I hope you’ve eaten breakfast, because today we’re going to take a quick look at some hidden gems for dining here in Toronto.  Let’s start with one that Danielle and I finally tried last night.

Champion Shawarma – Pape, just north of Danforth (just outside Pape station)
I’ve walked past this place more than a few times and seen the counter with all their fresh-looking fixin’s staring back at me.  It also smelled delicious.  Well, last night we gave in and grabbed dinner there.  Mmmm.

As a Montrealer, Danielle is a bit more of a pro when it comes to shish taouk (as it’s called there).  Not being limited by the same bylaws that made the street dog the quick meal of choice in Toronto, shawarma is huge there, so she’s the pro… and she was impressed.  The pita were huge, heavily loaded with both meat and fixin’s and the meat was far from greasy.  They were also VERY reasonably priced.  It’s too bad that it’s on my way home.  I’ll be eating there nearly every day now.

George’s BBQ – Dundas and Pembroke, just west of Sherbourne
I’ve mentioned George’s before.  It’s just steps away from my old house and was a frequent food contributor in my life as a Duke at Pembroke Castle.  Sure, there’s no place to sit inside and you’ll be rubbing elbows with strippers, crack dealers and their customers while you place your order at the counter, but the food is delicious.

You can also look forward to the colourful employees telling stories that vary from PG-13 discussions of cars to X-Rated descriptions of the previous night’s customers.  Also, they’re open until 3am.  I recommend their homemade burgers, or their quarter chicken special.  I hope you like fries, because they heap them up like crazy.

La’Zeez Shawarma – Gerrard, just west of Jarvis (beside “Hooker Harvey’s”)
Honestly, I only know of these places in the Hood because I use to live there.  Danielle and I ended up here by complete accident during last year’s Gay Pride Parade.  I would want to compare the food to Champion side-by-side, but I’m pretty sure they are comparable… and good!  La’Zeez used much more spice and hot sauce though, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Dangerous Dan’s – Queen and Broadview
This place has a special place in my heart… right next to the  obstruction that will no doubt cause the heart attack that will kill me.  The food here is actually nothing special, it’s the environment and the portion sizes.  It’s always a good time, but it’s rarely a great meal.

The Amazing Mystic Muffin – Jarvis and Richmond
I found this place after reading this review on Torontoist.  I figured it couldn’t be nearly as good as they raved, so I visited one day for lunch.  It’s not as good as it Torontoist made it sound… it’s better.   Few Torontoians find themselves in the Jarvis and Richmond area during AMM’s serving hours, but if you do, make the trip.  You won’t regret it.

Chopin Restaurant – 165 Roncesvalles (6.5 short blocks north of Queen)
Although this is a great restaurant, it is really only getting a mention because I felt the above list was a little too East-Toronto-centric.  That’s probably only because everything that’s cool is east of Yonge Street (sorry Karim).  For a full review of Chopin, you can see what I said about it back in the spring.

Feel free to add your favourite lesser-known restaurants in the comments and I’ll try to check them all out.

Good day, and welcome to Day Four. You’re almost there… just a few more hours and you’ll be free for the weekend! Congratulations. Just think of all the freedom that awaits you in that great big world outside of you place of work. There are walks to be taken, restaurants to be eaten at, naps to be had… the possiblities are nearly endless.

Well, just for your perfect friday… I’ve saved the best for last. Personally, I think this is the best post that’s ever been posted in here (feel free to disagree in the comments), and every time I read it, I still giggle a little more. Not that I read it once a week or anything.

Anyways, it’s about my chocolate bar preferences and it’s simply called “Eatmore” (Jan.18, 2005).

What better way to celebrate early August than by reading a post about Groundhog Day? I mean, you could sit on a patio with a cold drink and some good friends… but since you’re reading this at work, that’s not really an option, now is it? Just keep in mind that as you’re reading this… I’m likely on my porch with a cold drink. Sorry, but it’s true.

If you can’t enjoy this post for its artistic merits, you can at least enjoy the reference to Gobbler’s Knob. No giggling, please. And without further ado, I give you “Rodentia Forecasterus” (Feb.02, 2006).

Oh, and before I forget… soccer… tonight… as always. Enjoy!

Yes, that’s right… this pathetic clip show just keeps going. At least I’m giving you a glimpse of my former ‘glory posts’ rather than just taunting you with hints of how I might be enjoying my glorious vacation in the Ottawa Valley.

