http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34695 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34695 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34153 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34153 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34131 While some of the cheese and deli sold is locally produced, most of the products are imported directly from Italy. The cheese sold here is some of the finest. My mum will only buy her beloved parmigiano reggiano here and I really love the taleggio and gorgonzola, always fresh and tasty.
The deli meats are great too, and you can have a panino, or sandwich, made right before your eyes. The lady behind the counter can fill up a freshly baked bun with whatever your heart desires: prosciutto, mortadella, marinated eggplants, salami, etc.
My mum and I always try to get here before lunch, so we can head to the back of the store where there is a very modest dining area serving some of the best homemade Italian food. The place is usually filled to capacity, so getting here just before noon is a must. Whether it’s a veal sandwich with tomato sauce and roasted red peppers with mozarella, two sausages with rapini or dandelion on the side, lasagna with salad, homemade ravioli, and even Italian wedding soup, there is no skimping here. Portions are generous, the food is superb and the price is great - lunch will cost roughly $10 or so.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34131 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34130 Whenever I visit the bakery, I always follow the same pattern, taking a quick look around the bakery for an interesting find, and then stopping in front of the large display case, admiring the delicious confections. On my last visit, there were cannoli – crispy, light golden shells filled with a smooth and sweet ricotta cheese filling, millefeuille – ever so thin and light pastry layered with thick, creamy custard and icing sugar on top, lobster tails – deep fried pastry goodness in the shape of a lobster tail, and filled with crème fraiche, and chocolate marzipan logs, using a chocolate that is more bitter than sweet, which blends nicely with the almond. On this particular visit, I was torn between the cannoli and the chocolate marzipan, so I bought both. I sat down in the café and ordered an espresso, thick and earthy and not too strong. Pure heaven.
There are other Italian bakeries in the neighbourhood, some of them a bit more high end with fancy espresso machines and tablecloths, but I love Tre Mari for its simplicity and old world charm. There’s something really nice about sitting in this bakery, watching generations from the same family – grannies and grandkids – enjoying food and their time together.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34130 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34129 Consiglio, the last name of the owner, can be found working in the store on most days. With three floors of jam-packed goodies - kitchenware, linens, specialty Italian food, and small appliances – this family-run business has been a fixture in the area for over 35 years.
Carrying well-known brand names at reduced rates, I never walk out of this shop empty-handed. Whether it’s a stove-stop espresso machine for less than $20, pasta and chocolates imported from Italy, tableware and embroidered tea towels, or the latest kitchen accessory, I am always thrilled with my finds.
My mum and I visit the U Save Centre at least once a month, and the place is always packed with local Italians looking for a bargain. On many occasions, we’ve seen tour buses unloading Italians from as far away as Buffalo right in front of the store! One of the salespeople tells me they get tour buses from various border cities in the US coming about once a month during the year, and more often in the summer months.
Corso Italia is perhaps one of the city’s most authentic Italian neighbourhoods, with most store owners speaking Italian as their mother tongue and most of the patrons frequenting the shops being Italian. The neighbourhood covers only a few blocks, with Mexican, Caribbean, and African shops nearby, but the area celebrates its Italian heritage with a huge Italian festival in July.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34129 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33991 There’s the Beer Makes History Better Tour, where you spend the afternoon visiting a few
unique and historical pubs, all while getting an introduction to Canadian beer, with a focus onlocal and regional craft brews, as well as learning the role beer played in the city through the last century.
The Graffiti Tour takes you through the back alleys and laneways of downtown Toronto, with an expert local guide who talks about the history of graffiti, the different forms and styles, and the many sides of the graffiti issue in the city, i.e. art vs. vandalism.
Tour Guys also offer a free Toronto Tour, which is a great intro to the city. The 90 minute tour takes you through the few blocks surrounding City Hall and its surrounding landmarks.
If private tours are your thing, you can arrange for someone to show you around for a few hours or a full day.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33991 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33990 Everything in the restaurant is made from scratch, including breads, salad dressings,
condiments, and ice cream. The menu changes every few weeks, all while taking advantage of local produce and the best available seasonal ingredients. The restaurant promotes local, sustainable food and is an advocate for the Slow Food Movement.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33990 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33989 Canada Blooms features six acres of gardens created by Canada’s top designers and landscape architects, all with a grand display of colours, textures and scents.
