Ticking Off the Toronto Bucket List: Week #14

Hey Everyone!

So for Week 14 I headed west to The Junction! I didn't go alone this time, I went with a super cool friend of mine who wanted to take me to Rawlicious (a raw food joint) and Bunners (a gluten vegan bakery). We had a lovely time, and everything was so tasty!!! 

The Junction is located on the west end of Toronto close to the High Park area. This area of Toronto seems to attract artsy, and the social activist types. Lots of cool vegan friendly, organic friendly options, cute cafes, unique stores, lots of bakeries. Just like every neighborhood in Toronto, it really feels like it's own little community. Great vibes all around! 

Now, I also had a lovely coffee at Crema Coffee Co. when we visited, but I have technically already been to Crema, however, I never got around to posting anything about my experience! So I hope you enjoy that as well! 

Crema Coffee Co. 

Long Distance Indie Coffee Date #16 

3079 Dundas Street W

http://cremacoffee.ca/

I first visited Crema Coffee Co. as part of my Long Distance Indie Coffee Shop blog posts! So I shall follow in that same format! 

Neightbourhood: The Junction

Drink Ordered: Mocha! Very tasty :) 

I also purchased a lovely cookie :) It was delicious :) Went very well with my heavenly drink! They get their treats from Circles and Squares. This bakery seems to be a standard for loads of coffee joints in the city, and I'm okay with that!! So good! 

Size: Great size! Lots of places for people to pull up a chair to join groups, or smaller tables for more intimate conversations. Really bright and pretty. Great art work on the walls. Upon my second visit I noticed they had changed their art! Looks like it's always rotating! 

Lots of Crema merch on sale as well! You can even get a t-shirt! 

Menu: Lots of your classic coffee favourite. The daily drip I had on my second visit was tasty! I actually really enjoyed it!  Also, their pastries are to die for thanks to Circles and Squares like I had previously mentioned :) 

Atmosphere: Great atmosphere!! Lots of "professionals". But the cool kind :) The artsy kind. Really hip and laid back people! The staff are also really nice and helpful. Also, they are all super cute! Make sure to stop in even if it's just to check out the staff! 

Overall, Crema Coffee Co. (the Junction location) is a must for coffee lovers who are wandering around this lovely neighbourhood :) I'd go back, and I have gone back :) I love it :) ... I should probably stop using the smiley face. I'm that happy about this place! Lots of positive vibes! 

Date Potential: 9/10 Hearts! 

Great For: Everyone. It's a very welcoming environment for all walks of life :) 

5/5 Smiles from Me! 

Rawlicious

The Junction Location 

3092 Dundas Street West 

http://www.rawlicious.ca/Rawlicious/Home.html

AMAZING! This place blew my mind. I was honestly sitting there eating my meal in amazement. I couldn't stop saying "OMG" with each mouth full. We started off our meal with a pizza appetizer, but not just any pizza! It was a raw pizza made with a sprouted buckwheat crust! The sauce was something with pesto I believe, and the toppings were mango, pineapple and red onion. It was delicious!! The slice even bended like a real pizza. I was in heaven! 

Next up was my Zucchetti Basil Pesto! I was amazed by this dish and it's zucchini noodles! It looked like pasta, but didn't give me that awful full feeling. You know what I mean? Anyway, my friend and I think they used like 8 zucchinis to create this dish! There was so much. It was incredible. 

My friend had the Special Pasta Bolognese. I don't know how they did it, but it looked like there was ground beef on it! Amazing!

I absolutely loved this place :) The staff was nice, the atmosphere was laid back. There were also tons and tons of great seating options. There was even a back patio! 

I highly recommend checking out Rawlicious! You'll love it! 

I did! 

Bunners

3054 Dundas Street West 

Gluten Free Vegan Bakery! 

http://www.bunners.ca/shop/

mmmm 

That's all I can really say about this place. 

I had the famous Gypsy cookie. It was to die for. I also bought the cornmeal/blueberry muffin for later. 

I loved it. Every bite. 

Visit Bunners. It's delicious. 

Alright, so that's the end of Week #14!! Time for #15!! It's going to start getting intense!

Music Festival time!

This weekend will be the Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia, Ontario! Can't wait :)

7 weeks to go!! 

Keep Smilin, 

- Moni

Ticking Off the Toronto Bucket List: Week #13

Hey Everyone!

