La Hacienda Restaurant

Rated this place:

640 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M6J1E4

Backyard Style Awesomeness: Featuring one of the city’s best-loved backyard-style bars, La Hacienda’s retro kitsch patio offers plenty to feast your eyes on—from a high wall covered in greenery to a rainbow of patio lanterns. The music of Nancy Sinatra, The Shirelles and Gang of Four, among others, adds to the ambiance of the space.

The Rhino Bar

Rated this place:

1249 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON

Title: Serves over 200 bottled beers from 40 countries along with plenty of inexpensive food options. With a crowd just as diverse as its beer selection, you’re sure to fit in.

Bar Bifteck

Rated this place:

3702 St Laurent, Montreal, H2X 2V4

Title: Bifteck is a student favourite because of its outstanding drink deals—pitchers are about $10, you can get 2 gin and tonics for $6, 5 whiskey shots for $10, what’s not to love? This dive serves super-salty popcorn that you will probably be drunk enough to love.

Pub Distillerie

Rated this place:

300 Rue Ontario Est, Montreal, QC

Title: Just minutes from St. Denis, Distillerie would make a great first après-dinner stop. Bartenders with flair make the greatest mojito you will ever taste, and it comes in a mason jar the size of your head. Sample from their vast and too-delicious cocktail menu, and order some flaming absinthe shots to get the night going.

Blizzarts

Rated this place:

3956 Blvd. St. Laurent, Montreal, QC

Title: Come here to dance like crazy to some amazing DJs and hipster-watch. There’s usually a five dollar cover, but it’s worth it for the sweat-tastic good time you will have, and the outrageous outfits you will see.

Chez Serge

Rated this place:

5301 Blvd. St. Laurent, Montreal, QC

Title: So you’re in Montreal. You wanna let your hair down, show them how it’s done it Ontario, etc, so why not go ride a mechanical bull? Mechanical bull + alcohol = an automatic great time.

Made You Look

Rated this place:

1338 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M6K1L4

Made You Look Twice : by Olga Barsky Located in the heart of Parkdale, Made You Look has recently spawned a second location across the street. With more space comes more jewelry, and as long as you cross the street carefully, you can deck your wrists with bling instead of a snazzy white cast.Made You Look encapsulates the jewelry of over 100 local jewelry designers who work with a wide variety of materials. There’s a little bit here for everyone as pieces range from affordable accessories du jour like lucid bangles, to one of a kind engagement rings, and out-of-the-jewelry-box creations like funky fabric broaches and plastic horse necklaces. What truly separates Made You Look from the rest is the concept behind the three-in-one space: store, workspace, and gallery. Owner Sarah dreamt up this idea for a school project, and after being encouraged by classmates and faculty, decided to give it a go. She wanted to provide a nurturing environment for Toronto jewelry makers to not only showcase and sell their pieces, but one where they could bounce ideas off one another, and have a sense of belonging. And she did. At any given time (the workspace is open 24/7), expect to see several jewelers working away…and you can stay and watch if you’d like. Maybe you can even talk one of them into customizing a piece just for you? How cool would that be! Made You Look 1338 Queen St. West 416.463.2136Made You Look Accessories 1273 Queen Street West 416.516.9595

Preloved

Rated this place:

881 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M6J 1G5

Rising From The Ashes: By Keri O'MearaPreloved is showcasing the collections at its new location on Queen street across from Trinity Bellwoods Park. Old Preloved customers and anyone who loves reworked vintage will appreciate what the new store has to offer.It might seem a bit excessive to pay anywhere from between 130 to 180 dollars for a dress made out of your grandpa’s old slacks but it’s the detailing that makes these pieces special. Upon closer inspection a cute little pleated skirt- The Butterfield- is made of three different men’s wool trousers. The lines are super clean and the colours are bright and varied. The Sweaters are very distinct, cozy and great for layering. Don’t forget, each piece is made of a different fabric so they are all originals.Some favorites include the L’Amour dress with belt, the Margo sweater dress and the feminine military jacket, Bergman. From the babies line, Me Me, the Jackie O style trench, aptly called Bouvier, will make anyone’s biological clock tick.

