[EvilMario]

A lot of out of towners that have visited me really enjoyed the Distillery District and eating and drinking at Mill Street Brewery. It's laid back so it depends how your friends are and what they like. Kensington is also good for impressing tourists. Just find some good places there if you do go. (there are lots) Cold Tea is a hilarious bar if they like things that look super ghetto but really aren't.

I haven't been to the Distillery in forever, I the chocolate factory they had/have makes amazing fudge.

[thabiz]

A lot of out of towners that have visited me really enjoyed the Distillery District and eating and drinking at Mill Street Brewery. It's laid back so it depends how your friends are and what they like. Kensington is also good for impressing tourists. Just find some good places there if you do go. (there are lots) Cold Tea is a hilarious bar if they like things that look super ghetto but really aren't.

I live in the Distillery and would say the oyster house would be a big recommendation. The brew pub can get really busy Thurs-Sun.

http://www.purespirits.ca/

[Azih]

How about the Real Sports Bar as a night out? Never been myself but is it a good place to wow tourist friends?

[thabiz]

How about the Real Sports Bar as a night out? Never been myself but is it a good place to wow tourist friends?

for sure. its a spectacle. be prepared though. it is expensive for a sports bar.

I work across the street, but i have only been twice. 2 beers and 2 burgers. $47. didnt eat the second time.

[Slo]

Awesome tip.

[Kuro Madoushi]

I live in the Distillery and would say the oyster house would be a big recommendation. The brew pub can get really busy Thurs-Sun. http://www.purespirits.ca/

Yeah, this is my wife and I's go-to place. That seafood mac n' cheese = sacrilegiously good

Awesome tip.

Oh, shiii...! here we go! D:

JJ

[Zombie James]

Tell me about good poutine, T-GAF. It's been many, many years since I've had it and I'm pretty sure it was New York Fries. A friend recommended Smoke's Poutinerie but reviews online are really mixed.

[Kuro Madoushi]

Tell me about good poutine, T-GAF. It's been many, many years since I've had it and I'm pretty sure it was New York Fries. A friend recommended Smoke's Poutinerie but reviews online are really mixed.

I've been there....waaaaaaaay freakin overrated.

People swear by Square Boys.

Me, I think I've yet to have good poutine anywhere in this city.

[added_time]

Tell me about good poutine, T-GAF. It's been many, many years since I've had it and I'm pretty sure it was New York Fries. A friend recommended Smoke's Poutinerie but reviews online are really mixed.

The Montreal smoked meat poutine is actually pretty good at Smoke's Poutinerie. It's fast food though so you have to really be in the mood for junk.

Most people like Poutini's the best but I've never tried it.

If you like weird stuff, the Saag Poutine from Burger Bar in Kengsington is amazing! It's Saag Paneer on fries:

[thabiz]

Tell me about good poutine, T-GAF. It's been many, many years since I've had it and I'm pretty sure it was New York Fries. A friend recommended Smoke's Poutinerie but reviews online are really mixed.

Smokes on Richmond. Real curds. Crazy toppings.

[EvilMario]

The Montreal smoked meat poutine is actually pretty good at Smoke's Poutinerie. It's fast food though so you have to really be in the mood for junk. Most people like Poutini's the best but I've never tried it. If you like weird stuff, the Saag Poutine from Burger Bar in Kengsington is amazing! It's Saag Paneer on fries:

Eeh. I like Smoke's Poutinie. It's a great comfort food, but I'd guess it's far from traditional. I've only ever had Poutini's House of Poutini's once and I was totally underwhelmed by the portion, the fries and the plastic like cheese curds. Plus it means I have to get off the streetcar during rush hour. No thanks!

[Kinitari]

Tell me about good poutine, T-GAF. It's been many, many years since I've had it and I'm pretty sure it was New York Fries. A friend recommended Smoke's Poutinerie but reviews online are really mixed.

Everyone yells at me when I say this - but KFC's poutine.

I have had poutine out of trucks, in restaurants, poutinieries... fucking... everywhere. Even have had it in montreal.

KFC still wins for me.

[Roto13]

KFC poutine is wrong.

It's good. But it's wrong. That's not what poutine is supposed to be.

[Divvy]

Tell me about good poutine, T-GAF. It's been many, many years since I've had it and I'm pretty sure it was New York Fries. A friend recommended Smoke's Poutinerie but reviews online are really mixed.

Smoke's is like okay, it's great when you're wasted, but I find that they serve it too cold and the cheese doesn't melt enough.

Poutini's is pretty great though. I would go there.

What I wouldn't give to go to Montreal for some.

Everyone yells at me when I say this - but KFC's poutine. I have had poutine out of trucks, in restaurants, poutinieries... fucking... everywhere. Even have had it in montreal. KFC still wins for me.