So I apologize once again for the major delay! I've been relaxing and enjoying my time so much that I have neglected to share with everyone my fun Toronto times :) Week 13 was mainly about getting back into the groove after a busy NxNE festival, so I decided to go out for ice cream with a friend and enjoy some "me" time in a cafe :)

Lit Espresso 

810 College Street

Little Italy 

http://www.litespressobar.com/

I decided that I needed to visit a coffee shop this week. It was the only way I'd feel back in the Toronto groove. I wanted to visit somewhere a bit further away from home but not too far, so Lit Espresso was the best choice! It's located in Little Italy closer to Ossington (for all your Torontonains). 

It's cute, and has lots of seating. It's actually perfect for people who are meeting up in groups of two, or want to chill out on their own. The baristas were adorable and sweet, and the coffee was good too! I decided to try their daily brew and treated myself to a chocolate chip cookie. I can't resist treats with caffeinated beverages! Oh, and they have free wi-fi! Perfect for those studying or wanting to leave the comforts of their own home without having to sacrifice the comfort. It's a great place to chill out :)

I'd definitely come back here! 

5/5 Hearts from me! 

The Big Chill 

367 Manning Avenue 

http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/the-big-chill-toronto

This place is so damn cute!! This old school ice cream parlour is also located in Little Italy! They have delicious ice cream, and man do they have a variety of flavours and options! I was craving a root beer float this week so I ordered a float with banana fudge ice cream. It was delicious!!! My friend enjoyed her two scoop treat that was a combination of pistachio ice cream and watermelon sorbet! We didn't try the waffle cones, but they make the fresh! I bet it's amazing :) 

The decor was adorable and very reminiscent of old fashion ice cream parlours. Lots of references to cows throughout the shop, and lots of bright pinks and greens! It was fantastic :) This place seems to be very popular with parents and children, and has bursts of long lines on warm days! 

It's brilliant :) Great way to start the summer! 

So that's what I did Week #13! 

8 weeks to go!!!!

Keep Smilin', 

- Monica

Ticking Off the Toronto Bucket List: Week #12

I know I know! I'm almost done my 13th week and I haven't even written about week 12! Well, I'm ready to re-live last week, so here it goes!

Last week I attended the NxNE Music Festival in Toronto. I had a wonderful time, met lovely bloggers from the CBC Radio 3 community and saw some great bands play their hearts out. I even hosted a picnic last Saturday entitled the "MoniSki R3 NxNE/Goodbye Picnic". For those of you who may not know, I am a R3 Blogger, and my blog name is MoniSki! It may sound quite nerdy, but I promise it's not :) It was a picnic for people in the R3 community, and also served as a going away get together for myself.

Anyway, the picnic was in Trinity Bellwoods Park and all the R3 bloggers met up to watch some great live bands. Mr. Grant Lawrence, a host at R3, was so kind to actually get some awesome artists to play the picnic! Nothing beats listening to the lovely tunes of Wayne Petti (Cuff the Duke), Matthew Barber and Graham Wright (Tokyo Police Club), on a warm summer's day during a picnic. It was brilliant!

I made a lot of new friends this past week. I'm going to miss them :) I'm also going to miss this festival a great deal, but maybe I'll be able to come back some time in the future to experience it again!

Anywho, here are some photos from all the festivities that took place :) It was great :) I didn't really tick off anything from the bucket list, but I at least took advantage of Toronto and spent a lot of time wandering its streets, parks and venues.

9 more weeks to go!

Keep Smilin',

Moni

Ticking Off the Toronto Bucket List: Week #11

Hey there!!!

Writing this blog has made me realize how hard it is to really start keeping track of everything you've done in the past week. I've been up and about all the time, but it's hard for me to now pin point everything! Every week seems to be blending into the next, in a good way!

However, I do have some things to share! Enjoy!! Next week's entry will be a good one for sure. This week is the North by Northeast Music Festival in Toronto!! I can't wait! Last year I had such a blast and made some awesome friends! It'll be great to see all my friends again in one place celebrating Canadian music. Plus, I'll be hosting a picnic in Trinity Bellwoods Park for all the R3 Bloggers to meet up and spend some time together! Should be fun!

But, for now, here's Week 11!

Bata Shoe Museum 

327 Bloor Street West 

Pay-What-You-Can Thursday Evenings! 

This museum is literally like a 15 min walk from my house and I had never been to it. Therefore, since they had a PWYC Thursday Evening where you just pay a minium $5, my friend and I thought it would be a good idea to finally visit it! 