common sort

Rated this place:

804 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON, M4M1H7

1 Person's Trash is Another Person's Treasure: by Shanelle KaulCommon Sort is a quirky hand-picked recycled clothing boutique in the east end that buys, sells, and trades directly with their clients. You are welcome to bring in any former favs for a buyer to sift through and decide on a market price. Whatever that price may be, you would get 50% of that in trade – which means you get a voucher to be used at Common Sort within a year, and 25% of the market price in cash, on the spot.

Covet + Crave

Rated this place:

789 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5V1N4

she does jeans from c+c: by Olga Barsky Nestled in the King West strip, covet + crave is a premium denim and t-shirt boutique owned by the magnificent Kim Roberts.And Kim takes her job as a DC (Denimology Connoisseur, of course) very seriously, bringing the “most innovative, sought after, and hottest brands into the boutique.”My favourite part about covet + crave is how edited Kim’s choices are. Everything – from merchandising to styles and labels - makes perfect sense. And the minimal space is a reflection of Kim’s personal style – simple yet refined.What’s truly outstanding is the choice of labels Kim carries – some are old favourites (Fidelity, Ella Moss, J Brand, Hudson, Rick & Skinny, James Perse, Habitual, Guido & Mary, and Hunter) while others are a bit more rare (City of Others: socially aware denim line based in LA; Domino: predominantly skinny jeans by Canada’s own Guido and Mary; Daftbird: cozy collection of basics inspired by men’s clothes).

Vocado

Rated this place:

171 East Liberty St., Toronto, ON, M6K 3P6

Fresh Vocado : by Lia Parsley At long last in Toronto’s hyper-developing Liberty Village, we are starting to see an upsurge in retail movement. Located on the first floor (#121 in the outdoor walkway) of 171 East Liberty Street, is newly-opened Vocado: a sweet and stylish little spot for the local (or visiting) fashionista.Vocado, as in “av”, is owned by accountant turned savvy shopgirl, Emily Dobbie. It’s hard to imagine she was ever en route to investment banker-dom – she’s lovely and sprightly and far too effervescent to be a number cruncher, in my humble opinion. Upon walking into her boutique, I immediately notice the airily and artfully crafted space. With subtle and unique design elements bolstering hints of organic inspiration, Vocado is a sight for sore eyes (and aching wardrobes). The space is simply very fresh and chic – a good indicator of Emily’s overall aesthetic.The boutique carries a nice variety of Canadian and International designers: Lily + Jae, Designers Remix Collection by Charlotte Eskildsen, dace, and Juma being the initial stand-outs. Stop in for breezy and wearable pieces – perfect for daytime brunching and lunching with girlfriends or casual work days. That being said, the clothes here are decidedly daywear, catering to 25-40 year-old women with both bright and strong senses of style.One thing you won’t find at Vocado? The long summer dress. “Summer is just around the corner so why not hike up those hemlines and show a little leg with a sassy skirt?!” Emily suggests. I couldn’t agree more. There really is no better warm-weather combination than demure up top and leggy on the bottom.As a welcome addition to the condo-size décor shops and other retail miscellany of Liberty Village, Vocado is sure to delight the many lovely ladies who stroll and pedal their way through Toronto’s West End.Open Tuesday-Sunday. By appointment only on Mondays.T: 647.347.7153 W: www.vocado.ca E: info@vocado.com

Miss C's Closet

Rated this place:

Toronto, ON

Anything But a Drag: by Olga Barsky If you’re anything like me, then your favourite pastime surely includes blasting Single Ladies and unapologetically dancing around your apartment while chugging cheap wine straight out of the bottle. Luckily for us classy broads, there’s a new shop in town, by the name of Miss C’s Closet, which can help us bring out our inner divas.Miss C’s Closet is “a love affair of an art that Miss Conception has been perfecting for over eight years.” Well known throughout the gay community a singer, dancer, and performer extraordinaire, the fabulous Miss C has graced the stages of Woody’s, Buddies, and Second City, as well as the boob tube in hit show Queer As Folk.But make no mistake, dearest SDTC readers, Miss C’s Closet does not only cater to drag queens. Be it a wig, hot pair of fuck-me pumps, statement jewelry, or lashes that you’re after, Miss C’s delivers high quality goods at fantastic price points. In fact, a pair of falsies will run you less than a latte. True story.So gay, straight, or multi-coloured and dipped in sprinkles, you simply must make the trip to Miss C’s Closet for a dash of sparkle that won’t’ break the bank.Miss C’s Closet is located in the laneway parallel to Yonge Street on the west side, between Wellesley and Maitland.Hours of operation are Wednesday through Saturday 12-8 and Sunday 1-5

Cat Tilt

Rated this place:

198 Walnut St., Toronto, ON

Yoga Clothes That Will Make You Purr: Next time you are walking along Queen Street, poking your head in TYPE and the PAPER PLACE, head South on Walnut Ave. Grab your dose of green at Tealish, and then saunter into Cat Tilt, the vibrant little hot box yoga boutique, to peruse the organic cottons, ass hugging pants and bright coloured trucker hats.Meow!Before owner Alison Hamilton opened up a yoga biz, she grueled away in the world of advertising and used yoga 'to balance the high paced lifestyle'.It wasn't long before she made the decision to switch gears and work with the yoga community. For those of us aware that the agency world is a wee bit more demanding then the sleepy cocktail afternoons on Mad Men, Hamilton's decision is easy to understand.It was a trip to LA that inspired her to specialize in apparel versus teaching, "...there were so many textures and styles that you could really see people's identity from what they wore to yoga class."Although starting a business isn't easy, Hamilton's the first to admit, " I've totally abandoned my practice since I started." That said, she does relish the perks, "I've hooked myself up with a gig where I can go to NYC and shop - for my own business - which RULES."Twirling around the carefully stocked boutique(with only 500 square feet - it has to be), many items caught our attention including the Harajuku LoversTank (69.95), Perfectly Imperfect Organic Cotton Sweats (50 -200) and Aviator Nation hats (49.00). Wear them to a MOKSHA class and keep them on for brunch; versatile, comfy with a sprinkle of sass. Hamilton also brags about the stretchy black pants Cat Tilt hangs that rival the famous LL's; now there's a daring statement that could start a 'cat' fight - but instead we will opt for Namaste.

Fred Perry

Rated this place:

964 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON, M6J 1G8

Our Very Own Slice of Wimbledon: Words and Styling by Olga Barsky Photography by Rachel Drake Fred Perry has been around since the 1940’s when three-time Wimbledon champion Mr. Fred Perry engineered the very first sweatband.The son of a cotton spinner, Fred Perry found himself the black sheep in a herd of cocktail party-throwing tennis-loving elite. His eccentric behavior during tennis matches wasn’t looked upon too kindly either, as he insisted on changing into a clean shirt and trousers if his game reached a fourth set. Over the years, the laurel-wreathed brand has become synonymous with the ultimate ‘classic polo’ and has served its way into every major UK subculture – from mods to ‘indie’ musicians – continuing its reign of cool to this day (on and off the court). Special thanks goes out to our model and blogger-extraordinaire Raymi (www.raymitheminx.com) who is sporting pieces from the Fred Perry Spring ’08 collection

Communist's Daughter

Rated this place:

