Feet First

Rated this place:

300 Borough Dr #214, Scarborough, ON, M1P4P5

These boots were made for walkin'...: I like the fact that I can find boots here that can make me feel comfortable and not worry about a certain threshold of time and distance before my feet start getting sore(s). A good place to go to if you're not looking for anything too trendy or high fashion (i.e. spiked heels), but something functional, long-lasting and stylish (with LOTS of leather).

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Winter boots

Bloom Cafe

Rated this place:

45 Baldwin Street, Toronto, ON, M5T1L1

First date: The first thing you notice once you climb the stairs and enter this ultimate chill-out joint is Louis Armstrong. (Just his voice, not his spectre.) Order their special hand-sewn "first date" blooming tea ball, and watch it literally blossom in your clear teapot. Taste and savour the jasmine and white tea flavours while sitting on the couch lined against the wall complete with fluffy cushions. If you're not able to take advantage of their free wifi, take any one of their mags for a quiet read and order some small dishes from their kitchen.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• first date
• couches
• blooming tea leaves

Sadie's Diner

Rated this place:

504 Adelaide St. W, Toronto, ON

Veggie-licious!: I had their veggie burger and fries and could not finish the whole thing. It's savoury scent was so alluring it literally made one of my coworkers perk his head and he tried to track the source. Definitely a fun place to take family or friends.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• vegetarian diner

Le Gourmand

Rated this place:

438 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON, M5V 3S6

Flakey awesomeness: Choose from their vegetarian (tomatoes, spinach, etc.), ham and cheese, or their smoked salmon quiches and prepare your tastebuds for savoury splendor. The place can be a bit cramped and tables fill up quite quickly, but that's because I've only been there during the afternoon rush. Good quality food and a variety of selection for those who want to avoid the hum drum and mundane lunch sandwich.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• quiche
• gourmet lunch

Burger King

Rated this place:

7240 Kennedy Road, Markham, ON, L3R 7P2

In a perfect world...: ... my fast food meal would be a Whopper from Burger King and fries from McDonalds. Maybe someday that dream will come true...without needing to buy these at two separate places, that is. ;)

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• fast food burger
• late night craving

Mandarin Restaurant

Rated this place:

7660 Woodbine Avenue, Markham, ON, L3R2N2

10% entree, 90% dessert: My special dessert combination is take two waffle pieces, add whipped cream, powdered sugar, two scoops of cappucino ice cream, chocolate syrup, and peanut toppings. It might sound gross now, but it's delicious in my tummy, and I can always have second servings. This location is best, although there's a new location at 14th Avenue and 9th Line with less waiting time!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• DIY ice cream waffle
• crispy shrimp

King's Noodle Restaurant

Rated this place:

296 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T2E7

Quick lunch: It's great to come here for a quick bite to eat during your lunch hour. The place is very inexpensive since with dim sum, you can share a lot of your dishes. On average, each plate was around $3 each, however you get what you pay for -- meaning there were some dishes I tried that I wish I didn't have to leave to waste because I didn't like how it was made. It gets very busy during lunchtime, but you can still count on them for a speedy and filling meal.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• dim sum

Scarborough Town Centre

Rated this place:

300 Borough Dr #26, Scarborough, ON, M1P4P5

Multi-tasker paradise: If you want to avoid high schoolers, don't come here on Friday afternoons. But overall, this place is pretty convenient because they're in the center of everything -- TTC, the Civic Centre (where you can get government documents like passports processed), shops, optometrists, restaurants, you name it. Over the years, the stores have changed to reflect bigger retailers, but the deals to me seem better than what I would find in other malls.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• All-in-one errand stop

Forever 21

Rated this place:

302 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON, M5B1R4

Not worth the price: I am not a very big fashionista, so I guess when I come here, I feel like it resembles an expensive H&M. Plain pieces that probably look best when layered with something else is not really my forte. However, I'm sure there are finds that make this place better than their cheaper competitor, but for now, I'll stick to digging through with Winners.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• cheap clothing store

Body Blitz

Rated this place:

471 Adelaide St. W., Toronto, ON, M5V1T1

Exfoliate the stress away!: This photo isn't me, this is from their site, but I did get a body scrub from them and it was raw and wonderful. My skin never felt so soft. The process itself was funny because I felt like I was in a car wash. The best part is the service and water facilities; the staff are extremely friendly and before you have your appointment you can rotate around the pools for treatment. There's a green tea tub, salt water, an infra-red sauna, a steam room, and a shivering cold water pool.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• body scrub

C1 Art Space

Rated this place:

44 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON, M6J2Y7

DIY Fun With Friends: Customize a t-shirt, make some cool invitations, or create a work of art to display in your home. There are drop-ins and scheduled art classes. The way drop-ins work is you visit the studio with whatever images you had in mind to screenprint printed on acetate (clear overhead projector sheets) -- you can get this done at any copy centre. Contact them in advance and they'll prepare you for what you'll need. The classes are fun, a little messy, and a great way to flex your creative talents!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• silk screening
• drop-in art class
• screenprinting

Toronto International Pearson Airport

Rated this place:

3111 Convair Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L5P 1B2

Ri-co-lah!: This sexy, Gehry-esque curved structure gets bolder when you step into its hollow center. Tiny whispers get amplified and reverberate around you -- it's pretty hard to resist shouting out "Ri-co-lah!" or other nonsense. A fun distraction while you wait to board your plane, but unfortunately, it's only available at the end of Terminal 1's Pier F (past security).