Over 200 hours of free lectures and gardening demonstrations are offered, as well several
design competitions, featuring the floral creations of non-professionals, locals, and international competitors.
Visitors can also participate in daily workshops, ranging from Thai fruit and vegetable carving, seed starting, 15-minute flower arranging, and small scale composting.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33989 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33638 owned and operated by St. John’s The Compassionate Mission. With strong values and a focus on using only organic, natural and mostly local ingredients, St. John's provides training opportunities and employment to people struggling with poverty, mental illness and other issues.
While the bakery specializes in handmade organic sourdough breads made in the traditional French method, other types of bread, such as rye, baguettes and spelt are also made. All sweets – scones, tarts, croissants, cookies, and cakes – are also handmade from scratch.
My favourite is the olive boule. This round sourdough loaf is crusty on the outside and soft in the inside, and packed with pieces of black olive and hints of cilantro. I’m also a big fan of the rosemary breadsticks, but if I don’t get there by Saturday morning around 9am, they’re all gone.
St. John’s bread is very well-known and their products can be found all over Toronto at organic food suppliers and farmers markets.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33638 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33636 I always feel welcome when I come here: the baristas are eager to please and they know
their coffee. Patrons can linger with a paper or laptop for as long as they want. And with little touches like a water pitcher and glasses on each table, magazines, and comfortable chairs, it’s also very inviting.
Saturday mornings are packed with couples, singles, families with small children – this café has high chairs – all enjoying their favourite brew while eating scones or breakfast sandwiches.
Named after a New Zealand suburb, Te Aro is located in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood, a hip spot for shops, galleries and restaurants. Indeed, you can spend hours in this neighbourhood after enjoying a great cup of java.
All coffee is made with beans roasted on-site, and in small batches. Since its inception in 2009, Te Aro has scored top ratings in coffee reviews and is also now available in several cafes and restaurants thoughout the city, but I like getting my coffee at the source.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33636 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33573 The restaurant is full of energy and may be a bit louder than the usual resto, but this is all part of the experience. Seating is at communal tables and you can even ask your server for items not on the menu, which has a spice scale from mild to 20 chilis. I once ate next to a fellow who was eating his green curry with 11 chilis and he couldn’t stop crying. My spice scale is 4 chilis.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33573 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33572 Lightbox, an avant-garde cultural centre and home to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Opened in 2010, it houses a cinema complex, galleries, workshops, two restaurants, and a roof-top terrace.
With different events every day of the week, TIFF offers screenings, lectures, festivals, great food, special exhibits and, of course, great cinema. There are 5 public cinemas with insulated sound space and the first in North America to show 16 mm, 35 mm and 70 mm film in addition to digital movies.
I love brunching at LUMA restaurant. With attentive service and great food, this is the perfect spot for a small or large group. LUMA also has a great dinner and cocktail menu. The Canteen restaurant, located on the ground floor, is a great spot for more casual and quick dining.
My favourite films to watch are those offered by the Contemporary World Cinema programme, where you can see some of the best films from around the world, many of which are unlikely to be widely released.
Ever since its opening last year, the space has featured outstanding exhibits, from Tim Burton to Federico Fellini and now the Grace Kelly exhibit.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33572 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33571 During the event, major restaurants from across the city offer a special three-course fixed price menu, some at very large discounts from their usual pricing. Ranging from $15, $20 or $30 for lunch and $25, $35, and $45 for dinner, the meal includes a starter, an entrée and dessert, with drinks and gratuity extra.
This event has grown from 35 restaurants participating in its inaugural year 10 years ago, to 175 participating this year. Reservations are accepted beginning January 12 – make them early to avoid disappointment. In fact, be armed with three or four restaurant choices as you may not get your first pick.
Depending on which reservations you choose, this event can be a great value, as some of the restaurants participating have starters costing near $25. My favourites – for food and value – are Auberge du Pommier, Canoe, Kultura, and Mistura.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33571 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33468 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33468 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33382 Trips are based at a remote floating lodge on the largely uninhabited Smith Inlet, but you fly in by float plane from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island, so the adventure starts even before you arrive. The Great Bear team can advise you on arranging travel to Port Hardy.