1149 Dundas West, Toronto, ON, M4M1S3

A Local Hideout: Remember when you were a kid – and building forts with pillows and blankness was a favourite pastime? Well – the Communist Daughter captures this feeling – but for adults. Go here if you want to feel like you are in a small living room, in a small apartment. You will make friends with the guy sitting next to you effortlessly. Like Sweaty Betty’s, this place also has a jukebox. I’m not sure if the crowd is much different – but perhaps those who are more into reading heavy literature frequent this place. Where Sweaty Betty’s draws those 22 & up – this place may see more 32 & up. No patio – but easy to leave your beer on the bar and head outside for a quick smoke. The crowd here looks like they are going to go home and write poetry, or work on their essay before hitting the sack. I’m not sure why…I think they just look smart and unpretentious.

fuzion Resto Lounge & Garden

Rated this place:

580 Church Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 2E8

Fuzion's Flirt Bar and Courtyard : Fuzion, on Church St., has a patio worth lusting over.. The Flirt Bar boasts delicious drinks, cool, comfy seating, and a plethora of well-dressed and well-groomed imbibers making for excellent people-watching. Surrounding the Flirt Bar is a large dining courtyard. With it's chic, refreshing decor, you feel like you're dining nestled in the back garden of a villa in Monaco. Start your meal off with salt-roasted organic beet salad with blood orange, avocado, and fennel and wasabi pea citrus miso dressing (say that five times fast), then sample the charcuterie or indulge in ribs or ravioli with smoked ricotta. After-work drinks and dishing go well with Blueberry Mojitos (delicious) and homecut frites with avocado-scallion aioli. The bustle of Church St. adds to the atmosphere, but the clever decor ensures it won't disturb your dining experience. We spent a lovely evening sipping drinks and bumping elbows with Sunny Fong on this excellent patio.

Sweaty Betty's

Rated this place:

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

First and Favourite: The first bar on Ossington before the madness, Sweaty Betty's features an amazing back patio, cozy decor, an awesome jukebox, and no douchebags. Also, occassionally, a drag queen will climb up the ivy-covered lattice and do a dance.

Crews and Tango

Rated this place:

508 Church St., Toronto, M4Y 2C8

Where You Want to do Everything and Everyone: Sometimes it’s just so hard figuring out what to do at night. I might feel like dancing, but karaoke would be sweet too and gee, I could really go for a good ol’ drag show. Did Crews & Tango read my mind? This Church Street bar is located in an old Victorian townhouse on Church with a labyrinth of rooms that each have a distinctive vibe. Upon entrance you’ll usually be greeted by a sassy Tina Turner drag queen who demands vodka shots and teases your shoes. Not your scene? Then head to karaoke down the hall. I sang a particularly rousing rendition of “The Leader of the Pack.” Your ego will also be rewarded on the dance floor upstairs that’s frequented by a bevy of attractive lesbians and flirty gay men. Definitely a bar for a guaranteed good time.

Lil' Baci

Rated this place:

892 Queen St. E., Toronto, ON, M4M 1J3

So Good, We Had To Kiss and Tell : Mmmmm... gourmet pizza, sans attitude. Leslieville's Lil' Baci is a delicious Italian, with cozy, warm lighting, cool retro decor (old doors as tables, cute kid's finger-paintings framed on the walls), and delicious and unexpected dishes with fresh, flavourful ingredients. At a going away party with a bottle of wine, we split a Gorgonzola Dolce pizze ($14.95), with panna, guanciale, new potato, and rosemary, and extremely delicious Gnocchi alla Spinache e limone ($11.25 for a half portion). Our friendly waiter was more than happy to accommodate vegetarian alterations to the best dishes, and take a pizza back to the kitchen for a redux when it wasn't quite what was expected, through no fault of the chef. A delicious, relaxing evening, all for an extremely reasonable price.

