PARTY IN STREETS OF TORONTO
Time for a getaway to the Big Smoke
The Blue Jays are in full swing, and with the boys of summer, hot nights and cool patio breezes. Add a long list of exciting Toronto festivals and events and, indeed, it may be the perfect time for a getaway to downtown Toronto.
That’s our take-away from a weekend as guests of Tourism Toronto and partners, mingling with many city dwellers and likeminded visitors.
Our first stop is highly recommended as the best perch to scope out the city and waterfront.
Turning 40 is big. Even bigger when you’re a national icon. The CN Tower marks the milestone this year.
Over the years we’ve enjoyed many elevator rides to the observation deck, providing views that never cease to amaze. Fun again to witness the excitement of firsttimers, especially those lying on the glass floor taking selfies.
Wayne also touts the Edge Walk. As one of the first-season adventurers to step outside 116 stories above downtown Toronto, he remembers it as “an eye-popping and stomach-in-throat experience.”
Dining in the 360 Restaurant, originally known as the Top of Toronto, seems sedate as you make the full circuit in 72 minutes, catching a glimpse of a Blue Jays game below if you’re lucky.
This is one magical, if expensive ($35 for adults, $195 for Edge Walk), experience that’s seen a tourist mecca grow at its feet. First there was SkyDome/Rogers Centre. Now the impressive Ripley’s Aquarium, with its mesmerizing tanks of jellyfish, completes a trinity of world -lass attractions.
There are omnipresent photo opportunities of the tower at ground level, too, where the likes of SpiderMan and a cowboy mime greeted us. Many downtown hotels, including our room at the convenient InterContinental Toronto Centre, offer great vantage points. Visit: cntower.ca The Royal Ontario Museum, a popular draw for more than 100 years, features a fascinating tattoo exhibit — Tattoos: Ritual. Identity. Obsession. Art. — until Sept. 5.
The exhibit, from the musée du quai Branly in Paris, explores humankind’s 5,000-year-old obsession with body art, and methods of tattooing, from ancient to modern. There are silicone naked-body reproductions inked by some of the world’s most famous tattoo artists, along with photos of tattooed folks, including jungle tribes, drug-gang members, sailors, prisoners and circus performers. We shared the exhibit with high school students on assignment.
For those tempted but not ready to “get inked,” the ROM gift shop has great T-shirts with realistic tattooed sleeves. Visit: rom.on.ca Although it looked inviting, the ample veranda of the Amsterdam BrewHouse at Harbourfront was too cool for dinner. We settled for a cosy table near a fireplace, with a view of the big glistening lake.
Even in the tourist off-season, the massive lodge-like eatery is hopping, with most folk, including us, drawn by Amsterdam’s highly touted craft beers. But more to our taste was Big Wheel Amber, and Bor du Lac paired perfectly with lemon chicken schnitzel. Visit: amsterdambrewhouse.com
Some people might have preferred Bellwoods Brewery to remain a neighbourhood secret, but that wasn’t going to happen. Not when you brew such outstanding beverages as Gotham Black Imperial IPA, Farmageddon Saison, and Wizard Wolf Pale Ale. In total, the constantly rotating lineup features 60 different recipes a year.
Co-owner and Western University alumnus Luke Pestl started brewing in 2012 in a former autobody shop on Ossington Avenue. First came neighbourhood patrons, then beer nerds, and now the secret’s out. Bellwoods is among Toronto’s trendiest craft beer spots, with queues common.
We toddled off with four 500mL bottles from the brewery shop, which is the only way to take a Bellwoods home because its beer isn’t sold anywhere else. We favoured Monogamy, a single-hop pale ale.
Bellwoods, at 124 Ossington Ave., pairs nicely with a visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario, a 15-minute bicycle ride away through a very cool part of the city. Visit: bellwoodsbrewery.com
Lunch called for another exploration of the craft beer scene. We grabbed a cab to Indie Ale House in the Junction, a hike from downtown, but like Bellwoods, worth the journey to this trending neighbourhood that’s home to bakeries, cheese shops, antique stores and eateries.
At Indie, the Short Rib “Royale” Burger, recommended by chef Todd Clarmo, was hands-down the best burger we’ve tasted. As for the beers, the “flight” options also make for a memorable experience. We had two flights on the table for lots of careful sipping and sampling, not all of which matched our tastes, but were fun to try. Breakfast Porter was the highlight and is one of Indie’s flagships, along with Barnyard Belgian IPA, Instigator IPA, and Broken Hipster Belgian Wit.
Good to know Indie also has beer to go. Just check with the server what is available in 2-litre growlers and 650-mL bottles.
Visit: indiealehouse.com
Our spirits were lifted again the next day when we ventured to the trendy Distillery District, which dates back to 1832. Back when the CN Tower was welcoming its first guests, it was still a working distillery.
Today, it’s a chic people place featuring boutique merchants in reclaimed factory buildings — running the gamut from high-end Fluevog designer shoes to Soma chocolatemaker, which bills itself as a place to eat, drink and worship chocolate.
On a sunny Saturday, the Distillery District was brimming with spring smiles, including those sported by accordion and mandolin buskers Rachel Melas and Conny Nowe.
It was wonderful to meet designer Susan Harris and explore her eco-friendly clothing and art shop, and to greet kindred spirits posing for photos at the Distillery District’s popular “love lockup.” The near two-year-old installation, made of steel and reclaimed lumber, is chockful of locks hanging from metal-mesh letters spelling out L-O-V-E and a huge mesh heart.
Similar love-lock expressions of romance can be found in cities around the world. Visit: thedistillerydistrict.com
Perhaps the centrepiece of the historic district is the Mill Street Brewery, which, despite being recently sold to Labatt, retains a certain status among objective craft beer fans.
Its best beers are well known and well distributed, so there’s not quite the same cache of discovery that’s part of the experience at Indie Ale House and Bellwoods.
Still, the popularity of its brewpub kitchen — massive eat-in or on the outdoor patio —and classics such as Tankhouse Ale and Organic Lager make Mill Street’s Distillery District location a draw.
Visit: millstreetbrewpub.ca
An easy walk west from the Distillery District brings you to another downtown staple, the St. Lawrence Market, where the vibe is fresh and lively.
At Sassafraz Restaurant in the heart of Yorkville, a reservation is essential on Friday nights, as the elegant, European-style dining room is a crowd-pleaser, known for with gracious service and gourmet eats.
It was a bonus to enjoy pianistsinger John Roby, a Friday-night regular.