Nicole "the Antipodean one" H.'s Profile

Well, ping my pong. I never thought i'd find myself in a bar on King drinking gin cocktails, let alone a ping pong bar - another point for Yelp adventures.

While I couldn't partake of most of the Spin-provided snacks, I thought they were terrific & creative - tacos, grilled cheeses and little sausage rolls (I smell an Australian working there..). Lovely as always to see the Pop Chips crew there - I think they might be sprinkling something special on those chips, they're so good.

As far as the gin cocktails went, I was surprised as i'm not a drinker of gin in general, but they were mixed very well. The reddish coloured "Spirits" option was far and away my favourite, I hope it ended up winning in the button vote! The bar staff were champs keeping up with our frantic shouts of "Tiny! Tenacious! Spirits!" and for that I bow to them.

Now to the main event and activity - ping pong! I guess Spin's got it down as basically a version of a pool hall but with pong tables. There's plenty of space to move and strut your stuff around the tables - and I wasn't one to let the boundaries of a simple table confine my ball skills either. (Sorry to those at neighbouring tables...) I was a little sad we had a cut-off of ponging at 9 as well as the bar - I could've been convinced to stay & drink and play longer, but I understand their need to turn those tables around. That's my only reason for knocking down a star, really.

Three cheers to all of the Yelpers I hung with and chatted briefly, it was fantastic to see ALL of you. Fabio, Renata, Steph, Elaine, Fern, Kelly O, Roma, Karl, Danielle, Dishan, Dave M, and some lovely new folks like Ian and Mariko. Yay! I even got in some time harassing Kent P at the bar. I got to ping some pong with Danielle & Dave M, plus I even won a game or two against my sweetie/+1 Adam M. Victory!! Special thanks, as always, to Yelpmeister Vivek. You're the dude, dude.

So I have to wonder, who's going to corner the market in a beer pong bar, next?

Trainers is a solid no-frills fitness facility smack bang in the middle of the Annex (Bloor/Bathurst) - a great little independant business that serves its community well.

A high 3.5 stars. To break down the bigger picture:

* Facilities
- Plenty of lockers, but there could be a little more space to get changed
- Showers are very basic and there's some open/communal as well as some curtained; areas can be a little dim, depending on what stall you pick. Water temp can be tricky, pressure is fine.
- Toilets are fine and clean, sink area is spacious and there's hairdryers available.

* Classes
Decent variety, although not as frequent as other gyms; all included in membership price:
- Yoga
- Zumba
- Boxing conditioning
- Pilates
- Various cardio
- Boot camp

* Equipment
- There is plenty of cardio equipment - bikes, crosstrainers, treadmills - but all of it's a little more out of date than new gyms, and it can take a little trying out of everything to see what's best for you rather than hopping on anything and just going.
- Weight machines range in quality from older to up to date, but all function well and are in fairly decent condition
- Free weights area downstairs has a good range of hand weights, bar weights and assisted weight machines.
- There's some weights in the group exercise room, and often a punching bag left hanging in one corner.

* Space
- None of the areas are too crowded
- There's a small area for stretching/ab exercises downstairs, and also a stretching/misc area near the cardio machines upstairs.
- The group exercise room is spacious and it's almost always free when i'm there so I use it for stretching/misc non-machine exercises. Definitely a plus.

* Staff
- Friendly
- No-nonsense
- Helpful, when you have their attention
- Don't try to push you to buy any extras if you're just interested in a membership
- Can sometimes be hard to get the attention of, as there's no one person always stationed right at the front desk.

* Costs
- A good $20 cheaper per month than the lower student/corp rates at chain gyms
- They have a flat rate of $44 (plus one off admin fee) if you sign on for 12 months, pretty great for these facilities.

I like the no-nonsense approach at Trainers. I see all sorts of people coming in, it's a great mix of folks that's not overwhelmed by gym freaks there to check themselves out and loiter around in the way talking to each other about protein shakes. I really appreciate not being badgered to buy personal training sessions - i'm on a tight budget, hence my shifting to a lower scale gym.

Obviously this isn't shiny and polished like your Goodlifes and Extremes, but i'm not there to pose or bask in glamour - i'm there to sweat and keep fit, and i'm finding everything I need at Trainers.

