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"I love oily bohunks."
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2338 Useful, 1616 Funny, and 1636 Cool
Toronto, ON
Yelping SinceFebruary 2009
Things I Lovecriminally dark chocolate, stroopwafel, accordions, Jonny Greenwood, peppermint tea, cashmere, avocados, zwieback, left-handed redheads, pickles, mind-blowing kisses, dust baths
Find Me InLeslieville
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I'm working on my dimples
Why You Should Read My ReviewsCause I'm in charge here! Check the badge, yo.
My Second Favorite Website My First ConcertMetallica - ...And Justice for All tour
My Last Meal On Earthsprinkle sandwich
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I will slay you in Skip-Bo
Most Recent Discoveryhomemade marshmallows @ Hank's
Current Crushthe prickly barista at Jet Fuel
First Reviews
122 reviews| 1 to 10 of 122 | | Go to Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ... | Previous | Next |
Date
Location
Category
Toronto, ON M4J 1N1
(416) 850-7506
Greenwood Veggie Depot
Category: Grocery
Neighbourhood: Greenwood-Coxwell
A case of Maroc clementines for only $3.99 was quite a tempting purchase but I had a few more stops to make so I wasn't keen on carrying a crate with me. A wide variety of fresh herbs, specials on cases of pop and a huge pet food and greeting card section were also of note.
Toronto, ON M5A 3C4
(416) 681-0338
Mill Street Retail Store
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
Neighbourhood: Distillery District
One of them is The Beer Store at Bathurst/Dupont, and you have to call ahead to see which ones they have on hand. The other is Mill Street's retail store in the Distillery District, and they (obviously) only carry tasty Mill Street beer. You can't get Mill Street gets at The Beer Store (even though you can buy bottles/cases). They also sell all of their beer in smaller quantities and often have new and exclusive brands for sampling.
You can buy their kegs of beer in 30 ($130) or 50L ($170) quantities. Obviously you'd go for the 50L since it's nearly twice the volume and 30% more money. Call ahead to place your order and let them know when you're coming to pick it up. They'll give you a hand pump for the keg, and you should definitely get two of these just in case your pump breaks five minutes before your party.** And also because as mentioned, the only other place in Toronto that carries hand pumps is the faraway Bathurst/Dupont Beer Store.
There's a $50 deposit that you get back when you return the empty keg, usually recommended within a few days. In other words, don't worry about having to haul ass to Mill Street the morning after your rager.
Retail store manager Lauren was very kind and helpful with all my cluelessness when I called to order my kegs. Now that I see how simple it is, I declare all of my house parties to be keg parties.
You can get a tour of the brewery at 1pm and 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
NOTE: A full keg weighs 150lbs and empty it weighs a third of that. Shit's heavy. Enlist the help of a muscly-armed paperboy or two to carry this.
**This has never happened to me.
Toronto, ON M4M 3A5
(416) 778-0809
Matter of Time
Category: Antiques
Neighbourhood: Leslieville
It's a bit overwhelming but if you look hard (or better yet, just ask) you'll definitely find something. He also makes custom pieces from salvaged wood and materials. I scored a really, really sweet rotating barstool for $15 and a refurbished espresso coloured credenza for $80.
Boston, MA 02128
USA
Earl Of Sandwich
Categories: Fast Food, Sandwiches
Neighbourhood: Downtown
The teenager that took my order was hardly qualified to be working at a fast food restaurant. He moved at the pace of a two-toed sloth (not to be confused with the slightly more mobile and robust three-toed sloth) and was indifferent to the basic tenets of restaurant service (eye contact, avoiding wiping body parts in front of customers).
I ordered an egg and cheese sandwich (aka "egg mcmuffin") just before a flight back to Toronto and it was $6. It took nearly 15 minutes to prepare and the quality of all three ingredients was so soggy and awful that I took two bites and promptly threw it out. What a waste.
Toronto, ON M6P 1Z2
(416) 767-7788
Pearl Nails and Spa
Categories: Hair Removal, Nail Salons
Neighbourhood: High Park
She'll now be my go-to girl for a perfect ten. My hand massage was out of this world (fell asleep immediately) and her application was flawless (no cleanup required).
2 Previous Reviews: Hide »
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7/22/2009
Another perfect ten (literally). This time I went to get my nails done by Lily (also known as "Smiley" as she always has a smile plastered across her face) and she expertly applied OPI's MonSoon Or Later to my nails. She was meticulous about post-mani cleanup and gave me the best hand massage I think I've ever experienced during a mani - no doubt I'll be asking for her again and again.
Reminder: $8. I'm actually quivering at how good this deal is! -
7/3/2009 First to Review
I know it's cruel, but whenever I'm trying out a new nail salon I like to test the manicurist's skill level by requesting OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark (http://2.bp.blogs...). If she can apply this polish with extreme precision without flinching, I know I've found my nail nirvana.
Such was the case today when I was traipsing my way through The Junction and happened upon Pearl Nails for a walk-in manicure. At $8 the price truly could not be beat - but what kind of quality could such a ridiculously low pricetag possibly yield? It turns out, a very good one.
While my manicurist prepared my personal nail kit, she asked me to write my name and phone number on the individual tackle box and to pick out my nail polish. I was impressed by the extreme colour organization on the OPI wall - everything was painstaking sorted by shade and hue so it was a cinch to dive right into the darks and pick out my beloved Lincoln Park After Dark. They also carry China Glaze, which I haven't seen at any other nail salons in Toronto yet.
