Mengrai Gourmet Thai

Rated this place:

82 Ontario Street, Toronto, ON, M5A 2V3

My Fave T.O. Resto: The best thai place I've found in Toronto (and I've tried a million of them on a quest to find a pad thai as good as Cuisine Bankok in Montreal.)So much attention to detail is put into the appearance of every dish - and they taste even better than they look! The other reviewers are spot on with the recommendation of the red curry with lychee. It's such an interesting and delicious combination that comes served inside of a pineapple.The decor is beautiful and makes this spot a little more special than your typical thai spot.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Thai Food
• Thai Restaurant
• Iron Chef Sasi
• Red Curry with Lychee
• Thai Curry
• Beautiful Decor

Rodney's Oyster House

Rated this place:

469 King St. W, Toronto, ON, M5A1M8

My Fave T.O. Resto: I wouldn't change a thing about Rodney's. They've found the perfect balance between casual and fancy. It's high end without being too pretentious.Their waiters are always so cool - but manage to be even friendlier than they are hip. And, most importantly, they serve the best seafood in the city.Definitely pricier, but worth splurging on special occasions with a lobster and oysters.

Mezes

Rated this place:

456 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON, M4K1P4

Best of Greektown: Anything East of Yonge is so foreign to me, I feel like I'm in another city. And with all the different Greek restaurants lining the street, it's easy to fall into a tourist trap in this destination neighborhood. The dip platter is excellent (especially the tzatziki and the taramosalata, they'll give you extra large portions of just the two, if you ask) and the mains are huge. Just order some appetizers and share a main. Everything is simple, fresh, and delicious. Now that we know a great spot, we've been more excited to venture away from the west end and explore more of the city.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• greek restaurant
• Tzatziki
• Authentic Greek Restaurant
• Taramosalata

Nazareth Restaurant

Rated this place:

969 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON, M6H1L7

$4 Dinner!? RECENTLY RENOVATED: I was crushed when I drove passed recently and noticed it closed with a sign up, thinking it had shut down. But, luckily, she was just expanding and talking over the recently closed Pam's Roti. Open again, with shorter lines thanks to the expanded space, Nazareth is back and better than ever. It's hard to find a better deal in the city than Nazareth ethiopian food. It's often cheaper to eat here than to eat at home. I've checked out lots of Ethiopian restuarants in the city, and even the more expensive ones don't come close to Nazareth.Their vegetarian platter is only $7.99 and serves two! $4 dinner?! The decor is interesting with an eclectic crowd - a mix of students and locals.The owner is friendly but stern, and not afraid to let you know your time is up and that you have to pass your table on to the next group waiting at the bar. But she never forgets a face, and will welcome you back and remember your favorites for next time.

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

Pandemonium Books & Discs

Rated this place:

2862 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON, M6P1Y8

Books and Records: Great used bookshop in the Junction. Why pay list price at the store when they offer a great selection of remaindered fiction at half the price. Their collection is well curated, with no pulp and mass-market. The owner knows exactly what he's doing. Check their website frequently for features and updates. They also buy books.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• indie bookstore
• Junction Bookstore
• used books
• used records

Swirl

Rated this place:

946 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON

Completely Charming: There is something so much more satisfying about finding a place that's hard to find. Bad signage and hidden entries make you feel more "in-the-know". I walked right past Swirl without noticing the odd apartment entry amidst the storefronts on Queen street when I heard my boyfriend behind me say, "the stairs on this place look completely up your alley". He was right. We walked right up the damask print stairs into the cutest little converted bar above a pet shop. The wine list is well curated and reasonably priced, with amazing appetizers served in mason jars (all made ahead, this place has no kitchen) and great cheese plates direct from the Leslieville Cheese Market. The friendly service and interesting liqueurs (chamomile grappa, pomegranate tequila) ensured that I'll come back again. Perfect date spot.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• wine
• adorable
• date spot
• infused tequila

Thai Dish

Rated this place:

51 Colborne St, Toronto, ON, M5E1E3

Mediocre: On a quest to find a pad thai place in the city as good as Montreal's Cuisine Bankok, I can now cross this place off my list of places to try - and it's definitely not in the running for the prize. They offer a good array of reasonably priced lunch specials (though nothing special) in the St. Lawrence district. The place was busy and lively, but the decor was a poorly renovated industrial space.

Sadie's Diner

Rated this place:

504 Adelaide St. W, Toronto, ON

Try Harder: I love the idea of a vegetarian diner and I wanted to like it so bad, but Sadie's falls short.