Now, I'm sure some people would find this museum very fascinating, and indeed it is! However, my friend and I didn't read a lot of the history of any of the shoes, and were more into looking at the shoes. Perhaps that's why we didn't find it all that interesting? We really should have read a bit more. The museum itself is not that large, so if you're not reading anything than you get through it pretty quick. They did have a "Junos" themed exhibit with shoes donated by Canadian musicians. I saw Sam Roberts' shoes, they were dirty... Oh, and Justin Bieber's shoes were on display too! What I can say is that I absolutely adored the shoes from the Roaring Twenties, but that's a given. 

Justin's Shoes

Cutest shoes :) 

I would recommend this museum for those who enjoy learning about the history of things, and more specifically shoes. I personally wouldn't pay full price to get in, so if you can go on a cheap night do it! 

Magic Oven 

Various Locations Across Toronto

http://www.magicoven.com/

I'll make this nice and simple. 

Great great pizza. So tasty. Not greasy. Different types. Organic. Fresh ingredients. Free of preservatives.... I could keep going. 

Go there if you want some yummy pizza in the city. Trust me!! And it's not that expensive compared to other Toronto places!! 

That's all for now folks!! 

10 more weeks to go! 

Keep Smilin, 

Monica

Ticking Off the Toronto Bucket List: Week #10

Wow!

It's already been week #10! Time is flying by so quickly!

Well folks, I barely ticked anything off my list last week... if anything I did things that weren't even ON my list! But here we go anyway...

Festival of Clowns

Red Nose District 

[My bestest bud Carina was part of a clown cabaret and it was lovely :)]

If you're afraid of clowns, you shouldn't be! Not these clowns anyway! They are lovely and usually friendly (depending on the clown!). This particular showcase was hosted by the Toronto based clowns Morro and Jasp. They are hilarious, and I suggested seeing them in one of their shows! So funny! They get better and better each time I see them :) 

My friend Carina basically "debuted" her clown Styne, and I'm so proud of her :) 

Me and Jasp! 

Me and Styne :) 

El Almacen 

Yerba Mate Cafe 

1078 Queen Street West 

Yerba Mate.... it's an interesting drink! It's like coffee but without the jitters. You drink it out of a gourd, and it has an interesting process from beginning to end. I recommend just checking out an Yerba Mate cafe in order to get a better explanation. Actually, check out blogto for more info. All I can say is that after you drink it you feel like you're on cloud 9. I felt very happy after I drank here! 

I should add that the staff was very nice and informative ;) I felt very relaxed and comfortable here! 

Alright folks, 

11 more weeks to go!!!! 

Wow! 

Keep Smilin, 

Monica

Ticking Off the Toronto Bucket List: Week #9

Hey Everyone! 

Well, this week was a busy week!!! Tons of eating and experiencing new things! I'm pretty sure I'm going to spend all my money on food this summer. Who needs money in Ireland right?!? 

Anyway, here's what I did! Enjoy! Maybe it'll motivate you to get out there and try something fun this summer in Toronto! 

Thor Espresso Bar 

35 Bathurst Street 

http://www.thorespressobar.com/

Thor is a fairly new espresso bar that opened up in an area which was in need of a cafe that wasn't Starbucks or Second Cup. Located near a bunch of condos, Thor is a nice change for all those condo dwellers. I assume this must be the case anyway... So, I walked to Thor after work one day and I was in need of a cold beverage! I decided I'd get their iced mocha, and it was pretty yummy! 

Nice and refreshing! Not too bitter or anything. It was nice :) 

If you're into grab and go type places, and aren't planning on sitting here for too long this is your place! If you enjoy more of a sit down place then I wouldn't recommend Thor. It has cool looking tables, and tons of interesting magazines laying around, but it's not a place to really people watch or catch up with friends! 

3/5 Smiles! 

The Grind House 

281 Augusta Ave 

http://www.blogto.com/cafes/grind-house-toronto

The Grind House in Kensington Market! First of all, what an interesting name for a coffee shop eh? Almost creepy? 

Anywho, I read on blogto that the Grind House served clover coffee, so I thought "why not finally try some clover coffee". It's sort of like a french press but different. I recommend just googling it if you want to find out more. Basically, each cup of coffee is freshly made with your choice of coffee bean! FYI, Clover Coffee was bought out by Starbucks...but lets not think about this fact. The barista was super nice at the Grind House. He helped me choose my coffee bean, and after I finished my coffee he recommended what I should try next! He even opened by the bean bags and let me smell the beans! He told me that the darker the bean the oiler it gets, but that I should try the "mexican" blend next time. It's one level lower than the darkest roast but not as oily! I had a medium roast (Guatemalan to be exact!). It was tasty! I drank it black!! I rarely, if ever, do that! It was yummy :) 

I recommend coming here if you want to learn a bit about your coffee and need a place to chill after a morning of shopping in Kensington. Great people, lovely place, go here! 

