Cafe Asia

Rated this place:

100 FRONT ST E,, Toronto, ON, M5A 1E1

Take out: They make awesome healthy stirfry dishes which are ready in 10 minutes - around $8. They only take AMEX, debit and cash. Owner is super friendly and always remembers us when we go :)

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• take out

Toba Restaurant

Rated this place:

243 King St. E., Toronto, ON, M5A 1J9

Sunday brunch: The blusberry waffles are to die for!!! And they have a great hangover breakfast too. Small place with lots of atmosphere. They don't take reservations, so show up a little earlier than normal to avoid the line ups.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Sunday brunch

Costa Blanca

Rated this place:

Eaton Centre, Toronto, ON, M5B2N1

Cheap trendy fashions: Many awesome finds at this place! I have bought a couple different blazers and get tons of compliments on them. And good accessories like leggings and basic tees. Also, if you find a piece with a missing button, makeup mark or snag, they are open to giving discounts.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• cheap trendy fashions

Solutions

Rated this place:

2329 Yonge Street N of Eglinton, Toronto, ON, M4P 2C8

Gifts for your hostess: They have so many good gifts for Christmas hosts... For something practical try the gift wrap storage containers - either upright or underbed. It will help your host get cleaned up after the Christmas season and stay organized for next year. Or a birthday/anniversary calendar. You keep all the dates in a book without days of the week so you don't have to write them out every year when you get a new calendar.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• gifts for your hostess

Rae's Farm

Rated this place:

1315 Britannia Rd. E, Hornby, ON, L0P 1E0

Apple picking: You can pick practically any kind of apple here! Call to check what's in season before you go, but there are usually at least three types of apples in season. It costs $10 for a large bag. In the fall, you can pick pumpkins as well. I believe they have hay rides for families certain weekends. We bought a pie pumpkin this fall and the owner of the farm supplied us with a recipe to make homemade pumpkin filling and walked us through how bake the pumpkin, scoop out the filing etc.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Apple Picking

The Citizen

Rated this place:

730 Queen St. E., Toronto, ON, M4M 1H2

Queen east dining: We had an amazing meal on the patio. Soaked in the flavors and the atmosphere. Awesome wine list, too! Server gave some really good menu suggestions. The Citizen is owned by the same person as the Rosebud although it is a little lighter and more casual.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• queen east dining

New Lahore Tika

Rated this place:

1365 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON, M4L1Z3

Lahore tikka house: The food is amazing and very reasonably priced. The meal is quick and delicious. Even sitting on the patio in the parking lot is an experience.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Lahore Tikka House

Bitondo Pizzeria

Rated this place:

11 Clinton St, Toronto, ON, M6J2N7

Pizza: 1) You get to watch THE Mario Bitondo throw your pizza dough. 2) The pizza is simple, hot and delicious. 3) You can play Pac Man while you wait for your pizza. 4) It's an institution. You can't help but love the flashing lights, tiled walls and leaning pillars.

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

Bergo Designs

Rated this place:

55 Mill Street, building 47a, Toronto, ON, M5A3C4

Housewares: I could spend hours strolling around this store in the distillery. Of course, I can't afford most of it, but it is so inspiring. So many unique things for your home, gifts and more from all over the world. I wish they had started their gift registry before I got married! I love the gas fireplaces you can hang on your wall.

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

Crepe It Up

Rated this place:

St. Lawrence Market, 93 Front St. E., Toronto, ON, M5E1C3

Crepes: The monster crepe is my saturday morning tradition. I go to the St. Lawrence market location, so the earlier the better. It gets very busy. Everything is fresh, made while you watch. Can't beat the price. The banana/nutella crepe is also a delicious treat!

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

Distill Gallery

Rated this place:

55 Mill Street, the Distillery District, Toronto, ON, M5A3C4

Unique gifts: You can find so many unique gifts created by Canadian Artists. Clothing, jewelery, cups, bags, buttons, scarves - you name it. Lots of stuff is handmade and one of a kind. Never mind going to Roots for typical Canadian Souvenirs, this is the place.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• unique gifts

Hanoi 3 Seasons

Rated this place:

588 Gerrard St. East, Toronto, ON, M4M1Y2

Vietnamese restaurant: The food is delicious and the staff is incredibly friendly. My husband and I ate here before we travelled to Vietnam for 3 weeks just to get a feel for what types of food we would be eating and what we would prefer to stay away from. We were very pleasantly surprised. Our server (and I presume the owner) chatted with us for about 20 minutes off and on giving us travel, restaurant and hotel tips all over Vietnam. We left amazed by the food, very full and really excited about our trip!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Vietnamese restaurant

Solferino Cafe -- CLOSED

Rated this place:

38 Wellington Street East, Toronto, ON, M5E1C8

Gelato: It reminds me of Italy! Solferino's is the reason I bought a place in the St. Lawrence Market area! I only wish that they would allow two flavors in the small gelato serving. It's too hard to choose just one. My faves are Hazelnut and Cafe.

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