Oh, Oh, Toronto
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Back from Toronto just in time for Rosh Hashana, and I'm still daydreaming about Tim Hortons. There, Carrie and I indulged in hot coffee, Maple Glazed Doughnuts and chatter with a hot Member of the Canadian Parliament.
But Carrie and I did much more than down caffeine and chat up politicians. We also ogled the city skyline as we landed at Toronto City Centre Airport after a smooth ride on Porter Airlines, ogled very little on a miserable two-hour bus tour of the city, browsed down-market hippy-dippy goods at Kensington Market, browsed designer goods at Holt-Renfrew, rambled through blocks of Victoriana in Cabbagetown, rambled through blocks of nondescript urban terrain in Downtown, grabbed cocktails with the "it" crowd at the West Queens West Drake Hotel followed by karaoke at the Gladstone's Melody Bar, grabbed pony-neck beers with the "it" crowd at the exclusive Spoke Club followed by hitting the hay, and much more...
More included a stop at one of Toronto's most celebrated locavore hot spots, Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar, where I had no choice by to lose myself in a bowl of the restaurant's gourmet riff on Poutine featuring Yukon Gold fries and spicy chorizo sausage, fresh cheese curds and a dab of sour cream. Yum doesn't even begin to describe it accurately.
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Carrie and I also gave a resounding "yum" to our new pal Chef Dylan who manned the kitchen as we grazed, sipped and swirled. He was gracious enough to offer his insider POV of the Toronto food scene as he led us through the small plates menu, including a White Anchovy Tart with Caramelized Onion and Black Olives, Grilled Flatbread with Three Dips and Leg of Chicken Braised in Red Wine with Wild Mushrooms. At his urging we finished off our meal with a selection of Canadian artisanal cheeses with a Sumac Ridge Bordeaux Blend "Private Reserve."
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It all was delish. Even -- surprise, surprise -- the Canadian vino. Who knew? And if Jamie Kennedy opens a branch of his wine bar in New York, I'll be lining up for a seat. And, if Chef Dylan comes along for the ride, all the better.