I love living so close to a 24 hour supermarket, but there are so many things that make shopping here miserable that it really swings it toward a "meh" experience.

Bleh:
* Too cramped! Too crowded!
* Fruit and veg section is a little strangely organised
* Limited selection because of the size of the store
* When the lineups are big it tends to be impossible to try and get anywhere near a cashier or even leave the store

Hmmm, okay:
* Fruit and veg is usually okay quality, and sometimes they have decent deals. I'd rather hit up one of the produce stores on Bloor, but sometimes it's late at night and I need to get stuff
* It's open 24 hours. So handy.

It's a case of the devil you know with this Metro; on the whole I think Metro stores are pretty shitty (I used to frequent the one at College Park when I worked there, and even that is better than this location). But when it's so convenient and there's no other options to get what you need, then i'll head along.

I wish it was a Fiesta Farms instead, though. Or even a mini-Loblaws would be an improvement!

The Phoenix is well situated to get to on public transit, and is just on the outskirts of the downtown core (you could even walk over from College station, or down from Sherbourne, if the weather is nice). I've never had an issue with door staff, they are reasonable and do their job quickly to get you carded and in the door. No problems with bag searches.

Inside is a little weirdly set out - you wind through a hallway via the coat check and where the merch stand (if any) will be set up, before hitting the main concert hall.

It's pretty divey, i'm not going to lie. Very dimly lit, everything painted black, strange old decor crammed into forgotten corners and overhangs. It's strange. There's 3 bars which should all be open on a busy night when there's a sold out concert; drinks aren't super cheap, unfortunately - and bottled water is sold at a criminal $3.  Washrooms are all the way at the back and downstairs, but there's a lot of them to avoid too much wait. They're not glamorous, but they do.

Sound is great here, i've not had an issue with the quality of that impacting on my enjoyment of a show at all. Space-wise, there's quite a bit - a massive large space downstairs where everyone just lumps in together, and a smaller area on a balcony upstairs which is more casual and there's some seating; not ideal for actually watching a show, more loitering and listening.

Overall I wouldn't hesitate to go see a show at the Phoenix, and you just have to know that you'll probably enjoy yourself despite some of the venue's quirks and appearances. So it sorta evens out to 3 stars, I suppose!

Perched on the corner of Avenue and a leafy side street is Seven Grams, one of the new kids on the indie coffee scene in Toronto this year. I've visited a couple of times and tried a few things, and overall i've been pretty pleased!

The offerings:
* Lattes - very close to being a damn good latte, except it depends on your barista and they use a brand of soy milk that i'm not a fan of.
* Syphon - super awesome way to brew (WITH SCIENCE!!) and it makes a freakin' delicious cup of joe.
* Cold brewed coffee is really super nice, savour every sip.
* Teas - come out in a pot with a mug on the side. Classy stuff.
* Light snacks and treats, cookies on offer if you're peckish.

The surroundings:
* Decor is pretty snazzy, the place feels very upscale, but there's a strange mix of regular cafe seating, then a nice big wooden table, and also a few wacky armchairs and a couch or two.
* Depending on what you'd like out of perching and sipping, there's the aforementioned communal table, some window seating, and more tables downstairs.
* Decent washroom facilities

The people:
* Staff are friendly, and more than willing to have a chat to you about the stuff they have on offer (I was hovering asking questions about the syphon, and the gentleman brewing my coffee was super nice and helpful!)
* It seems like a lot of solo people come here to camp during weekdays - it's  a pity more of them don't use the communal table, because I saw more than a few people try to snag a table but were thwarted by laptoppers.
* Interesting mix of clientele stream through here, it can be interesting people-watching.

I gotta try and get up this way more often!

It's so WEIRD that there's a vegan place in a massive mall food court in downtown Toronto. So weird! But it's pretty awesome being able to get a proper bite to eat while flailing about through the masses of shoppers and loitering teens.

The basics on offer are pretty much the same as the Kensington Market location (salad and grain bowls made custom, curry bowl, and a stew, plus a handful of sandwich flavours). They also have muffins/brownies/cookies prepacked if you're just after a snack.