Don't think you can make a vegetarian happy by simply excluding the meat. Things still have to taste good and have a little bit of preparation behind them.

Their burgers are the same flavourless pucks that mean relatives will pick up from the grocery store knowing that you won't eat steak at the barbeque. Not quite worth the money, especially when you can almost see craft burger from your table.

I do hear the chili is good and prepared on site, but I can't imagine I'll be back to try it.

El Trompo Taco Bar & Cactus Grill

Rated this place:

277 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T2M1

Authentic Mexican: They have the best, fresh, tomatillo salsa. Ignore the red bowl they give you and stick with the green. It's spicy and one of the best in the city.Ask them for a take-out jar ($4), or two! It's just as good at home and adds a kick to anything.

Rainbow Cinemas

Rated this place:

80 Front Street East, Toronto, ON, M5E 1T4

Toonie Tuesdays: Who wants to give their money to big chains? Brave the lines at the Rainbow Cinemas on Tuesday nights and see the latest releases with just the change between your couch cushions. Think of the money you'll save (or, the money that you can take across the street and spend at the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar - his restaurant is not braving well in these times, according to the Globe).

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• movie theatre
• Tuesday night date
• rainbow cinema
• toonie tuesdays

Imelda

Rated this place:

123 Roncesvalles, Toronto, ON, M6R2K9

Stunning Shoes: Every time I went into the Roncesvalles-favourite, Frock, I was always most excited about the shoes. Apparently, I haven't been the only one, since they've expanded the one little shelf in the corner of Frock into an entire store, Imelda, a few doors down.

I love the minimalist display window with a few featured styles placed on small brightly coloured chairs. They carry Hunter rainboots and Miz Mooz heels, among others - and they're currently carrying that perfect pair of gladiator sandals you've been looking for.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• shoes
• purses
• Miz Mooz
• Hunter Rainboots
• Gladiator Sandals

Noble Restaurant

Rated this place:

530 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, M5T1H3

A New Favourite: I love the busy atmosphere of push-cart dim sum. But when I'm sitting there eating and seeing the same food lap the room again and again, I wonder how long the stuff I'm having has been sitting out. Noble is a la carte dim sum. It's made fresh and you can taste the difference. It's a little more expensive (barely!) than the neighboring places in Chinatown, but serves quality ingredients with noticeably better seafood. They have the best har gao!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• dim sum
• chinese
• har gao
• a la carte

Poutini's House of Poutine

Rated this place:

1112 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON

Even for Vegetarians: They know their stuff - the owners are French-Canadian. You'll find no powdered gravies here, it's all made fresh. Even the vegetarian version has gravy reduced from roasted vegetables. They even offer soy curds for vegans!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• poutine
• vegetarian gravy

Fat Cat Wine Bar

Rated this place:

331 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto, ON, M6R 2M8

Lobster and Sangria: Walking down Roncesvalles, the sign caught my eye, "Monday and Tuesday nights, $20 Lobster". It was enough to make my partner and I ditch our tofu and salad plan to stake out a spot on the patio for the evening. Reservations are recommended, but we lucked out. With specials every night of the week, we're going to make this a monthly tradition. Pitchers of sangria are also $20 nightly from 5-7pm. The patio is stunning and the food is great - spontaneous plans like that are always the most special.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• wine
• Lobster
• Deal
• sangria pitcher
• mondays
• tuesday

Corner House Restaurant

Rated this place:

501 Davenport Rd, Toronto, ON, M4V1B8

Wow: I'm not much of a cheesecake person, but everyone I know who had been here told me I had to have it.

And, I'm so glad I did. It was perfect. Not too sweet and wrapped in flaky, buttery phyllo pastry, it was the perfect ending to a delicious meal.

When making a reservation, ask to be in the room with the fireplace.

Tealish

Rated this place:

198 Walnut Ave, Toronto, ON, M6J2N6

Tealish-ious: They have so many different flavours, you'll have such a hard time choosing. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and will help you make your choice - and probably talk you into something a little extra

Loose leaf teas may seem a little more expensive at first - but you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much a bag will stretch, and the packaging is all airtight and resealable.

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts

Rated this place:

4 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON, M5R2E8

Treat Yourself: Definitely pricy - but worth a splurge every now and then.

They're allowed to charge that much when the view is perfect, the decor is pure class, the mixed drinks and cocktails are divine, and little trays of the olives and spiced almonds are kept filled while you imbibe.

Great spot for a first date!