Frank Restaurant

Rated this place:

317 Dundas St. W., Toronto, ON, M5T 1G4

AGO’s Frank is frankly confusing: By Julie Reitsma We love us some AGO (the gift shop alone!), but we haven’t always loved the cuisine à la cafeteria that was on offer when we wanted a mid-gallery snack. So, when we heard that FRANK was going to be popping up behind the scaffolding, we rubbed our hands together, rinsed off our paint brushes, and adjusted our beret in anticipation. Our faux-fur safely tucked in coat check, we took a few to gander at our surroundings. The space, eponymously designed by Frank Gehry, and in further Frank-ful fashion includes installations by Frank Stella, is high ceilinged and airy. While some elements tickled our fancy—the massive back-lit wall o’ wine, top-notch leather swivel chairs (sparking wishful swoons that we had them for home-dinage)—we found the space to not quite work. We’re fans of Scando-design (our apartment reeks of IKEA on the best of days), but something about that much birch veneer and overly spaced out tables wasn’t exactly synonymous with cozy.FRANK, of course, isn’t all about the design—though the head chef, Anne Yarymowich, in rather comme il faut fashion, has a degree in fine arts. The marriage of food and art is central here, and the menu reflects this with a rather over-the-top habit for naming dishes in as ‘artful’ a manner as possible. Two examples of this ‘creativity’ were sampled as starters—the Still Life with Pear, Pancetta and Fig (gorgeously presented, the pear vessel was cooked with all possible pear-mealiness avoided. The layered elements worked seamlessly, so that each forkful presented an opportunity to enjoy the subtle blue cheese, sweet fig, and finally the salty crisp of pancetta) ($14), and the Composition in Red, Yellow and Green (a salad that was visually reminiscent of a banana split, the arugula and beets were so fresh it could have been mid-summer. Topped off with a fragrant and tart, but not fish-faced, dressing, this was a stand-out) ($12). We rounded off our first course with the Roasted Sunchoke Soup ($8), which, despite an overall smooth velvety flavour, punctuated by the crunch of sunflower seeds, lacked in herbs where it lacked in name. An all Ontario wine list complements the locally-focussed menu, and is in itself an entertaining read—a Cave Springs Riesling apparently has a “starched shirt feeling” (with a hint of bleach?), and a Creekside sauvignon blanc was billed as “hi styling” (served in a stiletto?).Main-wise, you will find FRANK’s offerings to lean towards the gamey. The Braised Ontario Rabbit was unbelievable tender, served in a smacktastic mustard sauce ($25) that was well-suited to the accompanying absorbent polenta cakelette. Unfortunately this dish was marred by an inexplicable fatty skin-roll of bunny pieces that we couldn’t help but dub the “too bad roulade.” The polenta disk made a welcome encore alongside the crispy-skinned and lemony accented Roasted Organically Farmed Cod ($24)

The Ossington

Rated this place:

61 Ossington St., Toronto, ON

The perfect sweaty dance party/pub: The Ossington is a perfect bar for a drunk weekend with your best friends. Featuring cool decor, two rooms usually with different DJs, and great wooden seating (benches and tables, as well as stools lining the steamy window, allowing you to draw pictures and write messages to those waiting in line outside), The Ossington hits the perfect balance between favourite pub and dance club. The vibe is unpretentious cool, and the space plays host to a few of our favourite parties, including Friendship and All Wronged Up. Definitely one of the best bars in the city.

Apt. 909

Rated this place:

909 Dundas St. W., Toronto, ON, M6J 1V9

Awesome vintage: I love the kind of vintage stores you just want to move into-you know, the kind with hand-carved wooden benches, ancient cash registers, and old wrinkled copies of Italian Vogue lying around. Apt 909, on Dundas at Ossington, is a perfect gem of a store-chock full of charming knick knacks, fantastic clothes, and beautiful accessories. From a pair of rhinestone-encrusted fan earrings to beat-up plum coloured Doc Martens to a beautiful quilted silk clutch brought over from Japan and originally carried to tea ceremonies, there's no end to the treasures you can find hiding behind the antique martini shakers and cocktail glasses. Plus, the staff are extremely friendly, and seriously love clothes-they've got a story for every silk blouse and a knack for remembering faces. Stop by after Saturday brunch to peruse the possibilities.Check out their blog: http://www.apt909.blogspot.com

