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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
All Reviews
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Date
Location
Category
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 M5E 1C3
(416) 361-9788
Anton Kozlik's Canadian Mustard
Category: Specialty Food
Neighbourhood: St. Lawrence
They constantly have a sizzling pan of peameal bacon going that you can grip with toothpicks and dip into the various mustard sampler tins. I recently picked up four jars of mustard - some for myself and others for a special friend™ - and am really pleased with the sharp and tangy quality of the ones I picked: Amazing Maple, Honey Garlic, Dijon By Anton and German.
TIP: if you have the luxury of working from home or have a flexible schedule, avoid this place on Saturdays. It's just mayhem. Easily one of the busiest attractions in all of St. Lawrence Market.
Closed Sundays & Mondays.
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.
According to the map, I had to get to Zone 4 but the price list was based on Zones A, B C & D. Nothing lined up but the most expensive was $18, so I took a chance and asked the depressed Super Shuttle employee that was half-leaning on her booth what to do. She unexcitedly wrote up an invoice for $21 and told me to sit tight.
She then made a series of indecipherable phone calls and assured me the shuttle was on its way. Now, to this moment I still don't understand how the shuttle works, because almost twenty of them went by before one slowed down to pick me up and none were full.
Twenty shuttles.
After 40 minutes I was starting to contemplate whether the savings of $11 (estimated cab fare: $32) was really worth the wait, but at that very moment the "shuttle" (no speed implied here) appeared. I got in and chose to keep my luggage with me on my seat as the driver appeared to have no interest in handling it with care.
And I haven't even gotten to the disorganized part yet.
We then stopped at three more exits to pick up other passengers, and the driver pulled over, collected everyone's invoices and asked each person for exact addresses (I mistakenly thought this was a shuttle service for hotels only). Then he asked them for preferred routes and made a map in his mind of who he would drop off first, and which order he would drive to each location. He then stopped at the Super Shuttle checkpoint to sign some documents and natter with the booth attendant. At no point was the itinerary or procedure shared with the passengers, seemingly because everyone in the shuttle except me was German anyway.**
Forty minutes later I was at my hotel and I paid the driver. I was not given a receipt even though my invoice said I would. Oh - was I supposed to leave a tip? Because I totally didn't.
Moral of the story: take a cab.
**Why are there so many German tourists in Miami??
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!!
Toronto, ON M5B 2H1
(416) 593-0861
Jean Machine
Categories: Women's Clothing, Men's Clothing
Enter Jean Machine, one of only five reasons to ever set foot in Eaton Centre (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...).
Like Mel D has said, you essentially walk in, shout out your size and fit preference as you saunter towards the fitting rooms and then wait to be handed pair after pair of fancy denim. There is no work required on your part. If the salesperson hands you a pair of jeans with no rivet detailing and you want rivets and rhinestones, say so, and pairs will magically appear on the changeroom partition.
They carry one of my all-time favourite brands from Japan called Domino and offer discounts on multiple pairs. Returns, if necessary, are a breeze. Dunno if these folks work on commission but if they do, they damn well deserve every penny, cause they work hard to make my ass look good.
Toronto, ON M4E 1E4
(416) 699-3874
Beacher Cafe
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighbourhood: The Beaches
The decor is pure Valhalla Inn circa 1983, complete with carpeted floors and brass railings. It actually reminds me of the not-yet-reno'ed IHOPs in upstate New York. The brunch menu is compact with lots of eggy options, including the aforementioned Florentine for a mere $9.40.
The florentine was served on two fresh croissant halves (yum!) with a side of boiled and fried up potatoes, peppered so slightly with Hungarian paprika and some other spices. Hollandaise was subtle and not overbearing and the eggs were poached just right.
As you may already know I like my spinach only slightly wilted and definitely not thawed or canned. The spinach was wonderful although there was far too much of it. I had several mouthfuls of spinach but when I looked down on my plate there was still at least a cup of it (in wilted form). Quite frankly my digestive tract was in oxalate overload.
Service was polite and attentive. I'm dead chuffed that I now have a new option for benny in The Beach!
Toronto, ON M4L 1Z6
(416) 461-3111
Motimahal
Category: Indian
Neighbourhoods: Greenwood-Coxwell, Little India
I ordered a vegetarian "thali" (a stainless steel with separate, dipped compartments for food not unlike the kind you used to eat your peas, carrots and squash puree from as an infant) for $6.95. The addition of a meat thali ($7.95), extra naan (we didn't need it) and samosas brought the total bill to $20.
The thali came with my choice of three vegetable dishes (I chose Dal Makhani, Chana Masala and Malai Kofta) with Pulao rice, naan and an onion salad with a neon green relish ladled over top. I didn't touch the onion salad but was instead focused on the Malai Kofta...mashed cheese and veggie balls in a thick tomato curry sauce and the yummy dal dish. The chana masala was OK but not tomato/tamarind-y enough for me. The sauce was green-ish instead of red or burgundy. Water is self-serve in giant steel carafes that keep it cold.
I was far too stuffed from the eating contest-esque portions but I'd be eager to try the vegetable cutlets with channa ($1.50) and mango or banana lassis ($2.50) next time. Samosas were a mere $0.70-0.85.
This would be really great for party takeout or a cheap stuffed night in.
Closed on Tuesdays; debit and credit cards accepted.
TIP: Take out money beforehand, and don't wait till you've arrived to do it at the adjacent CIBC. You do not want to get mixed in with the crowds that hang around outside/at The Waverly Hotel.