I'm slightly disappointed that they don't offer water to drink here like in the beginning, leaving you to choose from pre-prepared (and unlabeled) juices. Sigh. Also, the food court itself can be a little overwhelming, but at least Urban Herbivore is in a little island and kinda out of a lot of traffic - however people standing around waiting for orders can cause a bit of clutter.

Overall if you want a healthy option, and something vegetarian that's not an unholy mound of iceberg lettuce, you'll be pretty happy that Urban Herbivore's hit the food court scene.

Cheap but not nasty, BBQues hits the spot as far as fast-food quick snacks go. I can get a veggie dog with a nice range of toppings, plus fries (I always opt for the delicious wedge-cut ones) for under $5 with change to spare. There's also a veggie burger on the menu for not much more, too.

There seem to be a bunch of options for the omnivorous too, but I don't pay a great deal of attention to detail when it comes to that - it's just good to know that I can go there with non-veg friends for a quick bite, is all.

Fairly standard drinks fridge - pop, iced tea, water, sugary sugarloads of sugar, etc. There's a small froyo bar, too. Seating is fairly limited, and I'm not sure how you'd go with waiting for takeout if it was super busy in there, as the layout can be a bit awkward.

As far as gourmet fare, BBQues is not it - but that's not why you're there. You're there to scoff a delicious mound of fast food guilty pleasure! Solid option on the outskirts of the Annex/UofT - forget that street meat cart and drop into this friendly little family owned joint.

One of the best fruit/veg grocers along Bloor between Bathurst and Christie, for sure. They have a great range of fresh produce - especially what's in season - and you can often get great deals on pints of berries, cartons of peaches, prepackaged fruit/veg, etc. Prices are really reasonable in general, though! They have an excellent range of greens, herbs, and asian veg, too. Nom!

On the whole, quality is up there, although occasionally you might have to sift through to find flawless stuff. It's never been too bad, though. I can usually pick up everything I need here, be it fruit, vegetables or herbs, and not have to go searching elsewhere for stuff.

Super helpful and friendly independently-run pharmacy pretty close to Spadina/Bloor. Helpfully right under a building with a walk in clinic and also a regular doctor's surgery.

The owner/pharmacist went to school at UofT and decided to come back to the area to open up this business, which I think is pretty neat. He was very helpful when I went in to fill prescriptions for the first time, and was welcoming to the neighbourhood when he learnt i'd just moved nearby. He even called to my old pharmacy to move my existing prescriptions, and has been great about getting orders done when I call in ahead of picking up.

They have a small range of miscellaneous products you'd find at just about any pharmacy - snacks, misc health products, greeting cards, etc etc.

Dispensing fees are pretty on par with most pharmacies, and just above places such as Walmart.

Shorter hours mean that in a pinch for emergency prescriptions and products I might have to go elsewhere, but i'll stick with them for my regular prescriptions for sure.

Overall, a win! Nice to have an owner-operated pharmacy in the neighbourhood.

Queen Street West has a pretty decent smattering of cafes, but i'm going to go on and tell you that you should just head for the White Squirrel. Not elusive at all like its namesake, it's smack bang across from Trinity Bellwoods Park and easy to get to on foot/streetcar.

My usual bet is for a soy latte - and I love getting it to have in the cafe because you get a wee denim cup sleeve for your glass! I've also had the flat white, which is a killer. I can't speak to the range of snacks/ice cream as I don't think i've seen a vegan option there. But i'm always about the coffee when I drop in.

During the warmer months, I love grabbing my latte to go and heading over into the park to grab a spot on a bench and enjoy the sunshine while caffeinating. (There's even a little to-go window to order if you fancy - although it's not exactly much further to step into the cafe and make your request.) In the colder months it's tricky to find a spot in the cafe, but a latte to go can still warm the hands and heart.

Clean surroundings and lovely decor in the cafe (lots of exposed wood), it's quite nice when you *can* get a seat. Washroom facilities are available, and are clean.

A very high 4 stars, only a couple of things holding me back from 5 - lack of seating & the quality of the latte can sometimes waver depending on who's making it. I've never had a BAD latte here though.

White Squirrel! C'mere and let me cuddle you.