Toronto is the complete opposite of Montreal. It’s big, expansive, English, and crawling with Leafs’ fans that have finally seen their team make it to the playoffs. Well, the first round. The skyscrapers are higher than the ones back home. The supermarkets are bigger. The streets are wider. The Starbucks, more numerous. So where do you start?
Well, you just need to choose a spot. So we started with Dundas West. (west dundas west?) A streetcar ride from Dundas Square for a TTC token gets you there in about 20 minutes. This stretch has Portuguese as a second language, some pastéis, and a couple of hole-in-the-wall bars – stop by The Communist’s Daughter for a decent stout and then head to Fountain to take in the religious inspired trinkets behind the bar.
Fran’s satisfied our craving for late-late-night-any-time breakfast, so giant it was definitely made for two mildly alcoholized troppettes.
Half awake and hydrated once again, we headed to Queen Street East, another great stretch to visit, especially on a sunny day when you can take in the Beaches, walk along the boardwalk and then stop for a coffee or a smoothie at Java & Juice or any one of these cute coffee huts.
Then we hopped on the streetcar and crossed town to Queen West, where there are shops all kinds, some more and others less common. I stumbled upon some great fabric stores for anyone who is feeling creative. The kind lady at Leo’s Textiles helped me pick out the perfect piece at the perfect price for my next Halloween costume.
As we walked back toward downtown through Chinatown, our stomachs couldn’t help but be tempted so we ducked in for a sushi/bento box/sake extravaganza at Ho Su.
Communist’s Daughter, 1149 Dundas St W
Fountain, 1261, Dundas Street W
Fran’s, 20 College St
Java & Juice, 2102 Queen St E
Leo’s Textiles, 400 Queen St W
Ho Su, 254 Queen St W
The Closest Airport 