Each day you will be taken out by expert guides to view grizzly bears, either in a small boat during the spring and early summer, or to secure raised hides overlooking the river during the salmon run, when the bears are feeding in the river. Great efforts are taken to minimise disruption to the bears and indeed any other impact on the local environment, with the result that you can safely observe these beautiful animals behaving naturally in their native environment.
In addition to the twice-daily grizzly-watching trips, there are other optional activities such as boat trips, forest hikes and kayaking, as well as a host of other wildlife to watch even from the comfort of the lodge's outdoor deck.
The full board accommodation in the lodge is very comfortable, with delicious meals provided, and your hosts (Tom Rivest and Marg Leehane) provide a great welcome and expert information on all aspects of the local ecology, wildlife and the adventures of living in a breathtakingly beautiful wilderness location accessible only by boat or float plane.
This is a great "soft adventure" opportunity, accessible to anybody of reasonable health and basic fitness i.e. you do not need to be any kind of outdoor sports enthusiast to enjoy a trip to Great Bear Lodge, just somebody who appreciates the Canadian wilderness and the creatures who live there.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33382 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33380 Bill Reid was an acclaimed Haida master goldsmith, carver, sculptor, writer and spokesman, and one of Canada's greatest artists.
His artwork ranges from exquisite gold and silver jewellery to full sized totem poles and ocean-going canoes carved from massive timbers. These pieces embody his evolving interpretation of his native heritage and how he extended the traditional artistic vocabulary to embrace modern ideas and forms. He played a pivotal role in reviving interest in native art forms among the younger generations of Canada's First Nations, and in presenting those arts to a wider world.
There is a small entrance fee for the museum but it is worth every penny to see such a great collection of Reid's work gathered together under one roof.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33380 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33242 As for Christmas at the resort, well, what can I say - it was spectacular. Snow, more snow, Christmas lights, more snow, skiing, Christmas dinner with my friends (during a break between shifts) and even more snow. Of course, having watched Miracle on 34th Street and knowing the charm of a British Santa Claus, my employers had a special job for me and I duly donned the white beard and red hat and spent half the day ho-ho-ho-ing around the resort. Apart from a touch of vertigo when experiencing my first ride back down the chairlift (cue much ho-ho-ho-ing while green in the face and rushing to the staff office to throw up - fortunately the beard came off just in time), my experience as Santa went very well and the children at the resort were exceedingly grateful for my having delivered all their presents the night before.
Anyway, I would recommend Christmas at Panorama to anyone and especially those people who want to get away from it all and work at the resort for a season. I had the most amazing time and would go back in a second, if I happen to have a spare five months one year.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33242 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33111 The café also has menus for any time of day or night.
The most original hotel rooms in the city can be found here: there are 37 unique, individually designed rooms by local Toronto artists. The Biker Room features furniture and accessories influenced by motorcycles and biker culture. The Canadiana Room has an antler chandelier with forest wallpaper on one wall and cedar paneling on another.
Built in 1889, the Gladstone is Toronto’s oldest continuously operating hotel, with one of the last hand-operated elevators in the city. A true gem. Prices start at C$165, about £104 or 120 €.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33111 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33110 The mining industry in Canada is extremely important, and it’s only fitting that a large part of the second floor is devoted to such exquisite treasures. The exhibits showcase wonderful specimens of minerals in a variety of colours and shapes, including fluorescent green. There are several cases filled with gold, diamonds, garnets, opals, and jade, as well as exquisite pieces of jewellery. Throughout the exhibits, there are about 40 interactive touch stations that provide in-depth information on several specimens. I can spend hours browsing here, admiring the beauty of so many pieces, all while learning so much about geology.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33110 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33109 The entire district is decorated and lit up for the season, including a 45-foot White Spruce tree with 18,000 light ornaments, located in the main square. There are endless things to do for people of all ages. Kids can ride the Ferris wheel, visit the Reindeer Zoo, walk through a fairy tell forest maze, learn about Christmas traditions all over the world, and make ornaments and stocking stuffers. Adults can try a variety of specialty beers, mulled wines and Christmas cocktails, as well as shop for hundreds of unique and local handicraft products, as well as
Christmas merchandise and specialty baked goods. There is also plenty of “street” food to be had: hot chestnuts, grilled sausages, and warm pretzels with artisan mustard. This is the perfect place to get you in the mood for the Christmas holidays.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33109