Mercury Organic Espresso Bar

Rated this place:

915 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON, M4M 1J4

Organic coffee bar: Loud rock and good strong coffee are a fine way to start the day. especially when that coffee is high octane stuff of superlative ilk, and the music has equally stand-out rev-up qualities. Also, a notable lack of take-out accoutrements, which means less waste - I like that. Some great local baked goods. And neato local art stuffs (like shadow puppet-shaped framed mittens).

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• organic coffee bar

Studio Kim

Rated this place:

766 King St W, Toronto, ON, M5V1N6

Indie tailor: Kim really knows what she's doing. This girl makes things fit. Well.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Indie Tailor

Super Kolbasa & Bakery

Rated this place:

255 Dundas St W #6a, Mississauga, ON, L5B3B2

Polish deli: From sauerkraut pierogi to poppyseed strudel to farmer's rye and, yes, kolbasa - this place puts me in touch with the Polish side of my stomach, and all the eastern Euro people in my hood. It's a full Polish market besides - from pastries to packaged goods.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Polish deli

Fran's Restaurant

Rated this place:

20 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5G1K2

Adult milkshake: Fran's diner has the best grown-up milkshakes, with a little shot of the go-go juice mixed in for extra goodness. Nothing better to wash down one of their real-cheese grilled cheeses, or their award-winning apple pie. Mmmmm.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• adult milkshake

Mocca Choca

Rated this place:

94 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, M5G 1G2

Fresh lemonade: This guy for sure had the best lemonade stand on the block as a kid. He's raised the prices now (about $3.50 for this citrusy treat) but the charming Japanese proprietor still makes each glass from scratch, from juicing the lemons, to sweetening by taste (seriously, he tastes it with a spoon to make sure it's just right). Perfect every time.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• fresh lemonade

The Drake Hotel

Rated this place:

1150 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M6J 1J3

Grilled chicken curry sandwich, Mid-morning patio chill-out: A melange of grilled chicken, grapes, walnuts and a curry mayo dressing are a great way to dress up a couple slices of fresh challah, if you ask me.

The surrounds are the perfect balance of big ol' trees, heritage buildings, queen west west fashion inspiration, artfully mismatched furniture, and, most importantly, a display of tasty-looking breakfast options, all available from the menu.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• grilled chicken curry sandwich
• mid-morning patio chill-out

Johnny Cupello & Assoc Salon

Rated this place:

2316 Bloor St W #A, Toronto, ON, M6S1P2

Hair cut and colour: Danae at the High Park location is amazing. I've been following this girl around southern Ontario for 8 years now, and for good reason. She's creative, skilled, and completely up-to-date on latest trends and techniques. Plus, she is a total artist/perfectionist. My dream hair stylist - I've had short, long, funky, sleek, and every kind of colour and combo you can imagine. Pleased as punch every time.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• hair cut and colour

Yung Sing Pastry Shop

Rated this place:

22 Baldwin St, Toronto, ON, M5T1L2

Chinese buns: I love the bbq pork-filled savoury buns here. Cheap like dirt, portable, and yummy. We lived on these for lunches while working at Descant magazine - just up the street.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Chinese buns

Chiado Restaurant

Rated this place:

864 College St, Toronto, ON, M6H1A3

Fine dining: This upscale Portuguese bistro has the most delectable fare. the seafood really shines - perfectly seared tuna steaks, the most succulent tiger shrimp. the atmosphere is all dim elegance, and the service is impeccable - waitstaff come and go, delivering drinks and dishes, and clearing others away, without your ever being aware of their presence. i love the between-course table decrumbing - courtesy of your skillful server and a little brass dustpan and brush. : ) eat. drink. be merry.

Alice Fazooli's! Italian Grill

Rated this place:

294 Adelaide St. W., Toronto, ON, M5V1P6

Martini sampler: For just $8 you can have 4 mini martinis, all different (lemon, vanilla, raspberry, and still one more), all delicious, and, as a set, a lot like beautiful drinkable art. why choose only one drink when you can have 4 teeny tinis?

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• martini sampler

Don Valley Brick Works

Rated this place:

550 Bayview Ave., Toronto, ON, M4W1X8

Walk for two: If you're looking for kind of a fun adventure, hike down from Sherbourne station, across the bridge and into Rosedale, then follow the trail through the forest down to the Brick Works. For almost a hundred years the Brick Works produced bricks for homes as well as national landmarks like Massey Hall. Now you can explore all the derelict buildings, and 40 acres of quarry, wetlands, hiking trails, and wildflower meadows that surround them. Really cool.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Walk for Two

La Creperie

Rated this place:

55 Mill Street, Bldg. 47, Unit 102, Toronto, ON, M5A 3C4

Pulled pork crepe: Take a perfect organic buckwheat crepe and fill it with site-roasted braised pork, gruyere cheese, sharp grainy mustard and baby arugula, and you've got yourself one top-notch french canadian delicacy.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• pulled pork crepe

Lee

Rated this place:

603 King St. W., Toronto, ON, M5V1E1

Gazpacho, Pan-asian tapas, Singapore slaw: Never in my life have I tasted this kind of cold vegetable heaven. Maybe it was the freshness of the tomatoes, or maybe the swirl of avocado cream, or perhaps the tiny corn fritter puff and fresh herb garnish, but this was some top-notch soup people. summer only. mark your calendars.

