Kelly "I do what I want!" O.'s Profile

This was my first elite event, and hot damn, these are some fun peeps!  It was great to meet so many new faces, and also relive some good memories from the cupcake crawl.  There really isn't much I can add about the food...it was awesome! And it proved to me that you can pretty much wrap anything in a tortilla, press it, and magically have handheld deliciousness!
Thanks to all the Chino Locos staff for the great time, and especially Kat and Kate for their host-y goodness!

This was a surprising experience.  Having never visited Atelier, the former occupant, I was unprepared for the size of the place.  Its quite large, open concept, and very well decorated.  Benches line the entire wall on every side, topped with fluffy pillows.  People seemed to be using the internet, but I'm unsure what the status of their WiFi is.

I ordered a small Americano and a pistachio croissant.  Came to just over $6.  Beverage was good and strong, and the barista guy was completely friendly and awesome.  Now onto my expertise:  The Croissant.  I could have gone for the plain one, but the pistachio chunks on the top of the others called my name.  Surprisingly, the inside contained marzipan and pistachio too!  Not too sweet, it had a great texture and taste.  The croissant was a bit denser and less flaky than I would like (could have been because it was 3 pm), but the overall flavour was good!

I'd probably go back, but only if its on my way.

It was a happy day for my family when a new wing joint opened up in our hood this month.  We popped in there for some takeout Sunday night and were more than delighted.  I couldn't go in because we had the dog, so the 3 of us peered in at the menu from outside.  Surprisingly, the woman working there came outside and handed us a pamphlet so we could more easily decide on our order.  Nice service!

The real challenge here is actually choosing what type of sauce to get.  There are over 40 choices, from traditional (BBQ, Buffalo, and Thai Chili) to the more interesting (Guinness, sea salt and malt, and lime).

Finally, we went with 10 Orange Ginger Zinger wings, and 10 hot wings.  We also got fries with our orders, and upgraded one of them to a poutine (which was only 2.50).

The wings:   Crispy, generously saucy, and tangy.  The hot was hot.  The owner told us that the orange ginger flavour was a bit controversial, but we both loved it.

The poutine:  Nice size, lots of gravy, thick cut fries.  The curds were good, but I would have enjoyed a few more of them.

The service: Great!  So friendly, and willing to offer advice on their many choices.  The woman also brought our order outside to us in the freezing cold.  The menu offered onion rings, cheese sticks, and other yummy looking stuff.  

Bonus:  Veggies and dipping sauce!  Among the flavour choices: Chipotle and Dill...my fav!!!

Our order of 20 wings, poutine, fries, 2 veggies and 2 dipping sauces came to a ridiculous $24.27.  I'll definitely be back to sample some more flavours and sides!

If you wanna see some crazy shit, this is the place to hang out!  Enjoy a coffee while watching a homeless woman scream about aliens, threaten the employees with death and throw tables.  This is also a good place for eavesdropping on first dates, blind dates, and breakups.  It's never a dull moment at this location!

I enjoy the lattes, particularly the pumpkin spice, which sadly is seasonal only.  Their croissants are so-so.  I'll eat a cheddar one in a pinch, but generally avoid them in favour of something better.
Basically I just come here for the atmosphere.

This is a great park to go if you need a quiet place in the middle of the city, if you are a history buff, OR if you have a furry friend that likes to run around.  
It is a designated Historic Site, and is Toronto's first military cemetery.  
This park is currently undergoing remodelling, which will see a restoration of some of the tombstones, addition of lighting, pathways, trees and seating.   As of today, the park is fully enclosed with construction fencing, that is actually excellent for letting your dog off-leash.

This is a great park to take your dog.  It has a huge expanse for running around, and most of the dog owners here are very friendly and responsible.  It is mostly grass, (as opposed to dust or mud).  The lights stay on quite late in the park in the summer at least, so you can go there at 9 pm and feel quite safe.

Unfortunately, it is quite disconcerting to see the daily shipment of live pigs heading to the processing facility (aka: slaughterhouse) located directly behind the park.  This can contribute to some unpleasant sounds (squealing), and some even more unpleasant smells, particularly in the summer. In any case, this is a fantastic park to go to to let your little pups run around freely and safely.

This park is only about 70% enclosed, so beware if you have a dog that likes to run off.

The pastries here ARE delicious.  I particularly like the apple-cheese danish, as well as the cheese stick.  Crispy, crumbly, and buttery.  For a chain, they really are quite good.  Their croissants are good too...buttery and flaky, but perhaps a bit crunchier than I would like.  The original is good, but the cheese croissant is very good.  Almond croissant is just so-so.  I am not a fan of the type of almond paste they use in the filling, but I'd still eat it!

I really hate writing this, particularly after my previous glowing review, but the last two times I've eaten here has been bad.  Really bad.  Gamey chicken, questionable, tough beef, and my poor dear husband becoming sick, sick, sick.
I wouldn't have updated it after one bad fluke experience, but I'm sensing a trend...

Mmmm best almond croissant ever!  Light, flaky, sweet, crispy...sooo fantastic.  The plain croissant was good too, but not as light and flaky as I would have liked.  We also really enjoyed our latte and espresso.  I would have loved to try the macaron's, they had cappuccino, chocolate, and about 6 other flavours to choose from.   All 4 items we had came to just under $12.  Not a ton of indoor seating, but very cool decor.  Also loved that you could see into the kitchen - proving that their delicious creations are indeed made on site.  Would definitely return.

Open Thursdays from 8-2, this market runs from May until October.  
They are around 14 vendors with locally grown produce, jams, honey, plants and prepared foods.
Most of the vendors here are extremely friendly, and ready to give samples!  I particularly love the honey vendor... if you are someone who is satisfied with Billy Bee, you are MISSING out.  The flavour of local honey is incredible.  
Also great are the guys at Brantview Apples.  They are the actual farmers that sell them to you!  They know their product, and  they are a wealth of information.  In addition to the seasonal apples, they also carry apple champagne, apple butter, and apple cider vinegar -they do press their own apple cider, but don't bring it to this market as there is no refrigeration.  
All in all, this is a great place to stop by on your way to work for some fresh fruit and produce!