City
Best of Independent Toronto 2006: Call for Nominations
It's that time of year again. Time to assess the best of what this city has to offer. And while we might like the Apple Store, No Frills or the Varsity Cinema, we know that it's the mom and pop, independently-owned stores, restaurants and businesses that help shape the city's culture and make Toronto unique.
With that in mind we're launching our second annual Best of Independent Toronto poll. Voting will begin in January but until then we're asking you, the readers of the site to offer up your nominees for up to 80 categories.
The categories are below. Don't see a category that should be in our list? Suggest it!
You can submit as many nominees in as many categories as you like. Simply write them in the comment section of this post or send them in an email to bestof [at] blogto [dotocom]. For reference, here are last year's winners and nominees.
Food
1. Best Roti
2. Best Thai
3. Best Sushi
4. Best Indian
5. Best Street Meat
6. Best Korean
7. Best Jerk
8. Best Burrito
9. Best Late Night Chinese Food
10. Best Pizza
11. Best Falafel
12. Best Burger
13. Best Pho
14. Best Latin American Food
15. Best Churrasqueira
16. Best Vegetarian
17. Best Salad
18. Best Bread
19. Best Baked Goods
20. Best Brunch Spot
21. Best Tapas
22. Best Dim Sum
23. Best Steak
24. Best Gelato
25. Best Ethiopian
26. Best Fish 'N Chips
27. Best Donair
28. Best Pasta
29. Best Juice Bar
30. Best Oysters
31. Best Portuguese
32. Best Sandwhiches
33. Best Dumplings
34. Best Cheese Shop
35. Best Bagel
36. Best Cafe
37. Best Place to Buy Fresh Fish
38. Best Butcher
39. Best Bulk Food Store
40. Best Health Food Store
41. Best Place to Take Cooking Classes
42. Best Neighbourhood Grocer
43. Best New Restaurant
Nightlife, Music, Film and Arts
44. Best New Bar
45. Best Place to Go Dancing
46. Best Live Music Venue
47. Best After Hours Club
48. Best Recurring Music Night
49. Best Music Store (New)
50. Best Music Store (Used)
51. Best Video Rental Store
52. Best Place to See a Film
53. Best Art Gallery
54. Best Art Supply Store
55. Best Book Store
56. Best New Book (About Toronto or Toronto author)
57. Best Comic Store
58. Best Place to See a Play
59. Best Independent Magazine
Fashion and Fitness
60. Best Men's Clothing Store
61. Best Women's Clothing Store
62. Best Unisex Clothing Store
63. Best Vintage Clothing
64. Best Bike Store
65. Best Furniture Store (New)
66. Best Furniture Store (Vintage)
67. Best Place to Buy a T-shirt
68. Best Lingerie
69. Best Sex Shop
70. Best Body Art/Piercing
71. Best Hair Salon
72. Best Nail Salon
73. Best Waxing
74. Best Spa
75. Best Place to Buy Sneakers
76. Best Shoe Store
77. Best Skate, Surf or Snowboard Shop
78. Best Computer/Electronics Store
79. Best Yoga Studio
80. Best Fitness Club
Discussion
20 Comments
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Best Pasta: Fussaro's (Queen & Spadina)