The atmosphere is casual and funky, but the service is pristine (a hard combo to pull off). the prices are reasonable for the calibre of the food, which is top-notch. only one dish was diappointing - a baked lentil dish. every other mini dish was a wonderful flavour sensation, and gorgeous to look at.

It is soooo delicious - like 20 different ingredients (fennel, daikon, peanuts, pea shoots, edible pansy petals etc etc) in a fantastic ume and sesame dressing. Looks amazing. Tastes even better.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• pan-asian tapas
• gazpacho
• singapore slaw

Mangiacake Panini Shoppe

Rated this place:

160 McCaul Street, Toronto, ON, M5T1W4

Americano coffee, Grilled sandwich: This is one quality espresso big sister people. Prepared with skill and served up by friendly counterfolk. Plus - anything you get to go with your coffee is delicious. And so is a browse at the clothing boutique upstairs.

This cute little Baldwin Village shop has great authentic Italian sandwiches - try the signature Mangiacake: smoked turkey, provolone and pipotto sauce on calabrese. Or the Tonna: marinated artichokes, tuna, and lemon aioli on tomato ciabatta. And there are plenty of other delicious options besides. Choose your sides from a selection of fresh salads and daily antipasto selections.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Americano coffee
• Grilled sandwich

Karma Food Co-Op Inc

Rated this place:

739 Palmerston Ave, Toronto, ON, M6G2R3

Indie health food store: You need to be a member of the co-op to shop here, but if you want to just give it a try, you can shop once for free. karma's been around for more than 30 years, and carries a large selection of local and organic produce, organic bulk foods, organic meats and breads, and environmentally friendly household products. very cool. find out more about membership, the co-op, or read their newsletter here: http://www.karmacoop.org/index.html

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Indie Health Food Store

Dolce Gelato E Cafe

Rated this place:

697 COLLEGE ST., Toronto, ON, M6G1C2

Dessert for two: A warm summer's night, a little italy stroll, and an ice cream. yum. perfect for sharing. dolce serves up the real deal, and the happy patrons licking cones and lining the neighbouring sidewalks during ice cream season prove it. grab a seat outside and watch the world go by, or have your gelato packed up for home. wonderful flavours, wonderful texture, and lots of variety. sample to your heart's content before settling on the gelato for you.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Dessert for Two

Art Gallery of Ontario

Rated this place:

317 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON, M5T1G4

Cheap date: Cinemateque does an ongoing series of free screenings of world-class filmworks at the AGO's Jackman Hall. Check out the Free Screen schedule here http://www.cinemathequeontario.ca/grouping.aspx , pick up some snacks, and you're ready to go.

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

My Market Bakery

Rated this place:

172 Baldwin St, Toronto, ON, M5T1L8

Egg bread, Indie bakery: These sweet, fluffy, glossy loaves are perfect for turning into sandwich outsides or the most amazing french toast.

They have such a yummy selection of breads, most baked on site, and a few from some artisanal bakeries around town (like st. urbain bagels). the challah is amazing. so are the whole grain buns. they make a wide selection of delicious square cut pastries, cakes and pies. worth a stop.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• egg bread
• Indie Bakery

Artzy Phartzy

Rated this place:

1912 Queen E, Toronto, ON, M4L1H5

Cheap housewares: It's not exactly bargain basement, but i find the prices here for home decor items are really reasonable.

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

BMV Books

Rated this place:

10 Edward St, Toronto, ON, M5G 1C9

Cheap books: The selection is great, though it can sometimes test my patience to look through all the unalphabetized titles in each category. but, the staff are very helpful and can usually point you in the right direction. all the books are new, but the prices are deeply discounted. i've still never made it to the bargain basement below the main level, but i'm sure still more sweet deals await you there.

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

Beach Solar Laundromat

Rated this place:

2240 Queen St. E., Toronto, ON, M4E 1G2

Green cleaning services: It doesn't get any cooler than a laundromat with all the hot water heated by solar panels. the apartments above are also treated to solar hot water. http://www.mondial-energy.com/beachsolarlaundromat.htm

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Green Cleaning Services

Bloor Court Market

Rated this place:

936 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M6H1L4

Indie market: It's got super variety for a little local joint - st. urbain bagels and euro breads, organic and standard produce, dairy, dry goods, frozen foods. Everything you need when you don't have time to make it to a larger place, or if, like me, you don't even want to. Plus, the owners are this super cool Korean family that speak perfect Portuguese and English as well as Korean, and they switch on a dime depending on who's in line next at the cash. Impressive.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• indie market

Linux Caffe

Rated this place:

326 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M6G 1H1

Indie cafe: Okay - i love the nerd cool of this place. it's not an internet cafe, but just like its name suggests, it is a cafe with an open source software theme, full of books on coding, and plenty of places to park with your laptop and use the free wireless. the sunny windows and great assortment of cheap and delicious organic coffees, vegan and standard baking, grilled sandwiches and smoothies make it a great place to spend a couple of hours. great little patio. great view of the park. friendly staff.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Indie Cafe

Sunshine Deli

Rated this place:

895 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, M6J1V9

Indie vintage shop: I always find something great when I go in there. Especially good vintage boots. The owner knows how to pick cool pieces in good condition.

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

Type Books

Rated this place:

883 Queen St. West, Toronto, ON, M6J 1G5

Indie bookstore: Cool nichey and well-selected offerings. great staff. browsalicious.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• indie bookstore