blogTO:Best of Toronto Feed

The Best Chinese Restaurants in Toronto

Beverly — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:32:00 -0500

The best Chinese restaurants in Toronto tend to be found on Dundas, Spadina or north of the 401. In fact, it has become conventional wisdom that to get the best szechuan, Cantonese or other variation of Chinese food in the city a trip to Markham or Thornhill is all but essential.

In downtown Toronto there are three main destinations for Chinese cuisine - the original Chinatown on Dundas between Bay and University, the largest Chinatown on Spadina on and around Dundas and the often overlooked East Chinatown near Broadview and Gerrard. All three areas are represented on this list. For the best chinese restaurants outside of the downtown core keep an eye out on this site for a separate best of list later this year.

The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich in Toronto

Dar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:32:00 -0500

The best grilled cheese sandwich in Toronto is a toss-up among more gastronomically diverse options than you'd expect. Adored by pauper-students and up-towners alike, the grilled cheese is the epitome of comfort and simplicity in cooking; the satisfying, back-up meal that almost anyone can throw together with zero time and resources. When those resources are plentiful, it's astounding to see what can be done with the basic staples of bread and cheese.

The Best Kitchen Supply Stores in Toronto

joshua — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:43:00 -0500

The best kitchen supply stores in Toronto aren't about simply equipping your kitchen with basic necessities; they provide well-designed solutions that make cooking at home that much easier and way more fun. Sure, big chains like Kitchen Stuff Plus, Williams Sonoma or the Calphalon Culinary Centre shouldn't be overlooked, but for those who just can't get enough of restaurant supply stores or who prefer to support local merchants, it's worth giving places on this list a try.

The Best Bridal Stores in Toronto

Devon — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:59:00 -0500

The best bridal stores in Toronto stock wedding dresses galore as this city certainly provides an overwhelming selection of gorgeous gowns. Arguably the most important (or over-rated) outfit a woman can wear, a wedding dress can definitely cause a lot of stress and selecting one can be intense. Multiple fittings, an organza ocean of choice, and layers of silk, chiffon and emotion all come together in shaping the biggest dress-up day of all.

The Best All Day Breakfast in Toronto

Emily — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:15:00 -0500

The best all day breakfast in Toronto is a scramble. Making a solid breakfast strikes me as an easy (and fun!) task. It can't be too difficult to make breakfast spectacular, because it's so basic and inherently beautiful: Bread, bacon and eggs! (Or your choice of a vegetarian alternative!) It's so pure and... historical.

The Best Hotels in Toronto

rickmcginnis — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:14:00 -0500

The best hotels in Toronto are a mixed bunch, ranging from arty boutique hotels to slick suite spaces in the Financial District to local outposts of international chains. They have one thing in common, though - every one of them is downtown, with none more than a few steps north of Bloor Street.

The Best Bulk Food Stores in Toronto

Tim — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:04:00 -0500

The best bulk food store in Toronto is not the Bulk Barn. Let me just put that out there. Sure, the Bulk Barn might have the most locations, a familiar sign and a massive inventory of bulk products. But when it comes to friendly neighbourhood service, hunting down hard to find imported products and an overall fun shopping experience it's in tough to beat many of the places on this list.

The Best AYCE Sushi in Toronto

jennifertse — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:29:00 -0500

The best AYCE (All You Can Eat) sushi in Toronto revolves around a core assumption: the more the merrier. The more friends you have in your party, the merrier. The more variety in menu items, the merrier. The more time and stomach room at your disposal, the merrier. This may lead many to think that the enjoyment of AYCE sushi is defined by gluttony. I, however, prefer to call it the art of indulgence. I'm hoping I'm not alone here.

The Best Cafes for Free WiFi in Toronto

Tim — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:57:00 -0500

Free WiFi access in Toronto should be a lot more common than it is. But with the powers at City Hall uninterested in bridging the digital divide or otherwise undertaking initiatives to increase wireless internet penetration, it's up to individual business owners and non-profit groups like Wireless Toronto to make the internet accessible in more places outside the home.

In the downtown core, free WiFi is particularly spotty no thanks to the presence of Cogeco's $5 an hour OneZone and the lack of free WiFi at many of the major coffee chains. Even a number of popular independents (B Espresso and Manic Coffee to name two) decline to offer the service, instead choosing to focus on what a Manic staffer told me was "the enjoyment of loving coffee."

The Best Shoe Stores in Toronto

guest — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:32:00 -0500

The best shoe stores in Toronto offer a surprising selection of eco-friendly footwear, minimalist style and outrageous options to please any foot fetish. Prices vary, but expect to find pairs that will keep you light on your feet, instead of in your wallet.

My own smaller-than-average size 5 feet have led me to do a lot of sole searching for that perfect Cinderella fit. Despite all of us sharing a need for this much-loved accessory though, I can do without the snobbery that higher-end boutiques package with their pairs.

The Best Steakhouses in Toronto

rickmcginnis — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:42:00 -0500

The best steakhouses in Toronto have an appeal that go beyond a superb cut of meat that you haven't the resources to buy or the skill to cook to perfection, though it's a good place to start. In the dark ages of Toronto dining - roughly any time from the '30s to the '70s - steakhouses were fine dining, the best places to get a quality meal, and a few of those places still survive, though many others (Le Baron, Cyrano's and, just recently, Bigliardi's) have gone the way of the three martini lunch and the dress code.

The Best Italian Restaurants in Toronto

Derek — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:19:00 -0500

The best Italian restaurants in Toronto make for a tasty list. Like most Torontonians, I love my Italian cuisine. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that more than half of the meals I eat out are Italian in nature. In the grand sense, I suspect our communal love originated in the wave of post-war Italian immigration Toronto experienced in the 1950s. More than half a century later, the city's Italian roots - in both a cultural and a culinary capacity - run deep, with Italian eateries in virtually every neighbourhood.

The Best Rooftop Patios in Toronto

guest — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:17:00 -0500

The best rooftop patios in Toronto offer spectacular views, quiet places to hide away from the bustle of the street below, and an outdoor space to enjoy summer in the city. On top of hotels, restaurants and office space, each patio provides us with a unique perspective of the city, both from a visual perspective; as well as the crowd and vibe that they attract. By no means is this an exhaustive list. I'm sure some will lament the omission of, say, London Tap House, Ultra, Cheval, Oasis, Redbull 381 Projects or Remy's to name a few.

The Best Mexican Restaurants in Toronto

Dar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:17:00 -0500

The best Mexican restaurants in Toronto aren't anything to get too excited about. There's no denying this city's reputation for lacking good mole, tamales, Pacifico beer and cheap tacos. And while the recent openings of critically acclaimed spots like Frida and the burgeoning Milagro empire give Toronto's Mexican credentials promise; the overwhelming options available to us skew more closely to the Tex-Mex side of things.

The Best Baby Stores in Toronto

guest — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:18:00 -0500

The best baby stores in Toronto cover a lot of territory and a huge variety of products. After all, babies don't travel light. For a short excursion, the diaper bag might carry extra clothes, diapers, toys, soothers, hats, creams, and that's the just the stuff that leaves the house!

For such small beings, they generate an impressive amount of retail activity. Partly, it's because every new parent wants to have all the necessary accoutrements for the family's newest member, and partly it's because shopping for babies is so much fun that everyone - from grandparents to coworkers to godparents - wants to get in on the action.