Lustre Boutique

Rated this place:

4429 Boulevard St Laurent, Montreal, QC

Roadtrip to Montreal for this boutique : Road-tripping to Montreal just became about more than croissants and bottles of wine purchased from the convenient store. From hand-picked vintage dresses to their mod-inspired whimsical in-house label, Lustre Boutique is an inspiring trip through the fashion fantastic. This spring, their line is based in that most mythical and delicious of fashion personalities-The Muse. From leggy ladies with preternatural elegance to tiny, tempestuous fashion-forward femme fatales, behind every great fashion moment is a strong woman with an inspiring style. With a collection firmly rooted in 1960's silhouettes, Lustre Boutique has created the prefect dresses for Spring. Pair them with any of the fantastic vintage jewellery and accessories in their St. Laurent boutique, and you'll feel pretty muse-worthy yourself.http://www.lustreboutique.blogspot.com

Chasse Gardee

Rated this place:

1084 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON, M6J 1H8

Heel Hunter: Chasse Gardee is a bright, comfortable space, filled with wood and leather. The shoes, bags and sunglasses perch atop brushed steel shelves and tree trunks, beside antique books and empty milk bottles. Silvery fur is draped over a seating space. Chasse Gardee is as good a place to spend a day drinking mimosas as it is a place to shop, but anyone who enters the store will be pained to sit still for long. The shoes at Chasse Gardee are truly scrumptious and for most styles, owner Daniela Bosco orders one size run of each. Chasse Gardee is a perfect West Queen West addition: "My decisions [of what I sell] are based on a combination of price point, personal like and hopefully a reflection of some of the choices of the people in the neighbourhood. I try to think about all three things, that's why i try to have price points that start at $50 and go all the way to $600. It's really easy to find $600 shoes, you could buy tons of $600 shoes, but i think what makes this area so beautiful is the combination of different incomes and different backgrounds and different occupations, so i try to reflect all of it in my choices."The designs carried in the store are the unusual, rare, ethically responsible, and just plain obsession-worthy. Lines like Tashkent by Cheyenne, based in Brooklyn, and Jeffrey Campbell, whose many-buckled booties are so popular Bosco has them back-ordered 'til May (sigh), are in especially high demand. She carries one of a kind bags handmade in Morocco, and beautiful shoes from Finsk, all of which are handmade in Brazil from sustainable leather and re-claimed birchwood. Another favourite is Slow And Steady Wins The Race.

Kubo Radio - CLOSED

Rated this place:

894 Queen St. East, Toronto, ON, M4M 1J3

Cozy, Comfy, Creative: Nestled in Leslieville, Kubo Radio is a cozy Asian Pub and Eatery with a comfy, creative vibe. Kubo offers $3 pints, friendly service, and an amazing menu, as well as catering and delivery. We took refuge on a windy Thursday night, and were instantly warmed up by the red-and-black decor and candelit atmosphere. Sitting pretty at a high window table near the sweeping velvet curtains that block drafts from entering with customers, we split a plate of 'Wham, Bam, Thank You Yam!,' ($6.95) delicious sweet potato dumplings served piping hot with crispy dough and a maple-ginger glaze. The 'F.O.B' ($13.95) Vegetarian Chow Mein, was flavourful and packed with veggies, and the 'Ice Ice Baby' ($13.95) Vanilla Thai Curry was sweet and unexpected. The only disappointment of the meal was that they were out of the Curry Vegetable Roti, but that gives us an excuse to return to this cozy east-end eatery. With a large menu full of veggie and meat options, like Peking Duck, Jerk Chicken Stew, and Striploin with Beet Chips, this restaurant takes comfort food to an exotic new level. This is the perfect place for a relaxed dinner with an old friend, or a good creative choice to impress a first date.