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Visit to Toronto

Food Lover’s Guide to Toronto

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Queen Street West

Not only is friendly, funky Toronto Canada’s most populous city, but it’s also one of the most multicultural municipalities in the world—and that translates to great eating. The variety of restaurants is mind-blowing: Vietnamese joints sidle up to new-school seasonal places, which sit across the street from Greek tavernas or Spanish tapas bars. The best part is that exploring this vibrant food scene merely requires picking a street in a lively area and going for a stroll. But if you’d rather narrow down the selection a bit, here are some ways to satisfy any appetite.

Take a Food Tour

Glory Hole

A Foodies on Foot tour-de-deliciousness is a great introduction to Toronto’s restaurants and neighborhoods. Itineraries include Best of Toronto and the sandwich-focused Insanewich! tour. If you sign up for the fun 501 Streetcar Food Tour, which hops on and off along the 501 Queen line, you’ll start by hitting an excellent doughnut shop in Parkdale, all the way west, and move on through banh mi, barbecue, and more.

If you’d rather indulge in some self-guided exploration, choose a vibrant, diverse street like Ossington Avenue, which runs from west Queen West up through Little Portugal. Graze through the offerings there, grabbing a Portuguese pastel de nata (custard tart) at Venezia Bakery, a Malaysian roti at Soos, and chili-soy chicken wings at Hawker Bar. Finish up with a pint on Bellwoods Brewery’s sidewalk patio.

Explore the Markets

Kensington Market

Built as a sort of early supermarket in the nineteenth century, St. Lawrence Market still houses more than 120 vendors selling everything from meat to produce to cheese. There are also some good options for a bite, including Carousel Bakery, famous for its peameal bacon sandwich, which some say is Toronto’s signature dish. It’s thick-cut Canadian bacon on a Kaiser roll that you slather with mustard—basic, but tasty. Follow the crowds to Buster’s Sea Cove, where seafood like calamari, grilled fish, and fish and chips has made this place so popular that it now has a spinoff food truck. There’s seating, though you might have to elbow someone out of the way to secure a table. Or pick up provisions here and bring them on the ferry to one of Toronto’s charming islands.

Less of a traditional market than a condensed neighborhood spread over several square blocks, Kensington Market is an appealingly scruffy hodgepodge of everything from juice stands to bagel stores to grilled-cheese shops, with an emphasis on the crunchy-granola end of things. Have a wander and see what appeals to you or brave the lines at Rasta Pasta on Kensington Street, a Jamaican-Italian mash-up serving rightfully famous jerk chicken served with coleslaw or in a Panini.

For an international street-food smorgasbord, hit up Market 707 for everything from West Indian roti to barbecue to sushi sold out of shipping containers that have been converted into food stands. You’ll also find crepes, cookies, and Filipino fare.

It’s not exactly a market, but the Distillery District is a historic area of brick industrial buildings that’s home to shops, restaurants, and a brewery, Mill St. Brewpub. If you’re in the area and hungry, you can nosh on bar food (sliders, wings, poutine) here or hit the sprawling, colorfully decorated patio at El Catrin for tasty margaritas and fish tacos.

Hit the highlights

King's Noodles

Like any big city, Toronto has its share of buzzy restaurants. Bar Raval, the smaller sister restaurant to hit Spanish joint Bar Isabel, opened earlier this year. The best time to go might be breakfast or lunch, when it’s less crowded and you can really take in the gorgeous, sculptural wooden interior (there’s patio seating for warm months as well). During the day, the selection of tapas and pintxos (mini bites) is displayed on the bar, enabling easy selection of doughnuts, cheeses, cured meats, high-quality canned Spanish seafood, and more.

Two other notable stops are on the same block: DaiLo, which serves eclectic new-school Asian food in a beautiful dining room with jade booths, bamboo screens, and painted walls a la vintage Shanghai; and taco joint La Carnita, where a line is apt to form before the spot opens at 5 p.m.

Multiculturalism always breeds hybrids, and popular Patois is a case in point. The Jamaican-Chinese menu is beloved for dishes like pierogi-style kimchi potstickers and jerk chicken chow mein.

Down the street is the Black Hoof, which kick-started the city’s charcuterie craze when it opened in 2008. The narrow bar has a pared-down chalkboard menu with offal-heavy offerings like pig’s ear slaw and tongue on brioche.

Chinatown

Be sure to stop by Chinatown, the main drag of which is Spadina Avenue roughly between Queen Street West and College Street. Don’t miss beloved institution King’s Noodle, where the roasted meat platter, shrimp dumplings, and wonton noodle soup are musts. For late-night chowing, hit Swatow (309 Spadina Ave.; 416-977-0601) across the street, where classics like chow mein and shrimp and lobster sauce on rice are the dishes to order. For a Vietnamese fix, Pho Hung is so good that two other branches have opened elsewhere in the city.

Swatow

If you want to make an evening of good views, first hit daisho on the third floor of the Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto. An outpost of David Chang’s New York-based momofuku empire, the restaurant offers creative spins on modern Asian grub—and beyond. The menu recently featured two decidedly non-Asian riffs on the famous momofuku pork bun: an “everything” bun stuffed with whitefish salad and a falafel bun filled with a chickpea patty and pickled vegetables, both delicious.

Cap off your evening with a drink on the rooftop lounge of the Thompson Toronto hotel (reservations recommended), which boasts some of the best views of the downtown skyline. At night the buildings are lighted in different colors—it’s a spectacular sight.