Heathen

[Roto13]

There's a really awesome poutinerie in Vancouver just around the corner from where I used to live called La Belle Patate and it has like a million different kinds of poutine and I miss it so much.

[Quick]

There's a really awesome poutinerie in Vancouver just around the corner from where I used to live called La Belle Patate and it has like a million different kinds of poutine and I miss it so much.

Smoke's isn't doing it for you?

Not going to lie, everyone was pretty much jizzing over Smoke's, but when I tried it, it wasn't anything spectacular.

[Divvy]

Smoke's isn't doing it for you? Not going to lie, everyone was pretty much jizzing over Smoke's, but when I tried it, it wasn't anything spectacular.

I think their stupid ad campaign of slapping their stickers on anything and everything has really put me off of their poutine. It's really obnoxious.

[Zombie James]

I've got the nicest breeze coming in through my window right now. A shame we're going back to hell temperatures in a few days :(

Thanks for the poutine suggestions, I'll probably try one of those places (except KFC :P) this week.

[Quick]

I've got the nicest breeze coming in through my window right now. A shame we're going back to hell temperatures in a few days :(

Fuck. Right when Fan Expo happens.

[BigJonsson]

I don't "get" poutine, I'm getting sick of fries and cheese + fries is meh to me

[whitehawk]

I don't "get" poutine, I'm getting sick of fries and cheese + fries is meh to me

It's cheese + fries + gravy man

[Quick]

It's cheese + fries + gravy man

Sometimes +bacon, too.

[Roto13]

I had it with donair sauce instead of gravy once. Was interesting.

[thabiz]

At my old office, my boss had to ban our trips to Smokes. Everyone would come back and fall asleep.

[Nerfgun]

Never been to Fan Expo. I feel like I ought to go. it the crowds just look berserk, like PAX-East levels almost.

Maybe I will see if I can go during the day Friday.

[added_time]

Toronto photo of the day:



Can you count the construction cranes just in this one photo? (there are nine)

[thabiz]

Toronto photo of the day: Can you count the construction cranes just in this one photo? (there are nine)

Disgusting! They have destroyed the west waterfront.

[added_time]

Disgusting! They have destroyed the west waterfront.

Have you been down there recently? They have built a bunch of new parks right by the water, added a small cute beach thing next to Redpath Sugar factory, added more boardwalk areas and built multiple wave deck things in places where the street used to meet the water abruptly.
It's not perfect by any means but the western waterfront is looking a million times better than it ever has.

Here are some photos of the newish stuff:

Simcoe Wavedeck



Sugar Beach



Sherbourne Commons Park



New boardwalk south of Corus building



All of this stuff was done in just the last few years. It's pretty amazing to me considering how this area of the waterfront looked for my whole lifetime.

[Kinitari]

Have you been down there recently? They have built a bunch of new parks right by the water, added a small cute beach thing next to Redpath Sugar factory, added more boardwalk areas and built multiple wave deck things in places where the street used to meet the water abruptly. It's not perfect by any means but the western waterfront is looking a million times better than it ever has.

Yeah it's getting a lot of working and it's going to keep getting a lot of work, hopefully.

[EvilMario]

I don't think it was possible to 'destroy the waterfront' anymore than it was. I welcome these improvements, even if some of the modernism isn't quite my style.

[added_time]

I don't think it was possible to 'destroy the waterfront' anymore than it was. I welcome these improvements, even if some of the modernism isn't quite my style.

People are forgetting how horrible it used to be for sure. Here is that same area back in the 1960s:

[thabiz]

I don't think it was possible to 'destroy the waterfront' anymore than it was. I welcome these improvements, even if some of the modernism isn't quite my style.

I'm just not a big fan of the giant condo everywhere. In the east end they are making a effort to fit the condo's into the existing architecture. Not a lot of giant 50 storey buildings. most of them are 12-15 and fit nicely with the area.

The west is just glass and concrete.

[EvilMario]

I'm just not a big fan of the giant condo everywhere. In the east end they are making a effort to fit the condo's into the existing architecture. Not a lot of giant 50 storey buildings. most of them are 12-15 and fit nicely with the area. The west is just glass and concrete.

Well the existing architecture for the waterfront downtown was mostly warehouses, and parking lots. In the east end along the waterfront, there are very few projects, given the height restriction on buildings because there is feeling they want to preserve. The west actually turns green quite quickly following the waterfront, but after reading your post again I guess you're speaking about 'east' and 'west' downtown and not actual east / west beaches.

If they were ripping up important historical buildings at the waterfront to put in condos and parks, there would be something to complain about. I agree with you that I still don't find visiting Harborfront and waterfront downtown that great, but I would love it if I was living in the area.