If you’ve been reading this for any period of time, you’ve no doubt gotten used to my rants and pet peeves. I’d say that’s about 80% of my writing with posts about my cottage or camping making up the rest. Today’s ‘Best of’ post is probably one of my best rants about urban umbrella toters… or UUTs as I will call them from now on… after coining a term like ‘urban umbrella toters’, you’ve just gotta slip it into conversation as often as possible.

Happy wednesday, and enjoy “Up in the Atmosphere” (Aug.31, 2005).

While I’m on vacation this week, I likely won’t be popping in here to post, so I’ll be linking to some of my best posts over the last two and a half years of writing in here. Writing a post nearly every weekday for that long has meant an awful lot of filler posts, but once in a while I manage to birth one of signifigance (nice imagery, eh? That’s what writers do).

Shortly before the last Canadian Federal Election, I posted my predictions (which were wrong, but funny) and managed to slip in a few little tidbits of Canadiana. I hope you enjoy reading “Let the Games Begin” (Nov.22, 2005).

I’m posting this in absentia, as I’m hosting a little weekend up at my cottage for a few friends. Still… today is a milestone that I just had to mark. Today is the second anniversary of the AchtungDavey blog!

Can you believe it’s been two whole years since I started writing this dreck? I mean, c’mon… how long can someone post an average of one entry every workday? Apparently for pretty long, actually… for at least two years.

In that time, I’ve been through fads, injuries, heartbreak and travel… I’ve eaten giant hamburgers, and eavesdropped in elevators and subway cars. I’d like to say I did all these things for you, the loyal reader, but truth be told, I don’t even know who most of you are, and as such… I don’t really care.

I kid, of course. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the past couple of years as much as I have, and will continue to enjoy my rants and raves in the future.

So, although I’m not in the province, nor even remotely close to a computer with internet connection capabilities, know that I’m reading and celebrating with you, dear reader… I’m just far more relaxed, and enjoying myself. As a matter of fact, odds are that I’m sitting in front of the woodstove at this very moment with a homemade quilt over my shoulders, a fine tawny port in one hand and a copy of “The Old Man and the Sea” in the other. I may or may not have a number of freshly baked pastries within arms reach, but that’s neither here nor there. I’ll be celebrating with you… sitting there at your bleak desk in your cookie cutter cubicle… a tepid cup of coffee off your right hand, and a stack of TPS reports (sans cover sheet) at your left.

It’s the crazy digressions and constant belittling that keep you folks coming back, isn’t it? Thanks for reading!

I read a sports article today (I know… I’m surprised too) that included the writers’ “pantheons” of dining. I’ve never even compiled a list like this on my own, but now’s as good a time as any.

I’m a huge fan of food, so I think I can consider myself a bit of an authority on the subject. I will account for varying tastes, so make your counterarguments clear and concise. Feel free to add your own lists in the comments. Here they are in no particular order…
Read the rest of this entry »

I know it’s not really spring… yet. Still, it’s less than a week away and today is a typical early spring day, so I thought I’d celebrate early. Here are the top 5 ways to celebrate an early spring day…

Five: Leave the jacket at home. Throw on a hoodie and some shades and enjoy an unjacketed day.

Four: Sit on a bench in the sun. You haven’t been able to do this in months. Although it’s too cool in the shade, on a sunny day where the temperature is hovering around zero, you can sit comfortably in the sun… even with no jacket on. Number four can be made better with a coffee and a good book (I recommend something by Farley Mowat).

Three: Go for a walk. Don’t plan to go anywhere. Just start walking. Stick to the sunny side of the street and stop anywhere you feel like stopping. Avoid going inside stores or buildings, but feel free to window shop. On a day like today, stores will start moving wares outside, so you can shop without leaving the sunlight. For bonus points, try to talk to every person who passes you walking a dog.

Two: Pick up some trash. The snow is melting and no matter where you live, the trash is everywhere. Just take a few minutes and clean up a spot that you pass frequently. Maybe it’s a park you pass through on your way home, or a parking lot of a store you frequent. You’d be surprised how good it makes you feel.

One: Talk to a stranger you recognize. You know those people you see on your way to work from time to time? They’re the people you recognize, but know nothing about. Sometimes you smile at each other as you pass, but for the most part you just walk around each other. Say ‘Hello’. Point out how nice a day it is, in case they’ve been too preoccupied to notice. Mention that they should get a coffee and a book and go sit on a bench somewhere.

Yeah, all of this sounds pretty lame I guess… but I’m just dying to get out on the grass barefoot. I think I’ll wait for all the snow to melt first though.