5/5 Smiles! 

Doors Open Toronto

Elgin/Winter Garden Theatre 

Last year I visited a lot of buildings during the Doors Open event in Toronto. This time around I had picked out a bunch to visit, but because I had invited my lovely parents, I decided not to make the schedule too intense. Our main attraction was the Elgin/Winter Garden theatre located on Yonge Street, across from the Eaton's Centre. What a fantastic theatre! Beautiful! I learned so much after my visit. 

Here are some fun facts!

- Built in 1913

- The Elgin was used for vaudeville type shows which would play throughout the day, whereas the Winter Garden right above it would play the same show but only once a day. It cost 20 cents more to see a show up there. 

- The 1920s began the demise of the Elgin Theatre. Talking pictures came so they started to play movies there and the Winter Garden was closed down for 60 years. The Elgin even became a porno house in the 1970s! Lovely eh?! 

- The Elgin was basically destroyed and lots of things were gutted and ruined throughout the years. But thankfully, in the 1980s, Ontario Heritage bought the theatre and started to restore it! 

- The restoration brought the theatre back to it's glory and gave it wonderful facelift!

- oh, and the ceiling in the Elgin is fake. It's a hanging ceiling since there's another theatre right above it! 7 stories to be more precise! 

- The Winter Garden was eventually reopened and restored as well after 60 years! There was so much grime on the walls that the only way to clean the walls without ruining the original paint was to use bread dough! Who knew?! 

- The Winter Garden is supposed to resemble a garden in the spring time! That way it's always the spring when you visit! 

There is so much more I could keep going on about... but I'll leave it at that for now! 

GUU 

Japanese Restaurant 

398 Church Street 

YUM! 

This place was amazing. It's expensive, but it's the experience you're paying for! Getting to Guu is a little strange. You don't really know how to get into it, but once you're in it's awesome! On the outside it looks like a strange grey rock with little windows in it, but inside it's the coolest place in town! Thankfully, I visited Guu with my Japanese friend and didn't have to put to much effort into picking what to eat! I would have been sitting there for ages trying to figure it all out if I were on my own!
 But first, I should start with what happens upon entering Guu! Upon entering, you are greeted with a very loud Japanese welcoming by the entire staff. Now, I wish I remembered how to say it in Japanese, but all I know is that they yell "Welcome" and you instantly feel like you're part of some crazy cool Japanese community inside the restaurant. When you leave they yell "Arigato!".

The food was delicious. Again, I would explain what I ate, but all I remember is that it was tasty! Lots of chicken, and beek, and noodles and rice! So good!!

 Favourite Japanese Children's soda! You have to push the top with something and than a marble drops and makes everything fizz! It's fun!

YUM!


My First Blue Jays Game

Roger's Centre (a.k.a Skydome!)

I never thought I'd have so much fun at a Blue Jays game! I know nothing about baseball, and used to think it was super boring to watch. However, I felt that as a citizen of Toronto, I needed to attend a game! I have friends who said it was fun, so we went! Low and behold, they were right!! I had so much fun! I even bought myself some expensive baseball peanuts and they were delicious!!!
I totally recommend attending a game. It's different watching baseball with friends and in person!

Loved it!

phew!!! What a week!!!

This coming week will not be as hectic with ticking off the list. But I'm slowly getting there eh!?

12 weeks to go!

Keep Smilin',

Monica

Indie Coffee Shop Hoppin' - Rapido - (The Annex)

Rapido 

Website

1089 Bathurst Street 

How the heck did I NOT visit this place sooner?!?! Literally, it's 4 houses down from where I lived for four months last summer, thus only 10 mins from where I live now. I used to walk by it all the time, but never stopped in. I guess that's what happens when you live close to things. You just never see the need to pop into places that you walk by on a daily basis. Well, my dear friend who still lived four houses way, joined me on our first and possibly last visit to Rapido. Like me, she never stepped into this lovely Italian cafe. 

It was a HOT day. Thank god they offered homemade iced tea! I'm a huge fan of real iced tea, not that sugary stuff! We sat down with our iced teas, and drooled while the chefs in the back prepared pizzas and salads for lunch time. Thus, we couldn't resist splitting a panini when it was lunch time! It was delicious. It's a cute spot, filled with older Italian men sipping on their espressos. 

Awesome place :) I'd love to come back for a proper lunch soon!