Kent "@kentplummer" P.'s Profile

If your car gets towed in the city of Toronto, it's probably at the JP Towing lot.

Timeline:

-No parking after 4pm.
-Car towed at 4:12 pm
-Car at lot 4:30 pm
-I arrive at lot 4:47 pm and give them $176 to get my car back for their 30 minutes of work

Obviously, there are many reasons to write angry reviews about cars getting towed - but I will keep this review to my interactions/observations with the company post-tow in attempt to avoid bias and projection of apoplection.

1) Their lot is not easily accessible (North of Keele/St Clair) on Glen Scarlett Road. This horrible little spot is packed in between a bunch of meat packers and slaughterhouses that smell disgusting and is generally creepy. It is also extremely unsettling to have to wander through them in the dark trying to get your car back.

2) Once you get to the lot you are greeted by terrible customer service (hopefully you've caught them on a good day and you'll only get indifference instead of outright rudeness). The customer service agents / attendants behind the counter, I can only imagine, are given shit by a good percentage of the people that walk in. This means they will try to beat you to it even if you don't feel like being a dick.

3) Unfair pricing to get your car back:

$140 for medium size cars is what they advertise as the cost for getting your car back. High, but, OK. There is also a $12 hourly rate. As soon as they enter the car into the lot, it is charged that first hourly rate (so the base isn't $140, is it?). This does not include whatever ticket the Toronto Parking Authority has given you (which I deserved).

I had my neighbour drive me up to the lot following behind my car being towed. We rode beside 3 other tow trucks pulling other cars on the way to the lot. This place is just racking it in as a city contractor.

I'm all for making sure streets are safe by removing cars that cause problems for other drivers - but it seems that the way this company operates (under contract from the Toronto Parking authority) it is predatory at best. Pay the fine to the city, no problem - pay a towing company $170 to get your car back after 30 min? Bologna.

I had a great experience at Ride Away.

They replaced my back wheel super quick and for what I'd consider next to nothing.

After dealing with about half a dozen different bike shops in the city, Ride Away is the best.

Convenient location, super knowledgeable staff that won't try to pull one over on you, quick turn around times, and they're open everyday.

I like the chicken sandwiches here. Last night when they were closing and mopping up I slipped and fell on my ass pretty hard. Hurt...but I got a free sandwich. Pretty good deal.

My favourite CM of all time - the reason I started yelping. He grew a community and torn down a wall. He bought local and grew global. He fostered a new breed of yelper. He never forgets. He tips well. Vivek S. What a man. What a legend.

Like much of Russia, Pravda needs a bit of a facelift. Looks great when you first open the door but upon closer inspection, the furniture is dated and grimy. Drinks are sort of pricey, but for the area it's located in you shouldn't expect a deal. They play the Russian national anthem twice a night, I think. That can get annoying.

Nothing to complain about here. My observations:

Great espresso based drinks,
Plenty of seating choices,
Fewer annoying people than most other independent cafes,
Appealing selection of grilled sandwiches and brunch items (burrito!),
Big art space in the back,
Cutie patooties,
Inexpensive.

10$ for a tiny wrap. Really unfriendly service. Took a long time. Not great. Why do you people love this place so much?

Stopped in to check out Actinolite on opening night and I think they've accomplished what they've set out to do.

Which is (I assume): to provide a neighborhood (seriously lacking quality dining options) go-to spot, with regionally sourced items, a welcoming and intimate atmosphere, with high quality food choices.

The menu is divided up into 5 apps and 5 mains, 3 sides, and a couple of deserts. A larger than you'd expect wine list was also a pleasant surprise.

Since Actinolite is named after the Eastern Ontario town the chef of the restaurant is from, we chose a pinot noir from Prince Edward County to accompany the meat heavy mains selected.

Favorites of the night were the pork shoulder appetizer, the roasted chicken , and veal t-bone with creamed spinach.

The plan is for the menu to rotate, so I guess there's not a lot of use going into detail about each dish - but what's important is they were all well balanced, made with the utmost attention to detail, and served professionally.

The price point may be a little higher than you'd expect but everyone we saw in the restaurant (including ourselves) left very satisfied.

Bonus:  the most hottest of all hottest food celebs was also dining (Lisa Ray from Top Chef Canada)...so like...that bumps this place up a few notches, as well.

Been back to Chiado a few times for special occasions and it's always amazing.

I recently stopped by for lunch (open 12-230 daily) and I think that's my new favorite. Generally if you're not going to be drinking too much wine and don't order an app, you end up having a entirely memorable dining experience with as good service as any other high-end restaurant in the city; and for under 30$.

I did indulge on some deep-fried soft shell crab to begin, and then had one of their 1/2 dozen fresh fish specials served with vegetables and a starch, generally. That crab was great...and you eat the shell!

The table all ordered differently and no one could be happier with the selections. The sweet/spicy/savory flavors and textures are about as well balanced as any fish I've had.

As a Maritimer, it makes me reallllllllllllly want to give up fish and chips. Sacrilegious.

I guess I should give a higher rating since I've eaten more meals from the Golden Turtle than anywhere else. #74 and a #163 please.Diet coke.

You get your food fast. Everyone likes that. In and out. Weird, language limiting service.

The Golden Turtle.