Kensington Market

Rated this place:

S. of College St., W. of Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON, M5L1G4

Perfect Weekend Trip: Best browsing spot in the city! Full of vintage clothing shops, international foods, and niche stores. Grab a coffee at Ideal; pick up a book; and then, if you can, score a patio spot (I recommend embassy) and don't move all afternoon as you enjoy the people watching.

I can't wait until pedestrian Sundays start!

Sweaty Betty's

Rated this place:

13 Ossington Ave., Toronto, ON, M6J 2Y8

Casual Bar: Skip the mixed drinks and grab a beer at the bar.

Small and cozy, with my favorite feature - a jukebox! I love the old sofas and the vintage tattoo art.

The Common

Rated this place:

1071 College Street, Toronto, ON, M6H 1B2

Local Coffeeshop: Great fair-trade, organic coffee at very reasonable prices ($2.00 for an americano). Free wifi for customers!

The staff is so friendly and the shop is so adorably decorated with a long ivy vine sprawling across the wall and some toys and books for bored kids.

Trampoline Hall at Sneaky Dee's

Rated this place:

431 College St., Toronto, ON, M5T1T1

Off-Beat Lectures: I have never attended trampoline hall and seen what I had expected going in. I've also never left disappointed.

The lectures by non-experts are always entertaining - especially the question and answer period moderated by the great MC, Misha Glouberman.

Join their facebook group to be the first to know about upcoming shows, and go early to Soundscapes for tickets - they sell out fast.

And purchase some of Becky Johnson's adorable handmade buttons while you're there!

The Hen House

Rated this place:

1532 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON

Hidden Gem: This is one of those places that you almost don't want to share, so you can enjoy keeping it to yourself a little longer.

I had passed it on the streetcar several times and saw the hip crowd spilling out onto the street to smoke and chat - but, due to the sign, "Cafe Dong Phuong", I was confused and just thought it was a really cool neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant.

Who doesn't love a jukebox? And this one has one of the best selections in the city - rivaling even the Communists Daughter.

I also *loved* their washrooms. Wallpapered with yearbook pages from the sixties, it was amusing to read all the anachronistic career aspirations.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Jukebox
• Dundas West
• LGBT

The Red Light

Rated this place:

1185 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, M6J 1X3

Too Ironic Jukebox: Owned by the same people as Sweaty Betty's, I had high hopes for this place. I loved it the moment I walked in; they have a great beer selection and the decor is stunning - they've done a great reno job to this place.

We walked to the back when we arrived and found a great table and enjoyed the Tom Waits playing. A little later the place started packing up and things went downhill when the music was switched to the jukebox.I am on record as loving bars with jukeboxes. This one, however, is far too ironic to be enjoyable.

What makes jukeboxes so great is that a good bar-owner can curate their collection to make it impossible for a patron to pick a bad song. At The Red Light, it felt like every other '45 seemed to be an joke pick. And every douchebag with a few drinks in him wanted to play Rappers Delight for the 6th time.

Do other jukeboxes have a limit on how often a song can be played? I have never heard the same song twice at the Communist's Daughter - which is exactly where we headed when we couldn't take listening to Funky Cold Medina again and again.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• bad jukebox
• great decor
• bourbon

Jackie O

Rated this place:

626 College Street, Toronto, ON

Stylish, Modern, Eco-Friendly: This place has been on my radar since I noticed their potted Christmas plants decorating some of my favorite places on College Street. Their adorable little trees looked like they came right out of a Dr. Seuss book.

Recently, while trying to find a housewarming gift for a friend, I ventured back to Jackie O after the disappointment that was store after store of potted plants and bouquets that looked like they'd been around from the 80's.

You'll find none of that other stuff at Jackie O. And with a name like that, would you expect to? Everything is perfectly simple, eyecatching, and locally-sourced (where possible).

Look for the elegant white storefront in Little Italy if you want to buy me flowers.

Robber

Rated this place:

863 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M6J 1G4

"Stole" my heart: Bad puns aside, Robber is a great addition to the Queen West West strip. They have a good mix of different price ranges and carry a wide range of hard-to-find labels.

They're the only Toronto retailer of the fashion-blog-favourite, Built By Wendy. After drooling over their website for months, I was excited to see some of the pieces in person - and they're just as nice.

And, for those of you like me - who love American Apparel's sweatshop free missive and comfy tees, but hate the thought of supporting the skeezy Dov Charney - they carry the also-sustainable Alternative Apparel.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• friendly staff
• Built by Wendy
• Alternative Apparel