The cuticle pushing, nipping and nail shaping was extremely thorough. The hand massage was equally drawn out and relaxing, enough for me to nearly fall asleep (bear in mind that I'm a bit of a narcoleptic). After she meticulously applied two coats of the polish and a top coat, she employed a really unusual and never-before-seen technique to touch up the imperfections: a small artist's brush dipped in nail polish remover. Usually manicurists use an orange stick but this was much more dainty. She caught all of the errant nail polish and sent me off to the high tech dryer station - which was an actual dryer, not a ghetto fan aimed at the general hand area).
Like most Toronto nail salons, this was a silent operation - limited English in this salon, which was fine with me as I concentrated on listening to the new Spoon EP on my iPod instead. Oh, and they also accept debit, which hardly any of these small Asian salons ever do...
$8! For a perfect manicure! Unheard of. I really hope it lasts - I'll report back in a week!
AMUSING ANECDOTE: A woman stormed in asking for an "emergency bikini wax" and they told her they could do it but she'd have to wait 10 minutes, to which she replied that it had to be right now, because "my husband is in the LCBO and I only have about 8 minutes to spare." They actually accommodated her request and she was in and out within 8 minutes!!
CAMH, you surprise me sometimes!
With the exception of cashiers, staff is nowhere to be found. I knew what I was looking for, but being new to the concept of wine in bottles (as opposed to boxes - KIDDING) I didn't know where to find it. I spent a good thirty minutes dodging reeking hobos and fauxmless people trying to find a very specific bottle of wine. There seemed to be more vagrants than typically present in an LCBO.
I bought four bottles of wine and wasn't offered a bag even though I had my nickel ready. They only had individual paper bags - no plastic. Pardon me if I don't want to carry three litres of wine in separate paper bags on the TTC.
The entrance is difficult to find. It's in the basement of the Atrium On Bay near the subway. There are signs on the map showing it in a different spot but don't be deceived...it's way in the corner.
This place has all sorts of balloons on hand - birthday numbers, get well soon, congrats, etc. Helium fillups are $0.85 per balloon, which I think should be discounted if I supply the balloons, but whatever - convenience is key here.
Also, I believe one metre of ribbon per balloon is sufficient - I got three per balloon and it was quite unwieldy to transport.
Three stars for convenience, price and proximity to my home. None awarded for friendliness.
Toronto, ON M5G 1M7
(416) 599-0008
Time For Nails & Spa
Categories: Skin Care, Nail Salons
Walk-ins are welcome at this Bay/Dundas salon, and once inside I felt like I had been transplanted to Yorkville. So much plastic, countless pieces of Tiffany jewellery and high maintenance divas. For once I saw more men than women getting their nails done. I don't know if they were part of a bachelor party or what, but there were half a dozen dudes getting spa pedicures when I came by on a Tuesday night.
CUTICLE WORK/MISHAPS:
No mishaps, because it wasn't very thorough. Cuticle work consisted of pushing them back while simultaneously rubbing cream into my hands.
HAND MASSAGE:
Massage was next to non-existent. I had hardly closed my eyes and it was already over.
POLISH APPLICATION:
Enima's polish application was decent and when she smudged a few of the nails she wiped the polish off and started all over again. My nails dried well under the standard dryers. Sadly my white mani started chipping after only three days, even though Enima sprayed them with some sort of aerosol formaldehyde concoction as I walked out the door (presumably it was a sealant of some sort). Luckily I love the smell of formaldehyde so I didn't mind, but the haphazard spraying was a little disconcerting.
EXTRA NOTES:
Magazine selection was decent - lots of current, trashy magazines like Star, In Touch, Hello!, People, US Weekly, etc. Appropriate for the neighbourhood/clientele.
"Nancy" and "Shelley" seem to be the ladies to see at this nail salon. Several women walked in specifically requesting them and there was a queue to see them. If I'm ever nearby and feel like giving this place another try, I know who to call.
$15.
On my quarterly trips to Buffalo our group always eats at this IHOP without fail. It's conveniently located on the way to Walden Galleria and it's almost always a shitshow, so get there early if you expect to be seated and served with any semblance of efficiency. It's a catch 22 because in a way you want to eat here for breakfast BEFORE you shop, but if you do, any clothing you try on at the mall afterwards won't fit your newly acquired girth. If you go after shopping you won't get a seat. So take your pick.
As with any IHOP try not to order too much food, because the portions are staggering. I've never seen anyone finish a stack of pancakes and the general clientele is rather rotund if you know what I'm saying. The portions are just too much - to the point that watching some of the other people eat is an instant motivator to renew that gym membership.
I once saw a family of three order chili cheese fries, five stacks of pancakes, french toast, eggs, a side of grits, sausage, bacon and chicken fingers. I was immediately overcome by the urge to order a Bowflex, Gazelle, Shake Weights, Yoga Booty Ballet DVDs and any other product that Tony Little*** endorses.
I usually order the stuffed french toast (see pic!) and something eggy on the side. I almost never get the pancakes, because as mentioned, it's just too much food. Pancake portions could easily be only two and I'd be satisfied.
For a while the Best Waitress On The Planet™ worked here. Her name was Ali Baba (!!) and she was the fucking best. So friendly, so motherly and comforting, and always had the biggest smile on her face. To date she's one of my favourite servers of all time. Then the next time we came back for pumpkin pancakes in October, she was gone. Allegedly moved back to Cheektowaga to work on a corn farm or some such. Ali Baba, if you're out there: WE MISS YOU!
Open 24 hours a day on Fridays and Saturdays.
**The other two are: 1) Walden Galleria for the CCO, J.Crew and other cheap shopping, and 2) Buffalo International Airport for dirt cheap flights within the US and Europe. It's worth the drive to Buffalo!!
***http://images.business...