4. Best Indian - Indian Rice Factory
5. Best Street Meat - Queen & Spadina
8. Best Burrito - Burrito Boys
11. Best Falafel - King Falafel
13. Best Pho - Saigon Gourmet
15. Best Churrasqueira - Dupont Chicken
22. Best Dim Sum - Garlic Pepper
33. Best Dumplings - Sky Dragon
52. Best Place to See a Film - Cinematheque/Regg Hartt
57. Best Comic Store - Silver Snail
63. Best Vintage Clothing - Lilliput Hats
78. Best Computer/Electronics Store - CPUsed/Apple Store Yorkdale
3. Best Sushi > Niji Sushi
45. Best Place to Go Dancing > Lula Lounge
63. Best Vintage Clothing > courage my love
2. Best Thai - friendly thai
3. Best Sushi - new generation
6. Best Korea - yummy barbeque
9. Best Late Night Chinese Food - new ho king
12. Best Burger - the rhino
14. Best Latin American Food - julie's
16. Best Vegetarian - juice for life
22. Best Dim Sum - kowloon
24. Best Gelato - paloma's
25. Best Ethiopian - addis ababa
26. Best Fish 'N Chips - chippy's
28. Best Pasta - One of a Kind
29. Best Juice Bar - juice for life
30. Best Oysters - beaver cafe
35. Best Bagel - Gryfe's
36. Best Cafe - Beaver Cafe
42. Best Neighbourhood Grocer - Maple Produce
48. Best Recurring Music Night - Wavelength
51. Best Video Rental Store - Marquee Video
55. Best Book Store - The Beguiling or Pages
57. Best Comic Store - The Beguiling!
59. Best Independent Magazine - Shameless Magazine
61. Best Women's Clothing Store - Fresh Collective!
69. Best Sex Shop - Come as you Are
75. Best Place to Buy Sneakers - Get Outside
76. Best Shoe Store - Heel Boy
80. Best Fitness Club - JCC bloor & spadina
1. Best Roti - Ghandi's
2. Best Thai - Thai Diner
3. Best Sushi - Sakawaya Bistro & Japango
4. Best Indian - The Host
6. Best Korean - Korean Grill House
7. Best Jerk - Albert's Jamaican
10. Best Pizza - Dante's
11. Best Falafel - Queen Pita
12. Best Burger - Hal's
13. Best Pho - Pho Hung
16. Best Vegetarian - Fressen
19. Best Baked Goods - Altitude Bakery
20. Best Brunch Spot - Barrio
22. Best Dim Sum - Ambassador
23. Best Steak - The Tulip
26. Best Fish 'N Chips - Yorke Fish & Chips
32. Best Sandwiches - Mocha Mocha
33. Best Dumplings - Traditional Chinese Buns
36. Best Cafe - Riverdale Perk
37. Best Place to Buy Fresh Fish - Bill's Seafood
40. Best Health Food Store - Big Carrot
41. Best Place to Take Cooking Classes - George Brown College
42. Best Neighbourhood Grocer - Fruit King
43. Best New Restaurant - Globe Bistro
Best Brunch Spot: Gayley's (Dundas & Gladstone)
Best Gelato: Dolce (College)
Best Sandwhiches: The Fish Store (College)
Best Bulk Food Store: Strictly Bulk (Bloor & Concord)
Best Neighbourhood Grocer: Fiesta Farms (Christie)
Best Music Store (New): Soundscapes
Best Music Store (Used): Sonic Boom
Best Art Supply Store: Gwartzmans
Best Comic Store: Beguiling
Best Bike Store: The Bike Joint (Harbord)
Best Sex Shop: Come as you are
12. Best Burger: Bow & Arrow<br>
19. Best Baked Goods: Pain Perdu<br>
23. Best Steak: Canyon Creek Chophouse<br>
24. Best Gelato: La Paloma<br>
25. Best Ethiopian: Boudjadi (yes, I know, it's actually Moroccan. But close! :-))<br>
28. Best Pasta: Il Fornello (does it even count as indie? :-))<br>
32. Best Sandwhiches: The Liberty (25 Liberty St.)<br>
51. Best Video Rental Store: Queen's<br>
64. Best Bike Store: Urbane Cyclist<br>
69. Best Sex Shop: Seduction<br>
3. Best Sushi--Sushi Marche
4. Best Indian--Indian Garden
9. Best Late Night Chinese Food--Peking Express
10. Best Pizza--Magic Oven
11. Best Falafel--Mediterrain Garden
12. Best Burger--Allens
13. Best Pho--Peach Tree
15. Best Churrasqueira--Churrasqueira Aveirense
16. Best Vegetarian--Udupi Palace
17. Best Salad--Pulp Kitchen
18. Best Bread--My Market bakery
19. Best Baked Goods--Patachou
20. Best Brunch Spot--Edward Levesque
21. Best Tapas--Boom Shiva
26. Best Fish 'N Chips--Reliable
28. Best Pasta--Magic Oven
29. Best Juice Bar--Pulp Kitchen
30. Best Oysters--Starfish
31. Best Portuguese--Churrasqueira Aveirense
32. Best Sandwhiches--Black Camel
34. Best Cheese Shop--leslieville Cheese Shop
36. Best Cafe--Mercury
37. Best Place to Buy Fresh Fish--Fish Market
38. Best Butcher--The Healthy Butcher
39. Best Bulk Food Store--Stickly Bulk
40. Best Health Food Store--Big Carrot
42. Best Neighbourhood Grocery--Danforth Fruit market
46. Best Live Music Venue--The Opera House
50. Best Music Store (Used)--Sonic Boom
51. Best Video Rental Store--Jumbo ( i know it's a chain, but there's only 1 in toronto and it's awesome!)
52. Best Place to See a Film--Varsity
53. Best Art Gallery--Magic Pony
54. Best Art Supply Store--Mikado
55. Best Book Store--Toronto Women's Book Store
57. Best Comic Store--Beguiling
59. Best Independent Magazine--Spacing
61. Best Women's Clothing Store--Nathalie Roze and Co
63. Best Vintage Clothing--Circa 40
66. Best Furniture Store (Vintage)--Space Age Modern
68. Best Lingerie--Super Sellers
69. Best Sex Shop--Come as you are
70. Best Body Art/Piercing--Stainless
71. Best Hair Salon--Civello
72. Best Nail Salon--10 spot
73. Best Waxing--Sugar Moon
74. Best Spa--Sugar Moon
78. Best Computer/Electronics Store--Carbon
79. Best Yoga Studio--Astanga Yoga Shala
80. Best Fitness Club--Cardio Loft
2. Best Thai : Sweet Lulu
8. Best Burrito : Johnny Banana
10. Best Pizza : Pizzaiolo
17. Best Salad : Fresh
20. Best Brunch Spot : Easy
32. Best Sandwhiches : Prague Deli
38. Best Butcher : Healthy Butcher
43. Best New Restaurant : Johnny Banana
51. Best Video Rental Store : Film Buff
52. Best Place to See a Film : Cumberland or Royal
3. Best Sushi - Ho Su
8. Best Burrito - Freshwest Grill
10. Best Pizza - Pizza Rustica
12. Best Burger - Rosedale Diner
17. Best Salad - Fast Fresh Foods
18. Best Bread - Ace Bakery
23. Best Steak - The Fifth Grill
28. Best Pasta - Terroni's
30. Best Oysters - Rodney's
32. Best Sandwiches - Fast Fresh Foods
34. Best Cheese Shop - Alex Farms
Best Tapas: The Foundation Room - Mini rack of lamb with mint. Awesome desserts too (Lavender Creme brulee).
Best Japanese: Ema tei
Best indian: Indian Rice Factory
Best Thai/ Noodle Bar: Sweet lulu
Best Coffee: Swan/ Bull Dog
Best cafe: cafe b