[DopeyFish]

Seems to be a power outage west toronto... Anyone else out?

[EvilMario]

Seems to be a power outage west toronto... Anyone else out?

No issues west of High Park in Swansea. Twitter seems to say that power is out around Kipling though.

[DopeyFish]

No issues west of High Park in Swansea. Twitter seems to say that power is out around Kipling though.

that was north kipling though, no? (yesterday)

power came back though... woot :P

[EvilMario]

that was north kipling though, no? (yesterday) power came back though... woot :P

No, not the bus incident. Other people reporting power went out about 10:30am today. At least yours is back on, hooray.

[ConvenientBox]

How did I not know all of that waterfront area existed? I need to check it out, looks nice.

[EvilMario]

How did I not know all of that waterfront area existed? I need to check it out, looks nice.

It's what happens when you cut off the waterfront with an expressway.

[Willectro]

Never mind.

[Presco]

Not sure how many comedy fans we have here but there's an amazing comedy festival coming to Toronto next month.

http://www.jfl42.com/?gclid=CLeqxdiY-bECFcUKKgodNk8Axw

$100 for the festival pass which gets you into everything. I paid close to that for tickets to see Louis CK last year at the Sony Centre. I don't quite understand the check in system yet. You get 4 credits with the basic pass and you can reserve 4 shows with those credits. I think how it works is that you get the credits back when you check in at a given show and can use them on additional shows.

For those looking for recommendations for outstanding acts beyond Louis, I'd start with the following:

Reggie Watts - saw this guy in Brooklyn last month, think I'd pay $100 for his show alone
Todd Barry
Patton Oswalt
Amy Schumer
Pete Holmes
Todd Glass

[Nerfgun]

Yeah you know what sucks about that JFL festival?

Facebook REQUIRED. fuck that noise.

was all set to buy tickets and ran into that. I really don't want a FB account, certainly not at this point. a drag.

[explodet]

JFL42 sounds so pretentious.
Is the Just For Laughs brand too low-brow for us Torontonianites?

[lunarworks]

So, the latest developments in the body being cut up and thrown in creeks thing...

Doesn't sound like organized crime at all. Nope.

[Presco]

Yeah you know what sucks about that JFL festival? Facebook REQUIRED. fuck that noise. was all set to buy tickets and ran into that. I really don't want a FB account, certainly not at this point. a drag.

I don't use Facebook either but I made a random fake account to help some GAFer in a contest so I'll just use that.

[ConvenientBox]

It's what happens when you cut off the waterfront with an expressway.

Also living in Mississauga, but you're right :p

JFL42 sounds so pretentious. Is the Just For Laughs brand too low-brow for us Torontonianites?

Everyone I work with wants to go, I'd go to see louis ck, but the memes on the site made me angry.

[Magnus]

A lot of out of towners that have visited me really enjoyed the Distillery District and eating and drinking at Mill Street Brewery. It's laid back so it depends how your friends are and what they like. Kensington is also good for impressing tourists. Just find some good places there if you do go. (there are lots) Cold Tea is a hilarious bar if they like things that look super ghetto but really aren't.

Distillery for sure, thanks!

No offense though, but I wouldn't show Kensington to anyone from out of town. The absolute worst part of the downtown city for me. Smelly, dirty, roach-infested, barren of any of my interests and just plain awful to look at it. Sorry. :(. I've wanted to leave five minutes after getting there every time I've been forced to go.

[Kuro Madoushi]

Distillery for sure, thanks! No offense though, but I wouldn't show Kensington to anyone from out of town. The absolute worst part of the downtown city for me. Smelly, dirty, roach-infested, barren of any of my interests and just plain awful to look at it. Sorry. :(. I've wanted to leave five minutes after getting there every time I've been forced to go.

HEATHEN! D:

Distillery = favourite part of city for me though. St. Lawrence Market is also awesome, and the Beaches is pretty cool too. Since I live in Riverdale/Leslieville, I'm in the middle of all of them.

[EvilMario]

HEATHEN! D: Distillery = favourite part of city for me though. St. Lawrence Market is also awesome, and the Beaches is pretty cool too. Since I live in Riverdale/Leslieville, I'm in the middle of all of them.

Leslieville over to the Beaches is a really nice area of the city to show off if your friends are okay with just walking around and spending time near the water. There are a bunch of nice patios over there as well and after a few days of being surrounded by towers, they might find the community pretty interesting.

[EvilMario]

Rob Ford wants a fountain like Edmonton instead of the Nathan Phillips Square Revitalization. Maybe we should get our existing fountains working first. It's been out of service since 2009.