute lunch must in the Hammer. *A good place to check out hot City firefighters and cops too (almost as tasty at the lunch itself).

Stoney Creek Dairy Bar

Rated this place:

135 King Street East, Hamilton, ON

Tiger Tail and Peanut Buster Parfaits: That's my childhood in a nutshell. Lining up at Stoney Creek Dairy for an early summer eves treat. My brother and I would always go for the Tiger Tale cone which would inevitably melt all over our faces, while my parents ate away at Peanut Buster Parfaits. This place just oozes tradition and nostalgia and I don’t think I’m alone in this diagnosis.

Bakers Table

Rated this place:

227 Bloor Street E, Oshawa, ON

Italian Goodness: This fantastic Italian bakery/cafe/grocery stop is a delicious authentic treat. I love sipping on their perfect cappuccino's while browsing for rare Eropean treats.

Chippewa Creek Golf & Country Club

Rated this place:

9639 Chippewa Rd, Hamilton, ON

First Spring Game!: Had a great first round out at Chippewa last weekend. I totally love this course. It's no PGA country club, in fact it's a remodeled farm and you can still hear nearby cows moo on some of the greens. With 27 holes and lots of challenging par 5’s, this course is perfect for beginners and novice players alike. Our spring game was only 30$ for 18, and during the summer the twilight rates are really reasonable (25$). Last year I joined their women’s league, and every Tuesday after work enjoyed a round for 20$ with fellow “Chippewa Chicks”.

Che Burrito & Lounge

Rated this place:

38 Hess Street South, Hamilton, ON

BEST burrito: My love for Che is absolutely undying. People are usually turned off by this place because it’s in Hess Village, but rest assured this is not your average yappy Hess joint. In fact, it’s one of the few places where you can spot some hipsters in Hamilton. The menu is a tiny piece of paper with check boxes that allow you to customize your burrito (or taco). From the typical guacamole and sour cream toppings to roasted corn and delicious Mexican rice, there are so many amazing choices and you can add as many as you want for little to no extra cost. A small burrito is more than I can usually manage and the price is soooo reasonable. If you go on Tuesday (when burritos are 2 for 1) anticipate a wait.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• burrito
• 2 for 1 Tuesday
• deep fried mars bar
• cheap tequilla

Gandhi Roti

Rated this place:

554 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M5V2B5

Peas and Cheese, the perfect union: The peas and cheese roti (can't remember the menu name for it) is absolutely addictive. The cheese is cubed like the curds of a poutine and the peas are so fresh they explode with flavour in your mouth. ummmmmm

Tam Tams

Rated this place:

1260 chemin Remembrance (Parc Mont Royal), Montreal, QC, H3H 1A2

Unity Among Masses: Tam Tam's is a truly unique sight to behold. Each Sunday (weather permitting), thousands of Montrealer's congregate at Parc Mount Royal to enjoy themselves in every way imaginable. From massive drumming and dancing circles to extreme hackie-sackers, Frisbee fanatics, and medieval jousters with elaborate foam weapons, there is absolutely something for everyone at Tam Tams.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Medieval Jousting
• Perfect Sunday Activity

Eden

Rated this place:

3575 avenue du parc, Montreal, QC, H2X3P9

Tuna Sandwich: There is a little deli counter at the back of Eden where they make THE BEST sandwiches. They use fresh baked (on site) baguette, pretty standard ingredients and the price is not really that cheap—but somehow the sandwiches that come out of this place are absolutely addictive. The tuna is easily my favorite, I crave it almost every day and sometimes get the full length sandwich and eat it for lunch and dinner. I don’t know how they do it, but once you have a sandwich from Eden you may never be the same again.

Tay Do

Rated this place:

300 avenue Duluth Est, Montreal, QC, H2W1H9

Crispy Noodles: This is the only BYOB Asian-style restaurant I’ve ever been to. The menu is really affordable and the crispy noodle dishes are super tasty.

Eduardo's

Rated this place:

404 ave. Duluth est., Montreal, QC, H2L 1A3

Tacky and Delicious : Eduardo’s is soooo cute...in a tacky Italian décor kind of way. Serving basic Italian pasta dishes at reasonable prices, it’s one of the best BYOW's on Duluth.

Bell Centre

Rated this place:

1260 Rue De La Gauchetiere Ouest, Montreal, QC, H3B5E8

Blockbuster Music Venue: Bell Centre is a really good blockbuster venue. It's the place to be for acts like U2 and Justin Timberlake and it's pretty hard to find yourself in a bad seat. Even the nose-bleeds offer a respectable view. And, of course its home to the Habs!

Cuisine Bangkok

Rated this place:

1616 Ste-Catherine O., Montreal, QC, H3H 1L7

Surely the best Curry: The Pad Thai is definitely amazing but I can’t seem to stop ordering the veg/tofu curry! So many veggies and such a good price (under 10$). On the top floor of the Faubourg, this little gem is easy to overlook but totally worth finding. There is a spice warning at the counter and they’re not lying. Spicy is actually pretty spicy so you might want to take it easy if you’re a first-timer.

1 Plus 1 Pizza

Rated this place:

3679 Boul Saint-laurent, Montreal, QC, H2X 2V5

Best Pepperoni Slice: Now this is how .99 pizza should be—cheap, greasy and always a sweet afterhours crowd hanging around. Sandwiched between some of my favorite bars on St. Laurent, 1 plus 1 (aka point á point) has the best pepperoni pizza. The pepperonis are little, not the big nasty bologna kind that most places use, and are cooked really crispy ON TOP of the cheese. You couldn’t ask for more at 4am.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Late night slice
• crispy pepperoni

Momma's Pizzeria

Rated this place:

75 Avenue Des Pins O, Montreal, QC, H2W 1R4

Late Night Delivery: I can't even begin to count how many times I've been saved by some Momma's late night delivery—poutine, milkshakes and chicken nuggets at 4:00 am always sounds so good at the time.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• poutine
• Late night delivery

Biosphere, Environment Museum

Rated this place:

160 Chemin Tour-de-l'Isle, Montreal, QC, H2M 2T6

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

La Chilenita

Rated this place:

64 Rue Marie-Anne Ouest, Montreal, QC

Empanada : Ummm, so good and cheap. For 5$ you can fill up on empanada goodness while chilling at Chilenita's. There are only a few tables, but if you land one (usually not that difficult), then you’re in for a delicious treat.Oh and they have really cute mini empanada's... so cute you'll want to eat at least 3 or 4.