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• echo chamber

Pizza Hut

Rated this place:

31 Tapscott Rd, Scarborough, Ontario, M1B 4Y7

Crumbs in the box: The sizes can be smaller than other pizza competitors, but the crust is so delectable I forgive them for it. One of the pizza places that I can rely on for hot slices that will rarely have any leftovers.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Pizza delivery
• crust

Aveda Lifestyle Store

Rated this place:

220 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B2H1

You get what you pay for: I wouldn't say this is for the thrifty person. To be honest, I ended up here to relax after a long day and didn't even blink twice at the cost of eyebrow waxing and shaping for at least $20. But the customer service was excellent and the esthetician was very accommodating. I even ended my session with a complementary makeover, with a lip gloss that looked so nice I had to buy it. Very glad I came here, but this is definitely a treat that I will indulge in once in a while.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Salon
• eyebrow waxing
• makeover

Hua Sang Seafood Restaurant

Rated this place:

41 Baldwin St, Toronto, ON, M5T1L1

Escargots in black bean sauce, Lobster with ginger and green onion: Beware: if you want to eat this delicious dish, you need to dig in with your hands. Servers provide you with long, oversized toothpicks/wooden skewers to pick out the snail. But the real star of the meal is the sauce, which has a hint of spice.

They give you the lobster dish in what I like to call "lazy pieces," meaning it's already cut up and easy for you to get at the meat. The ginger and green onion flavour makes you want to nibble it right off the shell, definitely not saucy like black bean, but that's not to say you won't get messy. Big portions, too!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Escargots in black bean sauce
• lobster with ginger and green onion

Placewares

Rated this place:

93 Front St E, Toronto, ON, M5E1C3

Kitchen accessories: This place is cramped but chock-full of great tools for the kitchen. Baking trays, cute and funky cookie cutters, restaurant-quality salt and pepper shakers, knives, and plates -- the list can go on. Not the best for big items like pots and pans, but definitely great for all the other minor stuff that you'll need.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• kitchen accessories

Sherway Gardens

Rated this place:

25 The West Mall, Etobicoke, ON, M9C1B8

Shopping maze: If Yorkdale Mall and Square One had a child together, it would be named Sherway Gardens. Some of the retailers seem more upscale a la Yorkdale, and every now and then the paths throughout the mall fork and branch in different directions. Their "gourmet fair" food court has a good selection, and I like that their stores are ones I wouldn't find anywhere else (like a French bath & body shop). Bargains are hit and miss, but window shopping here is always fun!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• shopping maze

Woodbine Centre and Fantasy Fair

Rated this place:

500 Rexdale Blvd, Etobicoke, ON, M9W6K5

Fantasy fair: This indoor attraction is the perfect place to take the kids on a rainy or snowy day. Remember to wear socks, no shoes are allowed if the kiddies want to explore the Play Village, a winding maze of slides and rope climbs. There's also a giant carousel, a ferris wheel, bumper boats, and more. My personal favourite that is no longer there -- the parachute drop. You will be missed.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Fantasy Fair
• indoor playground
• slides

Astoria Shish Kebob House

Rated this place:

390 Danforth Av, Toronto, ON, M4K1P3

New zealand lamb chops: It tastes great and is worth the price (comes with greek salad and side, as usual)

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• New Zealand lamb chops

Banana Republic

Rated this place:

80 Bloor W, Toronto, ON, M5S2V1

Work clothes: A little confession here: I actually buy BR clothes from their outlets in Buffalo. I covet their sweaters, dresses, and dress pants. I realize it's not exactly the place to go if you want to be cutting edge fashion (they are basically a higher quality Gap store), but their pieces are great for the office.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• work clothes

Johnny Rockets

Rated this place:

22 Dundas, Suite E, Toronto, ON, M5B 2L6

Burger joint: When I saw the retro-'50s decor and that the serving staff donned paperhats and white aprons, I was amused. When the young waitress repeated our orders back to us and reported the status of our food while waited, I was impressed. When she and another staffer began DANCING to Donna Summers' "Let's Dance" playing from the jukebox to entertain waiting patrons, I was blown away. Great old-fashioned burgers, great service!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Burger Joint

Blue Mountain Resort

Rated this place:

RR 3, Collingwood, ON, L9Y3Z2

Skiing: It's all about the snowplow, people! Going to Blue Mountain for skiing is as common sense as going to Toronto to see the CN Tower. Whether you're brave enough to try some of their more challenging slopes, or willing to pull some sweet snowboarding moves, come here and have some fun in the snow! (It's better than cursing its existence.)

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

Destiny Asian Fusion

Rated this place:

165 York Boulevard, Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4B 3J6

Couches: Sometimes it's better to savour your food and conversation, and there's no better place to hang out with comfort than at Destiny's fluffy couches. Servers will provide you with as many mini-dishes as you'd like to order, with a broad selection from noodle soups to desserts. Just sit back, relax, and read a magazine or two.

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

Dr. Nancy Youssef, M.D.

Rated this place:

701 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 101, North York, Ontario, M2K 2Z3

Walk-in clinic: On Mondays, they're open until 7pm, and they are based in a building that houses other medical services such as blood cultures, x-ray and ultrasound technicians, and a pharmacy. If you're looking for a doctor with an extra personal touch, you won't find that here. Dr. Youssef is a no-nonsense lady who will look directly at your needs and address them, great for people always on the go.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• walk-in clinic

York Mills Station

Rated this place:

4015 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON, M2P2E3

Free parking: The York Mills subway station has free parking after 3pm from Mon-Fri and all weekend. Even if you did pay, the daily rate is only $6.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• free parking