My wife Kathleen and I were invited up to Toronto, Canada
over the Columbus Day weekend as guests of my wife’s friend’s family to
celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving [note: this is a 58 minute flight from
Washington Dulles [IAD] right into Pearson International Airport [YYZ]. On our third trip of our marriage, this one
was a pleasant surprise! I hadn’t been
to Toronto since I was four years old as we followed my brother up to Toronto
for a soccer tournament. Needless,
things had changed a bit in the 30+ years since I had been back. Overall, we had a GREAT time in this
city! While our primary mission was to
celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving, we had some time to wander the city during our
few days in the city.
Definitely check out the Distillery District which sits on fourteen acres in downtown Toronto and is Canada’s
largest pedestrian-only precinct for arts, culture and entertainment. The site
was once The Gooderham and Worts Distillery which was once the largest
distillery in the world. Today, it is
the sight of five cafes, seven restaurants, twenty-two galleries, and eighteen
specialty shops.
Duck into a few of these if you happen to visit the District:
Café Furbo: an eclectic
little coffee bar right in the heart of the Distillery District. My wife and I wandered into Café Furbo in the pouring rain and were immediately struck by the cool vibe of this coffee
bar. With a light eccentric music
playing in the background, Café Furbo is a coffee bar and then some – fresh pastries
and panninis, great coffee, European wines, and desserts. Order up a traditional
Americano with a cheese Danish [or any of the other fabulous desserts they have
presented on the front counter]. Be adventurous
and add a shot of Bailey’s for $4 CD.
Everything on the walls is for sale by local artists.
SOMA Chocolate: SOMA
is a chocolate micro-factory also in the heart of the Distillery District so stop by if you want to watch how chocolate is
made or better yet sample some great chocolates. For $2 CD, try out some of the amazing chocolate truffles [the Espresso Crisp and the 8 year old balsamic vinaigrette were favorites]. Honestly, you cannot go wrong with anything
in the display case by the register. Be sure to purchase some cookies and/or chocolate bars to take with you!
Mill Street Brewery:
stop
by the Mill Street Brewery, East Toronto’s first brewery in over 100 years, and
try out one of their 13 beers on tap. If you’re there in the Fall, try their
Pumpkin Ale which has a distinct taste with a hint of vanilla. Or go strictly for their India Pale Ale which
has a smooth, distinct taste. For more
info, take a tour of the brewery on the premises.
Ok, so on to a couple of favorites for dinner. I honestly had no idea Toronto was such
a foodie town. We hit two spots for
dinner over two nights which should be considered must dos for dinner in the
center of Toronto:
Valdez: This is one of the most happening spots on
King Street! Once a top fan favorite on
Top Chef Canada, Steve Gonzalez whips up some incredible dishes in this Latin
American hotspot in downtown Toronto. Valdez
was probably our favorite meal in Toronto. For starters, order either a Mojito or the Margarita with paprika
on the edge of the glass which adds that extra ‘kick’ on top of a tasty
margarita. You can't have just one so go ahead and try another! Next, we tried out several of the ceviches on the menu [the Tuna Ceviche is
terrific]. We went with a host of Tapas so here are some must trys: Chips & Guac,
Croquetas [rice, chicken, peppers, and roasted garlic aioli], and the Chuzos Al
Plancha [3 ounce beef skewers with chimichurri and arepa]. If you’re still hungry, try out the Chaufa [fried
rice, duck, confit, eggs, peas, and duck]. Overall, you’re going to love the atmosphere
and amazing food and drink at Valdez.
Buca: Located right around the corner from Valdez, you’ll head underground for the
Buca Italian experience. To start off, try the fried olives stuffed with
sausage and then get ahold of one of their many flatbreads [you won’t go wrong
with any of them]. We topped this off
with a couple of espressos and a tiramisu with amoretti gelato.
As for Canadian Thanksgiving, we were so fortunate to have been hosted by the wonderful Moretti family. What a special treat to celebrate Thanksgiving not only in another country, but with a family who welcomed us into their home with such affection. Canadian Thanksgiving is a lot like American Thanksgiving with the turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies, and the homemade pies. An added bonus was the amazing homemade red wine and grappa made by Mr. Moretti which was such a wonderful treat! The only thing different was the lack of an NFL double-header, but that wasn't such a big deal since the conversation was engaging and congenial amongst the immediate and extended Moretti family. After six hours of great food, drink, and conversation, our host drove us back to our hotel in downtown Toronto.
We realized this was too short a trip to take in all that Toronto has to offer. As Toronto is closer by air to us than Frederick, MD is by car, we'll be certain to head back north of the border for a future visit!