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Visit to Toronto

Neighborhood Guide: Junction, Toronto

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Toronto’s Junction, so named for the nearby intersection of four railway lines, is the site of a colorful and contentious history. Previously an independent city called West Toronto, it was annexed by the city in 1909, but not before its working-class residents had voted to put an alcohol ban in place in 1904 to end whiskey-fueled brawls and raucous public drunkenness. The ban lasted until 2000, and in the years since, the Junction has gone through a nightlife and cultural renaissance, trading in abandoned storefronts for reclaimed furniture shops, design stores, and craft breweries, along with an annual summer solstice festival drawing people to its streets with local vendors and family entertainment. Here’s our guide to what to do and see in the Junction, Toronto’s hippest neighborhood.

Where to listen to music

Music venues have been instrumental in the revitalization of the Junction. In 2008, the Junction City Music Hall opened, entertaining crowds with local underground acts (literally) along with pinball and vintage arcade games in a dive bar atmosphere. Just down the street, The Hole in the Wall is a cozy and narrow gastropub (think: calamari and buffalo duck confit wings) with the occasional live act. Axis Gallery and Grill is the spot for brunch and live music on the weekends, with an airy street patio and downstairs lounge, and La Revolution is the Mexican food go-to, with jazz on the weekends and select weeknights. Tying the scene together is 3030 Dundas West, a massive bar and restaurant that serves as a hub of activity with a music stage, trivia nights, food market, a full cocktail menu, and 16 taps serving Ontario craft beers.

Where to drink

India Ale House

One of the first plans of action when exploring a neighborhood that was dry for almost a century is finding somewhere to drink. After the ban was lifted, the Junction made quick work of bringing in a distillery and two breweries.  Junction Craft Brewing, which opened in 2011,  has set up a tap room and retail shop where patrons can sample beers—including their signature “hopbacked” Conductor’s Craft Ale—in 5 and 10 oz sizes, buy tallboys, and fill up growlers. Indie Ale House makes a selection of unique craft ales with playful names like the “Shotgun Wedding” and “Cockpuncher” and pairs them with upscale pub food in their adjoining restaurant that serves yellowfin tuna tacos, a bison and pork belly burger, and a crispy Southern fried chicken that easily feeds two. For a learning experience, go on a tour at the Toronto Distillery Co., which in 2013 became the first new distillery in Toronto since Prohibition. They specialize in organic gin, single-grain whiskey, Applejack, and if you’re feeling adventurous, the earthy Beet Spirit, distilled from fermented sugar beets.

Where to get groomed

One of the more unique offerings in the Junction, Rod, Gun, and Barbers is a barbershop and bar modeled after a traditional Rod and Gun Club. Not only can clients in this lounge have a glass of bourbon in between a shave and a haircut, but it’s also a great spot to watch sports, play darts, or just have a beer. On Friday and Saturday nights, there’s even live music. To complete your look, Gerhard Supply is a one-stop-shop for curated menswear and grooming products.

Where to find vegan food

Bunners

It’s a whole new world out in the Junction, and that extends to food and produce, with sugar free, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly options. In addition to its vegetarian and meat menu, The Beet Organic Café serves inventive vegan dishes, while The Sweet Potato natural grocery store serves prepared foods for people on the go. But the belle of the plant-based ball is Bunners Bakeshop: a 100% vegan and gluten-free bakery selling both sweet and savory items. Try a cupcake or a veggie pot pie and see if you can tell the difference, and pick up their popular cookbook for recipes to try at home.

Where to find meat and cheese

Sometimes you just want meat and dairy, and for that the Junction has you covered as well. Junction Fromagerie serves all artisanal Canadian cheeses, allowing you to explore the country through your palate. You can find dessert at Delight, a chocolate shop with homemade ice cream that serves organic fair-trade treats. For your carnivorous leanings, the family-run Gourmeats Butcher Shop sources all the meat locally. They also sell house-made chutneys and hot sauces to pair with your choices.

Where to shop

Helen

No visit is complete without picking up some souvenirs, and the Junction is rife with unique options. Articulations is a locally run art supply store that also sells stationery and hosts a gallery with rotating exhibits. Design lovers will want to stop by the modern Mjölk, a gallery and store with works by artisans from Scandinavia and Japan, focusing on functionality and craftsmanship. Need a natural salve or organic tea? Try apothecary Helen + Hildegard for all sustainably responsible suppliers, while those looking for military-influenced unisex fashions will find something different at Latre.  While you may not be able to take the furniture home, the 4,300-square-foot Smash is worth a visit for its one-of-a-kind vintage and salvaged pieces.

Where to eat pizza

If you’re a pizza fan, you’re visited the right place. In the Junction, Vesuvio Pizzeria and Spaghetti House is the first and oldest pizzeria and spaghetti house in Toronto, and still family owned. Originally opened in 1957, and open in their current location since 1962, the restaurant’s specialty is New York–style pizza. And as it is nearly impossible to have pizza without beer or pasta without red wine, Vesuvio was instrumental in overturning the prohibition, spearheading the cause of local businesses that would benefit from the sale of alcohol.

Where to Stay

As this is still an up-and-coming area, no hotels are located in the Junction, but roomy Airbnbs go for a steal, like this two-level apartment with cedar terrace for just $68 a night, or this space in the trendy nearby High Park neighborhood, located in a Victorian house.

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