Greg C.'s Profile

One star for literally getting me to and fro in one piece. I don't know why I bothered with this company.

First: One person to check in the ENTIRE airplane? Are you kidding me?

Second : having the TSA rummage through our luggage on BOTH flights? Really? Not to mention they literally broke a mug and placed it back in the luggage as well as sliced our phone charger cord (LOL?)

Literally, you get what you pay for.

File under : First World Problems.

I remember hearing a lot of Flaming Lips in this store when it first opened. I think it stuck with me for a reason. Call Nathalie Roze the Wayne Coyne of DIY design retail. What the Flaming Lips put on as spectacle, she has her twee scale down, but no less awesome, version.

Whether its Crafternoon Tea or the Über-Swap get together, it just makes you happy she's doing this, while remaining a solid prescience in the Leslieville community.

Every time I hit this place I find some amazing thing I didn't expect. Like an alcove filled with so many hidden nooks and crannies, be it knitted greeting cards, adorable mittens, or perfect one of a kind tees.

I would also recommend following NR on Twitter and Facebook, as there are many more events taking place in the future.

In my (our?) life (lives?) we've all been faced with that friend who chooses a mate you just don't jibe with. Call it the "she's with HIM?" syndrome.

I bring this up because the staff at the Carrot are amazing. The food at the Carrot is amazing. The customers are doucebags. Not all (obviously) but every time I've been there, without fail there seems to be a customer berating a staff member for this or that. Anyhoo.

The prepared foods are incredible. There's always some organic greens or amazing quinoa dish that is truly delicious. However, I can't get over the customers. 4.5 stars for the  company you keep, Big Carrot!

I have always been on the lookout for the "perfect fit" in terms of clothing. My ideal size seems to be "husky Asian" in terms of Pacific Mall sizing.

However, after buying piles of clothes off the racks of outlet malls, once you bring them home, they just don't fit as well as you'd imagined them to. Of course, that might have to do with the throng of future hoarder shoppers breathing down your neck to get out of the change room and hurry the hell up. It's amazing how you convince yourself the most ill fitting Banana Republic pants will be perfect.with a good belt. Obviously, that wasn't the case.

Enter Tina Sparkles (real or stage name, who knows?) to the rescue!

Don't let the fact that she operates in the back of a convenience store fool you. This is some serious skill on display. What looks like the setting for a Tarantino movie, is actually a skilled workshop with a gazillion sewing machines on display.

Those pants I was physically holding up at a wedding last year are now so form fitting it's ridiculous. I'd add a pic but this isn't http://guyswearingtail... is it?

This would be me on a daily basis.

http://www.youtube.com...

My two vices are:

1) A dimly lit local where every nook and cranny has been planned to maximize comfort and cool.

                       And

2) Birthday Cake!

The Avro wonderfully fulfills both of these. Whether lounging in the comfortably worn in chairs or standing at the bar to vociferously defend that Of Montreal album your friend hated, it's perfect! The fact that the wonderful bartender plays said Of Montreal album all the way through to get a rise out of him is just too awesome to ignore.

Well done, Avro!

Nestled amongst the amazing outlet stores and the largest mass of un-ironic Ned Flanders moustachioed patrons, lies a genuine Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

The idea of gorging on a burger prior to trying on Banana Republic dress pants didn't sound appealing to me but my inner-Yelper spidey sense kicked in and I had to try it. Besides, a person I trust implicitly with these things, swears it's her fave.

The verdict? Pretty damn good! I realize that MAYBE I'm not getting the ultimate experience in an outlet mall food court but when you establish a brand name synonymous with quality, you have to stand behind every place you put out there.

I had the small cheeseburger with nothing on it. I wanted to compare it with the Burger's Priest, my penultimate burger reference scale.

http://www.yelp.ca/biz...

This "small" burger was extremely generous and freakin' delicious. The fresh ground meat and cheese were exceptional but not the best burger I'd ever had. Still, the fact that you can get quality like this in a food court, speaks volumes. Yay, I'm a fan!

I feel we've been bombarded by awful pale imitations of the real thing our whole lives. Kraft Parmesan, Uncle Joey's band on Full House,  Tom Cavanagh, you get the gist. So when you come across the "real deal" it might be a little mind blowing.

The insane line up that descends upon this place can be a little unnerving to the uninitiated or agoraphobic, but it's totally worth it. Cash only and it IS pricey but I just use that as an excuse to not eat here five times a week.

The first 2 visits were great but not mind blowing. I came when Mr Priest(?) first opened, so I'm pretty sure he was getting his groove on. But man, once I took his advice and got a double cheeseburger with nothing on it, I was redeemed, as the awful punmanship goes. Dude has further upped his game with some amazing ideas. "Add Smoke" means a panko-encrusted jalapeno pepper is grilled to perfection for a perfect hit of spice but not overpowering enough to ruin the whole thing. Also, no way in hell am I going to try the "Vatican City" burger (double cheese burger with 2 grilled cheese sandwiches as a bun) without a lifetime supply of Lipitor.

All naysayers, are missing the point. Yes, you can go across the street to Harvey's and get a "burger" that is bigger for a better price point. But no effin' way will that ever compare to this. Trust me.

Dear Tom Cavanagh*, please quit acting, immediately!

These were the words running around my brain after having to endure Yogi Bear (not my choice) for a scant 80 minutes.

But a good venue is a good venue. This is literally subway accessible entertainment built vertically. Sure prices are a little on the steep side but you take the good with the bad. I can't think of a smoother run megaplex that doesn't reek of New York Fries and DDR matches anywhere downtown. For that, I give you an extra star, AMC!

Also, free wi-fi (as far as I could tell) helps matters. I'm a fan, indeed!

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* Look, I know we all need some money to live in this world but dude looks like he's really not enjoying it. What does he need the extra coin for, anyway,  Perma-smirk injections?

XO Karaoke

Look XO, we've had some good times, some great times and a LOT of sweaty, ugly pics. But it seems like you haven't changed since 2002. Oh sure, it was great at the time when you were constantly getting new songs from the White Stripes or The Strokes but what have you done for me lately?

You're like that (proverbial) guy I taught ESL with in Japan in my 20s who decided to hang back "just a little bit longer" but now you're in your 40s and rocking a gross ponytail and going to underground sex clubs in Tokyo because everyone else has moved on. Now the only difference is you are stingy with the echo and music volume controls and I have to summon the staff to move a dial when every other karaoke joint in Toronto let's me do it myself.

And the art on the walls? FML!

Apparently there is this restaurant in Spain where they rely on Proustian effects to enhance the dining experience. For example, a balloon is brought to the table filled with the scent of oranges and is released slowly to evoke memories of growing up near the orange groves.

You could say the same thing about Paramount, but exchange citrus accents with buckets of cheap cologne. I'm not sure what they were going for here but the Axe-cented patrons and staff to the left and right of us made me feel like I was in Night at the Roxbury. But let's get to the food, shall we?

It felt like a rollercoaster of awesome highs and middling lows. The chicken shawarma was freaking amazing but the turnips and sides were sub par. The stuffed grape leaves were good but not great.

However, in a sea of Popeyes and Burger Kings, this place is pretty good for getting something moderately healthy.